AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1922, Page 3

AMERICAN ITEMS.

—— •40+1**' AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. RISE OF EXCHANGE. NEW YORK, Dee. 7 Along with a rising market, cross rates with leading European countries, sterling exchange lias been making a steady progress upward, the demand gaining five cents during the past week and reaching 45t>|f, This is encouraging business men doing their chief trade with Britain ami lias inspired a feeling of betterment in the condition of Europe generally. Many explanations of the rise are given, hut the chief reason advanced is the Tritisli Government’s retrenchments and iwse budgetary regula I ions. A BIG FIRE. NEW YORK. Dec 8. A conflagration at Astoria. Oregon at three o’clock in the morning, d.nstroyed two hundred business building-. The loss will probably be ten to fifteen million dollars. One ldr. was lost. Firemen cheeked the lire by dynamiting the adjoining buildings. The Astoria conflagration was .-.UI! uii,"cntralli;d, after eight hours. •A WIFE'S PLOT. NEW YORK. December 8. At Detroit, Mrs Alary Ford, wife of Mr Nov Ford, second cousin of Henry Ford, the motor maiiufactnircr, has been arraigned on a charge that she plotted to have her husband murdered in order to get possession of bis estates. A police detective claims,that Airs Ford offered him $20,000 to shoot her busband and burn the hotly, and that she gave the detective a photograph in order to enable tile detective to identify Ford. AMERICA'S ATTITUDE. (Received this dav at 9.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 It is expected that some announcement will ibe made at the London Premiers' Conference concerning the American attitude, especially since Ambassadors Fletcher and Houghton have joined Harvey. Information elicited from White House says United States has no suggestion to make to the Premiers concerning debts, since the American attitude was that Allied debts to United States must lie paid. It is already known that the presence ol Fletcher and Houghton is merely a coincidence, both having gone to London on private business. RACQUETS. (Received this dav at 8 a.m.) NEW A T ORK. December 9. Jack Soutar. an American retained the World's Racquets Championship, defeating Chares Williams of England by seven matches to four. 147 points, against 111). CHINESE AFFAIRS. (Received this dav at 8 a. hi.) NEW A r ORT\. December 9. j

The Chicago “Tribune’s” Hunanl'n correspondent interviewed WopeifF to whom I'ekin Cove: niio-nf for warded tl'e Powers protest against bandits capture of f. reign missionaries entiled on November 16th. Wepeiff expressed re sen Uncut at the Powers desire to send a commission of Investigation into banditry. Fie declared he was well able

to handle the situation, though lie would provide facilities for such a commission's investigations. He said national troops in Hunan Province were now surrounding the bandits and all measures would be taken to tree tliu prisoners. Troops would also be assign!* I to protect foreigners remaining' in the province. It was hoped to nceoin; li-'i this by the end of Do cm! or. THE ‘’TIGER’S” TOUR, (i’vooiv-d this rlu.' at 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, Decmbcr 9. M .Cl emeiuo:iii iii a last formal spcc'di at Philadelphia before departing for France next week, derhired lie believed two parts of bis mission \to America were fully aeeomi lislied. namely. to cenvime \meriea that Frame was not militaristic and would pay her cK-ht to United St "tcs. The third part was nearing accomplishment, namely. to induce United States again to join Britain and Fiance in the ' settlement of problems arising from the war. MEDICALS AND WHISKEY. (I’eeoivrd this dav at 8 a.m.) WASHINGTON. December 9. The American Medical Association which recently approved of tile use of wliiskv medically, asked Air .Mellon to permit a physician to prescribe more than a pint of wnisky per patjent every ten days. They alsii asked the Government to arrange for chemists shops *to he supplied with bonded liquor, exclusively as a guard against inferior deleterious liquor, which hitherto physicians oftimes were only able to obtain. none other being available, save through purchase from illicit sources. Afr Mellon promised to take the matter under consideration.