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Mountains are completely covered with slow. Wolves driven d2sperate by the lack of food have descended to the plains ald are seen almnst at the gates of the capital. London, Dec. 13th.—It is understond that there will be no new year list of honours issued on January Ist next. The probable reason for this departure from custom is that Mr. Ronar Law is unwill- ing to make recommendations to tha King for the conferment of honours in view of the fact that a Royal Commission on the matter of honours is now sitting and its report is being awaited before any more honours are conferred. New York, Dez. 13th.—Another unusa- al ris> in sterling ex~hang> oczurred to- day. demanld biiis bainzg yoted at $1 68 & a1 rvernizht rise of nearly six cents, ald 21 ceats abhoyve the rate of a month azn. l.ateselling brouzht th2 price down to $1.634 this afternoon. Washinzton, D:@c. 13th.—A lrequest taat the Presiden: seek to broaden the scope of the Naval Limitation Agree- ment so as to include a limitation on construction of smaller types of war-ves- sels and on miiitary and saval aircraft, is included in the arnual states bill as re- ported by the House appropriations com- mitiee. Under the hill, as brought into the House, the President would be asked to open negotiations with Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan for au agreement which would limit future building of all surface and submerszible types of war craft having a tonnage of 10,000 or less and on all classes of army and navy air craft. Portsmouth, Dee. 13:h.—Lt. Col. Les- lie Orme Wilson, Chief Government whip defeated in the general elections as mem- ber Reading, has been elected for Ports- mouth. Houston, Tex., Dec. 13th.—Twenty per- sons were killed and fiftyinjured in a Houston East and West Texas trzin wreck at Bumble, Texas, 17 miles north of Lere, zccording to reports telegphoned to the Southern Pzcifie hospital at 10,30 tonight. Two ambularces ard a score of physicians are on the way to the scene. Washingten, Tee 13tk.—An enlisted personi ¢l duiing the ficcals year begin- ning next July Ist of &6,0(0, the same as at present, is providec for in the United States pavy budget carniyinga total of $293,806,588, or aprreximately ralf a wiliion dollars less then last year Feor ccmpletion of £§6 warships permissalle vrder the aims confererce tieaty, the zppropriation conmmiftee premised to make available durirg the comirg fiscal year a total of §55,600,0C0 or ‘§14.C00,000 more than the amcunt reccmmerded in the budget. Lausanre, Lec. I&th.—A refrsal by Turkey at this mcrning’s scssicn of the Near Eastern Corferernce to accede to the demard for a naticral hcme for the Aime- niars, or interrational legulations of the 3T. CRUUIII X A NIS rights ¢f the minorities in : Turkey,. biought a short warning to *he Angora delegatior from Marquis Curzon. The Foreign Secretary told the Turkish dele- gation that the persistent imposition of barriers to a satisfactory settlement of the minorities problem was having effect on the conference and the entire ~world. When we leave Lausanne, and it may be we shall leave sooner than you think, when the world héars that the Allied powers have been fichting the battle of the minorities and getting nothing but platitudes in return, the gereral impression will be deplorable for Turkey, said Lord Curzon. '‘Do not let us darken this scene by charges and counter charges of horrors. We wish to obtain a sclution for the future. 1 deep- lv regret this proposal for the excharge of populations, this-bad and vicious sclu- tion for which the world will pay for a hvndred years to come. [ detest having apy hand in it, but to say that the Greeks prepesed it is monstrous, it has been foreed by the Turks through their expulsion of Greeks. It is per- fectly clear that the Turks wish to lid themselves of the Greeks, or to make their conditions of life in Turkey cruel and impossible’’. Reviewing Ismet Pasha address, Lord Curzon said, th2 Turks had rejected praciically all the suggestions made to them. They had spurned the idza of an Armenian Naticnal [Home on the plea that it would mean the dismem- berment of Turkey, and had rejected con- trol or administration of the affairs of the minorities by.the l.eague of Nations or any other international body. “‘I im- plore the Turks not to take refuge in words’’ he continued, ‘‘and urge upon them to cooperate with the powers in an effort to bring about a solution of this tancled problem. 1 venture to speuk with great seriousness for the Turkish delegation seems hardly to realize the situation in which we are placed in tiis question of minorities and in some of the other problems under consideration. I repeat, we are here for one object only and that is to make peace, but the Turks are contirually cbstrueting. This cun- not go on incefinitely. Europe has other things to do. This question of micorities excites almost more atten- tion than anything else we are discuss- ing ard we shall be judged especially by its own solution. If we break cn this questicn, if we leave these misersble minorities unproiected, not "a single vcice will be raiced in deferce of Tur- key’s positicn. The Turkish delegation may bhe supported by the Angcra Govt. but will not have suprcrt anywhere else in the world. I have spcken eclearly, in a spirit of friendship and respect, but with all sericusness.”” l.ord Curzon tcok issue with lsmet Pasha’s attemrpt toley al (he'blame ¢n the Aimernisns for their trcubles. Cemmenting on Isemet Fasha’s statement that the proraganca of the old REussian Govt. had brought akout tlLe diffizulties in whieh th= 4minorities in Turkey found themselves;he said. *‘l should like to enquire if all the propa- ganda and machinations have ceased un- der the Soviet Regime.”” It was diffi- cult, he continued, to reconcile Ismet’s statement, that Turkey had given fair treatment to the minorities with the fact " that of the three wmillion Armenians formerly resident in Anatolia only 18°7- 000 remained. ‘‘Didthey kill themselves’’. He asked, “‘or did they voluntarily leave Anatolia’”’. Why was the French troops leaving Anatorlia, followed by 80,000 Av- menians, wh) deserted everything they had”. He continued, ‘‘why are three hundreds of thousands of these Armeni- ans scattered over the neighbouring coun'ries? Wiy do they stay there if all they have to @ 18 [0 re= turn to ‘lurkey and be embraced by the Turkish Gov .? Why is the Armenia question one of tte greatest scardals ¢f the world. It was easy, lLord Curzcn went on, for the Turks to offer to live peazefully with a minority that had re- duced to a miserable hsndfull but he added: ‘‘l'he eyes of the world are up- on the Armenians and Turkey and (le world will not be content that the rem- ant of these wretched peop'e be left without protcetion other than wiat Tur- key may be pleased to accord ”’ London, Dec. 14th. ‘lhe continued rise of stirling exchange yesterday, is dis- played prominently by this morning’s newspapers, some of which enthusiasti- cally anticipate a teduciion in the prices of food and cotton importations from the Unpited States. This view. the newspa- pers bolster by citing the opinion of Mr. Bonar Law, as expressed in the House of cvommons last night, that unless some great disaster in foreign affairs oceurs, Great Britain will very soon enjoy better trade. In more conservative quarters, however, althovgh a gtendency toward improvement is recognized with satisfac- tion, a waring is raised against building too confidenily upon the immediate fu- ture and it is remarked that a supetrfici. | consideration of the rise in exchange mey lead to exaggerated anticipation of in- proved conditions here. Dublin, Dee. 14th.—Talk of peace be- tween the factions in Ireland i 3 iner=as- ingly heard, as Christmas iime approach- es. Action taken by the new Senate of the Free State on Tuesday, in appointing a Committee to work fer the immediate cessation of hostilities, had developed some indications that a considerable sec- tion of the Repubiican Party is willing to treat for peace and that the rank and file 1s moving in that direction. The summeaning of all the Sinn Fein clubs in Dublin City and countiy, to debate the question, is pointed to as significant, es- peeially as, alth :ugh the clubs are com- posed of both treaty supporters and Re- publicans, it is the Republieans who sent out the press notification for Sunday’s meeting.