MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1918, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

[pur press association. —copyright..’ THE. SCHLESWIG QUESTION STOCKHOLM November 5. A Northern Peace Committee has memoralisod the King of Sweden urging tho Scandinavian Government to support the demand for a satisfactory solution of the North Schleswig question. ! GERMAN COLONIES. LONDON November 5. i Sir Rider Haggard, in a letter, says: Dir Balfour’s statement on the 23rd October leaves the disposal of the German colonies still undetermined. A Government .declaration which cannot subsequently be explained away is needed urgently. I learned during a tour of the Dominions that any weakness in policy will be bittery resented—indeed it would shake the Empire. The security of Australasia would bo impossible if Germans were permitted to swarm in the Pacific with secretly constructed submarines and flocks of air- ; craft read to attack at a moment’s no. tice. The Germans undoubtedly would create a gigantic native army if they returned to Africa. After four years fighting, there has been shown to >bo a formidable possibility of such an army. It is vain to suppose that- a League of Nations would obviate risks. The Germans will not undergo a sudden repentance.

j COFFEE FRAUD DISCOVERED. ! LONDON, Nov. 5. ! A Prize Court is hearing charges against Eugene urban and another firm, that of Norictrogo concerning twenty-one blockade runners who have been carrying coffee from Rio de Janei. : to to Scandinavian consignees, destined ■I for Hamburg. The cargoes were of <o‘j ormous value. The fraud was discovered by the American postal authorities capturing the key to Urban’s code. MINISTERIAL CHANGES. LONDON November 5. The Press Bureau announces that Sir ; Auckland Geddes has become President of tlio Local Government Board, also retaining his present offices. Mr Hayes Fisher becomes Chancellor or , the Duchy of Lancaster, with a agej' EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS. | LONDON, Nov. 5. j In the House of Commons, Sir O. Cave stated that Germany was now satisfied with the agreement for tho ex- - change of prisoners. S ON IHISH QUESTION. i ; (Received This Dav at 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 5. j In the House of Commons, Mr O’Connor moved that Britain should not, | attend the Peace Conference until it applied the principle of self-dctermina- : lion of small nations to Ireland. Mr Asquith urged that before : Britain entered the -conference, she ! .should give an. assurance that Ireland would not be behind any of our self- • governing Dominions. Mr Short said the failure in Ireland was shared by the Irish as well as the English. H e asked the Nationalists to tell the House what settlement they would accept. Dir Bonar Law said he had listened to Mr Asquith with amazement. It was preposterous to claim that the British Empire should not take part in the Peace Conference until they had settled the Irish question. The confer- • enee had no right- to * deal with the ; matter. • The motion was altered to rend tliar- ' in view of the approach of the peace conference, the Irish question should be settled in accordance with. Mr Milpen’s principle of self-determination for which the Allies were ostensibly fighting. The motion was rejected by 196 to 115.. | SHIPBUILDINGCONSTRUCTION EXCEEDS LOSSES f AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION A BEUTFJI.] i (Received this day at- 9.25 a.m.) LONDON November 6. The Admiralty announced that the United Kingdom, Allied arid neutral, merchant, ships construction in the third quarter of 1918 totalled 1,384,000 tons whereof the United Kingdom output was 411,395. The former figures exceeds the losses from all causes by nearly half a million tons. The United Kingdom output fbr October is 136,000 making ,1,311,000 since January Ist, compared with 892-000 for the corresponding period of last year. AMERICAN ELECTIONS. i (Received This Day at 10.35. a.m.) ■j NEW YORK, Nov. 1 Newspapers report a Republican viotorv in the Congressional elections, i 1 v I CHILIAN SEIZURE. I j WASHINGTON November G. 1 Chilian military and naval authorities have seized all German boats in ( Chilian ports. i SHARE MARKET. i • LONDON. Nov. 5. i Consols arc quoted at £6l/10/-. P. b and O. shares 430/-. I Banks —Australasia £l3l/10/-; New i South "Wales £37; Union £67/15/-; Na- , tional of New Zealand 125/- New Zeai land 80/- ex dividend. New Zealand r Loan and m~ -antile 101 \.