BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1927, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

ADMIRALTY PREPARATIONS. LONDON, January 5. '1 he Admiralty announced the Eighth Destroyer Flotilla has been brought to full strength for possible service in ■ the Far East. It consists of eight ' destroyers under Flotilla-Leader Bruce normally manned by two-fifths comple-

ment. LONDON, January o. Air Taxis Limited has been registered as a company to carry on bin*? of planes for carriage of and goods. MUSSOLINI. LONDON. January 5. “My day consists of one hours recreation. seven sleep and sixteen work, g Eating is a minor function in ray exis- ( tence” and is only a matter of \ minutes,’’ says Afussolini, in his secoik! article. “I take life on a running jump. It is a life lam trying to instil into the hearts of militant Fascists to he ready and pulling on the leash, impelled hv the thought of an invincible destiny. Aly clarion cry is: ‘lt is necessary to live dangerously,’ which is the essence of my charmed life. The very idea of “ baseio ’ is to be bound to a leader who will lift the torch of sacrifice and be bravest of the brave.” GREYHOUND RACING. y LONDON. January 5. The Greyhound Racing Association has acquired twenty acres at Finsbury Park for electric coursing, in which ! greyhounds race after electric hares, which .they never catch, because an official controls the speed. * AIEAT FIGHT. LONDON. January 5. The “ Standard ” says: ” After two years war costing the meat companies ten millions sterling, three companies. Vestys, Armours and Swifts, hate reached an understanding. This does not mean the end of the conflict, he- "* cause the agreement does not operate until all eight companies serving the British market fall into line. Ihe remaining five are still dissatisfied with the percentage of trade offered them and are determined to keep up the fight until they receive what they regard as an adequate share.”

CYCLONE FATALITY MOSCOW. Jan. •>. A terrific cyclone has swept over the Caucasus region. It did great damage in Baku, where the roofs were ripped off buildings, and communications were destroyed. The city of Tiflis is isolated, except bv wireless. 'The loss of life is unknown. FRANCE AND ITALY. PARIS. Jan. 5. AL Briand (French Foreign Minister, travelling as “Doctor Boyer,” ;aecompankd only l.y personal friends motored to Avignon, where all trice ot him has been lost. It is stated that he has gone upon a secret mission to hold a meeting with Signor Afussolini, the Italian PremAnotlier theory is that he is merely taking ft needed holiday.

TREASURE TROVE. LONDON. Jan. 6, A A treasure trove inquest in cient form was opened by the Coroner at Rotherhithe, to decide the ownership of forty half-sovereigns, six sovereigns and some gold trinkets, which were found in an excavation on ft propertv in Bermondsey. The jury found that it was genuine treasure trove, and the Coroner ordered that it should go to the Treasury, explaining that flic State was always liberal to the finders.

BALTIC POWERS. RIGA. Jan. 5. V conference of the Foreign Ministers of Esthonia, Finland and Latvia has been liehl at Reval. They decided to resume negotiations for a guarantee pact with the Soviet. >and also to advocate a Scandmavian-Baltic bloc to safeguard their interests at the J. next election of the League of Nations Council. BITTER-PIT IN APPLES.

LONDON. January G. The Department of Scientific Industrial Research has issued the report of Doctor Smith, of Cambridge Research Station on hitter-pit in which he discusses various theories advanced to explain the cause. He points out in no case has direct experimental verification been obtained. Most of tho theories are open to grave objection on theoretical grounds, hut the published data yield two fairly definite results, that, firstly, severe, pruning and secondlv, heavy irrigation towards the end" of the season are circumstances predisposing the fruit to bitter-pit. The commercial importance of the problem lies largely in the development of hitter-pit during the carriage of the fruit overseas. Professor Smith tentatively suggests a way out of tho dilemma appears to he in more rapid refrigeration, phrtieularly cooling before "shipment. This would probably allow the fruit to he left longer on the tree and still arrive in England without being over-ripe, and with the appearance, flavour, and. in some cases, even size, considerably enhanced.