MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1922, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

ITJSTRALJAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. SERIOUS NATIVE BATTLfc. CAUETOWN, April 30. In a serious native tribal battle ill Greytown district twenty were killed. The police ar hurrying to the scene hut hostilities have ceased.

PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS. CAPETOWN, April 30

M..il eking reports the possibility of an invasion of locusts on an appalling scale from Kalahari desert. Travellers report an enormous mass of insects, three hundred miles long, is moving forward. The wells are chocked and vast areas denuded of grass. Natives are forced to live on wild melons.

BOTTOMLKY’s STATEMENT. LONDON, April 30

Bottomley in a lengthy statement, declared the prosecutor has exploited a mares nest, mainly because Bottomley chose to keep alive an account origin-, ally opened in the name of Victory Bonds Bond Club. He concluded rhetorically that realising the new awakening during the tragedy of the nrinageddon lie consecrated himself to the service of the country, and became the King’s chief recruiting agent. He stood by the hoys in the trenches. It was inconceivable that a jury should convict him of robbing their families. Tf so, may the tortures of the damned he visited my soul when I cross the barrier.

TURKEY AND PEACE

CONSTANTINOPLE, April 30.

The Porte has accepted tho Allied peace proposals, hut contends the concession of any part of Thrace will he an infririigment of national rights and security of the Ottoman State. POLAND AND RUSSIA. AN OUTBREAK LIKELY. BERLIN, April 29. It is rcjxirted a large number of Communist soldiers have arrived in Smolensk and Minsk for the Red Army. Trotsky is expected to make an early visit to flic Russo-Polish frontier, where it is believed something like a state o( war exists. Several troop trains of munitions and transports have arrived. Many Polish subjects were arrested on a charge of espionage. It is universally feared that war between Russia and Poland may prove inevitable. Lenin is expected to make a war statement to the till Russian Executive Committee on sth May. Tt is understood he intends to yield to Europe’s demands on the question of private property. The military party under Trotsky’s leadership is dissatisfied with this decision. Trotsky is summoning his supporters from the provinces to discuss the situation.

A SHIPPING PROBLEM. reutf.r’s telegrams. LONDON, April 29. The chief item on the agenda of the international shipping Conference to be held in London in October will deal with grievances as regards the immunity of State-owned shipping from liability of taxation. The Chamber of Shipping which supports the views of the committee of the curitimo international, declares private shipowners are gravely prejudiced especially when vessels or cargoes are employed for ordinary commercial purposes. It points out the sovereign state cannot lie sued for efillisioii, damage, salvage or towage rendered although on the contrary of possessing the right of recovery, while nn even graver threat to shipping and prosperity of overseas trade is the immunity of State owned ships from income tax in its own country and claim for immunity from taxation in every other country; also immunity from safety regulations relating to cargo, passengers and crew. It- is proposed that an international convention be framed placing State-owned maritime property on precisely the same footing as private owned.