MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 837, 11 March 1903, Page 3

MAIL NEWS.

GREAT DAMAGE DONE BY, STORMS,

(Per R.M.S. Sierra at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 20. Almost Ihe whole of the United States' has been in the grip of the storm king during the past week. In many localities trains are snowbound. Cable arid electric car systems in many towns and cities, including New York, were tied up for two or more days. On the western plains stock has suffered terribly. Great numbers of cattle and sheep suffered from exposure and hardship. Even the Florida orange groves are seriously threatened. Floods of rain throughout the Southern States have caused rivers to overflow, and inflicted much damage to property and some loss of life. California alone escaped the climatic disturbance. Even here the weather was disagreeably cold, although San Francisco was during the storm, the warmest city of the nation, with a single exception, Jacksonville, Florida,

CONDEMNED FRUIT. (Per R.M.S. Sierra at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2d. The authorities of San Francisco sent a consignment of fresh iruit from the vicinity of Sydney, N.S.YV., to the garbage crematory. The fruit came in the steamer Sierra, and was kept on hoard while the Legislature of the State passed prohibitive measures. The reason was the fear of a certain fly, well known to Australians, hut not yet introduced here. A damages suit is expected.

THE PEACE OF EUROPE BALaaN SITUATION.

(Per R.M.S. Sierra at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 20. The situation in the Balkans is exceedingly critical. Tile Macedonians are well organised', and display a determination to throw off the Turkish yoke. The indignities and wrongsj which they have long been compelled to endure at the hands o£ the Turkish soldiers quartered in their domain has long been unbearable. Large numbers of Macedonian sympathisers in Bulgaria have pledged themselves to aid their neighbours., The belief has become current that Russia is strongly sympathising with the oppressed Christians. The following account of the situation has been given to the New York Sun by a British diplomat fully acquainted with the conditionslL was Russias desire to oppose radical reforms on the Government of Macedonia and upon the Sultan. There was a verbal agreement in the matter between Russia and AiistroHungary, including eventualities in case of Turkish resistance. A full agreement has not however, been reached with Austria, and an unexpected difficulty i arose with the King of Roumania,who I refused to- consider the passage of Russian troops through the territory. It remains to be seen how the failure to arrange these matters wil affect Russia’s plans. Russia may be deterred, and even so Turkey may force a crisis. The Sultan is quite able to crush t-iie insurrection in Macedonia, and even control Bulgaria if the greati Powers do not interfere. Meantime Turkey has massed 100,000 troops on the Bulgarian frontier. Bulgaria has an army of 42,000 men, with 70 guns prepared to move against the Turksi in a week if necessary. Despatches from, London state, that Fleet street regards the Macedonian question as a serious menace to the peace of Europe. Mr James Bryce a Liberal member of Parliament and a former Cabinet Minister, is not considered exaggerating when he statedthat the danger of a conilagation is very near and very real. It is believed in London that the Greeks and Servia will co-operate in a movement, releasing Macedonia from Turkey’s dominion^