BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1925, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION ITALIAN AIRSHIP FLIGHT. (Received this day at 8 n.m.) ROME, Aug. 5. The airship Espcrin, which has been on a flight to Tripoli accomplished the return journey of 2,-1(H) miles in 21 hours. SHORT OF COTTON. LONDON, Aug. 5. The Lancashire members of the House of Commons have passed a resolution affirming that the cotton inindustry is in grave danger of a permanent shortage of raw material, and urging tho Government to more vigurif&ks action in the encouragement of Empire cotton growing. BRIAN!) TO VISIT LONDON. (Received this day at 10.25 a.m.j LONDON. August 0. It is expected that M. Briand will visit London next week. It is believed diplomatic discussions in regard to the security pact have advanced so far that a meeting of English and French Foreign Secretaries may lie sufficient to clinch matters. It is hinted that M. Briand may wish also to touch on the question of debts. VOLUNTEER SERVICE. HONG KONG, August 5.

'The Government have issued a proclamation to the volunteer corps called out for active military service on June 21 st, that it now appears unnecessary for the period of such service to he continued after to-dav.

HIGHER TAXES IN 1926. LONDON. Aug. 5

The “Daily News” political correspondent says the Leer tax suggestion emanated from Conservative quarters, where the Government's humiliation is deeply resented. There is a keen desire to inflict some punishment upon organised Labour, hut there is no justification for supposing the Government will impose the beer tax. Higher taxes are prulmhic in 1926 in view of the steady rise in the national expenditure, but other classes of taxpayers will be the selected victims. HENRY FORD'S PURCHASE. WASHINGTON. Aug. 5. Henry Ford’s hid for two hundred ships has been accepted by the United States Shipping Board. They will he scrapped in seven mouths. NEW ZEALAND WELL ADVERTISED. LONDON. Aug. 5. Fifty ticket machines counted 50.(H0 a.s the attendance at the New Zealand pavilion at 'Wembley on the Bank Holiday. Fifteen thousand visited the cinema. Two pounds of butter were sold every minute and a whole cheese every five minutes. AG A KHAN’S VIEWS. LONDON. Aug 5. Tn a letter to the “Times,” coin mealing on the posthumous publication of Lord Milner's profession of faith in the destiny of the British Empire. Aga Khan says: “Lord Milner declared himself a British race patriot. Tf the Empire existed only on and mainly by the portions peopled by the British race, something might he said for such a view. but. in the modern postwar world it is iin possible, permanently, to rule a vast and populous land like India, as a second-class portion, because it is outside the charmed circle comprising ihe parts doiniiiatclv British in the administration and colonisation outlook. It is equally im jm >ssible for India to he content with a junior partnership.” Aga. Khan proceeds to state the various attempts at assimilation had failed. He says: ‘‘Assimilation remains to-day equally unacceptable to both sides." In my humble judgment the ultimate solution of the problem of England’s piebald Empire lies in consistent leadership along paths ot international peace and culture, in conformity with the traditional forbearance and the niagiianiiuiiy of the British race.” KAISER WAITING PATIENTLY. BERLIN. Aug. 5. The ex-Kaiser, interviewed by the Budapest newspaper. “Best ihirlap. made a remarkable outburst, lie declared: “Every man is an instrument, of God. My whole life ami work has been directed by the will ol God; hence a Holy calm pervades me.” The Kaiser added that tn-dnv’s socalled democracy meant death lor a nation, it being inadequate. The people in their hearts preferred a monarchy. “I trust the character and the fidelity of the German people. They are waiting; so am I.” The Kaiser said he regarded the worker as ail aristocrat; hence the cooperation of God.

A MENACE TO HUMANITY. NKW YORK, August 5,

Over n thousand members oi the American Chemical Society in annual session at Los Angelos adopted resolutions declaring the recent prohibition of chemical warfare by the Geneva Conference to be a menace to humanity and to the safety of the United States. The chemists vigorously declared the pacificists were seeking to undermine the national defence. The meeting contended that the prohibition of chemical warfare would mean the abandonment ol human methods for the old butchery in attack. It also declared that as the Geneva Protocol goes no further than the Washington Conference its ratification now would embarass the logical prosecution of scientific research on behalf of the national defence, which at any time may he threatened hv the pacificists who for this purpose had combined with the economists.