BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1923, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. NEW VERSION OF BIBLE.

DUTGH-AMERICAN’S RENDITIONS. LONDON, June 12 Mr Hendrik Willem Van Loon, a Duteh-American professor, lecturer and author, who is translating the Rible into a popular form, boiling clown the* million and a half words of the Revised Yersion to the size of an average novel, has arrived in England to finish the work at Cambridge. Ho is writing the book lor America, hut thinks he can do better work Here than in the United States, where his stylo might be corrupted by the newspapers ami the motion picture sub-titles. An example of Vail Loon’s style is his description of Christ’s agony on the cross, viz.—“By a last supremo efforthe regained consciousness and he uttered a prayer. He asked that his enemies be forgiven tor what they had done to him. Then he whispered, “It is all over,” and he died. Describing the trial of Jesus. Yan Loon avers that it has been overlooked that if Pontius Pilate had acquitted Jesus, it would have meant his dismissal without a pension. The writer also represents tho soldier who gave Jesus vinegar on tho cross as a kindly Roman soldier, who gave him a narcotic to deaden the pain in his lacerated hands and feet. PORT OF LONDON.

LONDON, June 11 A deputation of the Australasian section of the Chamber of Commerce and the Australasian Merchants’ Association, consisting of Mr Tredwen, Mr F. Moore, and Mr F. Pearce, waited on Lord Devonport (Chairman of the Port of London Authority) urging quicker discharge of fruit and better supervision, to prevent the rough handling and breakage of cases. Tlie deputation pointed out- that fruit discharged at Southampton could he delivered in London quicker than if discharged at Tilbury. Lord Devonport promised to endeavour to have things placed on a hotter footing. He said the construction of a motor road from Tilbury to London would prevent, congestion. Ho believed the Transport Ministry was in sympathy with a motor load, but it would entail the removal of houses and tlio displacement of population.

SPORT IN ENGLAND. COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY! (Received Ibis day at 9.45 a.in.) LONDON ,J lino ]2. The Rt. lion IV. C. Bridgeman, has apipiiited a Committee under tho Chairmanship of Mr Shortt, an ex-Min-ister, including Mr Toone, Secretary of the Yorkshire Cricket Club, to enquire into an arrangement for dealing with tlia abnormally largo attendances at special sporting fixtures. Tho appointment is the result of the erents at the Chip final at Wembly. Cockfighting is increasing in Southern Ireland but the authorities are not interfering. Two thousand spectators witnessed a contest at Clones, the birds fighting" representing different Counties. Tiie fight continued for half an hour after which one bird bad broken a leg. DUCHESS OF YORK RECOVERING. (Received this day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. A bulletin announces that the Ditchess of York is recovering satisfactorily, and will resume engagements on the 2Gth. WRECK LOCATED. ißeceived this dav at 9.25 a.m.) LONDON, June 12. Divers have located the wreck of the P. and O. steamer Egypt, sunk near Ushaiit. .with a million sterling of bullion aboard which, it is expected, will he recovered. TEXTILE MERCHANTS SWINDLED. (Received this day at 9.2-5 a.m.) LONDON, Juno 12, At a trial at t-lfe Old Bailey, counsel made the startling statement that the textile merchants of Bradford, during the last two years, lost at least £2,000,000 owing to fraudulent bankruptcies in I.ondon. Frederik Rawlings was sentenced to fifteen months’ imprisonment for obtaining goods by false pretences. He allegedly used tho goods to flood the market, under cost price, so that manufactures were in competition with their own goods which were never paid for. Rawlings commenced as a. textile merchant in 1921 and obtained on credit from Bradford and the North of France by saying he was selling direct to Australia, His deficiency was finally £54,000, but counsel said that the conspiracy was much more extensive, and Rawlings was not the guiding brains.

PRINCESS ENGAGED. LONDON, .Tune 11. A Court Circular issued to-day contains too following announcement: “It is with great pleasure that the King announces the betrothal of his niece, Princess Maud, second daughter of the Princess Royal and the late Duke of Fife, to Lord Carnegie, captain in the .Scots Guards, eldest son of the Karl and Countess of Soutbesk, to which union his Majesty gladly gives assent. • The Princess Royal, Princess Maud and Lord Carnegie visited their Majesties at Buckingham Palace this afternoon.” Princess Maud’s engagement is the result of her fondness for outdoor High land sports. She frequently met Lord Carnegie when fishing. Princess Maud holds the record for killing the biggest salmon ever taken in the river Deo. Since Lord Carnegie returned from India, where he was Lord Chelmsford’s aide de camp, he has seen much of the Princess. She has been brought up in the utmost simplicity, and was only allowed to share one maid with her sister untl Princess Alexandra married Prince Arthur of Connaught, Princess Maud is an excellent linguist, speaking and writing French, German npd Itnliap fluently,