Evening star., 1931-04-05

FOLLOWING is a brief summary
- of the most importantAnews OF
the world for the seven days
ended April 4, 1881:
BRITISH EMPIRE-Thomas john
ston. undersecretary of state for Scot
land, has been appointed lord privy
seal in succession to Vernon gHartshorn,
deceased. Like Hartshorn land j. H.
Thomas before him), he will, we are
told. be unofficial minister for unem
ployment." He is regarded as one OF
the ablest of the younger men in the
Labor party. The appointment is popu-
lar, even with the Conservatives, fer
Mr.. Johnston is reputed to favor limited
tariff and he is conspicuously interested
in empire development Joseph West
wood, Labor member of Parliament, has
been appointed undersecretary of state
for Scotland in succession to Mr.. john
ston.
failed to note last week the death
of Enoch Arnold Bennett of typhoid
fever, at the age of "a. 1t is said that
his books brought him more readers
and more money than any contem-
porary British author could boast. But
that is of no Importance What is i'm
portant is that he produced one in
dubitable masterpiece named THE Old
Wives Tale"
Mahatma Gandhi has won out in his
struggle with the extremists OF mis-
party. On March 81 the Working Gem
mittee of the All-India National Con-
gress (then in session at KarachiJ
passed resolutions "ratifying the terms
Of his truce with the Viceroy Of India
and designating him as the chief Ma
tionalist representative at London.
simultaneously the leader Of the vio-
Lot no htlci
was capped on March 80 by almost
unanimous ratification by the congress
of the Working Committees resolutions.
Gandhi is to select the congress dele
gates to the new round table confer
ence in London.
The congress adjourned on the 3lSt.
On April a congress of scarcely less
Importance met at Delhi for three
day session, namely. that of the ALI
India Moslem League. The Central
Khilafat Committee and the All-India
Moslem Youth League met at the same
time in Delhi.
GERMANY On March %, at the
request of the Bruening government
and under authority Of article 48 tthe
famous enabling clauseD OF the Wei
mar constitution, President Hindenburg
issued decree greatly curtailing free
dom of speech and of assembly, and
forbidding the unlicensed carrying of
weapons This because of the numer-
business of bloody c;-shes between
or "Fascists" andt Communists) and
the violent character Of their respective
propaganda including, as regards the
Nazis, anti-Semitism)
It is said that within the past IL
months over 300 deaths by murder or
in street fights have resulted from the
mutual hatred of Nazi and Communist,
| of Black and Red.
Article 48 provides that Gin the event
that public security and order should
| be considerably disturbed or in danger,
! the President may take all necessary
measures to re-establish" the same, in
| cluding use of the armed power. 1t
| specifically provides for temporary alb
! rogation in whole or in part of Sundry
| clauses of the constitution guaran-
| teeing inviolability of dwellings and
/ private property, secrecy of the mails
| free expression of opinion, free as
| sembly, etc.
The week end. March 1929, was the
| first quiet week end of many months
few, but only very few, applications
! of the decree.
The Reich government announced
! that it will make no objection to con-
! sideration by the League Council oi
whether or not the new Austro-Ger-
man protocol contemplating customs
union traverses treaty obligations. II
also expresses the hope that the Pan
| European Commission will examine the
document.
NICARAGUA.-On March 81 an
earthquake well nigh destroyed Ma
nagua, capital of Nicaragua. The
tremor lasted only six seconds. AS &C
often happens, it was followed by vio-
lent conf1agration. The central market
was crowded with women and children
! of whom perhaps 500 were burned tC
death. The total of dead is officially
estimated at about 1000, and of injured
at several thousand. The known Amer.