Evening star., 1925-01-04
RY HENRY w. BUM.

"H HE following is brief sum-
mary of the most important
news of the world for the
seven days ended January 3:
The British Empfre.-Lawn
Bank, Hampstead (known as Went
worth Place in Keats tfme), the
house and charming gardens attach
ed thereto where Keats composed
most of his greatest poems, has just
In the nick of time been saved from
destruction through purchase thereof
by a Keats Society. The plum tree
still stands under which the ''Ode to
a Nightingale" was written.
The most precious of the Keats
relics will be preserved in the house,
including the poets little collection of
books. one of the smallest, yet one
of the most important libraries OF
the world.
The Kings New Year honor list in
cludes one earldom, two baronies, one
privy councilorship, three baronet-
cies and over seventy knighthoods.
Viscount Jellicoe. ending as COVER
ernor general of New Zealand glori-
Gus public career, becomes an earl
Sir John S. Bradbury, for splendid
service as a member of the .repa-
rations commission at the treasury.
is made a baron. OF the other honors,
the most interesting, perhaps, are the
knighthood to Edmond Gosse and
the title of Dame Grand Cross of the
Order of the British Empire to the
divine Ellen Terry.
X X
France.-French foreign trade in
1924 showed a considerable export
surplus (about 1,400, 100000 francs), as
against a considerable import surplus
in 1928.
The revenue collections of 1924 ex-
ceeded those of 1923 by 5,000,000,000
(paper) francs. OF 100000 hectares
of land rendered unproductive by the
war, 100000 hectares are now pro-
ductfve The government collected
nearly 5000, 100000 (paper) francs of
revenue from the devastated regions in
1924, as against less than billion
francs in 1919.
The debt of the French government
to the United States is 1898, 1855, ,232.
plus $650,o00,000 interest. It's debt
to Great Britain is e445,0o0,000, plus
loans to continental allies totaling about
Is. 600, 5000 gold francs, including g.
900. 900, 900 to Russia.
The question of the French war
debt to the United States is In a. new
and brisk phase OF discussion, dis
cussion not always characterized by
magnanimity or courtesy. 1t were to
be hoped that only those (and they
are very few in number) who have
a complete mastery of the facts
would participate in the discussion.
1t is reported that a. memorandum
on the subject Of the debt from M.
Clementel, the French finance minis
ter, is on its way to Washington.
1t is claimed that through increase
of cotton cultivation in French
Africa the French empire will soon
be independent of the rest OF the
world in respect of cotton, a matter
of especial importance in relation to
manufacture of explosives.
According to LIE Matin of Paris,
there are at most 10000 Communists,
or Soldiers Of Moscow" in France,
whereof only about $4,000 are OBJ
streperous.
GermanyI am now able to give
what are declared to be authentic
figures as to the make-up of the new
German reichstag as follows: So
cialists, 131; Nationalists, 103; Cen
trists. SO; Peoples Party, 81; Commu-
nists, as; Democrats, 80; Bavarian
Peoples Party, 10; Economic Party,
II: National Socialists followers of
Ludendorff and Hitler, now at strife
among themselves), IA; Land
Leaguers, 8; Hanoverians, Al.
The Land Leaguers are hand and
glove with the Nationalists. The note
of the conference of ambassadors in
forming the German government of
the allied decision not to evacuate
the Cologne zone January 10 will be
Jointly delivered at Berlin by the
allied diplomatic representatives there
on January g. On December 80 Herr
Stresemann the German foreign
minister, delivered himself on the
subject with characteristic violence.
I postpone further comment pending
publication of the note. The new
Reischstag convenes on January D.
ItaIy.-The opposition are making
furious efforts to fix on Mussolini
personal responsibility for many OF
the Facist outrages, but the evidence
thew are offering (such as the disclo-
sure alleged to have been penned by
that Cesare Rossi who is awaiting
trial as one of the principals in the
Matteotti AFFAIR." is extremely du-
| bious.
| II the evidence offered is conclu-
| siyely proved to be false, its produc-
| ton will be boomerangish.
Our information on this head is
| very imperfect, but apparently in the
recent petty fighting between Fascisti
and Communists the Communists have
| been the chief offenders. We are told
of several ambushes by Communists
in December, in which IA Fascist
were killed, and of attacks by Com
munists in the first two days of the
new wear with result of dead and II
| uounded Apparently the Fascist off,
GERS have succeeded in preventing
bloody reprisals. though the Fascist
| "Savages" clamor for revenge. On
the other hand, several opposition
newspaper establishments have been
wrecked by Fascist. The Fascist ket-
tie may be black, but it scarce be-
comes the opposition pot to say SO.
Pursuant to a decision to take the
full action necessary ''to safeguard
Italys moral and material interests" !"