BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1923, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. TYPHOON DAMAGE. HONG KONG, August 19. So far about a score of vessels, including a number of largo steamers of various nationalities nro reported to be ashore at different places as a result of the typhoon. A few are holed and oadl.r damaged but the majority aio expected to he refloated. Many of the smaller craft suffered severely. At least twenty junks and a score of sampans capsized. It is estimated one hundred were drowned. Arriving vessels report encountering considerable wreckage at sea, besides a largo number severely damaged. At- least fifty Chinese houses collapsed. Soldiers and firemen arc engaged in rescuo work and have removed many dead or wounded from the debris. FIVE HUNDRED LIVES LOST. HONG KONG, August 19. Saturday’s typhoon caused deaths that are tentatively estimated at 500, besides property damage that as yet is not tabulated. The typhoon was tire worst- since 1905. The w ind velocity was 130 miles an hour. The rainfall during the worst two hours was nearly five inches. The squalls uprooted trees, snapped telegraph and telephone poles, and unroofed houses. The typhoon furnished a- terrifying spectacle- Mountainous seas swept the harbour of Hong Kong, and washed over the sea walls, flooding tho lower streets and leaving quantities cf varigated wreckage. The Japanese steamer “Sinye Maru” provided the stage for a wonderful deed of life saving, when a British submarine sailor named Twitcgcrs got aboard the steamer and then, being lowered from her bow with a lifeline attached, swam through the raging sea 500 feet and saved Lieut. M’iekson, commanding submarine L 9, which had sunk under him.

SPANISH AND MOORS. MADRID, Aug. 19. A large body of Moors attacked three Span sh columns when proceeding la positions near Tilranin. The. Spanish succeeded in reaching their objective, hut had over 200 casualties. CAPTIVE escapes. I’EKIN. August 19. Woathorbo one of the captives :e----oently taken by bandits lias escaped. His whereabouts are unknown. Troops are searching. FOREST' FIRES. PARIS, Aug. 19 Forest- fires have destroyed the Cannes Golf Club and Cannes Racecourse buildings. The railway communications there are broken. Numbers of people are missing, while refugees are pouring into Cannes. Troops continue in the streets to light the flames, which are rapidly spreading. The roads are thronged with |K’oplc, pushing carts laden, with beiorgings.

RACE ACROSS PARIS. PARIS, Aug. 20. David Rillinglon won the annual swim across Paris of seven and a-half miles, in 183 minutes. Costanialito, an Italian, was second. Twenty-six competed, including six women. TRADE RIVALRY. LONDON, August 20. A correspondent, writing in the “Westminster Gazette” declares: “Australia’s decision to raise a £21,000 000 loan locally, instead of in London, is due to Australia’s realisation that in the past two years, heavy imports of British manufactures have suited from the large sums being borrowed in Britain. The Australian manufacturers are up in arms about tho competition of our goixls with theirs. They have obliged their Government to reconsider its earlier decision to raise loan redemption money in London. In other words, Australia’s dread of British imports is stronger than her desire for cheap capital. I commend this to the attention of those who maintain that, if we further burden ourselves in order to give increased preference to Australian products, Australia will increase her demands for our manufactures.”