BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1927, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

[~BY TELEGRAPH- -PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] PORTLAND, April 22. Kilonis defeated llayami. LONDON. April 21. 'The bank rate is four and a-lnilf per cent. THE GIBRALTAR MURDER. LONDON, April 20. Advices from Gibraltar state that Lieut. Duflield was charged at the Police Court with murdering Colonel Fitzgerald, as cabled on April 7th. Accused was remanded. The prosecution read Duffield’s two statements. In the first, he said: “1 am perfectly sane, and I know what I have done.” In the second statement, he alleged officers’ neglect of duty, and added:— “ It was better that one man should die than that a whole regiment should lie ruined. I made n mess of things. 1 missed with my first shot, hut I llit with the second, which was meant for myself.” Lieut. Doyle gave evidence that, while guarding Buffield, he asked Duffield why he did such an awful thing, and Duflield repled : “ Since the regiment left Jersey, training had gone to pieces, and men were being messed about.” He added that he had considered the crime for two days, and then lie decided to do it. He said that “ it was already written in the Book of Words that he was to die.” FIRE IN JAPAN. TOKYO. April 21. A fire swept the town of Kanazawa in Ishikawa province. Owing to a high wind a thousand houses were destroyed. The damage is estimated at Jive millions. It is feared there are many casualties. ANOTHER JAP BANK CRASH. TOKYO, April 21. The fifteenth, or Noble’s Bank, has closed. It has one hundred million of capital, and eighty branches.' The deposits are 368 million, loans outstanding 350 millions. Depositors include 322 members of the House of Peers. The directorate includes Prince Mahslka and numerous names in high financial circles are involved, also forty of Japan’s leading industrial utility firms. The fifteenth was called Nobles Bank because at the time of reconstruction, Daimyo cash bonds exchanged for feudal lands, were placed with this bank.

JAPANESE CRISIS. TOKIO, April 20. The Bank of Japan’s advances exceeded one billion yen yesterday, this total being the largest in the Rank’s history. The reason for the big advances was that the officials oi tho I,ank were propping up numerous other hanks. Three minor Japanese provincial hanks were suspended yesterday, and two more were 3 suspended to-day, hut the' financial situation is easier. TOKIO. April 20. A new Japanese Cabinet has been appointed, as follows: Prime Ministei and Minister of Foreign Aflnil’s, M. Tanaka; Finance Minister. ex-Primo Minister Takahashi; War Minister, Keisuke Okaela; Navy Minister. General Yoshinori Shirkawa. The new Government is generally regarded as strong and satisfactory. The Japanese policy towards China is unchanged on the surface, hut will he vastly stronger underneath the surface. Ngalci. formerly Minister of War, is going to Korea as ActingGovernor. The Japanese police in respect to naval disarmament will be changed. MONTE CARLO CASINO PROFITS. LONDON. April 20. News from Monte Carlo states £1,450.000 was won from the public at tho casino there during the year, chiefly hy roulette, trentecn, quarante. and ohetuin de for. the not profit being £98,770. The shareholders will receive 140 s upon a 100 s share, each of which is now quoted at £l2O. The shares belong to the Blanc family, including the Radziwills and Ronapartes. The Casina also pays £IOO.OOO annually to the Prince of Monaco and £BO,OOO to the French Government. VIRGIL’S STATUE. ROME. April 20. A statue of the famous Latin poet Virgil, was unveiled at Mantua in the presence of a great gathering of scholars. It replaces the Roman monument that was destroyed by Curio Malatesta six hundred years ago.