BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1923, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. NAVY LEAGUE COUNCIL. (Received this dav at 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, Mny 30. The Duke of Sutherland, presiding at the annual meeting of the Navy League Council, remarked that to a great extent the League drew its inspiration from the Dominions, where there was more enthusiasm than in this country. Other speakers mentioned that a year ago the question of winding up the League was seriously considered, but now the Council was of opinion its existence had never been so necessary as to-day.

PRINCE OF WALES. (Received this day at 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, May 30. The Prince of Wales, replying to an address of welcome at Bradford, said to one like himself who had spent much time in the Dominions there was a social interest in his first visit to Bradford, which was a general clearing house for the staple productions of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It had been bis privilege to see some raw material on the other side of the world and to-day he hoped to see how the technical skill for which Bradford was celebrated, transformed this into the finished article. FAMOUS AVIATOR’S DEATH. (Received this day at 9.45 a.m.) PARIS, May 30. Deullin, one of the French aviator aces, who destroyed twenty-one Ger inun planes during the war, crashed ■A Villacouplay when testing a new plane and was killed instantaneously. POLISH POLITICS.

WARSAW, May 30. General Pilsucl.ski has resigned the presidency over the change in Government. INDIAN FRONTIER. TRIBES. (Received this day at 9.25 a.m.) DELHI, May 30. As tho outcome of the firm official handling of tribesmen concerned in the recent crimes, the elders of the recalcitrant Jowalci tribesmen visited Peshawar and paid the monetary fine imposed upon them, ns a result of the misdeanicnours. They also handed over a number of stolen rifles and promised to produce the remainder. It is ascertained that tho murderers of Mrs Ellis and two officers of the Seafortb Highlanders are located in Naziau Valiev, Afghanistan, a notorious harbour for malefactors. THE BLASPHEMY LAWS. AMENDMENT THROWN OUT. (Received this day at 10.45 a.m.) LONDON. May 30.

'flic House of Lords, by sixty-eight votes to eight, refused to read a second time the Earl of Russel’s Bill, to amend tho blasphemy laws, making it impossible to prosecute any person m any courts for schism, heresy, blasphemous libel and atheism. Thu Earl of Russel pointed out that nothing in the. blasphemy laws prevented anyone speaking disrespectfully of the Roman Catholic religion or the Mass. The Archbishop of Canterbury said the last tiling lie desired was to buttress tho Church of England by artificial defences, hut Earl Russel failed to show that any grievance existed. The Earl of Onslow pointed out that tiie only blasphemy punishable was a wilful intention to insult others by the alm.se of Christian religion. People ought to lie protected against outrages and abuse of this kind. Schism, heresy and atheism were no longer offences in the Secular Court. EMPIRE INDUSTRIES. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m ) LONDON.. May 30. Mr Ben Morgan, speaking at a meeting of Empire producers, urged manufacturers to establish branch factories in tho Dominions and take students from the Dominions and train them in head factories in England. WORK OF ART FRAUDS. (Received this day at 10.10 a.m.) PARTS, May 30.

The Society for the protection of French Art makes a series of astonishing charges against the authorities «l Louvre. "They snv that they recently purchased, at fantastic prices, works of very doubtful authenticity. ami which include ancient has relief representing Annunciation, which an American art dealer sold to Louvre for 1.250,000. The work is really a number o! fragments of old marble, bought tor a few francs, put together nnd restored l,v clever modern sculpture. The Society alleges that the p'-tiuo of the “Virgin” dating from the time of Saint Louis, was stolen Irani a church and replaced by a modern <■' py. The Societv adds: “for twenty ycni.-, a gang of thieves has been robbing jko provincial churches nnd substituting c-opies for the old pictures and statues. FRENCH FINANCE. PARIS. May 3i>. The Financial Committee of the Senate discussed a proposal to cut down the estimates by one milliard anil eighty million francs in order to milaneo 'the 1923 budget. , VI. Poincare stated that it was impossible to reduce expenditure more than four hundred millions without seriously hampering the public sen ices.

RKPUBLICAN SUICIDES. (Received this day at 12.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON. May 30 A sensation was caused by the suicide of Air Jesse W. Smith, a prominent Republican and a close friend of President Harding, in the apartment of Mr Drui Mierty. the Attorney-General. Smith, it is believed, was worried over business troubles and shot himself after leaving tho will disposing of his property. TWO EXECUTIONS. LONDON, May 30. Two men named Rourek and Murphy were executed at Tuam in connection with the Bank void,cry at Atlieiiry. A PLEASANT PROSPECT. (Received this day at 12.45 p.m.) LONDON. May 30.

Under command of Captain Pocoek. the steam yacht Frontiersman sails on the lSth. June, to survey a seaplane route in the North Pacific tor an attempted world flight being organised by Captains Malins and Norman. Applicants for berths are asked to sign a commission, which states yon niil Le marooned for months on islands, many of which arc volcanic and may at anytime disappear. If there when the ship returns you will be picked up. If you are dead you wl.il be given a decent burial.

TEA SALES. (Received this day at 12.45 p.m.) CALCUTTA, May 30. At the opening tea sale the quality generally' was hardly- as good as last year. The demand was good except for poor liquoring qualities. For the commonest sorts there was little demand. Prices generally were satisfactory. The commonest leaf was thirteen annas to thirteen annas six pice ; ordinary common pekoe souchong thirteen six to fourteen annas; even-leaf pekoe fifteen nppns to fifteen six.