MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1927, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

[Australian & N.Z. Cablo Association.]

FEARS OF ITALY. ; BELGRADE, April 1(3. ! In view of the revival of hostile Italian Press propaganda, with new charges of Jugo-Slavian military activity, political parties are tending to come into closer amity. Following upon a meeting oi the Jugo-Slavian Cabinet, the Prime .Minister. .M. Uzunovilch, went to the Palance and tendereti the resignation of the Ministry. ' HUNGARY.

BERLIN. April 17. It is stated that the enthronement > of the Archduke Albrecht may be expected to follow Count liethleii s visit to Italy and the resulting treaty. MIXE EXPLOSION'. UR r.SSKI.S. April Rj. ! An explosion due to lire damp in the Molls mine at Eta lie resulted in •26 deaths. All the bodies have been brought to the surface. Xine men ■ are still entombed. j THE FRENCH FRANC. I PARTS, April 17. M. Leon Blum, writing in the Socialist paper, “i’opulaire,” forecasts that the franc will be stabilised at about 125, probably at the end ol the year. BYRD CRASHES. NEW YORK. April IC. The monoplane in which Lieutenant Byrd planned to make his flight t > Paris overturned while making a lauding near here, following a test flight. Byrd’s wrist was broken. The pilot. Bennett, had a leg broken, and other injuries, and Lieutenant Xoville, the associate pilot, was internally injured. Anthony Fokker, the designer of the aeroplane, who was at the controls when the accident happened, escaped unhurt. The machine was badly dam- j aged and it is believed that tlie itignt • will be cancelled.

AMERICAN FLOODS. NEW YORK. April IG. Reports from New Orleans state that under pressure of the highest Hoods since 1921, the Mississippi liver levee gave way at several places. The collapse of the only barrier between security and destruction faced the river towns from St. Louis to New Orleans. Even where the giant dyke held, farms and cities are siiiTeriuu from flood waters, continuous ra'ii.s. and a sea of mud. Breaks in levees occurred at IHinas and Arkansas, where warnings of the danger saved lives and some property, but water ten to fifteen feet deep flooded over 2,000,000 acres, while O'e town of Mounds, in Illinois, with a papulation of 2500 was completely inundated.

Unprecedented rainfall at New Orleans paralysed street traffic and marooned hundreds of pedestrians.

FUNERALS TOO COSTLY. PARIS. April 10. The Iliverna town of Grasse. famous for its perfumes, had an Easter disturbance arising from the high cost of funerals as the result oi the Council letting burials by public contract. As a sequel to a crop of protest meetingthe Councillors resigned on masse. HEX DR EX RETIRES. LONDON, April 10. After playing his last match as a professional for Brentwood against Newport County, lleudren said he had decided to retire from football while still fit. He added, "1 am expecting to secure a coaching appointment at Adelaide, which, if agreed to, will keep me cm ployed for several winters If nothing eventuates. 1 shall concentrate on indoor cricket and sports training."

EXPLORER MISSING. NEW YORK, April 16. News from Nome states that Captain Wilkins has keen missing since March 2D, when he began his Arctic flight explorations. An aviator sent out by the expedition to search lor tn.' explorer, returned without sighting the party. The last radioed word received irmn Wilkins on April 1 stated that he had engine trouble. Captain Wilkins had predicted that in the event of his getting lost la could live on the country for months. BRITISH PREMIER’S POLICY. LONDON, April IK. Mr Baldwin, in a letter to John Ruchanan. Conservative candidate in the Scottish University by-election, owing to the death of Craik. says:— “ As the first candidate after the introduction of the Trade Union Bill, you are expected to explain the Government policy. This is essential, as a campaign of misrepresentation has begun. The main purpose of the hill is the protection of the nation from industrnl coercion, known as the general strike, and the restoration of individual trade unions freedom from victimisation, intimidation and unjustifiable pressure to contribute to political funds with which they may have no sympathy. No responsible leader can urge coercfciti of the Government as the legitimate purpose of any strike, or that those refusing to participate are not entitled to protection, or that it is fair to require Liberal and Conservative trade unionists to contribute to their political opponents’ funds.’’