BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1927, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] .MUSSOLINI AT BRITISH EMBASSY. ROAIE, January 17. The Premier, Signor Mussolini, visited Air Churchill (British Chancellor of the Exchequer) at the British Embassy here. Signor Mussolini remained for a private dinner party at the Embassy. FRENCH REVENUE. PARIS, January IG. The French 1926 Budget receipts totalled three hundred and ten millionth j sterling, being £33,000.000 above what was estimated. AIORE QUAKES. VANCOUVER. Jan. 10. The latest from Calexico. California, is that nine earthquake shocks were felt, there to-day. They widened tho fissures in the quakes three weeks ago, and caused tho residents to rush mto tho streets.

A PRACTICAL JOKE. LONDON. Jan. 16Hedges announced to-night the receipt of a letter showing that the attack was merely a practical joke by youths who resented the explorers’ recent, condemnation of modern young men for lack of enterprise, pluck and spirit of adventure. The explorers bag was restored unopened. Hedges jokingly accepted the explanation and says the writer anyhow has a priceless blackeyc. INFLUENZA. ArADRID, Jan. IC. (Evidence of influenza increased alarmingly in one day. Tho epidemic is now the worst ever known and the death roll is heavy. The municipality ordered churches, schools, theatres, cinemas, cafes, trams, trains and buses to be daily vaccinated and disinfected. ALVRX’S GOVERNMENT. BERLIN. Jan. 16. Dr Marx is forming a Aliddle Party Government. NEW AIOTOR TYRE. ■LONDON, Jan. 16. In connection with an attempt to manufacture a motor tyro capable of travelling two hundred miles per hour, it is pointed out that at that speed any one point of the. tyro hits tho ground 30 times every second, thus generating a heat which rubber has not yet withstood. Similarly every square inch of thread experiences a force of four tons, thus tending to burstthe tyre. Should a piece become detached it could fly through the air a half-mile. A recent trial necessitated a barricade to protect the spectators. Tlie tyre is subjected to some strain as on the track. The experiment gave most successful results.

HUGE GERALVN CLAIM. PARIS, January 16.

An arbitration case involving 450 millions sterling, which is tbe largest amount ever involved in litigation, will open at The, Hague on January 21st. in this case, Germany is claiming tile right under the Dawes Plan, to deduct from the Reparations payments sums paid to her own nationals for the loss of their property sequestrated in tbe Allied countries.

The Allies are opposing the claim, contending that the Dawes annuities were intended to cover all payments to the Allies but not to German nationals.

NEW BELGIAN CURRENCY. BRUSSELS. January 16. The first notes bearing the name of the new currency, "Deigns.” have been printed. They are ordinary five hundred franc notes inscribed “One Hundred Belgas.”

PRAYER BOOK CONTROVERSY LONDON, January 16.

The Archbishop of Canterbury promises tbe publication of tbe provisional Prayer Book alterations on February/ 7th. He deprecates the premature attempts by earnest, but uninformed, partisans to exaggerate the scope of the proposals, and to fan the controversial flantps.

He states that apprehensions and expectations have been aroused which will prove to be unjustified.

ELECTRIC MANNEQUINS

CREATE A SENSATION

LONDON, November 3.

A wonder of the hour is the electric mannequins. Visitors who have spent much time in the shopping districts of London, such as Regent Street, Oxford Street, or High Street. Kensington, must have been struck by the realistic scenes staged in the dressmakers’ windows of West London. At times, fifty or sixty wax figures are posted, with appropriate furniture, so that one has the suggestion of looking into a series of gaily lighted rooms, and seeing a whole family about its business—mudame in her boudoir, mademoiselle in her little bedroom wearing dainty night attire, the father of the family in his study, and the children, maybe, enjoying their evening bath. The latest thing in tJie West •End windows is a mannequin, which not only moves . but smokes. Each figure is furnished with a flexible skin and movable joints, and is operated by an ingenious system of electrical machinery hidden in tho body. A figure wearing a fur-trimmed wrap, for example, will turn on its heels, lift its arms and incline its head, as if it were a live mannequin. A figure- wearing pyjamas and a smoking jacket will idly lift a cigarette holder and then blow a cloud of smoke from its lips, the smoke being produced by chemicals hidden within the flexible “ skin.”

The electric mannequins created a sensation in the Bromptou Road recently, and suggested that costumiers may yet rival theatrical managers in the realism of their mock displays.

MURDER ON PARIS BOULEVARD, llteecivod this day at 8 a.m.i PARIS, Jan. 16.

An Englishman, believed to be William llrowii. who was a mechanic from Newcastle, was killed in Montmartre’s boulevard at midnight, liecause be spoke French with a foreign accent. Brown was talking to a woman, when a passer-by exclaimed: “Talk French—not foreign language!” The foreigner retorted: “Mind your own business.” Therefore the passerby whipped out a revolver and shot Brown and escaped.

BOTTOMLEY’S RELEASE. LONDON. Jan. 17. The “Empire News” says that Horatius Bottomloy. the former M.P. and proprietor of “John Bull.” will shortly lie released from prison, and that he intends to produce m. new weekly paper.