BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1922, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

AUSTRALIAN AND N. 7.. CAIJLE ASSOCIATION. RANSOM RAID. ' ‘ (Received this day at 12.25 p.m.) NEW YORK, .June 20. The Stato Department lias learned that Bielaski was liberated after £IOOO sterling was paid as ransom by the Government. GAMING RESORT BURNT NEW YORK, dune 20.. A famous gambling resort t$ Mercala was burned down during the night with the loss of half a million dollars. Twenty natives were hilled in subsequent rioting. Gaming was running at full swing when the fire started.

JAPS CONSULATE DESTROYED (Received this day at 12.25 p.m.) TOKIO, June 29.

Advice from Seoul announces the. capture and destruction by mounted" bandits of the Japanese Consulate at Todoku on the Manchurian side of the Korean border.

HAGUE CONFERENCE

(Received this day at 10.15' a.m.)

HAGUE, June 29.

At the first meeting of the private property commission, Litviiioff tried to raise the principle that the Soviet looked to the future not to the past, but Mr Graeme told him plainly that the conference had met to discuss practical things, not principles.

REBEL r JON IN TURKESTAN. (Received this da.y at 10.15 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, June ’2O. Reports from Helsingfors indicate a serious rebellion lias broken out in Turkestan against the Bolsheviks. Insurgent shave captured Bokhara, Snmnrk, and Askolmd, and executed the Soviet’s President. STRIKE ORDERED. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON. June 29.' A Chicago message states four hundred .thousand railway shopmen have been ordered to strike on Saturday, following a refusal of railway heads to forego wages reductions. CHINESE REPORT. WASHINGTON, June 29. Chinese papers in San Francisco and Manila have received cables stating Shan Chiiinghing, captor of Canton; has been assassinated. AMERICAN BANDITS. WASHINGTON, June 29. The American Consul at Tampico informed the State Department that Mexican bandits captured Pecero oil camp, and are holding eighty-five prisoners, including eight Americans lor ransom. The forty Americans, cabled on June 27th.. have been released. It is unknown whether the ransom was paid. The State Department is forwarding a pressing demand on the Mexican Government to cheek banditry and safeguard Americans.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS. LONDON, June 29

The Secretariat of the League of Nations, at Genoa, informed Sir J. Allen Hint lie will represent New Zealand at the next meeting of the Permanent Commission for mandates, on Ist August. The Secretariat has received reports respecting the administration of (he territories under Japanese and New Zealand mandates and on the Island ol Nauru; also the Australian Government’s report on the administration of New Guinea.

THE ROBINSON PEERAGE. LONDON, Junes 29. Following parliamentary agitation in connection with the preferment of honours arising principally out of the birthday peerage to the South African Sir Joseph Robinson, the Lord Chancellor read in the House of Lords, a letter Robinson wrote to Lloyd George declining the peerage. Robinson Further stnted he had never sought the honour. He was too old to have much concern about honours and dignities, j He was sorry the incident caused such ; parliamentary ill-feeling. Lord Birken- 1 need explaining, said the Secretary for : the Colonies was not consulted regwd-' ino the Robinson case, ns he should hare been in order to exorcise his constitutional duty and acquaint himself with the opinion and desire of the Doptfnfcm. He ptMetf that it was realised

no British citizen resident or primarily 1 belonging to a Dominion ought over to , be recommended for honours in this | country, except with the assent and < approval of his Government. The House conic! consider that pronouncement ns official, which undoubtedly will be a guide for action in future. Tt will bo | remembered that at the time the Peer- I age was conferred, Mr Smuts informed the South African Parliament that he had Pot recommended Robinson. i