BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 December 1922, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION “REPLY” TO CRITICISM. LON BOX. Dee 1. Objecting to a criticism appearing in a local paper, the manager of the St Etienne. .Municipal Theatre invited the critic to a. dressing-room, and. after a quarrel, hit him oil the head with a hush-basin. The critic, who is a local schoolmaster, rushed bleeding on to the stage, and shouted a protest to the audience. Tlio curtain was lowered, and the police called in. The manager was suspended pending an enquiry. LONDON WOOL KALES. LONDON. Dee 14. At the. wool sales there was a miscellaneous offering of all descriptions, and prices were unchanged. AIR SASTRT’S TOUR. RESULT OF HIS EFFORTS. DEI.T-11. Do- 1-1. Mr Sastri- in his first public statement regarding his Dominions tour, described the conditions and difficulties under which Indians lived and worked. There were* two thousand in Australia, six hundred in New Zealand, and eleven hundred in Canada. Labourers and petty tradesmen and small farmers were better oil' than men of the same class in, India. There was a great deal of prejudice against Idem as belonging to an inferior race. Aluch misconception prevailed regarding India’s backwardness, and unfitness lor modern political institutions. The fear of lowering wages and standard of living was largely responsible for tin dominion’s policy ol exclusion >ad sus pieion. They felt 'that behind Lis mission was a desire to break through tbii White Australia policy and create an opening for the entry ol more Indians. Other objections were that acceding to the demands would give Indians a position they did not. enjoy in their own country. That i.l was extremely risky to enfranchise Indians while denying Japanese and Chinese the franelii.se; that the giving ol Indians political equality in other dominions would seriously embarrass the white population in South Alricn. His "answer was that resident Indians having left their country were entitled to the benefit of the dominions standards. Air Sastri emphasised that the franchise was the crucial question and the 'refusal was embittering intelligent Indians. who regarded it as tin; supreme test in the Imperial declaration that Indians had an equal partnership m the British Commonwealth. He believed his labours wore not in vain. He had succeeded in enlisting much sympathy and in somewhat dispelling ibe low 'opinion of Indian-' held by tno dominions.

LABOUR WORLD. LONDON. Dee 11. The National Union of Railwaymen havo rejected a proposal for the onion’s affiliation with the Irauspo:: Workers’ Federation. BRITISH EXPEDITION. LONDON, Dei- 14. Air Lucius Connoly. Captain Frewiii. Y (’. and Mr Finlay, the advance pa'rtv’ of the New Guinea Expedition, have sailed by the Ballarat. Ih main party will sail at the <nd ol January. THE CALIPH’S BEARD. j (Received this day at 8 a.in.) CONSTANTINOPLE. Dec. 14 p, avers that the Caliphs heard may erf-ow luxuriously are being offered m the mosques to-day, as the Caliph has started a heard to conform with the religious tradition. The Angora Government is allowing Ha- Caliph £4.500 sterling per month. A AIANIA. PARIS, Dec. 1 I. \ mania for thrusting poisoned needles into girls legs and arms has broken out on the boulevards. leu oj»svs wen* reported to the pohee > es “ terdav. The stabbing causes intense suffering yet is not serious in results. LLOYD GEORGE’S MEMOIRS. LONDON. Dec. U. The "Daily Express’s" American correspondent'states:— The purchasers of Mr Lloyd George’s forthcoming book ol memoirs have lodged a complaint. .owing In the appearance ol Mr Llovd George’s articles in the Hearst Press. The purchasers are alleging td e articles are largely destroying the value of the buck, fur which ninety thousand sterling has been paid. s'MII’PIS'G COLLISION. LONDON, Dec. 14 The Lord Chancellor ami Lords Filllav Dunedin, Atkinson and Sumner gave judgment against the Commonwealth Government in regard to the loss of the steamer Geelong by collision with a linnspnrl engaged in evacuation work at Gallipoli. 'I heir Lordships decided that the loss was caused |,v the war. and not by marine peril.

: A JAP DENTAL, i TOE 10. December Ul. I Tlu> Japanese Cabinet is resenting . H,o charges that Japanese Poops were ‘encouraging the Chinese bandits T Tsiugtao. ft decided not t" remain in i control of that port until December 29. jas China requested. The garrison will withdraw as soon as the Chinese guards | are armed with Japanese supple . j which have arrived. ; CHARITY CONCEPT. ; LONDON, Dec. I I [ Dame Melba orgauised a private concert mi behalf of the League of Mercy I at Karl Farquhar’s house. The King, ; the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the j Queen of Norway were among those ! present. Other artists were Messrs j Armadio, I,auric Kennedy, Lindsay I Evans and Erie Marshall, all Austra-

lians. BRITISH POLITICS. LONDON. Dec. 11. The British Parliament will re-as-semhle on February 13th. Mr Hoare, questioned in the House of Commons, said that the lormatioii of addition air squadrons for home dej fence would he undertaken. Orders I for the equipment would he placed iniI mediately.

POISON FOR POLICE. LONDON. Dec. bl A parcel of chocolates, addressed to Commissioner Bridgeman, received at the Home Office, on investigation, lends to the belief that they contain arsenic. The parcel was posted in the same district as those sent to Inspector TTorwood. ARRESTS. (Received this dav at 8.30 n.m.i HELSINGFORS, Dec 15. Five hundred including ninny officers, were arrested at Titomi charged with conspiracy apfainst Communists in Ukraine. NEW REPARATION PROPOSALS. BERLIN, Sept 15. Captains of industry are co-opera-ting with the Government in formulating a fresh reparation proposal,