Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1897 — FOREIGN. [ARTICLE]

FOREIGN.

Race riots continue in Bohemia, where the Czechs in numerous towns attacked the houses of Jews and Germans. The French court of appeals has decided against the application of Mile. Hauvin to be admitted to of Paris. Gales have caused numerous shipwrecks on the English coast. Lord Nelson’s old flagship, the Foudroyant, has been dashed to pieces. Gen. Pando, in charge of Spanish military operations in Cuba, is reported to have been killed in an engagement with insurgents in Santa Clara province. A rumor is current in Paris that the late Dr. T. W. Evans did not possess the ' immense fortune which was credited to him, and, in fact, was comparatively poor. The Dreyfus-Esterhazy affair is expected to result in a large crop of duels at Paris. Emile Zola is already involved in a quarrel with the editor of the Journal. United States Minister White has been instructed to ascertain Germany’s intention toward Hayti and to enter a protest should they include annexation or an excessive demonstration. China i a reported to have practically

agreed to cede to England a strip of territory near Hong-Kong and all the sur-' rounding islands in order to enable England to fortify them securely and to increase the garrison. An unconfirmed rumor says 200 members of the Germaq force occupying Kiaochou Bay have been massacred by Chinese. Russia, according to a London dispatch, is inclined to join With France and oppose German action in China. Information has reached the administration that France, while ostensibly engaged in negotiations with this government looking to the conclusion of a reciprocity treaty; is taking steps to place a prohibitory tariff upon a number of articles of American production. A cable dispatch from England indicates that the sale of the large Willimautic thread works at Willimantic, Conn., probably to foreign parties, will soon be consummated. The company has $2,000,000 capital. An option on its entire stock at $31.25 for each share of $25 par expires Dec. 15. An officer of the guards named Clay isbeing sued at London by a money lender for £11,113, due on two promissory notes cashed for Lord William Nevill. Clay charges that Nevill secured his indorsement by a trick and says he supposed he was witnessing Nevill’s signature to family documents. A frightful hurricane has ravaged the coast of Great Britain. Ships without number have been driven upon the beach and broken to pieces by the waves, and great masses of wreckage were thrown up on Goodwin Sands, telling of other crafts gone down. No estimate of the loss of life and property is possible at present, but it is said to be unprecedented. A tidal wave drove up the Thames, inundating Woolwich arsenal and part of London.

Charles Sonnenberg, formerly of New York, now a resident of Vryburg, in British Bechuanaland, Africa, and a member of the Cape Parliament, is on a visit to this country. He is chiefly interested in the plan of the British Government, to come up at the next session of the Cape Parliament, to break the present treaty existing among the nations of Germany, Great Britain and the United States in relation to South African goods. The United States, England fears, is getting too much of the importing business of South Africa, and it is itself anxious to take some away. Canada also wants to get a slice of the business, and is waiting to have the treaty broken that it may begin shipments of its own goods to South Africa. The commercial treatyha s been in existence many years. Under it a great quantity of machinery, petroleum, furniture, agricultural implements,hardware, canned and dried fruit, fish, boots and shoes and cigarettes and tobacco arc sent to South Africa by the United States. The goods are better and cheaper than can be procured in Germany and England. Many merchants do not want to pay higher duties, as the English wish them to do, according to the prospective new treajy, and they are already preparing to fight the matter. Mr. Sonnenberg says that it is of the greatest importance to the United States that this Government should take some steps at once to meet the coming fight.