BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1921, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

JUV TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT.

A STEAMER purchased. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan 13. The Eastern Australia Steamship Company have purchased the) ex-Ger-man liner, Swakopmund. j A DEADWEIGHT DEBT. I (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan 13. A White Paper issued shows the total National deadweight debt is now £7,831,000,000 compared with £8,431,000,000 last year, and £651,000,000 in 1915. MINISTER’S SALARIES. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Jan 13. The Parliamentary Select Committee, reporting on Minister’s salaries, quotes Hon Lloyd George’s declaration that in the present condition of the national finances he was unable to accept an increase, and recommended that no increase be made at present. Mr Asquith gave evidence that the Premiei was underpaid. He was poorer after holding office than he was lief ore. The occupation of No 10, Downing Street, was a mixed advantage. The house certainly did not add to the sweets of the spoils of office. It is impossble for a man to discharge the duties of the Premiership properly without private means. DOVER BYE ELECTION.

(Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 13. The Dover bye election resulted : Poison 13,947, Astor (Coalition) 10,817. GERMAN SHIPPING. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 13. The "Daily Telegraph’s” Berlin correspondent says twenty-eight ocean-go-ing steamers are being constructed at Hamburg. Fourteen more have been ordered. Of the total, twenty-eight are between five and ten thousand tons. Six are for the Hamburg-Ameriea line, and nine for the German-Australian Australian trade. The chairman of the Hamburg-Ameriea Company declared he was looking to the future with t.)eat confidence. EX-KAISER IN. *

■ (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.)

j AMSTERDAM, Jan. 13. [ The condition of the ex-Kaisarin is critical. The ex-Kaiser never leaves her bedside. The ex-Crown Prince has arrived' ROGER CASEMENT’S BRIGADE. t (Received This Day at 8.40 a.m.) ! BERLIN, January 12. Tlie ‘"Freiheit” published the text ( f the treaty made by the German Foreign ■ Office with Roger Casement in December 1914, providing that the German , Government would form an’ Irish Bri- ! gade composed of prisoners of Irish des- • cent, who would wear the Irish uniform 1 and fight exclusively under the Irish I fhi.g. The officers would temporarily ibe Germans, but later Irishmen from [America would he appointed. After a j German naval victory an attempt would be made to land on the coast of Ireland ' If unable to disembark their brigade j would be used to attack the Suez canal. Germany lyndertcjokl after peace was j arranged to assist members to America, or alternatively to give the utmost i id , in support of the Irish government if • formed. | The .“Freiheit” adds: Recruiting i for the Brigade was a big failure, only ■ fifty four Irishmen had enlisted to ’August 1915.