BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1921, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. TRADE WITH RUSSIA.' LONDON, Oct. 19. Trade with Russia for eight months only totalled a little over three millions sterling. LONDON MARKET REPORTS. LONDON, Oct. 19. At the “Free” wool sales here, there wer every small offerings, excepting for combings. There was less bidding for' merinos, but prices were maintained. Home and French buyers cornpot. ed for crossbreds. At the tallow Sale's, 10oi casks were offered, but), only 400 casks were -bid. .l ow sorts were unchanged Other sorts declined 2s to 3s. Mutton (fine) sold at 535, medium 465; beef (fine), 54s medium 465.

Lattest share quotations include: Waihi Junction Mine 7s 3d to 7s lOd. P. and 0. £335 to £355. With Berlin the British exchange rate is 640 marks to the £. BRITISH MINERS. LONDON. Oct. 19. Members of the Executive of the I Miners’ Federation attended at the Board of Trade in order to induce the Government to permit the thro-' milliens of the unexpended lialayee of the State subvention for coal wages to lie utilised to ease the wage reductions.

illHl LU (inn l» I, HIT.- im.o >* position is serious. Mr Hodges (Secretary) said there n--e at present 175,(100 miners unemployed. Seventy-three per cent of the workers were employed only on three days each week. FRENCH HONOURS. PARIS, Oct. dO. The French Government lias conferred the Medaille Militaire. t' highest decoration, and Croix do Guerre, and Palms on the American unknown soldier. A Cross of the Legion of Honour will ho laid oil the eo'iiii u hen if I' embarked on the cruiser Olympic at Havre. \TTEMPT TO : ' ‘ 1. 1)1P1/’M AT. PARIS. Oct. 19. A box of perfume was addressed to Mvron. Herrick, of the American l‘ l.assv here. It was delivered at his private house, and when it was opened by his valet, there was a violent explosion. which destroyed the box and it--contents, also injuring the valet. Herrick had previously received, but ignored. letters requesting his intervention on behalf of two Italian Communists who are under trial tor murdci in America. BIG CONTRACT. CAPETOWN. Oct. dO The Union Government has placed a contract for the erection of 36 grain "levatois. with a Canadian firm. of the machinery will 1-c purchased n< England.

AFTER MATH OF SETBACK. 'LONDON. October 18. The Durham Colliery Engine and Firemen’s Association decided to within,w from the Miners' Federation and the National Federation of -Colliery •Inginemen. THE KING’S YACHT. > LONDON. October 19. The “Times” states: The King has expressed* regret that owing to a need for economy, he cannot fit out his vacht Bfittannia this year. This is a great disappointment to him. as there is no sport ho onjovs more GREEK VILLAGES DESTROYED. CONSTANTINOPLE. Oct. ’2O. Reliable foreign testimony states that 4do out of the 720 prosperous Greek villages in the Black Sea district round Samsuii and Bafra were •onipletely destroyed during the last few months. The male inhabitants were massacred or deported, and the women were removed to the interior. The remaining 300 villages were partiallv destroyed and the inhabitants driven out. The principal organiser of the raids was Osman Agha, a Kemalist •olonel.

WAR GRAVES. LONDON. October 19. It is understood that the War Graves Commission have Cecon ime lull'd the inlying of a reward for the identification of bodies by* the French and Belgian workmen engaged in reconditioning the battlefields. Australia is providing a watching party to ensure identification. It is estimated that 60,000 British and 4,000 Australian missing I Kid it's are still possibly recoverable. LONDON, October 19. The Imperial War Graves Comm ission have decided to take over the exhumations, which the liar Office had discontinued. The War Office has eon-oum-di. The War Minister proposes making a statement in Parliament on the subject. A FRENCH TRAITOR. PARIS. Oct. 2ft. Gaston Gournny, who twice deserted in the face of the enemy, and then sold im|H)itant plans to the enemy, has twice been sentenced to death for those crimes. He was twice reprieved, during the Armistice' he again communicated with the enemy. He has now liejn tried by court-martial, and has been transported for life to a penal settlement, in Guiana.

A REVOLUTION* PORTUGAL CABINET overthrown. (Received This Day at. S a.m.l LISBON, October 20. The Government has been overthrown. I’hi* result was bloodless, hut it was a successful military movement. l’rolmbly a new Ministry will he formed from the revolutionaries with Maria Coolho as Premier. THE RED ARMY. HELSINGFORS, October 19. An extensive demobilisation of the Red Russian Army is now proceeding. A complete reorganisation and reduction of Russia’s standing army to a peace footing of 430,000 men has been decided cm The Bolshevik figures show that the Red Army in January last numbered 1,000,000. On August Ist last, it had been reduced to 1,700,000. Tlie official motives for the reduction are nil assurance of peace with Poland, and the impossibility of feedtig thy masses qf non-producing sollisra,