MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1918, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

If AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASS.O* GION_ CANADA RENEWS SUBSIDIES. MONTREAL, Dec. 26. C..nadn n providing for the renewal I of her subsidies to steamships plying between the Canadian Atlantic ports I and the ports of Australia and also to the Royal Mailers and to New Zealand Shipping Coy. SOLDIERS’ GRAVES. ! - LONDON, Dec. 21. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, on behalf of the Graves Commission, announces that the temporary crosses over soldiers’ graves will be saved for relations and friends if they wish for. the memento. DISABLED SERVICE MEN. LONDON, Dec. 24, The King’s Fund for disabled service men lias already set up 8000 men in

i their own businesses. I AUSTRIAN ARMY SCANDAL. VIENNA, Dec. 19. I Tbo “Nones Wiener Journal” exposes I an Austrian Army Scandal which has I occujrijdd since demobilisation. The I paper accuses tho Archduke Leopold Salvator, and Generals von J3oheinerlolli, von Arnim, Hlorsdorp, Kovess, I and the Kaiser, of looting depots and I taking goods worth millions sterling. RUSSIA’S CASUALTIES. AUSTRALIAN ifc N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION! LONDON, Dec. 24. Russia’s casualties during the war I numbered 9,130,000, including 1,700,0r>0 j dead, and 2,500,000 prisoners. j SOUTH AFRICAN CASUALTIES.

CAPETOWN, Dec. 24. ' It is estimated that the South African casualties during the war, comprising those in the rebellion in East, West, and Central Africa, and overseas, were 6800 killed, of whom 4630 were killed in Europe, while the wounded and gassed numbered 11,500. BRITISH PILOT KILLED. WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. An aeroplane, with a British pilot and an American general as passenger, icturning from Treves to Paris, capsized near Paris. The pilot is dead and Iho general seriously injured. THE GERMAN COLONIES. NEW YORK, Dec. 23. Mr. Laurence Hills, the “New York Sun’s” Paris correspondent, says the

question of the disposition of the German colonies is becoming prominent now that President Wilson is going to England. Some sections of British opinion are apparently iu favour of temporary administration ■ by the United States; another suggestion is that Holland .should administer Danzig, and Switzerland Constantinople. LONDON, Dec. 24. The British Government has not invited Mr Hughes to be present ,‘tt the Peace Conference. The case for the retention of the German colonies and the Australian view of tariffs indemnities and raw materials affect the third of President Wilson's points. A CONSULTATION. (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) | LONDON December 23. IJr Wilson consults the British Ministers on Friday when tho question of further Allied operations in Russia will he discussed. He leaves England on Tuesday. j LABOURS CLAIMS. ! (Received this day at, 1.30 p.m.) j LONDON December 23. | If Labour is numerically the largest j party in the Commons outside of the 1 Coalition, members intend to claim to be regarded as the official Opposition. Labourites who. are Privy Councillors, will take the steps of the front opposition bench. THE EPIDEMIC. SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 24. According to an official on the steamer Moana, which has arrived, depopulation through Spanish inflenza threatens the Tahitian, Solomon, Gilbert, and other island groups of tho South Pacific. During the week preceding the arrival of the Moana at Papeete, over 600 out of a population of 3700 died. Scores begged the captain for a passage to San Francisco to escape the malady. The epidemic is so serious that no labour is obtainable for tho cocoanut plantations or for harvesting crops. 'Phe Governor is barricaded in his residence and is transacting business by telephone. Similar conditions in other islands are reported by trading vessels.

A NAVAL WELCOME. (Received this day afc 9.25 a.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 26. Ton battleships headed by the Arlzono, and commanded by Admiral Mayo, received a tremendous welcome in the harbour oil returning from European waters. NAVAL QUESTIONS. (Received This Da\ at 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 26. Discussing Admiral Jellicoe’s visit overseas, the “Times’’ says the whole problem of tbo Dominion Navies is altered. owing to the disappearance of the German Navy. Jellicoo’s visit is necessary in order that the closest touch be maintained between the Dominions and Admiralty regarding future naval disposition. Prior to the war, it was no secret that the dominion’s relations towards the Admiralty were lax and Inclined to friction. MURDERED PRESIDENT’S FUNERAL. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) LISBON December 23. The late President Paes’ funeral was imposing. The chief feature was too universal character of tho mourning. Thousands of poor women, orphanage children and hundreds of representatives of the workers followed the coffin.

j FREIGHTS LOWERING. J (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) I NEW YORK, Dec. 26, < The Chicago “Tribune’s” eorrespou dent states the American Shipping j Board officials have notified Britisl: ! shipping authorities the terms on which { merchant marine competition will be j conducted, twenty-five per cent, reduction of American freight rates have j already been ordered by Mr, Hurley, in order to meet English rates. An additional reduction of about the same ! amount is expected soon. United i States won’t undercut English rates, f There is no attempt to reach a uniform wage scale. British ship wages are higher than pre-war and are likely to remain so. The fact that new American ships will be chiefly oil burners, is expected to largely offset tbo advantages of British wages, because American ships will be able to reduce tho fire room forces to a minimum. j The Chicago “Tribune’s” Washington correspondent says the reduction of the j freight rate is not coiifimcd by Washington officials,