BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1921, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

CABLE NEWS.

tUSTRAMAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. IRISH RAIDED IN LONDON. LONDON, May 16. The police made a number of raids this evening on Sinn Fein resorts in London. They raided the headquarters of the Irish Self Determination League. There a great number of documents were found. These showed a. clo3C connection between the League of the Irish Republican's army. Several arrests have been made including a leader named Joseph O’Connor. The police state they also secured siome evidence that Sinn Ffeiners planned a campaign of terrorism in London in the next few weeks, especially arson. FIRES IN WOOLWICH. LONDON; May 15. j Sinn Feiners also started fires in some big oil stores at Woolwich, but the prompt arrival of a fire brigade . prevented the flames spreading. Consider able damage was done by a similar fire at the oil stores in Bethnal Green where a number of small tenements were damaged. j At St. Albans some Sinn Feiners <n. ; tered a boardinghouse and shot and j severely wounded a man named Ashby, j He was formerly a member of the j Royal Irish Constabulary. They a l shot and wounded his wife. The raid- , ers escaped. LIVERPOOL RAIDS. LONDON, May lo

Several motor bandits, believed to be Sinn Fejners, raided in Liverpool during Saturday night, setting fire to j dwelling houses in various parts of the | city, the contents of sevcarl being en- ; tirelv destroyed. The men numbered j fifty, and worked in gangs. In one case an old man grappled with the raiders, and almost strangled o when another raider forced him to release his hold by threatening him with a revolver. In another house a Zeebrugge hero flung a sewing machine at the bandits, who fled. j No arrests, however, have been made j ■ in connection with the previously eahl- | ed Sinn Fein raids in London, hi several cases they left lx)ttles of petrol , Jin a garden or about a house, and in ! some cases revolvers and life presor- | vers. Most of the men spoke with m : Irish accent. Generally the damage '■ I was not serious and the fires were J ! quickly extinguished. BRITAIN AND. JAPAN. 41 LONDON, May 16. The King has telegraphed to the Empress of Japan, expressing the pleasure of the Queen, himself, and On oeopk’ at the vist of the .Prince Iv inchi to, and and trusting it will strengthen the ties of friendship between the two countries. The Emperor replied that himself and people were much touched by the true friendship evidenced in the warmth and brilliance of the reception. He was convinced the visit would contribute to drawing ‘he two nations still closer together. A TRAGEDY. .Received This Day at 11.30 a.m.) PARIS, May 10. An astonishing tragedy occurred on the boulevards. A wife was wheeling her husband in a bathchnir, he Being paralysed in both legs through a wound received in the war. The couple commenced quarrelling and suddenly the husband produced a revolver and killed bis wife. The man wheeled off to the police station and accused his wife of infidelity. She had indignantly denied it and threatened to leave her husband. FAR EAST CONFERENCE. IMPORTANT POSSIBILITIES. ;Received This Day at 9.-15 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 17. The “World’s” Tientsin correspondent believes the reconstruction of the Chinese Cabinet and meeting of the Manchurian, Siberian, Korean ;n'l Shantung military commanders with civil heads of Japan at Tokio, is part of a plan for the union of China and Japan, with the object of making the Yellow race dominant in the Far Hast. It is understood the Tokio. conference is discussing the method of guarding the Chinese-Eastern railway and Koiean frontier, in the event of Japan evacuating Siberia.

Diplomatic quarters understand the j Renter programme involves the im- ! mediate unconditional return of Shan- ; tung to China, the reunification of th° north and South Chinese Governments, the reorganisation of China's finance including the cancellation of loans and the application of the Boxer indemnity, j paid to Japan, for Chinese educational purposes; the rehabrEation of the Ch: iiese navy and co-operation against the Russian, General Sternberg, in Mongolia. BLOODSHED IN ITALY. (Received This Day at 1.5. p.m.) LONDON, May 16. The "Daily Herald’s” Rome correspondent says blood and terror unparulelled in recent history marked the election campaign just concluded. The working class parties enjoyed no liberty of propaganda. Armed Fascists usually assisted Government forces and broKup the few meetings which the Socialists* and Communists attempted to hold. Hundreds of workers institutions were devastated. Socialist candidates wei ■> sequestered and driven from their ele - torates. Labour newspapers were binned and armed Fascists invaded several communiists headquarters. They destroyed the ballots, the elections going to the Nationalists by default. There is little doubt that Parliament will he short lived. The Socialists demand a dissolution.

Other reports state that Giolitti assisted .the Fascists. The Nationalises are likely to have a work ini' majority over the Catholics, Socialists and Com munists. The last named are practically extinguished.