AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1922, Page 2

AMERICAN ITEMS.

irSTHALIAN. AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION (ONG RESSIONAL ELECTIONS. WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.

With the regular .Congressional elections only a week off, the political campaign'is now at its crucial stage. A complete now house of 435 representatives and one third of the Senate, of 32 Senators, will be chosen. The Republicans now have a majority of 11 in the Senate, and the House of R epresent a t i ve s. There is an anomaly in the American system of Government by which the President after two years in office, can see his party defeated in Congress. Mr Wilson was caught in that predicament, the Republican Congress elected in 1918 defeating the Versailles Treaty. The general feeling among observers is that the Democrats will gain approximately 50 in the House, and the Republicans, will gain one or two senators, or hold their own. There are 132 Democrats, 300 Republicans, and three Independents. The most important members of the Harding Cabinet, Messrs Hoover, Hughes, and Weeks, are campaigning on behalf of prominent Republican Senators and representatives in the endangered districts. CANADIAN MINISTER TO U.S.A. OTTAWA, Nov. 2 Following on a visit Sir Auckland Geildes (British Ambassador to U.S.A.) with the Canadian Premier, Mr McKenzie King, it is learned officially that tl'.e announcement of the appointment of Sir Charles Fitzpatrick as the Canadian Minister at Washington will lie made within a few days. Sir A. Geddes has intimated that the British Government has withdrawn all opposition to separate Canadian representation: (Sir Charles Fitzpatrick is I' .I'■ former Lord Chief Justice of Canada.

Despite the apparently reliable information from trustworthy sources that- a Canadian Minister at Washington would he appointed in a few days, the announcement appears to be premature. Mr Mackenzie King, in a statement late to-night, said he bad heard nothing of such appointment. The. feeling now is that, pending the working out of a new policy by the British .Cabinet the appointment may he delayed.