BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1925, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[Reuters Telegrams.]

TRAM CAR OUT OF CONTROL

-Many seriously injured,

LONDON, April 6. A crowded tram-car on reaching tho top of a steep gradient at Rochdale, collided with a steam wagon crossing the road and amid the women’s ihicl children’s pitiful screams the tram'cnr rapidly careered back down the hill. , The driver failed to obtain control. Two » or three men jumped from the car and the remainder of the passengers flung themselves down full length on tli floor of the car which left the railf, rfff tho foot of tho hill where it swung round and crashed sideways .into a shop, then turning over. Thirty passengers were injured, many seriously. / LONDON, April 7./ ' A train collision at Rochdale "'dislocated the control box. Fortunately, S’a in Breadslev, the conductor, kept his head, and called to the shrieking woman and children to lie down full length on the floor of the car and seats. Thus, none of the casualties are likely to he fatal. One woman placed her baby beneath hoi; body. The bally was uninjured, but the mother was much cut by glass.

SAN TO 1 DEAD. LONDON, ApiTTML The racehorse Sail Toi, whose stock woii 397 races in Britain alone, has died at Tipperary, at the age of 2S years, his death recalling Carbine’s death at his twenty-ninth year. RUSSIAN UNIONS. - LONDON, April 6. Behind closed doors the representatives of the- British and Russian Trade Unionists met to discuss ways and means of facilitating the affiliation of tlie Russian Trade Unions to Amsterdam International Federation of Trade"’ Unions. M. Tomsky (President of the All Russian Trade Union Council) in a statement, drew attention to the everincreasing strength of organised capitalism under which the workers were overworked and underpaid, and wore prevented from realising the ideals 'of a better social system. He declared that the Russian Trade Unionists could ■not accept the decision of the recent Conference when they applied for affiliation with the International Federation of Trade Unions. He urged free and unfettered international discussion. Tlie British representatives will reply to-morrow. _ JK THORNE’S APPEAL. LONDON, April G. Thorne’s counsel, in appealing, introduced a novel point, only once previously raised. He urged that, when faced with scientific questions on which the man in the street is unable to validly pronounce, tho questions should be referred to medical men, either as witnesses or assessors. Lord Hewart announced that he did not desire to hear the Crown. He will give judgment to-morrow.

ARCTIC EXPEDITION

LONDON, April _ (Lyk Algarsson writes in tho “Daily Express” : “The airship wherein I hope to leach tlie Pole will be of the sma Tl,' non-rigid type, similar to the blimps used in patrolling the Channel during the war. The airship has been specially constructed, in London, to encounter exceptional conditions, but we are in such a hurry to obtain a start over Amundsen tTiat its first test will he a flight from London to Liverpool. It is 10() feet long, with a windowed gondola, made to carry four passengers, and thirty days’ food. There arc two sleeping berths for the men off duty. Special cooking stoves and spare ]ctiol "ill bo carried as ballast, alsfi a small sledge which, in the event of of accident, will hold enough food to take us back to our bas-e ship or to tho Alaskan coast. Last winter in the Arctic is reported to have been the warmest for a century, which will .probably enable our base ship, named the “Iceland,” to go farther north than originally expected. Our airship is to b carried aboard the Iceland on a special dock. As the airship’s cruising spiced is fifty miles an hour, we hope to reach the Pole in twelve hours. We shall make fast descents and use a, rope ladder to make observations and to determine whether there is land or shallow water at the Pole. Then we shall return to the base ship, with which wo shall ho continuously in wireless communication.”

SUBSIDY FOR EXPLORER

LONDON, April 0,

Tile Royal Geographical Society has awarded a grant to Mr Michael Terry in support of his proposed journey across Northern Australia.

EE A lIS OF WAR

LONDON, April 7,

Mr Austen Chamberlain (Foreign Secretary), speaking at Birmingham' said:—“Fear is brooding over Europe * to-day—the fear of war breaking out again-—and unless fear can he relieved, and security given, it i.s being brought home to me every day at my work that Europe is moving uneasily, slowly hut surely to a nenv catastrophe. The Geneva Proetoeol, instead of being the instrument of maintaining peace, might become a great instrument for waging war. We are seeking to use the influence, power and detachment of Britain and the British Empire from the bnmediate anxieties on the Continent in order to bring together our enemies t f yesterday into a mutual pact to which we will he parties, and, by our common guarantee to £ive stability und> - protection to die frontiers. We wish to briii*. new confidence into the relations between the nations. It lias seemed to Britain, the United States and other great Powers that there are some . questions so vital to the honour and * even to the life of their nations that they could not lie referred to abitration. Our Government has felt that the time has not come for a general increase in the country’s obligations, and sibilities. The multiplication of t.ions seems to endanger the fundamental position of the League of Nations as an instrument of peace. If the , [Kiaec treaties are to be changed it must he solely Itecauso all parties feel that, a change is desirable.

SOFT GOODSMAN’S CONFESSION. LONDON, April 6. John Jacoby, the governing Director of a large London soft goods firm, in giving evidence before a Board of Trade inquiry into a Nottingham application, under the Safeguarding of Industries Act ior an import duty on liiachine--nmde lace and embroidery, referred to the effects of the changing women’s fashions on trade. He declared: “Our whole trade is entirely useless! It is sole'v a luxury, I am ashamed of lieing in it. It is opposed to my whole social l leas. ,\ woman could be quite as happy in L'nth St.”

A GiAXT SUBMARINE. LONDON, April 6

The British submarine X 1 is shortly setting out on a test cruise. Probably she will go to Singapore. The vessel’s earlier defects have been over-

Reccnt speed trials revealed that she is the fastest submarine in the world, either afloat or under water.

Owing to her superstructure and gun turrets XI has been dubbed the “ undersea dreadnought.” She has cost up to dato £BOO,OOO.