BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 December 1922, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. NAURU WORKERS. LONDON, Dec G. Mr Ormsby Gore replying to questions in tho Commons' said approximately eighty Chinese merchiinies, and 49D Chinese labourers were employed at Nauru, They were not indentured. There were no com poll lids. Ihe Chinese lived in defined areas unaccolnpiiiiictl by women.

A member: —What is tho difference between a compound and defined area. Mr Ormsby Gore said the object of defined areas was to prevent Chinese living in native Nauruan settlements. For social reasons Chinese were confined to their areas at night time, hut during the day time they could go anywhere they liked. Labour from Pacific native races had always been employed in the phosphate industry on Nauru At present about 30!) natives were so employed. Recruiting from Caroline Islands under the Japanese mandate had censed. The Hong Kong Government had not arranged to supply Chinese indentured labour for Nauru or Samoa, hut had aflordcd the Now Zealand Government certain facilities. v The report oi the League of .Nations subcommission referred to arrangements affected by the Now land Government,

disarmament CONFERENCE. COPENHAGEN. December 5. The “Bel lingske Tidendes” Helsmg|lirs correspondent says Litvinoff, sneakum at the Disarmament Conkvo„ce said Russia was willing to reduce the army by seventy-five per cent ... the next two years, involving n reduction of two hundred thousand. Neighbouring states must do likewise, and all irregular military orgamsati ns must be dissolved and frontier districts demilitarised. As U'c Navy has been reduced hv seventy-five per cent sure 1917, the Soviet did not propose a further reduction. Finland and Esthoilia replied that negotiations must include the Navy. With this reservation all the delegates declared their willingness to work for disarmament.

CU R RENCY SUGGESTION. LONDON, December 5. The “Times” commenting editorially on the suggestion by Dir Darling (exdirector of Midland Bank) that part of the existing Empire debt should he converted into n thousand millions worth of Empire currency hills, which together with a certain-proportion of gold should form the basis of a common Imperial currency, which would be legal tender in all parts of the Empire participating. It says Dir Darling in support of the scheme quoted the case of Egypt, whose currency is mostly based on British Treasury Bills. Her exchange had' remained remarkably steady since the war while the exchanges of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa fluctuated widely. “The Times” says the essence of Dir Bailing's scheme is flint it contemplates a great extension of gold exchange standard, with the avowed object of economising the use of gold, and making remittance between any parts of the Empire no more difficult or expensin' than between London and Lands End. The “Times” remarks that the advantages of the scheme mo manifest. We are aware that serious political obstacles stand in the way of the surrender of anv governmental rights, hut co-opeiation in currency matters in order to avoid the derangement of exchange need not involve an infringomet of such rights any more than cooperation in other matters.

A 11ICH BHTDE. j LONDON. December 5. . |.ord I’lnn'set. son of the ex-Oovei nor 1 of New Zealand, has married Mrs Jack i Barnato. widow of Bariiv Barnato’s ! son. The wife’s fortune is stated he j nine hundred thousand. 1 BAVARIAN BEEF SAL. BERT,IN. December 5. j The “Vorwnerts” reports that the l Bavarian Premier has resolved not to sign the letter of apology required by the Allies, in connection with attacks on officers. He is visiting Berlin to consult the Chancellor. RAND COMMUNISTS. CAPETOWN, Dee. I The Johannesburg “Sunday Times” states that there has been renewed activity in Communist circles, with threats of violence, and also kidnapping of children and two most important personages. A counter Communist Society has been formed somewhat resembling the Fascisti movement, with the object of counteracting the activities of the inner Red circles.

PRISONER’S ESCAPE. LONDON. Dee. .1. When Erie Martin, an Australian engineer, was being taken from Salisbury to Winchester to await trial on a charge of stealing a motor car, he escaped from the police, dashed along the platform of the Winchester station and jumped the railway lines, though u pair of handcuffs were dangling from his left wrist. A warder and a spectator were close on his heels, but. .Martin outran both and escaped without leaving a trace. DRASTIC METHODS. (Received this dav at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 5

The Daily Mail’s Milan correspondent says the Fascist! are nothing, if not thorough. At Alessandria, Piedmont they called a meeting ot professional thieves. burglars. robbers, and pickpockets and tohl tliem they must reform or Fascisti would wage, war against them. Anyone caught would he beaten to eleath. Two hundred wrongdoers attended the meeting and declared they were willing to un-

dertake honest work. Fascisti promised to find them situations. At night, however the Fascisti police patrolling the town caught pick-pockets and manhandled them badly. 1 hey were sent to the hospital in a dying condition. loathsome crimes. [Kceeived this dav at 9.30 a.m.) VIENNA, Dec 5. A loathsome typb of crime is becoming prevalent in. the city. lamily vaults and graves are continually bf ing dscovered, and forced open and even bombed. The dead are robbed of

rings jewels and even gold fillings in the teeth. Owing to dispensing with costly funerals, the dead lit in the State cemetery, and mortuaries instead of homes, with the i exult that in many eases burial clothing and linen uro found to be missing and replaced by paper substitutes. Wreaths and fresh flowers are removed from graves and resold to florists in the city.