BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1922, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION, INTER-ALLIED DEBTS: NEW YORK, Nov. 1. White House, in a statement, declared that the United States is willing to lend its approval to any economic conference to discuss the Old World situation. The United States is willing to participate in such conference’, but it is pointed out that no consideration will be given to any conference covering inter-Allied debts.

TRADE WITH SPAIN. MADRID, Nov. 2

A British-Spanish commercial treaty has been signed, and will remain in force for three years. Britain may send to Spain annually 750,000 tons of coal, subject to a duty of four pesetas per ton. Each ton in excess of that amount pays seven and a half pesetas. Spain has also signed treaties with Norway, Franco, Italy and Switzerland thus terminating her commercial isolation.

ALLIED SCRUTINY. f BERLIN, Nov. 1 ** The Government and the Reparations Commission have decided to issue joint communiques relating to their negotiation. M. Barthou, in the first one, says the Allied Commission Ims not intended violating Germany’s sovereignty, but had to seek precise details of the German finances. Tlerr Scroder, replying to the Comimssioners, declared there would be. a deficit in the current budget probably totalling 440 milliards ofHnarks, (hie solely to the reparation dmnands.

* A COOK RELIC. LONDON, Nov. 1

Sir Timothy Coghlan (Agent-General for N.S.W.) lias purchased for the Mitchell Liberty ,in Sydney, the original journal kept by William Wales, the official astronomer on Captain Gook|s second voyage to Australasia. This journal, on which the publication of •Cook’s Voyages is partially based, covers a period from June, 1772, to October 1774.

A REVOLUTION. (Received this dnv at 8 a.m.) ATHENS, Nov 2

Messages from Fiorina state the revolutionary movement started in Albania, where Government troops are retreating to Berat. Government fearing capture, left Tirana for Valona.

WOOL SALES. LONDON Nov. 2. The week’s wool sales closed with the keenest competition for all better classes. Crossbred topped the previous record, touching 31Jd. DOCTOR IN TROUBLE. , LONDON, Nov. 2. Following a writ by Doctor Flotkowski against “Smith’s Weekly” newspaper, cabled on 27th July, claiming £20,000 damages for alleged libel contained in published matter, the Medical Board after protracted inquiry issued a judgment condemning Flotkowski’s conduct in hisprofessional respect and directing his name be removed from the medical register. Flctlcowski instituted steps to appeal to the Supreme Council against the Board’s finding. The case attracted keen nublic interest.

A RUGBY INSULT.

| LONDON, November 1. ! Under tho heading of “A Rugby Insult,” Mr Cecil Wray, writing to the . Press, as a representative of the New Zealand Rugby Union, protests against the manner in which the amateur status of New Zealand players is being questioned in England. He declares it is calculated to cause great resentment in New Zealand. He says that Aitken, the Rhodes Scholar, soon after his arrival, was assailed by press criticism expressing suspicion regarding his amateur status, and ho also was suspected because he was a colonial. He was put through a. special form of “ inquisition, as to whether or not he had played the Northern Union game. Mr Wray considers it a poor compli- • ment to the New Zealand Union that> one of its finest players should be so treated. He adds that Aitken himself was deeply humiliated by the atni'sphere of openly expressed mistrust’.