Review of Reviews, l IJIJ 13. 



PROGRESS OF THE WORLD. 



^55 



Chinese finance, but there is not much 

 likelihood of China being able to get 

 any further loans, whilst the present 

 chaotic conditions existing in many 

 parts of the country continue. The 

 danger is that one or other of the powers 

 will deem it necessary to " take adequate 

 steps " to protect its interests, and if one 

 begins the rest will surely follow. The 

 recognition of the republic by the great 

 powers is expected at an early date. 



South Africa. 



The trouble between General Botha 

 and General -Hertzog still continues, 

 rhe latter has a considerable following, 

 and will undoubtedly be a force to 

 reckon with at the next election. Gene- 

 ral Botha is now advocating the advis- 

 ability of Rhodesia joining the South 

 African Union. We need, he says, a 

 united South Africa as far north as pos- 

 sible. The British members of Parlia- 

 ment have had a strenuous trip, and saw 

 much of the country. They are now on 

 their way home. This world trip will 



GENERAL HERTZOG, 

 General Botlia's Cliief 0|)|) )iie?it in Si>ntli Afi-ica. 



undoubtedly bear fruit in a better under- 

 standing of the Dominions at home. 



Tragedy in the Atlantic. 



On October 9th the " Volturno," a pas- 

 senger steamer of the Canadian-North- 

 ern Steamship Company caught fire in 

 mid-Atlantic. Efforts to put out the 

 conflagration failed. The passengers 

 were all assembled on deck, life belts 

 were served out, and boats got ready. A 

 gale was blowing, and the heavy seas 

 smashed the boats which the men tried 

 to launch. All those m them were lost. 

 Although the first statement that there 

 had been a panic amongst the crew has 

 been categorically denied, there do not 

 appear to have been any passengers in 

 these boats. Wireless messages for help 

 were sent out in all directions, and were 

 replied to by no less than twelve great 

 liners. The first to arrive, tearing 

 through the wild waters at her highest 

 speed, was the Cunarder " Carmania." 

 With the spray flying high over her 

 decks she dashed up to the " Volturno " 

 four hours after receiving the call for 

 help. Next came the German " Seyd- 

 litz," and then another German, the 

 " Grosser Kurfurst." Soon eight more 

 liners were on the spot. Helplessly this 

 "Teat international fleet watched the 

 flames slowly and surely envelope the 

 doomed steamer. They could do nothing. 

 The gallant attempts made were un- 

 availing. The wild storm proved too 

 much for human effort. At last the 

 " Narragansett," steaming furiously 

 through the night, reached the scene. 

 She poured ton after ton of oil upon 

 the water, which reduced the waves so 

 that boats could live in the tempestuous 

 sea. Had it not been for the arrival of 

 this oil ship it is doubtful if anyone 

 would have been rescued. As it was, 136 

 men, women and children perished in the 

 flames, or were drowned ; the rest were 

 saved, most of them being taken on 

 board the German ships. Seldom has 



