BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1927, Page 2

BRITISH & FOREIGN NEWS

(TJY TELEGRAPH- -PER TRESS ASSOCIATION".j NEW EMBASSIES. LONDON, May 25. Britain and France are raising legations in Argentine to the rank of Embassies. Sir Malcolm Robertson will he the first British Ambassador. LOAN OVERSLBSIIIBKD. LONDON, May 25. The New South Wales loan has been oversubscribed hv a million and a half.

JUTLAND REVIEW. LONDON, May 25. A sensational charge according to a newspaper review is contained in the hook “Truth About Jutland Battle,” published to-dav by Rear-Admiral J. E. T Harper, author of the famous Harper report. He says: “To Jellicoe must go the verdict of that impartial referee, accurate history. The writer explains in tho preface that the original official report had been amended and altered to such an extent that it was no longer the Harper report, hence he published a book in order to correct what lie declares are distortions of fact which he claims misled the public. It was Admiral Beatty who suffered partial defeat at Jutland, owing to had tactics, had signalling and had gunnery. He adds: “The British squadron was greatly superior in numbers and gun power. It not only failed to defeat a weaker enemy but in the course of fifty minutes he suffered what is describable as a partial defeat. Beatty expected meeting the enemy to the south-west, yet Ini'* stationed his heaviest and slowest ships five miles north-westward, where they were certainly delayed in coming into action. He made the fatal elementary mistake of dividing his force, thereby producing results which could only be termed disastrous.” Harper does not admit the battle was lost to us. He says: “The Germans received far more damage than they inflicted. Admiral Seheer - was outmatched and outfought. He left the ring and did not challenge liis victorious adversary.”

Harper apportions no small amount of blame for not securing a better result, to Admiral Beatty’s actions.

CAPE FLAG. CAPETOWN, May 25

In the Union Assembly, General Smuts said that the Flag Bill should not. he decided from the Union but from an African viewpoint. He asked the House to take such a decision as would enable them to keep a united front with the other civilised communities in the African continent.

Referring to the argument that the Vieurkleur Flag represented a conquered people, General Smuts said:— “The soul of a nation is not conquered by arms. The soul of a. people remains unconquerable. The Boers emerged from their war in one sense a beaten people, but they have preserved their faith, and have kept their honour.” Every promise the British authorities made under the Union Jack at Vereeniging was kept, and in the following) years the British did their best to carry out a great act of repatriation. No longer, after the Boer War, was the Union Jack a flag of injustice or the flag of a conqueror. Always it had represented a helping hand . Under the Union Jack South Africa went forward in the Great War in tens of thousands, and the union of the races was sealed with the blood aad the lives of their young men. He appealed to the Government not to do anything that was not in harmony with the past.

General Smuts moved an amendment approving of a flag based on a mutual agreement. He expressed the opinion that the Flag Bill would arouse racial discord and for that reason he thought the House should decline to agree to its second reading.

Mr Bovdell. the Acting Leader of the Labour Party, argued that the Union Jack was entrenched in the Bill.

SPANISH LOAN FOR ARGENTINE. MADRID, May 25. King Alfonso has signed a decree authorising the negotiation of an Argentine loan of £36,000,000 in Spain. The Spanish newspapers applaud this policy of a rapproachement of Spain and the Argentine. ROOT GOING AHEAD. PARIS, May 25. The flying aviator Root arriied at |,o Bouget on Tuesday night, and continued his journey to Australia to-day. %