LATE NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1920, Page 1

LATE NEWS.

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright, i MYSTERIOUS DISEASE. LONDON, Jan. 3. A new and mysterious disease has started in England. It consists of inflammation with severe intestinal inflammation. It is puzzling the doctors in the Midland counties. The victims collapse suddenly and are prostrated for days.,

NEW YEAR MESSAGE.

LONDON, January 2.

A New Year message from the Premiers of the British Commonwealth has been issued over the signatures of Mr Lloyd George, Sir Robert Borden, Hon. W. M. Hughes, Hon. \V. F. Massey, and General Smuts, and is addressed to “our fellow citizens of the British Empire.” The message emphasises that in a recognition of the Fatherhood of God and His Divine purpose for the world, which is the central message of Christianity, will be discovered the ultimate foundation for the recognition of an ordered and harmonious life for all men, as that recognition could only come as an act of free consent on the part of individual men everywhere. The message appeals to men of goodwill to consider the eternal validity of the truth of those spiritual forces which are the one and only hopo for the permanent foundation of a world peace.

THE NEW YEAR. ; MR. LLOYD GEORGE’S MESSAGE. LONDON, Dec. 31. Md Lloyd George, in his New Year message to the nation, says: “ It depends upon ourselves whether the New Year is rich with promise or laden with despair. As concentrated effort, which is essential to the rebuilding of the world by united effort, inspires the spirit of general goodwill, so will the nation add to the glory achieved by her sons in battle.”

OUTPOST OF EMPIRE. SPORTS AT FANNING ISLAND. FANNING ISLAND, Jan. 2. A New Year sports gathering at the Pacific Cable station was a splendid success. Two hundred Gilbert Island ers enthusiastically competed in the events, which included boxing, sprinting, mat-making, and a tug of-war. This lonely atoll in the mid-Pacifie is the temporary hoine of New Zealand, Australian and English cable officers. Notliwithstanding their strenuous pre-sent-day cable work, they find time to display a keenness for sport, and an example to the natives of what has gone far in Empire-building.

The concluding event was a tug-of-war between the New Zealand and Australian operators. Til the final bout the New Zealanders secured a closely-con-tested victory.

OFFICER’S TNDTSCRETION. WASHINGTON, Dec. 31. Mr Josephus Daniels, Secretary ot the Navy Department, discloses that Rear-Admiral Decker, who refused a Naval Cross, in the ground that he was being inadequately rewarded for his services in keeping Spain out of the war, was dismissed from his post as American Naval Attache at Madrid, in consequence of the American Ambassador’s representations. Mr Daniels alleges that Decker thought himself the real Ambassador, and acted accordingly. PLACATING THE MOSLEMS. LONDON, Dec. 31.

It is authoritively predicted that the Allies are determined to remove the Ottoman Government to Asiatic Tuikey, thus freeing Europe of the Sultan’s

political powers. An Allied Commission is to administer Constantinople, where the Sultan will be permitted to remain with full personal freedom in his capacity of su preme head of the Mussulman faith, while his functions are separated, every care will be taken not to lessen the Sultan’s dignity as religious authority.

SEDITIOUS PROPAGANDA. NEW YORK, Dec. 81. A Buffalo message states that Dr Anna Reinstein, the wife of a Minister in the Lenin Cabinet, has been arrested on a charge of carrying on seditious propaganda. DE ROUGEMONT TURNS UP. LONDON, Jan. 3. The former well known character, de Rougemont, who years ago made remarkable claims in regard to pioneering exploration work, has again turned up. It transpires that do Rougemont was admitted to an hospital on the 19tli of December last. He is now a gaunt bowrinkled, bearded old man. De Rougemont, on entering, gave his age as So.

He has freely discussed his former adventures with the nurses.

The “Daily Express” says that he was last seen in London in 1014, when lie endeavoured to arrange for a South Polar expedition. Ho married Miss Theresa Cooper in 1914. Then ho disappeared and lias only just turned up again. The “ Daily Express ” says tho old man definitely is De Rougemont. He lias been living in England since tho outbreak of the war. Latterly he has been living in the basement of an empty house at Kingston Court. He always seemed to have sufficient money. His tall, gaunt figure was a familiar sight in the neighbourhood.

SAILING FOR HOME/. LONDON, Jan. 3. Sir Gregory Wade, who lias accepted a Judgeship of the Supremo Court of New South Wales, sails soon for Australia by the Osterly.

MOORED MINES IN EUROPE. LONDON, Jan. 3

It is now announced that the operations allocated to the British for the clearance of all moored mines in Home waters and in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas have been completed. Certain Black Sea ports have also been cleared of moored mines.

OBITUARY. P7KIN, Jan. 2. Ex-President Feng Kuo Chang is dead

AY ANT A TEN HOUR DAY. BOMBAY, Jan. 2.

In order to shorten their long hours and improve wages, many mill hands have struck. It is a widespread strike of hands, and has affected over a score of the mills in the Warel areal of title city of Bombay. The demands include the reduction of the hours to ten, hours a day, and a fifty per cent, increase of wages.

iSEINE STILL RISING. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) (PARIS, January 2,

'The river Seine has risen nineteen inches in forby-eiglit hours. The lower part of the city, at Berry Auteuil is being submerged. Pumps are working everywhere and the sittiaHSon in the suburbs is serious.

PRODUCE DINNER. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Januarp 2.

Bristol Dominions Producers Association gave a dinner to Mr Sidney Kidman, who paid a tribute to Sir Thos. Mackenzie’s efforts to promote the produce trade. His experience and insight constituted him one of the best authorities on the subject. Sir T. Mackenzie, in proposing the tonst of the Association said that the meat position was becoming serious. High prices of restriction has checked the consumption and there is a resultant congestion, causing a. deterioration of meat.

JAPAN’S INTENTIONS. fßeceived This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. The- “Daily Express” understands •that Jaipan has (recently b!ee» purchasing vast stores of war material. Japan decided to take active measures in Siberia as a result 'ftf Koltchak’s collapse. It is intended apparently to establish an anti-Bolslievik barrier in Central Siberia with a view to preventing Bolshevjjks crossing the Angara river. Martial law is declared at Irkutsk, which is Koltchak’s head quarters.

IRON MOULDERS STRIKE,. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. The iron moulders delegates after a conference with the employers, agreed to recommend the acceptance of an increase of 5/- weekly to fifty thousand strikers, who have been idle for fifteen weeks, paralysing many trades. LORD CECIL'S VIEWS. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. Lord Robert Cecil, speaking at Leeds

siu'd ‘‘Think as badly as you please about Germany, but you are foolish unless you realise that Germany is safer inside, than outside the League of Nations.”

FOOD PROTEST. ,'Reeeived This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, January 3. Plymouth Food Committee has, protested to the Food Ministry for detaining the Germanic there undischarged ivith 115 thousand carcases of Australian mutton and other food.

An official of tile Dockers Union states that the vessel has burnt three thousand tons of coal while detained. There is sufficient lighterage to land the cargo and cold storage to acommodate tlu-ee-quarters of the cargo.

BYE-ELECTION. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 3. Spen Valley election resulted: Myers, (Labour) 11,962 'Sir John Simon (Independent Liberal) 10,244 Fairilax (Coalition Liberal) 8,131

A NATIONALIST MOVEMENT.

LONDON, Jan. 3. The London papers report the fact that the Town Council at Blackrock recently carried a resolution calling on Mr John Dillon l , Mr Joseph Devlin and other members of the old Irish Nationalist Party to reorganise the Nationalist forces.

Mr Dillon (ex-Leader) in replying, is reported as saying that in view of the result of the last election in Ireland, and of the infamous character of the present methods of Government used in Ireland, he has not felt free to take a prominent part in reorganising Ireland on constitutional lines. Commenting on Sinn Fein policy, as cabled to him, Mr Dillon deplored “ the throwing away of a most effective weapon in the shape of an independent and united Irish party in the British House of Commons, and the declaring of a war against the British Empire, when Ireland had no means of carrying it on in a civilised and decent fashion.” It was foolish in the extreme.