BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1924, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN ITEMS.

.USTRALIAN AND N-Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. VNGLO-ITALIAN AGREEMENT. LONDON, May 24. The Foreign Office announces that , as the result of direct negotiations v between Mr MacDonald and Signor Mussolini, it Ims been decided to conclude an agreement regarding .Tubaland on the lines laid down by Mr Miller and Senator Scialjo in 1920. Italian experts are being sent t<* London immediately to settle the terms with the. British experts.

LABOUR WORLD, CAPETOWN, May 21 A conference at Johannesburg of representatives of the Engine Drivers’ Association and tho Chamber of Mines resulted in the Gold Producers’ Association undertaking to consider the points raised.. They will give an answer early next week. BELGIUM AND X.Z. LONDON,' May 24. A Belgium delegation were the guests of Sir James Allen at luncheon ill the New Zealand Pavilion at the Exhibition. There was a wholly Dominion menu. A mutual desire nan expressed for the establishment- of n direct trade route between New Zealand and Belgium.

CONSERVATIVES RETAIN SEAT. LONDON, -May 24. A bye-election for the Kelvin Groves seat was held owing to the death of Mr Hutchinson, the siETing Conservative member. It resulted:— Captain W. E. Elliott (Conservative) 13.488; Mr A. Ferguson (Labour) 11,167; Sir J. AY. Pratt (Liberal) 1372. GERMAN WOMEN’S POVERTY. BERLIN, May 23. Rosa Surlier, once a popular prinm donna in the Berlin opera, is now living in extreme poverty at Aix la ChapeTlo. She is seventy-five years of ago and her State pension equals one penny daily.

The mother of Inimelnian, one of Germany’s war aviators, is now destitute. SOMME VILLAGES BEING RESTORED. PARIS, May 23. The hulk of the ruined villages in tho Soinuie area are again springing up, hut it is understood that Thiopval alone will not he rebuilt, owing to the fact that the .surrounding fields have been so pitted by shell fire that the sub-soil has everywhere been laid hare, and therefore the ground is useless. THE DEATH RAY. LONDON, May 24. The “Daily Express” states that MiMat thews lm.s returned to London to confer in reference to his death ray invention. Nevertheless, the Baris representative of tile Chamber cln Rhone, • the famous Lvons steel firm, declared yesterday : “We ha .'O the secret. I lie money i.s to he iound in Trance, file British Government nays the penalty for its folly in not supporting Mr Matthews earlier.”

The representative of Air Matthews denies that the invention has boon t’i France. He says that he is negotiating with lnstones. who are financially hacking the invention, and also with the British Government.

CHEMICAL WARFARE AIF.TMODS. LONDON, Afay 24. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Riga correspondent says: The Central Communist Committee have issued an appeal for supnert for the newly-founded Society of Chemical Defence, thei head of which is At. Trotsky. The Soviet Government has contributed 20 million gold roubles. The Society’s aim is the encouragement of inventors of methods of chemical warfare, and the maintenance of classes of instructors.

STRIKERS RESUAIIXG. Ute-eived this dav at 8 a.m.) CHRISTIANIA, ALay 25. After two months idleness the sixty thousand involved in the industrial dispute since February are resuming on terms fixed by tb” 1 mediator. DOCTORS BAFFLED. » LONDON. ALiy 25. The doctors are baffled by the alarming spread of .sleeping sickness. There are fifteen new cases at Birmingham. The patients’ whole temperament -j t changes if they are fortunate enough*' - ” to recover, becoming sullen, ill-tem-pered and disinclined to work. WEMBLEY AVORKERS’ DEAIAXD. LONDON, Alay 28. It is officially stated that a mooting was held at the Overseas Trade today, presided over by Air Limn, at which representatives of the Trade Union Congress, the Lakotir Party and a deputation from the Workers’ Union, were present. The meeting fully discussed the conditions of the cm- T" plovers at the Empire Exhibition. It "as agreed that the proposed Works Council should he constituted at the earliest date possible. Air Lunn announced a. meeting was being held next week, at which the Lyons Catering Company would 1.-e represented. He was endeavouring to make the Council fully representative. A