BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1926, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association

COMLNG FRENCH APPEAL

PARIS, April 8. The newspapers publish details of a scheme which Government is said to be considering for a national appeal of patriotic voluntary subscriptions to pay off France’s debts. Tbo nucleus of the movement will be a committee of national propaganda, presided over by one of tho French heroes, whose name is scnonyniou.s with the victory. The. committee will Iks a non-polit ii a party and would appeal throughout tho country for voluntary subscriptions. “be Journal” says: The financial ball "ill bo sot rolling by members of the Government thcniselvv-. Every penny of the proceeds will l*o devoted to paying off the debt a.s early as possible. ENGLAND’S FRIENDLY HAND. LONDON. April 8. For the first time since tho war Germans attended the Teachers’ Congress al Portsmouth. Herr Holme said tho invitation to participate was proof of the British teachers’ openhearted attitude and desire to resume tl.e friendly 'pre-war relations. The German teachers wanted to work shoulder to shoulder with the British teachers in raising the education of the masses. MAN OF MYSTERY. LONDON. April 8. fn the year 1800 a. palatial steam yacht, the Vnlfroyia, of eighteen hundred tons, arrived off the Essex Coast and dropped anchor which was not weighed again until nine years ago, when tho vnelit was dry docked at M’ivenhoe, an old world village oil the Essex Coast. The owner. Bayard Brown, an American millionaire, and a strikingly handsome stalwart, remained aboard the whole of the thirty-six years, until lie died to-day, whitehaired and aged seventy-four. The props with which the yacht was dry docked are aged and rotten, hut the hull is sliiningly spick and span. A complete crew of a dozen were aboard, together with ample provisions. ’Hie engines were kept oiled and ready to start in an instant, hut the order did not collie. Extraordinary mystery surrounds the owner, who was friendless, hut it is known that lie came from California where he is lielievcd to have belonged to a family of rich hankers.

The world first head of Brown when a Britsh Court assessed his income at ten thousand pounds annually on which he was ordered to pay taxes, lie seldom had visitors, talked on strange subjects and incoherently and always lapsed into silence when America Was mentioned. He was known to give £SO when asked for help. At other times he met the request with a shower of coal. He used to spend hours leaning on the rail of hiyacht, cap on the hack of his head, gazing towards the North Sea. OBITUARY. LONDON, April 3. Obituary.—Doctor Ax ham. DR AXHAM'S DEATH. AN INDIGNANT PRESS. LONDON. March 8. Realising on Tuesday that his end was near Dr Axliain gave a friend a message to publish after his death, which was as follows: "God forgive all. For myself 1 forgive as I hope to he forgiven.” The press publish indignant articles protesting against the Medical Council for not, lifting the hail before Dr Axham’s death. One of the headings announces: “ Dr Axliam dies an out-