BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1921, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

t ' ISI.'W.I.JAN Als 11 N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. Is SPEECH BY ASQUITH. t s LONDON, August 15. > lit. Hon. H. H. Asquith, referring a to the Russian famine said it was one s of the most appalling catastrophes s . which had visited the world for cen. , titries They must, however, have a ■, complete guarantee that relief would reach the sufferers. s If anyone, he said, wanted to know s what war meant, the Allied Supreme f Council’s latest meeting would ienc ] them that. He declared the Washing , ton Armament Conference did not come - an hour too soon. Air Asquith said he regarded the latest statement on the International situation as the most satisfaedry since the Armistice. He was glad to think , the civilised nations; would collectively, and he hoped, unanimously, enter upon a policy of disarmament. He said he agreed that there was nothing j to do but to leave the Turks and the Greeks to “fight it out,” although that , war was a scandal to civilisation. He thought that the Silesian .problem might have been relegated to the Leaj gue of Nations sooner, and with a better general effect. 1 , GERMAN LICENSE LAW. RERLIIN, August 16. l In deference to public opinion, tin . j German Cabinet lias- abolished the o--3 L’t for 10.30 o’clock closing of licensed houses and substituting 1 o'clock in r the morning. f BERLIN, August 17. Cardinal Gauthabes, addressing the e:<-soldiers in Munich, condemned the i Bavarians’ imitation of the Berliners , drinking of strong ale. The Cardinal said: “Bavaria ought not to imitate ’ oveiv brainless innovation from BerI iin. Bavaria ought also to plrevent the remodelling of her schools on i y old Prussian pattern.” 1 -FATAL ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE. ’ ROME, August 16. f A severe earthquake has occurred at . > Grithrea. A number of buildings collapsed. A number of people have been killed and injured. i AEROPLANE CRASHES. CAIRO, August 16. ' An aeroplane conveying General New--1 man, Chief of the General Staff of Egypt crashed at Heliopolis. The pilot ‘ \ 1 vas killed and Newman’s recovery is loubtful. EARTHQUAKE, ROME, August 15. An earthquake occurred at Mossowah A number of houses collapsed, and four were killed and twenty injured. —, • ■ DISTRIBUTING THE INDEMNITY. LONDON, Aug. 16. A Royal Commission, headed bv Lor/1 Sumner, has been appointed to consider British national and moral claims for compensation for sufferings and damage arising out of enemies’s actions and to recommend a basis of distribution among such of £5,000,000 from the first reparation payment that Great Britain receives. \ LAHORE AND PRINCE. (Received This Day at 8 a.n> ' DELHI, August 16. Lahore municipality has declined tb welcome the Prince of Wales until the wrongs committed in the province in martial law days are righted. BRITISH FINANCE. ' (Received .This Day at 8 a.nj.) LONDON, August 16. In the Commons, Sir R. Horne stated in t-he first four and a half months of the financial year, the ordinary revenue was remarkably steady. The only serious deficiency involved sales by the Disposals Boards, and excess profits duty, but these deficiencies would not wipe out entirely the favourable figures. -Seventy-eight millions were ear-marked for the redemption of the debt. A very substantial amount would be obtained from German reparations to help the revenue. Therefore he did not view the years position as gloomy but felt a real apprehension as regards the 1922 excess profits, sales of war material and income tax receipts would shrink! fcorisidjerably. To balance ~ accounts therefore, the expenditure must he reduced by 130 millions, pared with 1921.

JAPAN AND DISARMAMENT. REUTER'S telegrams. (Received This Dav at 9.40 n.i*> ' TOKIO, Aug. 17. The Japanese anticipate the acceptance of the formal invitation being forwarded a few days after submission to the Cabinet Council. Admiral Kato has been selected as the Naval delegate. He says the Japanese authorities have been studying disarmament since Senator Borah’s (U.S.) resolution, which presaged President Harding’s proposal.