BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1926, Page 4

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

( Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] NAVAL COURT-MARTIAL. PETTY OFFICER ACQUITTED. LONDON. Sept. 16. The court-martial ended in the acquittal of Petty Officer Aske, charged with negligently flooding the tanks of Submarine H2O without waiting for a definite separate order. Aske gave evidence that lie carried out the order, which was distinct. OLD BATTLEFIELDS. GHOULISH BOBBERY REPORTED. PARIS. Sept. 16. Seveif-d unknown men belonging to the vast army searching the battlefields for metal were concerned in a ghoulish robbery at Festupert. where some of the fiercest lighting in the whole of this theatre of war occurred. They dug up in an old trench five skeletons of British soldiers, from which they removed all (lie .clothing and equipment, even stripping off the buttons, and taking cartridges and every bit of metis]. Empty purses found besides Hie skeletons suggest that they wqro even robbed of money. PRINCE OF WALES. - LONDON. Sept. 17. Tho I'rinec of Wales, who has developed into one of the most enthusiastic golfers in England, strained his right hand on the Continent, when his club struck tile ground over-liaid. It lias been troublesome ever since, and when ho came back to England, Doctor Morion Smart, a specialist, was summoned from Southampton, to examine the hand. The doctor’s verdict may lie assessed from tlie fact that the Prince has since been golfing on suburban links. . TO MAKE U.S.A. DRY. WASHINGTON, September 18. The United States Administratioi 1 has decided to draft further civi powers to enforce prohibition. Presi dent Coolidge is expected to requesi the Government Departments to aic the Treasury in this direction. Tin Commerce Department will lie askec to enlist the services of steamboat in spec-tors and lighthouse-keepers in tin direction of giving information regard ing liquor smugglers. 'Hie Post Office Department will be asked to have postmen and otlie" employees' repor the location of stills ml illicit breweries The l.nbour Depart ...nit will he urgei to use its border and immigration in spec-tors to reinforce the Prohibitioi patrols. The Agricultural Departmen and the Department of Justice will b: requested to co-operate or act close!; with the Treasury Department in seeming prosecutions. President Cool iilge may even request the Cabinet ti designate special officials for co-opera thin. General Andrews, the Head o the Prohibition Unit, is understood t< have declared that the United State: thus can lie rendered dry in less Him one year. NEW YORK SPECULATION. NEW YORK. September 17. Heavy selling caused the bigges break on the stock market since March Some of the active stocks have droppci as much as ten points. The situation is also reflected on tin bond curb markets. Brokers are unable to give any de finite reason for the break. The sales oil the Stock Exehangi totalled nearly two and a half millions as against about a million and a hoi on Thursday. Speculative stock plunged downward heavily. IL is generally believed that the mar ket is still in an over-bought eo"r!i tion. Hence it is vulnerable to proles sional attacks. CARS WITHOUT PETROL. PARIS, September 17. Whoever imagines that petrol is nee cssary for a motor car will bo rude!; shocked by the fact that twenty-foui ears have just run one thousand mile: without a drop of petrol. Two wen ordinary Paris taxi-cabs, which wen run on fuel obtained from sawdust mixed with paralin and alcohol. Tw< t others were driven by if mixture oJ alcohol and napthalene,-mid a eertaii byproduct from gasworks. Four of the ears relied on acetylene gas, generated en route. 1 The most striking success was that of sixteen cars which used gases generated from charcoal. t The test was conducted by the French Automobile Club. CAPE FLAG QUESTION. CAPETOWN, Sept. 17. In a farewell message, Premier Hertzog states, that in order to contribute towards peace and goodwill, the Government lmd decided that the Flag Bill, when passed by Parliament will not come into operation, unless it is ascertained by a referendum of voters that such is the will of the people. 1 he Premier makes it clear, however, that the choice will he between the Government Flag Bill and iio South African National Hag at all, which means that the Union .Jack will he excluded from tiie referendum, as the Government has already virtually banned the Union Jack, although it is prepared to accept the Crown. A POSTPONEMENT. LONDON. Sept. IS. The Continental edition of the “Nc-tv York Herald” publishes an Ottawa message stating that Air MaoKenzie King (the new Canadian Premier) will not attend the Imperial Conference, which it says, is being postponed till June. I iie Australian and Canadian Dominion Offices, however, are not aware ol any change iir the Conference Arrangements. TANGIER QUESTION. LONDON. September 17. The London -‘Times” says: “Spain I has abandoned her claim to Tangier, j She has sent a Note to London and to Paris whic-h merely proposes a conference to discuss the admission of Italy to t’’e Agreement covering Tangier. The British official view is that there is no longer any need to hasten the negotiations, and that it would he better if France and Spain came to an understanding and then communicated it to Britain.” The “ Daily Xeu;s ” reveals that all arrangements were made for an Anglo-Fraiieo-Spanish conference in Paris on September lltli to discuss Tangier, and it says; “ Spain made a false move in signing tlhe Italo-Spani.sh agreement on September 10th. The conference was called off. Spain insisted on linking up her Tangier claim with her claim for a permanent seat at Genera, j Italy did not befriend Spain at Geneva ! and slip is less likely to take up Tangier. Britain is willing to readjust Spain’s sphere of influence, hut desires Hint Tangier must not fall to any single power.”