BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1927, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

pUY TELEGRAPH- -PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

IMPORTANT PROBLEM. LONDON, May 18.

The Daily Mail’s political correspondent says: “Confronted by Moscow’s plans for the gradual overthrow of the Empire, the Cabinet is faced with, a most important problem in deciding what use will be made of information gained in the Arcos raid. Moscow agents throughout the world must be suffering acute anxiety regarding the extent to which they have become marked men.”

HOUSE OF LORDS. ■LONDON, May 17. The House of Lords passed the second reading of the Pacific Cable Bill. NEW STEAMERS. LONDON, May 17. The New Zealand Shipping Comp toy is ordering three medium si cod lincis. GERMAN LAWS. BERLIN. May 17. The Reichstag by 323 votes to 41, passed the third reading of a bill prolonging the defence law for two years and preventing the return of the exKaiser.

CONSTANTINOPLE’S TRADE. LONDON, May 17. Travellers from Turkey declare that Constantinople is now a dying city. Its wharves are empty and its palaces empty, while its banks and business houses are languishing. Steamers, they state, now go direct to the Black Sea. In addition, the Trans-Caucasian railway brings the trade of Persia and of Turkestan directly to Russia, and Turkey itself is using the port of Smyrna for milch of its commerce. Finally, the exiling of Greeks and Armenians from the city has deprived Constantinople of its best business men. The population of the city is now only seven hundred thousand, compared with eleven hundred thousand before the war.

NEW CAPE FLAG. CAPETOWN, May 17

The terms of the Flag Bill have been published. They provide for a flag with a cross of St. George frimhriato’i white on a green field, divided into quarters. The design is being already scoffed at as a “hot cross hull.”

The flag is subject to the result of a referendum.

Provision is, however, made for the official flying of the Union Jack on the King’s Birthday, and on throe other days.

HIGHER CUSTOMS OPPOSED. PARIS, May 18

Alarmed at the opposition to the new Tariff Bill, which, in most cases, has increased the customs duties on eight thousand articles, the Government is temporising. The Minister of Commerce who is in charge of the Bill, is going to Spain. Meanwhile the Deputies will lie afforded an opportunity of considering the clauses at their leisure whereas it -was the Government’s intention to rush the hill into law early in June. The newspapers publish lists showing how the changes will further increase the cost of living.

BRITAIN’S UNEMPLOYED. LONDON, May 17,

The Ministry of Labour announces that there are 998.309 persons unemployed in Britain. This number is below the million for the first time since the week before the General Strike, when the total was below one million for the first time since 1921.

NAVAL LIMITATIONS. ROME. May 18.

Replying to President Conlidgo, who sent a second note inviting Italy to he represented in some manner at the coming disarmament conference, the Government states that it reserves the right to send naval observers in accordance as the negotiations develop.