MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1920, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

(By Klcutrie 'iviegraph—Copyright,) JELLICGE’S PHANS. 1 OTTAWA, -March- 22 - Tire Canadian Government, at a* caucus, have decided, by an overwhelming majority, to refuse to accept Lord; Jeliicoe’s plans for a Canadian Navy, i Tile Government are now offering all their existing warships for sale. They are also closing both the Esquimnaltz and the Halifax navalbases.

• The offers of warships from the Brit-' ish Government have been all refused.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. LONDON, March 22

The ‘‘Daily Mail” gives details of recent discoveries which are likely to throw light upon heart disease, beingprincipally the result of researches by an eminent specialist, Doctor Thoms Lewis. They are the outcome of investigations of thousands of war cases. As regards fibrallation, of which an analysis has been made, the - understanding reached is almost complete. The paper is informed that further steps givihg a greater insight into the malady have almost been.reached, and these may reveal the secret of heart disease.

A FIVE MILLION DEAL. (United Service.) LONDON, March 22 , Following its sale of surplus aero-: planes, the Ministry of Munitions has > accepted Rownson, Drewe, -Clydesdale, Limited’s offer of five million sterling for all surplus factory stores in Britain, comprising thirty thousand different kinds of articles. ARMY AND NAVY. (Imprial News Service.) (Received this .day at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 23.

In the Commons in the committee stage on the Army Estimates several speakers strongly advocated the establishment of a joint Imperial general staff to deal with matters relating to defence of the Empire. Mr Ormshv Gore suggested, in view of our new commitments under the League of Nations that we ought to have new organisations under the War Office for the purpose advising and preparing for the defence of new territories.

Hun. W. .Gliurchill, in pointing out that the committee of Imperial Defence was a great instrument by which the Prime Minister asserted his views and exercised responsibility over the whole field of military politics, said the Committee of Imperial Defence would certnnly endure, but it was a mistake to suppose any committee could breach the I'ulf between the services. If the aiilf 'is to bo breached between the Army and Navy it could only bo by building up over a number of years a. breed or brand of officers trained in a common staff college, where they would acquire a common body of doctrine, dealing with tlio study of war as n whole The development of snch a l,odv of officers was far more urgent than any question of uniting Ministers under one bead. He intimated that as far as the War Office was concerned, they would push forward the idea of a joint staff .with a joint staff college, with the utmost energy.

THE '.MIDDLE EAST. (Imperial News Service.) (Received This Day at 11.20. a.m.) (LONDON, March 23. In the Commons, Hon. W. Churchill said the situation in the Middle East was very anxious, but so far was not so formidable in practice, as it seemed in prospect. Nevertheless, the situation was acute. As regards Mesopotamia, thero were three causes of anxiety. First, the Turkish Nationalist movement under Mustopha Kenial; secondly, the Arabs who had been disturbed by the occupation of Syria and who were now inclined for a hght, since in many ways they make common cause with the Turkish Nationalists; thirdly the Bolshevik .destruction or the anti-Bolshevik forces was proceeding to a very marked extent and vciy soon the Bolshevik military power would extend over the whole of those great regions, north of the Caucasus, and beyond the Caspian, quite unchecked by any Russian force.