BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1927, Page 3

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[“ Sydney Sun ” Cables.]

rush to skate on ice. LONDON, Jan. 15.

Extrci.u dinnry scenes were witnessed at tlie opening of the new Ice -Skating Rink at Westminister. There was such a demand for admittance that the [ample literally swept the building. All tho doors were closed but for hours afterwards cars and taxis unloaded evening-dressed skaters, until a great croud was assembled outside. The officials appeared on the balcony »nd they apologised to the crowd A rush was made for a side door, where hundreds crushed through. PA HU A M ENTA HI A'NS Aft If ESTE D. (Received this day at £ a.m.) WARSAW, Jan. 13. Three parliamentarians were arrester! i:uid charged with spying for the Russian Soviet, wherefor it is alleged they received £O9O sterling monthly. EX-CROWN PRINCE. BERLIN, Jan. 13. Tho ex-Crown Prince of Germany arrived at Wciringen under contract of an American company to act. for tho film wherefor ho receives £IO,OOO. WIRELESS TEST. LONDON, Jan. Hi. The beam wireless test to Australia worked much better this morning, two hundred words per minute being exceeded, hut the Post Office will not announce the figures yet, because it intends to deduct for errors over the whole week in a continuation. BIU)\VX COAL FUEL. LONDON, Jan. 10. Commander Brands who in 1993 made investigations of powdered fuel for the Australian Navy for an English company which owns large deposits of brown coal at Morwell proposes to begin operations this year in distilling oil from brown coal, the residue to be used for the manufacture of briquettes of which the calorific value is said to he equal to U'ack coal. It will also he used in the form of powdered fuel for power purposes.

RESIGNED. LONDON, Jan. 10,

Moore Brabdon has resigned the Parliament Secretaryship of the Ministeniof Transport, in order to become chairman of a company.

AN ALDERMAN’S PORTRAIT. (Received this dav at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 10,

Alderman Holdsworth made his Mayoral year in Wallasey notable by public appeals for husbands for towns with two thousand surplus spinsters, resulting in many happy marriages. The local women’s committee decided to present him with his own portrait in* oils, in recognition of his services in the interests of feminity, hut only raised £53 sterling towards the cost of one hundred guineas. Tho artist issued writs against eighteen women members of tho committee demanding payment'. • Their husbands are now holding a special meeting to discuss tlie question of meeting the liability. GERMAN POLITICS. BUB TJX. Ain. 15. Hindenburg has commissioned Dr Marx to negotiate with different parties with a view lo the formation of a coalition cabinet. DUTCH ATTITUDE. THE HAGUE, Jan. 15. The Dutch Government replying to the British memorandum on China, says Holland 1 is prepared to go as far as possible to satisfy the Chinese aspirations. He agrees with Britain regarding surtaxes, hut considers the greatest circumspection is necessary in view of the Chinese civil war, and doubts whether n joint declaration of policy which Britain suggests is at present advisable. PRINCE CAROL. (Received this day at S a.m.) PARTS', Jan. 15. prince Carol after a dramatic interview with King Ferdinand’s emissary issued a stitement that' he realised Ferdinand’s love and affection prompted the invitation to return to Roumania, hut he could not comply on the conditions that lie sever relations with Madame Lupeseu. MOTOR ISIS ATTACKED. (Received this dav at 9.39 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 1(5. Immediately after the Broadcasting London talk dealing with adventurers in Central America in which the explorer Mitchell Hedges declared that life would be very grey without excitement, he was the subject of a mysterious hold-up in a lonely spot while motoring to Dounnoutlh A man suddenly appeared on the roadway and appealed to them to stop and assist an injured man to a hospital. .Mitchell Hedges’ chauffeur accompanied the man and when lie did not return, Mitchell Hedges and his companion followed and were amazed to discover the chauffeur bound by ropes on the roadside. Immediately five or six men attacked them and a struggle occurred niid eventually the attackers ran off in the darkness.

When Mitchell Hedges and party picked themselves up and returned to 'the motor car they discovered the explorer’s ’handbag containing valuable papers relating to business in Honduras, as well as several specimens of human heads shrunk hy Central American Indians hy a secret process, were all missing.

Mitchell Hedges, obviously affected hy rough handling i-s reticent. He made a statement that he did not. want publicity thrown on the adventure, but would give five thousand pounds to undo what had happened.

LONDON TRAGEDIES. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.l LONDON, January 10. Six are dead as the result of two domestic tragedies in London. , Alexander Filson, residing at Barnes, committed suicide, after shooting his son. John, aged nineteen, and his daughters. Margaret and Mary, aged fourteen and nine respectively. His friends say Filson was depressed as a result of his wife’s death a year ago. Tn the second case a tradesman heard groans in a house at Poplar. The police forced an entry and found the bodies of Emily White find her brother Peter, both killed hy blows on the head with a hatchet. They also found William, another brother, lying with his throat cut. He was taken to the hospital and detained by the police. The Whites were an eccentric family and had little communication with the neighbours.

WIRF.LESS TELEPHONY. LONDON. January 16. The “Weekly Despatch’’ says, following tests of trans-Atlantic telephony. the scheme will shortly by extended to a. number of provincial cities including Manchester, Liverpool. Birmingham,. Leeds. Cardiff. Sheffield. I-lull and Bradford. Calls will he transmitted via London. AN ASSASSIN. LISBON. January 16. Jose Dacosta, was the assasin of President Sidonio in 1918 at Orporto. MURDER OF 60 BABTFS. * , BERLIN, January 16. A professional foster-mother "as arrested at Binlstak, Poland, on a charge of murdering sixty babies. KRUPP’S REPORT. BERLIN, January 16. Krupp’s report last year a loss of two million marks compared with three million in 1925. Prospects for 192, are more favourable. Ex-Chancellor Luther has joined the Board.

TRADE UNION REPORT. LONDON, January 1G

The report of the Council of tho Trade Union Congress for the longdeferred inquest on tlie general strike, in the shape of a special conference of executives affiliated to the union, on the 90th January has been issued to the delegates, as confidential documents to he published on the day or the conference. It is understood to consist of two sections. The first .summarises tlie mining dispute and the course of events to the termination of the general strike and explains tho Council’s motive in calling oil the general strike. It repudiates certain .statements in tie last-mentioned connection. The : I deals with subsequent events ' i * end of November, including tin Tv !e Union Congress’s mediation el. ,r.s. commenting outspokenly on the mining dispute and defending j the Trade Union Congress attitude towards it.

A PECULIAR AFFAIR. LONDON. Jan. 10

“Is there a practical joke prompted by lectures, or an expertly planned plot to get possession of certain documents.” said Michael Hedges in an interview with the “"Weekly Dispatch.” “I cannot explain the nature of the documents, hut they are of almost international importance, worth everything to me as they concerned exploration work which is my life’s hobby. They would he very valuable to others who would he glad merely to destroy them.” He added that he received threatening anonymous letters, as the result of his attack on milk sops, knock-kneed adventurers and Chnrlestoning youths, one stating that unless he ceased these attacks lie would he got at.” RE-OPENING. LONDON, dan. 16. Cusash. cabled on July 15th. is expected to re-open with 500 new models including Dominion Premiers, Cobliam, Hindenburg and Mussolini.