Evening star., 1925-02-01
BY HENRY W. BUM.

1EI following lS DtieI SUM
mary of the most important
news of the world for the sew
en- days ended January 81:
The British Empire-Her-
bert H. Asquith, most distinguished
of living English Liberals-indeed one
of the greatest Liberals, past or pres
ent-has accepted the earldom of Ok
ford. revived in his honor, but about
which there is no question. The We're
family, according to MacAuley. the
longest and most illustrious line OF
mobiles that England has seen," held
the earldom OF Oxford from 1142 to
1893, when it became extinct with
the twentieth earl OF the many
warriors of the We're family perhaps
the most famous was the seventh
earl who fought at Crecy and Pol
tiers. The seventeenth earl was one
Of the most brilliant of Elizabeth's
courtiers and no mean poet. The
earldom was revived in III on be-
half OF Robert Harley, the statesman
and friend of Pope and Swift, and
again became extinct in 1853 with the
sixth earl of that line.
1t is sufficient tribute to Mr.. AS
quith to say that he very dennitely
adds luster to so glorious a title.
Posterity will put a higher value on
his talents and achievements than
his contemporaries have put. He is 13
years old. His heir is his grandson
Julian, son of the much-lamented
Raymond Asquith, killed in the war
The translation of Mr.. Asquith to
the House OF Lords should greatly re-
lieve Mr.. Baldwin, for he is terrible
in debate, far superior to any Con-
servative, not excepting winston
Churchill
At any rate, Mr.. Asquith is to be an
earl. 1t is not absolutely certain that
the earldom will be that of Oxford. The
College Of Heralds is, 1 understand, ex-
amining the claims Of certain persons
who boast the blood Of the Veres.
wrote at some length several weeks
ago on the fifth of the demands OF the
British on the Egyptian government
which followed upon the murder of Sir
Lee Stack of the Egyptian army and
governor general Of the Sudan; the de-
mand, namely, that the Egyptian gov
ernment assent that irrigation in the
Gezira (the triangle of land in the Su-
dan of which the southern base rests on
the Province of Seminar. the Blue Nile
and tho White Nile forming the other
two sides) be not limited to 100000
acres, as previously contemplated. but
might indefinitely be extended at the
option of the Sudan government. The
British government has now informed
the Egyptian government that it con-
templates study of the Gezira irrigation
problem by a commission of experts
headed by a Dutch engineer, with view
to q solution that shall in nowise pref
udice Egyptian interests, the committee
to render report by June 80 OF this
year. The idea Of such a commission,
it should be remarked, long antedates
the murder OF Sir Lee Stack.
Lord Reading, Viceroy of India, ap-
pealing on behalf of the Leprosy Relief
Association of India, declares that one
in every 800 or 400 of the population OF
that country is a leper.
Australia has an east-to-west trans
continental railway.
Many years ago, long before the
Australian commonwe wealth had been
formed (1900), northern territory be-
ing then attached to the colony OF
South Australia, the government of
South Australia began construction
of South Australia, together with the
Australian railway to cross northern
territory and South Australia. In
1911 the commonwealth took over
the northern territory from the State
of South Australia together with the
sections of railway constructed,
section from Port Darwin on the
northern coast $50 miles south to
a. section of about $50 miles north
from Adelaide on the southern coast
to Oodnadatta near the northern bor-
der of South Australia, the Common
wealth government engaging to COM
plete the railway, about 1000 miles
between Pine Creek and Oodnadatta.
For sundry reasons fulNllment Of
that promise has been suspended, but
it is proposed that construction shall
be resumed in the near futule.
France.-By refusing (2s0 to 224) to
authorize official publication of NJ.
Marins speech regarding the French
war debts the French Chamber dis
avowed formal approval of the views
presented in that speech.
Premier Herriot has announced that
even though his governments pro-
posal of suppression of the French
embassy at the Vatican be enacted.
a representative for the recovered
provinces of Alsace and Lorraine will
be maintained at the Vatican. The
Napoleonic cordat with the Vatican,
abrogated as regards the rest of
France in 1905, still holds good as
regardA-Alsaoe-and- LORRAINE aud the