BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1922, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CAULK ASSOCIATION. a KRAI A X PRO I’OSAI ,S. RERUN; May 27. The German Cabinet is considering I' the prop h.ais which Herr Hermes discussed with the Allied Reparations Commission at Paris. It is reported that these include Germany's consent to cut down her expenditure drastically, and if she is unable to balance her budget thereby, she will impose additional taxation, and will also cease the printing of paper money, and withdraw from circulation ail the notes printed since March 31st. These proposals are conditional oil Germany obtaining a foreign loan. HOME RULE FOR SCOTLAND. LONDON, May 27. A Scottish Home Rule Rill hits been read the first time in this Rousts ct Commons. The Bill provides for a Parliament to sit in Edinburgh. Mr Wallace is the mover of the Bill. He said that there was no desire for separation, except on the part of half a dozen of the hot heads hut lie declare that the Thistle has persistently refused to become a Rose. The Scottish mem. hers under the Bill, would still remain at Westminster, leaving the local Scottish Parliament to deal w ith purely local affairs. The Scottish Home Rule Bill was talked out, not being read a second time. TWENTY-FIVE MILLION SPINSTERS.

LONDON, -May 27. The “Daily Express’s” Berlin cones ipdndent Says: —‘'Twenty-five milliot women in Europe are doomed to per petual spinsterliood. The male popula tioii is now 225,000.000 and the femah population 250,000,000. COSTLY PAINTINGS. LONDON, May 20. Four “Lady Lueass” (painted by Var Dyck) were auctioned at Christies, nni they brought 20,000 guineas.

BOTTOM LEY’S CASE. j LONDON, May 27. The Bottomley ease has closed. The accused made an impassioned appeal to the jury, declaring that it- would he the most appalling error of justice that the world had ever known if they gave a verdict against him.

WIRELESS. CAPETOWN. May 2G. The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company have submitted proposals to the Union Government for the establishment of a broadcast wireless telephone system throughout South Africa, receivers to be supplied at a cost of from £5 to £3O. U.S.A. EX-MINISTER. /WASHINGTON. -May 20. Representative Sabbath has introdiicI ed a resolution directing Mr Hughes to immediately inquire from the French Government regarding the report that tr French miliary court in Damascus has sentenced Charles Crane, the former American Minister to China, to in years’ imprisonment. WASHINGTON, May 27. The State Department lias denied reports that Crane was convicted. THE NOREL FUND. CHRISTIANIA, May 20. The Nobel Committee propose to seek for legislation provisionally to discontinue the peace prize and utilise the

nicy to swell the main funds.

THE EGYPT DISASTER. LONDON, Alay 27

Afr Havelock Wilson, Seamen’s Union secretary, interviewed, said the only knowledge that the Lascars ran amok in connection with the Egypt disaster had come from the newspapers hut the fact would lie revealed at tho Board of Trade Inquiry. The view of his union (the Sailors’ and Firemen’s Union) was that “Safety First” should apply on sea as on land. It was utterly impossible to get effective boat crewdrill from men of mixed nationalities. It' was utterly useless to expect the orders of officers to be conveyed to an alien crew in an emergency. A Lascar crew were all very well on tho coast of India, hut were very unreliable in cold climates. Such crews should be employed on the seas where they were recruited.

.MURDER APPEALS FAIL. LONDON, Alnv 27

The appeal of Ronald True ('cabled on Alay sth) has been dismissed. True who lived for a time in Otago, and was an airmail in the war, was convicted of murdering -Miss Gertrude Gates. LONDON, Alay 27.

The Attorney-General refused to#llow Armstrong to appeal to the House of Lords. The executive is tentatively fixed for Wednesday. THE QUEST’S JOURNEY. (Received this day at 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Alay 27.

Mr Hussey lias arrived at Southampton. He said after Sir E. sjhacklctou’s funeral he had ft strange lonely time waiting for the return of the Quest. In the dark of the early morning of April Nth., Larsen hurst into my room with “Quest’s coining in.” The crew were all bearded and scrubby but chew!ill. There were minor casualties during the cruise. AVorsley, the sailing master,

had several ribs broken or crushed hv a lifeboat swinging out in a heavy sea. Airman Carr had an ansccss on (lie Thee and was hospitalled on the island of South Georgia. Shnekletou’s death was painless and peaceful. There was a cafln majesty about the funeral which was held in a placid afternoon, followmg days of snow and tempest. Many humble whalers who sailed forty miles pay the last honours were moved to tears at the graveside. His name was one ‘to'conjure with in tho Antarctic, where Id the end of time rough Norwegian whalers in the long dark nights will tell tlie epic of his boat journey from Elephant Island to Georgia.

SWARMS OF LOCUSTS. LONDON, May 27

.Many districts in Russia are inundated by vast swarms of locusts threatning the complete destruction of crops. The Soviet are making a novel use of air planes to locate and destroy them.

BRAKES’ FLi. (Received tliis tiny at 8 a.in.) LONDON, May 27, Major Blake arrived at Lypim on Saturday afternoon,