MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1925, Page 1

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION CHINESE .BANDITS. PEKIN, May 20. A report from Hong Kong states that V. Rasmussen (.Manager of the Asiatic Petroleum Coy.) with his wife, was travelling in a motor boat on the West River when they wee captured hv bandits. The wife was released, but. Pasmussen is belli captive.

EMPIRE SHOPPING AGITATION. LONDON. .May 25. A British .Empire Shopping Week was inaugurated by a gathering of the British Women'- Patriotic League, at which Air Amery. Colonial Secretary lectured on Empire Trade. G • said: "I he most hopeful sign in our economic difficulties is the fact Him women are walking to a consciousness of their power in developing the Empire.” lie appealed to women, when -hopping. to ascertain whether they were purchasing Empire good-.

RISI.KY Pill.K .MEETINGS. LONDON'. May 2.1. At mooting of t lie Xaliniial Piilc As-ocial ion. Lord ('Lovlosmore said tanl til- l!i-ley nii'viings again had bn ime Imperial. There was every reason to hop' for a large al tendance of overs-as compel it-ws. It was proposed in i ll -1i(■: 11 ■ a minor Knlupoiv malcli of tennis of lour for the heneiil of smaller colonics and dependencies. lie regret, u-d the Prince of Wales’ appeal for one hundred the. sand sterling lor the funds of Ihe Assceiiition had so for yielded only Ti 11,727. Lord Deghy retired from the Council, and Lord .Tellicoo was nominated for the vacancy. It EG ELATION' OF WARFARE. GKNEYA. Ala.v 25. At to-day- silling of tlm .Military Commission of the .Anns’ ('inil'erence. I lie (.'ennan tlclegalion aiinounecd their readiness to enter into an agreement against the use ol i heinical or bacteriological nrodtirts in warfare. IvMPIPE \1 It SEP Y ICE. LONDON. May 27. The Government has authorised the Air Ministry to proceed with the organisation of 2.5(1!) mil s ol a passenger mail aeroplane service between Egypt and India to form one of the central links in the Empire service. The Air Ministry is offering a subsidy of eightv thousand yearly tor a llrilish linn lo operate the route, expressing the wish that the Dominions pilots, mi vignt ing oliirers and ground -stalls -hail, a- far as possible, be employed to assi-l future, development in lbe Australian-New Zealand, Indian and Canadian commercial service. The Air Ministry has placed orders for giani tri-engiued planes lo lie ready in iln* autumn to convey pa.— -eager- and mails lo Jsinalia and Baghdad where from ICC. s') machines will proceed to Karachi via Basra. THE (.H AKE DISASTER. TDK 10. Mas 2il. While six hundred visitors were bathing in spring- at Kino-aki Spa. an eruption threw up scalding black water and many were burned to death. Ihe survivors took rctuge in the hills where manv were maimed or kdh‘d by rolling rocks. The known death.- exceed live hundred. Toyndka was also aliected. three thousand house- either collapsed or were burned. A i:\eloiiiu wind carried the blaze to the .surrounding forest which burned for thirty hours. Tlv police have reenvered 211! bodies ill the a.-iies in addition to Hieso found by relatives. THE FCNEPAL. LONDON". May 2b. The h ivaiii of | euple ai. Guards t Impel, passing Lord A pros enllin was (onlinuoii- until lour w hen a procession headed by ilie Life Guards and Hussars in Ill'll dress uniform, including dclachments of live Guards regiments, carried tile loiiiu into the .Abbey where there wa.s an impressive service. Lord llaiidi ivpr.-viit ing llie King, Mr Baldwin, Mr Ballour and Mr Churchill repre-entiug CabineL. Every nation of- li.o Allies war, represented. Those present. included Sir •!. Bail'd (new Got r.-General of Australia) who went to I' ram e w ith Lord A pres as soon as the war broke out, and was with him in the .Minis ivtreiit. I' rum the Abbey, iho cavalcade passed slowly to Victoria Station through a dense crowd of bareheaded onlookers, lilteeit to twenty deep, many wearing service medals. As the hem figure of Joifre wa- seen on the right hand of the gun carriage, the crowd whispered ".Joifre.'’ SWEDISH ARMAMENTS. STOCKHOLM. May 27.

The Uiksdag. by :i substantial mujnritv agreed In llic rf<-<niiiiiciMlji.lifms ol ill,. I’ail ianien I a r.v < »»inmit ice, which are •sithstam ially identical with t hiI,ill submit ted liy Ilk' present labour (inVCl'linielit ill l-etn ll.lr\. jit'ovnliiifi ior a transitional peii<><l wheralH'i 11 >., alimial cost "I all Sweden* 'UI',. arc - will aiiHiimi to ninety-six milUi'niuT its compared willi 181 mi in li»l I. The I'ecmnnieiidation> i.n.vi.lo tliat tl.o army be | t,> tv.outy-eiglit regiment- ol infantry, four cavalry ami sown arttl-loi-v regiments. The Navy ami Air [.’oi-ft's an ale red at present, but the Naval programme will be reconsidered in 1 h-8.