BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1922, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS

AUSTnALIAN AND N.Z. CABLF, ASSOCIATION,

BANDBOX .MURDER TRIAL. PARIS, June 11. Insinuating that slie loves the actual murderer, and will sacrifice herself if necessary to shield him, Mademoiselle Bessarabo resisted prolonged appenls of the Judge and her own counsel to reveal her secret. Tremblingly she told the judge—My mother,told me the whole truth when I seemed to be at flic point of death. I refuse to reveal it. The judge appealed to the mother for the last time—Will you speak? The mother replied—We are not guilty, but I will accuse nobody. The police themselves believe an unknown man is implicated. FRENCH MURDER TRIAL.' I.ONDON, June 10. The Bessarbo trial has been marked . by sensational scenes, the mother and "r daughter protesting their innocence in floods of vituperative eloquence, which the Judge and counsel were powerless to quell. Madame angrily denied the allegations of past loose" conduct, defining her relations with men as spiritual liaisons. The tensest moment of the trial was when the Judge aked how the trunk containing the corpse came to leave the house,

Madame made a long explanation, concluding, “I did not kill my husband; do what you like with me.” The Judge then examined the daughter, who said: “I cannot speak freely; there is a secret in this and if revealed it would completely alter the ease.” Madame fixing intent eyes upon'the daughter hereupon exclaimed ill Spanish : “I forhid you to say anything.” '

ALLIED MEMORIAL. , PARIS, June 11. Plans have been completed for the erection of a great Allied Memorial pt , the crossroad outside Amiens, where 'the German rush of 1918 was stemmed. ! In the midst of a slightly curved wtlss | which is supported by statues of Allied 'soldiers, rises a temple surmounted by a dome dominating the surrounding 1 country. Recesses in the interior are ! dedicated to the different nations, which participated in the defence of Amiens, in which golden books are to lie preserved containing the names of the ■Anglo-American fallen, including Australians, South Africans and Indians.

DROP IN SHARES, ' LONDON, June .11. " . Wholesale Co-operative Society's shares last quarter showed a decrease of two millions sterling, compared with the same period in 1921, attributable to workers' decreased purchasing power.

AVATERED BUTTER. COPENHAGEN, June 11 In order to maintain a high standard of exports, the Ministry of Agriculture announces it will confiscate all butter containing more than sixteen per cent of water.

BLOCKADE OF RUSSIA.' WASHINGTON June 12. Hon Mr Hoover has issued a. statement, in the course of which he says:— “There is nothing in the trade treaties between Russia and Britain, Germany, Italy, or other countries which permits or establishes trade with private' individuals in Russia. These treaties •really provide authority for the Russian Government itself to establish buying agencies in the several countries. There is no hope of laying a. future foundation for selling goods to Russia , so long as the Soviet monopolises the imports trade. The Government itself, maintains the soealled blockade of Russia. Mr Hoover says the Soviet imports in 1921 were worth 248,090,000 gold roubles. This was only one-sixth of the pre-war imports while tlie exports were 20,000,000 or only cne seventy-fifth ,of the pre-war total. The paper money in Bussia. was hasteninsg a catastrophe of utter unacceptability of money within the country itself: Soon all Imsiness would have to he by barter. The British. he says, have been grievously disappointed with the result of their trade treaty. Without a large investment of foreign capital in order to aid m the production of commodities in Russia, itself, there would he even k;.S opportunity to sell goods to Russia, for she cannot continue to pay in gold.