BRITISH £ FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1921, Page 3

BRITISH £ FOREIGN ITEMS.

CABLE NEWS.

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN'., COPYRIGHT. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. j IN LIBYAN DESERT. A WOAIAN’S JOURNEY. “THE TIMES” SERVICE. j (Receved this day at 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 4. , With the assistance of the ‘'Times’’, Airs Russia Forbes accomplished a remarkable journey jin Libyan desert, penetrating to the oasis of Knfra, the lteadquartars of Senussi, otily once previously visited by Europeans, forty years ago. Airs Forbes is young and preftty, and had an adventurous five hundred mile trek, accompanied by only a few black soldiers, slaves and bedouins. Her journey nearly ended at Jadubia, eighty miles into the desert! when a murder plot was discovered in the nick® of time, and she escaped in the darkness after drugging the treacherous natives. She journeyed south for several •'days, suffering tortures of hunger and thirst, and subsisting on a meagre diet of dates and camel’s milk. When picked up by wandering caravan, it was only by maintaining her disguise and praying five times daily that she was able to escape murder as a Christian dog. She outwitted the suspicious murderous Arabs repeatedly, until the friendly Senussi Chief, sent a caravan from Jtidahia. The undaunted woman was thus placed in command of eighteen camels, a number of soldiers, two slave girls and a number of slave , guides. They proceeded to the Oasis. Tt was a wearing journey, standstorms and skeletons of camels being the only • break in the monotony of the sand. They lost their way, their water gave out and the food dwindled. Saddles and mats were torn up for fodder for | the camels. The soldiers became muti- , nous. The discovery of an unchartered well saved their lives. The “Times’’ is ( publishing a description! of the disco- i vories including a mountain range, new ( well, u mysterious oasis and townships, f — t BRITAIN’S REPLY. 1 (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 5. It is understood Britain's reply to Mr Wilson's Mesopotamian note is conciliatory but rejwets’ the A)merica n contentions for equality of participation with Allied * Nationals in Alcso- ( potamia development. The reply points , out that British subjects obtained mon- *. opolistic rights in Mesopotamia before , the war. t LONDON CONFERENCE ' s I BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. j GERM \NY’S REPLY. LONDON, March 5. Tlie German Delegation have been in. formed from Berlin that tb ( , Germah Cabinet are unanimously opposed U, , thi< adoption of the Paris Peace terms. lIERUN, March 5. All parties except the Independents and Communists, cheered the Reichstag President's declaration that Air Lloyd George’s speech was irmoncil- ( able with the Versailles* Trcaly. Pandemonium succeeded when a C'lmnnimsl j Hoffmann, attempted fo demand the leading of whole instead of extra! I•; from the speech, necessitating the sitting' being suspended. socialist view. Kl STOCK HOLD, March 4. t| AL Brntiting (socialist) writing in the “Social Dcmooralen,” sharply eri- « ticises the London Conforeiiee. H " 6 says:—“lt is a fiasco. I lie Lond 'it Conferenee does not mean a triumph for the threatening Allied creditors, h'il it iloim mean to triumph over Lenin. ( - TRADE AGREEMENT PROBABLE. [' LONDON, March 5. |i( Af. Krassin has arrived in London. He hopes that a trade agreement with , Russia will be signed in a few days. VON SIMONS INTERVIEWED. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, .March 6. Von Simons interviewed by the “Sunday Times,” said Germany honestly I wants to discharge her obligations, hut cannot pay to the extent the Paris Conference demanded. , A\e desire to pay as muck as we can, .but rather than ■ agree to the Paris proposals, which | would cause German economic strangulation, the German people will submit / to the iienalties announced. We strongly object to the long term of 42 years, ' shackling two generations. LONDON, Mareli 5. It is understood Von Simons has re- < ceived alternative proposals trom Berlin for submission to the Conference oil Monday, based on increased taxation ’ which would give the Allies three quarters of the indemnity demanded, but tlie German delegates fear tlie conditions will make this unacceptable. It is reported that the delegates are only united in desiring to gunge the otherwise sharp divergencies in the German Cabinet, which is anxious to cooler furtbe" with the financial and industrial natesMeanwhile Hon. Lloyd George is consulting Admiral Beatty and Alarshnl Foch lias summoned Degoutee the Allied Generalissimo oi tlie Rhine forces to Paris. Hon. Lloyd George refused Von. Simons’s request for a private conference with AL Blip nil and himself prior to Monday's conference.