BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1925, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

LATEST CABLE NEWS

[Reuters Telegrams.] WEMBLEY RE-OPENING. LONDON, January o. The Wembley authorities are planning to reopen the Empire Exhibition for the first, week in .May. A PRIEST’S CRIME. -MADRID, January 5. Murqiiira, a priest aged twentyeight, pressed unwelcome attentions on Dolores Gonzalcp., a pretty girl of twenty last October and then furious at her repulsion he shot and slightly wounded her. The priest was arrested but was released with a caution in order to hush up the affair. Yesterday -Mnrquina again saw Dolores walking with girl friends and without a word he shot her dead. Only the intervention of the police saved the priest from a lynching by the infuriated crowd. The police called out, reinforcements to guard the prison where .Mnrquina is incarcerated because they feared the public would attack the building. WAR DEBTS. BRITAIN’S POLICY. LONDON, Jnauary 6. Cabinet met preliminarily to the Paris Conference on Wednesday, when the Allied Finance will assemble for the first time since 192.’?. Mr Churchill, who crosses the Channel to-day, reviewed the treasury attitude at length two of the most prominent subjects to be considered at the conference, including firstly the allocations of the proceeds of the Ruhr occupation, and annuities arising under the Dawes Scheme; secondly—the American claim, for participation in annuities, in order to cover war damgae. Apart from these subjects, it is understood Mr Churchill will officially discuss with M. Clcmentel the question of Allied debts, which is regretted as eclipsing in importance questions on the official agenda paper. The " Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent says Alt' Churchill has been assured of Cabinet’s full support for the debt policy, concerning which most important attacks have been made on the Government’s decision that Britain must reserve the right of requiring possibly different terms for funding the Allied debts to the country from those applied to funding debts to America. The “ .Morning Post’s ” political correspondent gathers that Cabinet considered replies from the Dominions regarding the Protocol Conference, ami says that Commoners and others tvlm are well-informed express surprises that invitations should he sent, especially as. with the possible exception of South Africa, none of the Dominions favour the policy embodied in the Protocol. ITALY’S FREEDOM. SENSATIONAL - STATE.M ENT. LONDON, January 6. Mr Lloyd George, in a speech at the National Liberal Club, alluded to Italy, where, he said, people bad accepted Fascism as a counsel of despair, but their freedom bad been completely suppressed, and arson, intimidation and murder, were the new instruments of the Government. Liberalism was tho country’s only hope. The great Liberal leaders, Giolitti, Orlando, Salan-(l,-a and Nilti were moving towards a new struggle for Italian freedom. LONDON, January 5. The newspapers give prominence to a speech by -Mr Llovd George, which several describe as sensational. Mr Lloyd George said: “A great friend of mine, a Liberal statesman in halv. dared to express bis opinion in a newspaper. His villa was burned down and he was practically driven out hi. native bind. You saw what happened to another Italian statesman. He u.-is murdered. I received a lettei front a distinguished Italian the other dav saving the lull story has not yet been told. There lias been nothing worse ill Italy since the atrocious days of King Bomba.” LONDON. January d.

The “ Morning Post ” commenting editorially on Lloyd George’s speech, says: “Those who are conversant with high a Hairs do not need to he told Mint there are many things which it is inexpedient to say about Iriendly nations, however much one may think of them, hut Mr Lloyd George dispenses himself from, all decent reticence. Tlis attack on M. l’oincare was unpardonable. and he was equally ofi'en--ive ill his abuse of Mussolini. Me has Ueeii Prime Minister.-and he owes it l„ the dignity of oilice to have sumo regard for decencies of international intercourse.” A BIG COMBINE. LONDON, January 0. Pt is learned than an iinpnrtan merger in the (olonial produce trade has been arranged amalgamating the butler and cheese .import business of Joseph Nathan and Company, Ltd., ot Wellington, with H. Treiig.rouse and Company, one of the oldest produce importing firms in England, under the title of the Treiigrou.se-Natluui Company. Ltd.

MINISTER'S RESIGN. POME. January 5. The Minister of Justice Distinction and Public Works has resigned and the King lias appointed substitutes. It is reported that Signor Salamira has resigned the leader ;!iip of the Italian Delegation to the League of Nations. QUEEN VICTORIA'S STATUE. LONDON, January G. Replying to the protests against the removal of the Queen Victoria statue, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, reminds laird Beauchamp that the Peers themselves agreed to the removal and His Majesty also gave his consent. “It is at this stage,” says Lord Curzon. “ that: Lord Beauchamp seeks to optical over the head of the Beers to the public. The vote of the Peers was accepted In- him and everybody comer las the final tribunal.” Lord Curzon explains the Queen's statue is merely being transferred to another site, and adds : “To talk of

its removal Irom one part of the building to another a few yards distant as an act of vandalism seems to he to abuse our language.” TRAFFIC IN MONKEYS. LONDON, January G. The lininhay correspondent of the “Times ” states that hundreds of live monkeys are being exported for gland treatment in England and Germany. The new traffic began recently and is growing rapidly. Five hundred«« monkeys were recently shipped to Ger- M many and one hundred more are j awaiting .shipment. The monkeys come chiefly from tin- Lucknow district.

LONDON, .January 5. The “Evening Standard” says: “ One aspect of the test which is causing discomfort is the repetition of the Sydney slump. It is a cricket riddle that the last live Englishmen only added seventy-live without an appreciable change in the wicket. The score indicates the Australian attack rose to the occasion. It is difficult to be complacent over the efforts of the six batsmen following Hobbs and Sutcliffe alter the inspiration they provided,