BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1921, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATIONI * AMERICAN MANDATE NOTE. TOKIO, April 11. Newspapers give great prominence to Mr Hughes’ American mandate note. A responsible unofficial opinion holds it virtually implies that there will be another peace conference of representatives. Japanese declare that if the naval race between Great Britain and the United States continues, Japan must lie obliged to drop out because of financial considerations. PROFITEERING ACT EXPIRING. LONDON, April 12. The Profiteering Act expires on 19th. May. EXCHANGE RATES. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 12. Exchange rates are—Paris 5o.00; Stockholm 26.66; Christiania 24.30; Berlin 244; Calcutta 15/; Yokohama 29f. WOOL SALES. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 12. At the free wool sales, an average selection was offered mostly sorts. The chief purchasers wer continentals, and Yorkshire were slightly more active. Reserves were irregular, some owners meeting the markets and other maintaining too high a level. TO NATIONALISE RAILWAYS. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, April 11 The Labour Party’s Bill to nationalise the railways, provides for the vesting of all railways in the Ministry of Transport within six months of the passage of the measure, the put chase to he met by the issue of special railway stock to shareholders, calculated on the pre-war price of stock, but subject to a reduction equivalent to tlie depreciation of stock during the war period, which is estimated at thirty per cent. The general direction of the railways to devolve upon seven Commissioners, three appointed by the Government, three by the railway unions and one by the Treasury. GERMAN war GRIM IN V (Received this clnv at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Airi' '• Mr Hewart replying to a question in the Commons, said the examination of British witnesses against German war enininnls'woiild be given in London on April 28th. The trial begins in Leipzig at the end of May. PERSIAN PLOT FOILED. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) DELHI, April 11. The Persian Government coup at Messed appears a complete success in suppressing the hostile plot, the leaders of which were arrested, while celebrating the last day of the Persian New Year holidays. A gendarmerie commandant now governs the province. The situation at Tabriz is also improved greatly.

DUMPING GERMAN GOODS. • (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 12. At Folkestone there is a congestion of thousands of bales of German basket and leatherware, fancy goods, toys and crockeu-y which have been hurriedly shipped to escape the indemnity impost, which is applicable to everything landed after the 14th. Special boat services from Flushing were needed to cope with the traffic. SALE OF TREASURY BILLS. (Received This Day at 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, April Sir R. Horne announced in the Commons that he had decided to revert on March 21st. to the tender system of sales of three months treasury bills, continuing the sales for twelve months hills at present fixed rates. THE NAVY’S FUTURE. AIR HUGHES COMMENDED. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, April 12. The “Morning Post’s” naval correspondent commends Air Hughes for his dear lead in favour of the Dominions sharing the cost of the Navy, and says Ah- Hughes has implied that this would he made conditional upon Dominions having a voice in the higher direction of the Navy. This was only right, proper and logical. The Admiralty has already tacitly admitted, this in the proposed appointments' of Dominion officers to the Admiralty. Ihis agicement is based upon the Empire s dependence on the Navy and the Dominion’s right to share control, which augurs well for the naval part ot the Imperial Conference. Although 1-ord Jellicoe’s mission was carried out before the war’s economic aftermath was thoroughly realised, his report contains elements for the standardisation of Imperial naval defence, after an agreement is reached, subject to a proportionate contributions. A strategical peace distribution of units, will be essential in respect of which the Dominions representations at the Admiralty will prove of the greatest assistance. royal PERSIAN MARRIAGE. (Received This Day at 10.3-3 a.m.) DELHI, April 12. | The marriage of the Crown Prince of Persia was was celebrated at Teheran on Sunday. AR AT ENT A OVEER UN. (Received This Dav at 16.40 a.m.) DELHI, April 12

Bolsheviks captured Erivan on the 2nd. Armenia is now entirely overrun, except some small districts.