BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1920, Page 1

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

[PER (PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPYRIGHT.]

A SHIPPING GFFER. WASHINGTON, Sept. 1. The Shipping Board has offered ‘for sale to the highest ‘bidder, '92 steel freighters, varying from 1000 to 9,777 tons.

AGREEMENT 'DENIED: WASHINGTON, Sept. 1

Mir Colby stated the dispatch 4ro.m Honolulu declaring he had reached tin understanding with the Japanese Ambassador on the .Japanese question, as premature, Both the .question of Japanese immigration into United States and the status of unnaturalised Japanese in America have not yet been -settled.

JAP TRADE AID. .WASHINGTON, Sept. 1. According to a dispatch from Tokio, the Japanese Government is extending financial support to -silk, .cotton and sugar industries, in -order to prevent serious business depression.

MR TAFT’S VIEWS. OTTAWA, Sept. 2

Mr Taft, in a speech declared United States refusal. to enter the League •Would relegate her to the -limbo amongst irresponsible nations unable to ■make a-n agreement of a-nv kind. He declared United States would not lose anp of her sovereignty hy entering the Lca<nie. He said the result of the Presidential elections would not necessarily indicate the people’s decision whether United States should enter the League. mucc other issues were involved.

CHINESE POLITICS. PEKING, Sept. 1. It is officially announced that the new Parliament will shortly be called under the old. provisional constitution. It is understood a Chma-Japanese Pact will be cancelled. Japanese instructors of the frontier defence army will be permitted to resign.

AMERICAN MINERS STRIKENEW YORK, September 1. Thirty thousand mine workers on the anthracite watteWs of Pentj-lvoma have struck, as a protest ngamst r Wilson’s wage advance award, cabled on Monday.

WOMEN SUFFRAGE HITCHNEW YORK, September 1. The Lower House of Tennessee State iLegfislatulre Voted to reconsider the approval of the woman suffrage amendment on the ground that a quorum of members was not present upon the occasion. , . , WASHINGTON, September 1. Mr Colby states the action of Tennessee Legislature raises a question wit which the State Department is not primarily concerned. He has promul,rated the proclamation, m ratifies i 0... ° Suffrage leaders express themselves as secure in the belief that the ratification cannot he questioned, but it is expected the Supreme Court will be called on for a settlement of the issue.

reopening wool mills. WASHINGTON, September 1. It is announced at Boston that the American Wool Company’s mills, which have been shut down due to the inactivity of the trade, will bo opened on September 13th.

FAMINE IN CHINA. PEKJN, September 1. Reports from Hanan, Shantung and South Chili provinces state that owing to the failure of crops, at least .twenty million people are facing famine Thousands are starving and whole families on the verge of starvation, committed suicide. Parents are selling their children for a. few dollars. Animals are being killed owing to lack of fodder. The inhabitants are fleeing to more favourable districts. The most serious famine for over forty years is predicted during the coming winter.

COMMERCIAL. LONDON, Sept. 2. Copper is £951 to £96); electrolytic £lll to £11". Lead is £36); spettei £3B) to £4O; tin £269 to £276). Stiver is 4s I0)d..

NEWSPRINT. NEW YORK, Sept. 2. The International Paper Company announces that, newsprint paper in rolls will in the last quarter of 1920 be 130 dollars per ton. This is stated to lie the same as the Canadian Paper Export Association will charge.

GERMAN FOREIGN POLICY. BERLIN, September 2. Addressing the Foreign Affairs Committe, the Foreign Minister, Yon Simmons said he had been urged to collaborate with the Bolsheviks against the western Powers, and thus break the bonds imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. After mature reflection lie had rejected this course, in view of the defenceless state of the country. Germany would have immediately become the theatre of war. Proposals were also made that Germany should make common cause with the Western Powers against Russia. This, however was also impossible. No power making war against Soviet Russia need count on Germany’s support. Statements that Germany would conclude a secret agreement with Poland or Russia were absolutely false. All negotiations with Poland for the purpose of settling frontier questions had been public but quite fruitless, and a considerable amount of ill feeling had generated.