BRITISH X FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 December 1925, Page 3

BRITISH X FOREIGN NEWS

[Reuter Telegrams.) BATTERSEA’S RED COUNCIL. FASCIST! HOIST UNION JACK. (Received this day at 0.30 a.rn.) LONDON. Dec. 22. The National Easeists early in the morning riskl'ully climbed to the roof oi the Battersea Town Hall and hoisted the Union Jack, which the Labourite Council lias refused to flv since 1910. The Fascisti cut the lanyard, thus preventing the Union Jack’s removal until the thirty foot flagstaff lias been climbed, or dismantled.

The Fascist i pinned a note <m the Town Hull door stating the Fascisti were determined the Union Jack should ho supreme. and warned the Council “not to fly the foul rod flag as lova! citizens demand to live under the British flag.”

.(In November 13t'h, 11)25. at the [south- West ern Metropolitan Police Court, London, a numlter' of men were charged with disorderly conduct outside Battersea Town Hall on Monday night during the declaration of the polls in the municipal election. Mr .Macdonald, defending, said the cause of the disturbance was the introduction into the crowd of the ITiion Jack. Tt. had been freely mentioned that if a certain party were returned the I"n----ion Jack would fly from the Town Hall. The T'nioii Jack hitherto had not been flown there, and under the by-laws of the council the municipal flag would take it.s place. Mr Scanlan (Magistrate) said he was amazed that any by-law with an Act of Parliament behind it could prevent the Union Jack from (lying above tile Battersea Town flail. Air Macdonald said the objection was that the Union Jack had been made a. party flag. .Mr Scanlan said he was not prepared to believe that the Union Jack caused dissatisfaction to the people of Battersea. There were people ready to wave the Bed flag, hut it was a symbol of a political creed. The- defendants were hound over. The result of Battorsen elections was: Socialists 20. Anti-Socialiss 25; compared with Socialists 33. Anti-Social-ists 21 at the last' election.|

DEFENCE OF SARRAIL. PARIS, Dec. 22. In the Chandler. M. Painleve warmly defended General Sarrail. who had to deal with a difficult situation in Syria, from the beginning. He had possibly made a lew errors, which had been greatly exaggerated.