BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1925, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS.

[Reuter Telegrams.] THE DAMASCUS EIGHT. CONSTAXTIXOPLE, October 2,‘i. Adana reports show the lighting when the Druses penetrated Damascus was more serious and sanguinary thax hitherto. It is admitted fifteen hundred were killed. CRISIS IX EIiAXCK. LO.KDOX. October 22.

The Central Nows Agency’s Paris correspondent stales llint the financial crisis has reached an acute stage and that the Cabinet’s position is critical. The Paris correspondent of the ••Daily Express” slates: “The crisis is due to the inllalion policy of M. Caillaux. who is accused ot trying V’ become a financial .Mussolini. He will probably resign on Monday, lor it be does not the Government is likely to he defeated later in the week by tbo supporters ol the capital levy. ’ The Paris eorrespoudeiit of the “Daily Herald" states; “The failure of the recent gold conversion loan, which realised only 2(10.01)0,000 instead ol tdion.noo.onn, together with the breakdown of the Washington debt conference has given M. Caillaux’s enemies a weapon. He is destined to tall, as all his predecessors have fallen. Nevertheless, in default of a real capital levy, which even the Radicals are afraid of introducing, further inflation is im-

perative.” TELEGRAPH CHARGES. PARIS, Oct. 2:7. A plenary meeting of the International Telegraph Conference adopted the increase in the maximum terminal transit rates.

It is understood that, in practice, the rates generally will not he raised, except in the case of Germany, whose telegraph systems are working at a loss.

It is learned that Britain has come to an arrangement with all European countries not to increase rates either way. except fur traffic with Fiance and Germany, lint it is not certain if the increases will fall entirely upon the public. FIERCE EIGHT AT MEETING. LONDON. Oct. 23.

There »;s a wild light among Glasgow University students when about Hill supporters of the Conservative and Labour candidates at the Rectorial election allied themselves and tried to eject the Liberals from a meeting. Many ha liil-to-lia ini encounters followed. Some of the student.- took elf their hoots and Hung them at their opponents. Amid a din of exploding fireworks, ■hail's and other furniture were -mashed. One student was carried nut tin-(•.oli-eiinis. CYCLONE DISASTER. HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE. LONDON, (let. 21. Advices received in Karachi from Kashin: state that Ihe wor-t cyclonic storm in living memory in the Persian Gulf resulted in the loss of over ILL!) lives and the sinking of forty vessels. Bahrein mis the most aliened centre. Another message puts the loss at 7001) lives. BASRA. 21. It i- reported that 7000 were drowned when 21!) pearling dhows were caught in the cyclone in the Persian Gulf. TRIAL OF COMMUNISTS. LONDON. October 21. Twelve of the arrested Communist leaders were charged at. Row Street with unlawful eon-piraev to publish seditions libels and incite to mutiny. There was a large crowd outside the Court. A section of the crowd sang the “ Red Flag.” During a scrimmage llie police took into custody a man carrying a Red Flag. Tom Mann was present in Court. Sir Travers Humphreys, prosecuting sail] the accused were prosecuted as leaders and principal executive officers of two illegal organisations, namely the Coniumnisl Partv of Great Britain and tiie Young Communist League, which received orders from Moscow. The prosecution's view was that all persons disseminating the doctrine of Communism were liable to prosecution for sedition. Communism, as explained by the accused, was illegal because it involved the forcible overthrow of the Government, the creation of class war and the seduction of the armed fores of tin l Crown from allegiance. SOUTH AFRICAN UNION. CAPETOWN. Oct. 23. The National Congress was held in camera.

General TTcrtzog. in his speech, dealt with the native question. It is under stood that he advocated that sever. Europeans should represent the natives in Parliament, and gave notiet of lii.s intention to extend the Cape colour and non-native franchise to the rest of the Union. These proposals are very unpalatnb:, to both the Free State and the Tran rnal. A PAINFUL IMPRESSION. GENEVA, October 20. The Greeks’ action has caused a painful impression in League circles where il is believed the Dictator Pan galos is directly challenging tho League because he finds a coup necessary to maintain Iris prestige which is threatened owing to the dissatisfaction wit 1 ' his regime. The ■' Daily Mail ’’ points out that if the Royalists are successful at the municipal elections at Athens, which are now proceeding the abolition of the Republic and the restoration of tinMonarchy will be possible. It asks: " Where is Pangalos finding money fot a war. Greece is already in a precarious financial position and is only enabled to carry on by the League of Nations sponsoring the 1921 loan which amounted to twelve millions ot whiel Britain contributed 7} millions.’’ THE VATIC AN MORROWS. ROME. October 2■">. For the first time in history, the Vatican has negotiated a loan from America amounting to one ami a-lialt million dollars. The money was re quired for the purchase of a villa adjoining the Vatican for religious uses.

'PLANE BLOWN TO PIECES. TKTUAN. October 2-~>. When a Spanish aeroplane was bombing a Riff village a bomb stuck in the undercarriage and when the machine landed the bomb exploded and the crew and ’plane were blown to pieces. AN AUTUMN GAi-E. LONDON. Oct. 23. A ninety-mile gale, with torrential rain, is raging in England and France, damaging telegraph and telephone lines. Numerous ships are limping up the Channel. The Cologne to London and the Paris to London air mails were blown to Croydon at torric speed. They landed safely. Two aerial accidents happened in France. A military ’plane crashed at Bordeaux. The pilot was killed and the mechanic broke bis spine. A naval ’plane with a crew of four fell into a lake, three being drowned and the fourth seriously injured.

SPEECH BY M. CAILLIAUX. PARIS, Oct. 27. M. Cnillaiux in a speech at the Chateau Du Loir, in His own department, said the outlanded financial policy, namely, the firm opposition to capital levy, forced not the consolidation of Ihe short term tb-lits or a ro- ' iluction of interest rates, but a policy ' of progressive luxation severely hilling the opulent, a, pitiless taxation on luxury, and special but moderate taxes on all forms of wealtb and a reduction of expenditure. He declared that they would only get out of tile wood slowlv. Tt. was impossible to reduce the finances in a few months. M. Cnillaiux concluded in a fighting spirit, clearly referring to the [possibility of his imminent resignation. He declared he would he only ton glad to return to the ranks. He always would lie a devoted servant of France, lie suffered and doubtless would suffer many trials, but lie awaited fresh crowns and tilt* thorns in his forehead which wore still bleeding, hut like the eh! oak in the forest. .Surtho. which lightning struck, lie was not felled, hut. Hood. Upright for the defence of the public finances and the defence of the Republic against the reactionaries ami feudalism. Referring 1" the war debt.- M. Cailiaiux sail! he was confident a settlement would he reached before many months. pel's publish telegrams from Beirut reporting the seizure of sums of moneys sent out by communist organisations to help the Druses against the French. TORNADO LOSSES. DEl.lir. Oct. 27. A telegram front Karachi dated Oot--2.7th says the Dailv Gazette from Biishire. states an earthquake atiotn--,sillied hv the Dull cyclone, wherein it is estimated that seven thousand perished. The pearl fishing lleet was practically wiped nut over two hundred . boats being sunk. Naval ships in the --u|| lost two of their boats one whereof being subsequently recovered. E-tnib | ■Hid llciijam Islands suffered seriously. ( Several acres of date palms at Basra were laid bate.

GREAT DAMAGE BY TORNADO NEW YORK. Oct. 27

Devastating wind storms struck tli: Atlantic Coast Station, resulting in the. loath of at least twenty persons. Heavy damage to homes and shipping i.> reported. In Alabama a tornado sweeping in from tlie Texas mast killed lb and iniiired more than a score and levelled dozens of houses. In Wilburn. Massachusetts, five littnIretl houses were damaged. lii Baltimore seventeen navy senInnes which wore assembled for the manoeuvres in connection with the ■Schneider Cup rates, broke Irom their noorings. Seven of them were eont•ilctclv wrecked and others badly dam aged.

MOSCOW'S HAND. BERLIN, October 2-7. The “ Daily Mail ” I’aris corresponlent points out that any change in the hivcrnments of Franco ami Germany - unlikely to affect the ratification of the pact. M. Bainleve is hourly expected to Land the President Cabinet's collective esignation and it is expected the re■osiitructed Cabinet will include sev--ral nvembers of IlcrrioCs ministry .chose support of the capital levy will moil produce new crises. The “ Daily Mail ” adds : ” Soviet igent- are carrying out an intrigue in Baris and in .Southern Eiirupea n<; ipi tills _,j liirin a bloc against the Security .’act. They are offering E ranee a ribe of the repayment ol 2! per rent I pre-war credits.”