AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1921, Page 2

AMERICAN ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z* CABLE ASSOCIATION

CANADIAN REPRESENTATION

(Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) NEW YORK, Feb 3

The “Times” Ottawa correspondent states. —Imperial reasons may postpone indefinitely the proposal to appoint a Canadian Minister at Washington. Ministerial circles here think the appointment would he followed by the designation of Australian and New Zealond Ministers, eventual influence being the weakening of Imperial ties.

CANADA’S SHARE. OF GERMAN REPARATIONS. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) NEW YORK, -feh. 3. The “Times” Ottawa correspondent says it is understood that Canada will soon receive the first payment of her share of the German reparations. This will not be drawn from sums fixed in Paris last week, hut will be part of the proceeds of the sale of German ships in England. The British Government possesses a considerable sum obtained by these means. The next payment in which Canada will share will be for expenditures in connection with the maintenco of the army of occupation of the Rhine. It is hinted that the payments will total 50(1 million dollars, but it is expected to certainly reach one hundred million'. A STIFF' SENTENCE. (Received this day at 9.30 a.in.) NEW YORK, Feb 3. Two men convicted at Los Angeles of kidnapping Mistress Witherell have been given an intermediate sentence of ten years to life term. PETROL PRICES. (Received this dav, au 9.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, Teh. .2. It is announced that the Standard Oil Coy. has reduced petrol by one cent per gallon, making wholesale price 25J and retail 30 in New York, and 2& retail in Ohio.

GERMAN MINISTER’S VIEWS.II (Received This Day at 10.35 a.m.)

AMSTERDAM, February 3. The German Minister of Home Affairs, addressing the Majority Socialists at Cologne declared that the economic, financial demands of the Allies meant the economic strangulation of Germany. We should not decline them all in a mad fit, but should try and convince the Allies that we are doing what we can.

AN AMERICAN SCANDAL. (Received This Day at 10.35 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 2. The Assistant Secretary to the Treasury admitted that since the fall of Kerensky Government, and assumption of control by the Bolsheviks, Ambassador Bakhmetr'off, representative of the Czarist and later the Kerensky Government in Washington, withdrew fifty-nine million dollars from United States Treasury. the sum being provided as a Russian credit by Liberty Loan Act, a wai measure. The manner in. which Baklimotion utilised the money was not revealed. The matter threatens to become a scandal.