BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1921, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

13Y TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LORD ROBERT CECIL. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. Lord Robert Cecil in a letter to Loid Talbot formally announces his crossing to the front Opposition benches. He yjjitimates this does not imply changed opinions but confers more freedom of expression. IRISH OUTRAGES LIST. (Received Thiß Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. Outrages in Ireland from January 1919 to° the beginning of the present month included seventy court houses, and 525 police barracks destroyed 224 policemen killed, 336 wounded • fifty - . seven soldiers killed, 143 wounded. r MR GOMPERS VIEWS. (Received. This Day at 8.30 a.m.)

NEW YORI£, February 12. Mr Gompers, in a speech at Philadelphia, referring -to the Peace Conference, defended the granting of a separate vote to each British Dominion. He declared they were more often with than against progress and more often with United States than England. They went intd the conference as a state and were "entitled to that status Progress was safeguarded by the Bn- , tish possessions receiving a vote. AMERICA’S NAVY. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 12. In the Senate during the navy debate, Mr Poindexter supporting the ■ m capital shipbuilding programme said if United States accepted the postponement olan, it would he a defeated nation and would lose its insular possessions. America should, not sit at the conference table unarmed. GERMAN INTENTIONS, (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) BERLIN, February 12. Wilts, Minister of Finance, addressing the Chamber of Commerce said the German Government'was not going to London to submit to dictation. They were prepared to do their utmost because they felt they were morally ob-

liged to assist in the reconstruction, "■ therefore they would submit reparation proposals to the London Conference. The nation must realise that payment must be made, not from the national wealth but from work and it was therefore questionable whether, all the fruits ' of revolution could bo safeguarded. It was impossible for America to keep aloof when the world’s economic force assembled at the Conference, because the decisions would remain in the region theories unless the whole econom- • ic world co-operated.

WILL CROOKS RETIRING

reuter’s telegrams

/ (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. qthe King, hi a letter to Will ’ Crooks, expressed sympathy with him |r in his illness and regretted Ids retirement from Parliament. Further evidence of Crooks’ popularity is shown by an appeal, headed by Messrs Balfour, Asquith and Lloyd George to provide a fund to endow him during his declining years.

PRAYER BOOK ALTERATIONS. (Received TW Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. ' The sanction of Parliament will he necessary to legalise the changes in the Prayer Book, suggested by Canterbury Convocation. Clerics regard as the most important alteration that candidates for deacoate in future to be asked if they believe in the substantial infnllability of all books in the Old and "New Testaments, but will be asked if they believe these contain all the things necessary for the salvation and spiiitunl health. THE SIMPLE LTFE. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, February 12. In July last, Rhodes Dislier, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, appealed for a thousand Britishers ’ wil- j ling to work two hours daily, dress j lightly, and eat plainly, to live the sim- | pie life and escape heavy taxation, to j accompany him to Samoa and Marquesas Island. The first instalment of | Disher’s party have landed at Honolu- J lu on route to Marquesas, where they start a simple taxless life, trading with neighbouring islands. Dislier, in an interview, declared all manner of people were coming to loin the settlement. SOUTH AFRICAN FOOTBALL . TOUR. CAPETOW, February 12. The South African Rugby team sails on the Australasian tour on 7th. May. PETROGRAI) IN REBELLION. (Received This Day at 8.40 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, Feb 12. Trotsky lias ordered the arrest ol a deputation of sailors from Kronstadt, - * who were sent to M oscow to demand more food. Other sailors retaliating, arrested Soviet deputies. Troops were ordered from Central Russia, but are unwilling to tight the sailors. Retrograd is dominated by rebel guns, and is now more under the control of rebels than the Soviet. NEW GERMAN WARSHIP. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) BERLIN, Dec 13.

Tlio Hanover, tli(> lirst warship of tlio new German fleet, was put into service on tlio 10tli. TAX ON EXPORTS. (R eceived This Day at 9.1 5 a.m.) PARIS, Feb 13. The Foreign Minister, in consequence of protests by German newspapers and neutral traders has issued a statement that the proposed twelve per cent, tax does not aim at compelling Germany to create a tax on exports, but to force her to deduct twelve per cent, from the total value.