BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1924, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS

Tills KING OK SPAIN. KING ALFONSO TALK- STB A It.] IT [“The Times’’ Si-.r\ i,■ i-., [Received tins 'lav at IMA a.rn.) LONDON. Feb. 2. The Madrid correspondent of the “Times” states the text "I Hie speech delivered by King Alfonso at Cordova on May 1921, bitterly attacking the politicians mid declaring that they werc more concerned with I heir own inleresis than with Hie welfare of the nation, has just been published. The speech was .suppressed by the Govornmeiil at the time and only garbled versions reached the public. It made a great, impression on those who beard it.

When tin' King recently visited Cordova be was reminded ot the speech and informed that it bad been copied on parchment, illuminated by one of the best artists in tin' oily, framed and hung in the mom where it was delivered.

"Which speech.” asked tin- King. "The real one or the other The real speech is now published verbatfm with Hie approval of the militarv directory.

King Alfonso, alter describing bow schemes for improving I lie national roads and eominuniealion were held up. declared: "All I am able to do is to approve of the pro-eiitalioii of schemes to Parliament and to sanction them, when Parliament approves. That's all. I am not an absolute inuiiareb. T am only absolute in that T can olff’r my life to my country. This I have done and do with pleasure, but f am without responsibililv which lias been conferred upon Parliament. It is a severe tiling to say, but the bald I null is that Parliament is not carrying oil its duties. f| may be I bought 1 am infringing on the constitution. 1 have been King nineteen year, and have never overstepped the constitution. I know mv ground and what I am cut i t It*. I to s;iv ami Localise of tin’s I feel that it is a necessity for the

provinces to start a movement to support their King in Parliament. The welfare of the nation and not of political inleresi:. will triumph and then the politicians will behave as they ought to do as representatives of the nation and the people's vote will be honoured.”

The eorrespninicul adds that Hie speech must be counted a:- undoubtedly one of the mo i r*. markable utterance; ever made In a • "Pstitmionoi monarch. It doeribe- a*-, uralely and vividly the political con |ilions which led to the revolution and slmv Kmg \Kotuo in a pc" limit-•-(ha* of a , ;ii-:;t-n whose spirit had rc'ylk ! i. 1 r, II as a .overeign whose-. vM Kimt h ’.omit! ■to an end C!v; warning given way not needed a, ryh , .!!.”..!>n.. have hfim defeated. It remains to he seen what pace the schemes which the King referred to will make under the now regime. FI.STEI! nOrXDARY. LONDON, Feb. 2. The Irish (Lister) Boundary Conference at Ihe Colonial Office, after discussing the whole situation, adjourned. The Free Slate Premier. Home Minister, Finance- Minister, and Attorney-General, as well a> the Dail Firennu Secretary wore present. In the morning Mr MacDonald opened the proceedings with a speech, after which .Mr Thomas presided. OFFICIAL MUR'DEUED. I'ETCIN. February 1. A telegram from Mongts reports that the acting Commissioner, stationed at Szeinfio, was stabbed to the heart am! killed after an altercation.

Doctor Thompson telegraphed that lie escaped last night and safely reached Pantowchcn,

OIL SHARES. LONDON. Feb. :!

liurmnli Oil Company has issued a statement denying the assumption that the sale of the Government’s Anglo-Persian oil shares would have resulted in throwing com ml of the Anglo-Persian Coy. into foreign hands and jeopardising the Navy s supply '>l liquid fuel. The P.urmah Company declares the consequences would have been exactly the contrary. The pro-p,,-al was 111 sell the shares in such a way as to secure British control of the new group, consisting of Burniah, Shell and Royal Dut.-h Companies, mainly intended to remove the weakness and danger of allowing the British Navy to rely so greatly on a single oil field in Central Asia, the result would have been that the amount of British eontrolled oil upon which the Navy supplies were based would have been vastly extended, and the great Royal Dutch organisation would have been cent rolled from London, instead of from Holland. The scheme proposed to include Burniah Oil Company, enlarged by the acquisition of Government's Anglo-Persian shares as a third shareholder in the division of interest' between the Shell and Royal Dutch. The result would have given the two British companies an assured permanent majority in the group. Guarantees wore to he given that this agreement should not he impaired by subsequent arrangements, thus preventing the creation of the monopoly of the oil markets of the world by any further combination of oil companies.

V LORDS TROrr.LES. LONDON. Feh. 2

The “Gazette” announces receiving orders issued against Lord Loughborough, son of Karl Royslyu.

RARER BANNED. LONDON, Feb. 2

Scotland Yard authorities have banned the sale in England of Le Son Eire, a French humorous weekly. The “Daily Express” understands tins is another move on the part of the »«i----iho rites to clean up London prior to the influx of visitors at. the Empire Exhibition.