BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1922, Page 2

BRITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

| AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. I DRAMA OF TWO SISTERS, j ROji®, May 16. I Countess Morosini, 50, and her sister, 45, daughters of a Padua lawyer, Signor Giovanni Bruna, have just committed suicide in his house in dramatic circumstance; After assuring themselves that their j father and the servants wbre abseiit I from home t-hfey dressed themselves iii their prettiest clothes and lay down • side by side on a large antique beo.) They then arranged themselves most ' becomingly, and each pointed a revtij ver to her heart. ■ At the same moment they pulled triggers and died together instantly. ! JAPANESE ARMY REDUCTION, j TOKIO, July 4. j it is announced that the Japanese ’ Cabinet has approved of the General . s taff’s suggestion for a reduction in the standing army by 56,000 men.

MIMIC NAVAL BATTLE. LONDON, Julyy 4. There was a noble spectacle at Torbay, where the fleet assembled to meet the King aboard the Royal yacht. He is spending a few days there. The Empire’s first defence submarine flotilla led the line in single file, followed by three lines of destroyers, two lines of light cruisers, followed by the battleships, the Queen Elizabeth endingthe line. As the yacht entered the line and dropped anchor, the fleet fired a royal salute and dressed ships. The exercises will include a mimic battle, with torpedo attacks, and the destruction of the ex-German cruiser Nuremberg by big gun practice. Immigration. r LONDON, July 4. The New Zealand Migration Department anticipates that the year’s migrants will closely approximate last year’s numbers which totalled 10,000. The total to the end of June was 48C0. July and August bookings aggregate 1250 including 120 domestics. The majority of the others are ex-servicemen, but all have been nominated in New Zealand and guaranteed employment and housing.

FRENCH ANXIETY. PARIS, July 4. The formidable fall of the mark is causing apprehension for Germany’s financial failure. UNION BANK. , LONDON, July 4. The Union Bank of Australia has declared a final dividend oi 15" per cent for the year tax free on both old and new capital. The premises account lias been voted £20,000, and the sum added to the reserve is £IOO,OOO, and that carried forward is £86,818.

ARMAMENTS COMMISSION

• PARIS. July 5. Lord Robert Cecil’s draft of a disarmament treaty has been discussed at a meeting of the Armaments Commission. It proves, firstly, that no reduction proposal shall be effective unless it is a general one. Secondly it > stipulates that no Gaovernment shall be responsible for reduction in armaments on _ a largei scale unless it _is guaranteed its territorial security. Thirdly, such a guarantee will only be made possible by it defensive, alliance of all the interested countries, they pledging themselves to aid each other' in any case of attack, such obligation,however, being limited to countries in the same part of the globe as the eoujfc try attacked. Fourthly it that special measures be taken to defend any country running special risks owing to geographical or historical reasons. Fifthly, the foregoing _reso)iPjk/~ tioir is to depend on a reduction in conformity, with a pre-established-scale. Sixthly, It is provided that effective machinery shall he created to ensure the establishment and maintenance of such reduction. -

Lord Cecil replying to questions, tentatively accepted Lord Esher’s proposals as a complement of his scheme. Lord Esher fixes 30,000 men as a military unit. He. proposes to allow Belgium two units, Czocho-Slovakia three, Denmark two, France six, Britain three, Greece four, Italy four, Ju-go-Slavia three, Holland three, Norway two, Poland four, Portugal one, R°nmania three, Sweden two, Spain three, Switzerland two. As for Germany, Austria and Bulgaria they are to he limited as fixed by the'peace treaties. He proposes that the reductions to tho suggested figures will be made within six months, and will operate for ten years.

I'HK AIARK TUMBLES DOWN. LONDON, July 4

There is a fall in the exchange value of the German mark. It reached 20.30 to the £1 and closed about 19.60 to the £l. The drop in the mark is largely due to the political unrest following on Dr Rathenau’s assassination.

BLAKE’S FLY. (Received this day at 8.30 a.m.) ATHENS, July 5^., Blake left Brindisi carrying lifeelts>f r in case of a forced landing, at sea. He • headed along the Albanian coast, landing at Taol aerodrome after 290 minutes flying mostly at 8000 feet. The scenery was of the grandest and air the clearest, seeing Albania, Greece and lonian Islands simultaneously. He is leaving for Egypt on the 6th. GERMAN DECISION. (Received this day at 8.30 a.m.) BERLIN, July 5. The Reichstag adopted the Treaty of Rapallo.