BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1922, Page 1

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

™ [by TELEGRAPH—-rF,R press association] THE AIR PROPOSALS. ('Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 9. Mr Guest replying to a question in the Commons, said it was not proposed to retain any of the Air Minstry’s five air ships in view of the failure to obtain adequate support from the Dominions for the Empire airships service. The Ministry had decided to hand over all air ships to the Disposal Board for sale. He hoped to be able to retain a portion of the skilled personnel.

The Council of the British Empire League passed, a resolution that the establishment of an Imperial Airship Service was most important in the interests of the Empire, urging the Government to provide the financial guarantee necessary to establish the service at the earliest on a commercial basis, and demanding that the air ships, personnel and plant be not scattered, prior to Ist June, as Mr Guest undertook at the recent air conference.

CANADA AND IRELAND. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) OTTAWA, March 9. It is announced that Canada will officially recognise Ireland as a Sister State in the British. Commonwealth of Nations on April 1. The Dominion Department of Customs has issued circulars to the Department officials that Ireland will be designated as a separate State on all the entries for imports and exports, beginning with April.

A BIG LOCK-OUT. Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON. March 8. During the engineering conference the union representatives made i 1

plain that they were determined that any restrictions which they had been able to impose in connection with the management of ships during the war should he maintained.

The employers replied that the men’s proposals were diametrically opposed to the memorandum of November 18tli., 1921, and they were unable to accept them. After tbk, the conference ended. After the engineers’ conference Mr Browning (for the Union) issued a statement in which he said: The union submitted proposals which, wo believed, offered the basis of a settlement. The employers, after due consideration, rejected the same. Failing further intervention or negotiations, one million men will be locked out on Saturday next, as a result of the breakdown of the conference.

NAVAL RACE COMING. NEW YORK, March 8

A despatch from Tokio states the newspaper “Asahi” interviewed by wireless Baron Kato on board the steamer Tniyo Ma-ru. Baron Kato said “The world is wrong in thinking that any armament reduction was agreed upon at the Washington Conference means a great financial saving. The day is probable when the nations will compete in a naval race building auxiliaries and submarines then a new conference will be necessary.

PORT TIPTON DEATH ROLL. ‘Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 8. The death roll in connection with Port Tipton explosion, is now lti.

SPANISH CABINET. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) MADRID, March 9

The new Cabinet includes as President of the Council, Sanchez Guerra ; foreign Minister, Gonzalez Prida j Minister of War, General Olnquer.

KOREA’S DEMAND

TOKIO, March 8

The Koreans have presented an apoeal to the Throne, asking for Domin ion status for Korea. The Diet and Privy Council will hear the delegation.

PRINCESS MARY’S HONEYMOON LONDON, March 8.

In order to avoid publicity, Viscount Latsoelles and Princess Mary, though they booked seats by a. train, motored to London fi>om Sliifnal, and arrived at Buckingham Palace unnoticed. They depart for Italy to-morrow.

VALUABLE DISCOVERY. LONDON, March 8

Tlie “Daily Mail’s” Rome correspondent states: Professor Laheiani, the eminent Archeologist, describes a Christ ian Hypogeum recently unearthed at j Rome, while excavating for a, garage, as the most wonderful archaeological discovery of our time.' The find consists of wall paintings of Saints Peter and Paul, and other Apostles, which are much older than any other painting extant. Professor Laneiani declares that it is of exceptional interest, because it evidently shows the Apostles as they were instead of in conventional shapes. The earliest representations of the Apostles found previous to this discovery, date from the fourth century. These pictures are at least 200 years earlier ,though some Archaeologists believe that they were painted in the actual lifetime of the Apostles. The artists display a knowledge of technique previously unsuspected. The drawing is good, the pose is natural, and the faces are full of character. The figures of Peted and Paul are especially well preserved .

HURRICANE DISASTER. LONDON, March 9. A serious hurricane lias occurred in the South of England. There are aural>ers of wrecks. All the cross-Channel services are suspended. The telephone between London and Paris is broken.

BRITISH ENGINEERS’ DISPUTE. LONDON, March 8. After a five hours’ conference between the employers and the engineers the negotiations broke down. VOTES FOR WOMEN. LONDON, March 8. In the House of Commons, Lord Robert Cecil introduced a private Bill for extending the suffrage to' women on the same terms as men, and thus enfranchising a further 5,000,000 women. Tlus Bill was read a first time by 208 Votes to 60. EGYPTIAN PROSECUTIONS. CAIRO, March 8. A (trial has begun of five Egyptians, including a member of Zarlilul Pasha’s staff, on a charge of conspiring to murder British officers and officials, and burn railways nd telegrphs. The prosecution asserted the accused organised a plot to murder Sarwat Pasha, the new Egyptian Prime Minister, but an accomplice informed the police, who seized the gang and bombs on the eve of the attempt.

THE GATES MURDER. aviator arrested. LONDON, March 8. A young man has been arrested in connection with the muider of the girl Gates. The man is Ronald True, an aviator. He was remanded on a charge of murdering Miss Gates and stealing her jewellery, valued at £2OO. True, who is married < acted as an instructor in England and America. Detectives gave evidence that they found the jewellery in True’s overcoat.

Time stated he could explain it. He had left Miss Gates with another man violently quarreling and fighting, on the night of the murder.

PEEL BETTING CASE. LONDON, March 8. In connection with the P e el betting fraud case, defendant’s counsel insisted on the strict letter of the ancient law regarding the wife’s immunity. He pointed out that the presumption that a wife was coerced by her husband when they acted together could be found in the laws of Ina, King of the West Saxons a thousand years ago. He made great use of the rulings of the famous Justice Hawkins. Justice Darling replied that it was all very well in Tim’s times, when husbands were allowed to beat their wives and the wives really obeyed. It might be also true in Justice Hawkins’ time, but it wag not done to-day. England formerly allowed husbands to control their wives; but it was not so now. He agreed, however, that English law presumed a woman who acted criminally in her husband’s presence was coerced.

A SHELL EXPLODES. (Received This Day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 9. A shell which which was being dismantled at Pemburg munition factory, exploded, and a portion of the roof was blown off. Three workmen were killed and five injured. THE HONEYMOONERS. LONDON, March 9. Lord Lascelles and Princess Mary have left for -Paris and Italy. A ROYAL AUDIENCE. (Received This Day at 8 30 a.m.) LONDON, March 9. The King audienced Sir John Salmond.

IN THE COMMONS. (Received This Dav at 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, March 9. Mr Chamberlain replying to a quesion did not think legislation for the -urpose of making the finding at elecions compulsory, was desirable.

TRAWLER SUNK. PARIS, March 9. A trawler was sunk in a ga.lc and ourteen of the crew missing.

STEAMER FOUNDERS. AMSTERDAM, March 9. A passenger steamer foundered and eleven persons were drowned.

TROUBLE THREATENED, ißeceived This Day at >",39 a.m.) HELSINGFORS, Mar. 9. Close to the frontier at East Ladoka Bolshevists have concentrated thirty thousand men with sixty guns and a flying division, with five armoured trains west of Ladoga. There is a forc w of five thousand men with sixty-five mms and two armoured trains there, also a reserve force in Petrograd ready to advance ajgni.nst the Finnish border mid the fleet stationed at Cronstadt, is in lighting condition.

DRAMATIC ARRESTS. LONDON, March 9

The “Daily Chronicle” .reports a dramatic development in Scotland Yards hunt for a.gang of tricksters, who in 1921 carried out a fraud involving £24,090. London detectives have just arrived in Dublin and took over John Bernard, whom the Irish police had arrested at Oarslyle Pier, Kingstown, when ho was about to board a mail boat. Bernard is an Australian, 3o years of age. He has had a romantic career. He lias been staying at a fashionable hotel in Dublin, where, it is alleged he and a confederate fleeced wealthy people. These men also played '“Split' Ace, Anzac Poker,” on the racecourse. When five others of the ( rang were sentenced (as cabled on July 14th last) Bernard was in France. La.ter he went to Italy, Spain, and Portugal, but the Irish police recognised him from a description, so they arrested him.