BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 February 1923, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. A PARIS TRAGEDY. PARIS, February oth. A terrible drama, involving four deaths occurred in a southern suburb of Paris. A bachelor named Muterer aged 89, visited a former lover, a. widow named Burif. A few minutes later Muterct rushed from the house exclaiming—“ That was a nice reception they gave me.” The bodies of Burif and another man were found in the house riddled with Indicts.

Six police officers called at Muterer’s hotel after midnight. When the Chief knocked, at the door of his room, Muterer did not answer. Then he half opened the door, and fired n revolver, extinguishing the light. The poliofired a volley into the room in the darkness and Muterer returned the tire killing a policeman. Then he managed to lock the door. The police sent for reinforcements with asphyxiating gas, but Muterer shot himself dead. He was previously imprisoned seven times for theft and attempted murder.

OBITUARY. LONDON, Eel). f> Obituary .-—Hamilton Maxwell, the artist. AIR CONFERENCE. LONDON. Feb. (1 lloarc, in opening (lie air conference at Guildhall, said it was a tragedy that at the moment when wo wished to embark on world aide schemes of aviation and development, the national expenditure was reduced to a bare subsist aneo and level of postwar expenditure. ||e continued that military aviation must have 1 lie first, call on the nut ion’s purs". Person ally he regarded a huge expenditure on armaments a = an intolerable burden on trade aiul, industry and an outrage la Christian civilisation itself. Within the necessary financial limits. fie was determined to try to develop civil aviation. He desired In see the Imperial Air Serve e started soon. either by airships or aero planes. It was a matter for Cabinet and the Dominions to decide. Public opinion did not desire air questions to be discussed in the terminology or remarkable feats. LUDENDDUFF UNAYEI.COME. VIENNA, Fob. >■ Luclendorff travelled from Kla/.enfurt to Vienna. His journey was marked by violent demonstrations of Labourites wherever flu* train stopped, espocinllv at fvaffenhurg station, where a mob forced an entry and searched the train for Ludcndni (1\ who was hidden, shouting—When- is this murderer of millions, lie belongs to the gallows. The railway officials had great difficulty in getting the train away. On reaching Vienna Ludemlorl spent the night at a suburban station. The “Arhoiter Zeitung” states the police informed l.udendorff that bis pieseiice in the capital was not desired and lie must take the first train to Munich.

IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. (Received this day at 9.90 a.m.) LONDON. Eeb b. In view of th(« withdrawal of Overseas contributions consequent on financial difficulties, the Imperial Institute has appointed a Committee to consider (1) Wluit functions now discharged L> the Institute are considered essential. (•2) whether these should he continued |,v the institute, or attached elsewhere. and in this connection, the Committee is to consider tin. functions r.f other research organizations. t lie committee was also directed to report on the functions of the Imperial Institute, to what extent the intentions ol the founders and royal charter are being carried out; also to suggest improvements which it considers financial! v practicable, if it reemnnieni.s that the Institute shall he continued on the existing basis. Mr Ormsby Gore j s chairman of the Committee which includes Sir J. Cook. Sir J. Aden and other High Commissioners and Lout Islington.

JAYNSON HICKS’ REI’ORT (Received this day at 0.30 a. .i.)_ LONDON. Fob .. Sir .1. Cook, interviewed, stated Mr Jovnson Hicks’ report was generally satisfactory in as much as n cleaied the air of disturbing rumours l.ic situation was now quite good. He v.:is glad the Foods aim Materials ( ommiltee, of which he was chairman had not l.cmi superceded by the new executive committee. Although the report was satisfactory within tlw terms ol nferenee, he regretted that the reference was not wider because the linuLitnm would exclude many important questions. His principal ohjcctum was to the recommendation that Dominion ic presentation mi the proposed new Executive Committee be limited to « Hi.d. Commissioner nominated by is fellow Commissioners. in V! . L '" fact that the Dominions provided Himfourths of the fumt-. he tl.oiigjit the. should have two represcuitiuiycs. U, a meeting of the I'.xecuLw .0 01 „f the. Empire Exhibition to-day, a resolution was adopted defending W mtour (general manager) rum the asp. ■; ..ions contained in the Joynson report.

MR SAIUTS REI'bV TO CRITICISM. . liPv.fivod this day at 11.30 a.mA , CAPETOWN, Feb. i. \ Mr Smuts in a statement to the press . replied to a charge made by Mr HertZ ng during the iio-ccnilideiicc debate, i that he was mainly responsible for fixing the huge reparation antoung Gviinitny had to pay under the Peace . Treaty. Mr Smuts describes this as ludicrous. He says lie was not a member of the Reparations Commission, but a s one of the lawyers present he was consulted on the legal point whether civilian damages included pensions and allowances. It was subsequently stated that bis argument convinced Mr Wilson against the opmion of bis own lawyers. Dealing with his attitude on the question of policy Air Smuts states a majority of the Reparations Commission favoured the highest possible damages, some bolding that Germany should pay the whole war damage of all the Allies both in file British Empire delegation and out of it. However, he used every scrap of intluence he possessed to get the reparation figures down to a fair moderate fixed amount. PRINCESS MARA*. DELIVERED OF A SON. | Received this tlav at 12.25 p.ntA LONDON, February S. Princess Alary has been delivered of a son. Both are well.