GENERAL CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 11 May 1928, Page 2

GENERAL CABLES

(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegrn pli.—Copyright.) DUTCH AIR SERVICE. LONDON. May 9. It is announced from Holland that a regular air service between Holland, India and Dutch Indies with connection with London and throughout Europe is being inaugurated in the summer using triple screw Fokkers. with ArmstroiigSiddeiey-Lyiix engines. The fare from Holland to Batavia will be £390 sterling. It is expected the Australian Air Transport Coy. will connect with the service running from Australia to Batavia, bringing London within fourteen days of Australia, seven of India, and ten of Batavia. \

THE AUSTRALIAN LOAN. LONDON, May 9. Committing on tlio cabled advices 9. from New York of the flotation of tho ' v Commonwealth Loan of ten million at £92), financial circles declare the New Zealand loan was floated here mi much better terms. Moreover, as over-sub-scribed a reduction was permissible. Sufficient money for the Commonwealth loan bn the same terms as the New Zealand loan, .would have been available here.

SCHOOL TOURISTS. LONDON, Alay 9. The Overseas Settlement Department in co-operation , witli the Dominions’ Governments, and shipping companies, have arranged that a party of university and public school scholars should tour the Dominions, including New Zealand and Australia.

BELGIAN DEFENCES. LONDON, Alay S

“The Tiines’s” Brussels corrosponden states:—-The desire to build up a strong covering force for mobilisation and concentration inspires the Belgian Army Reorganisation Bill, providing for no reduction in the period of active service to eight months till 1931. This is applicable to threefifths of the annual ‘Contingent of 445,900 men. The cyclist regiments, machine gun battalions, and other covering units will serve twelve, instead of ten months in qrder to protect the frontier throughout the year, fortified points will bo. formed on the Anwerp-Liege line, also on the Tine from Verifiers to Eupen and Alalmedy.

DEAN INGE’S VIEWS. LONDON, May 9. Dean Inge has an article in the “ Evening Standard,” wherein lie discusses which is the best country for civilised people to live in. He says: On the whole, Europe is the only part of the world where there are no deserts and it is the most favoured continent. It is not an accident that the Europeans have taken the lead in civilisation. The people in the countries ‘ round the North Sea anil their offshoots in America, Australia and elsewhere, own three-quarters of the wealth of the world, and eleven-twelfths of tho steamships, and they produce ninetenths of the manufactures, and control two-tliirds of tho earth’s habitable territory. A rough circle, including England, Scotland, France, North Italy. South Norway; Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Belgium and Germanywill comprise the most civilised parts ol’ tlio Old World. The healthiest countries arc the. Scandinavian lands, England, Holland and the new countries wherein tlieir people have settled. It is a striking fact, however, wo may try to explain it, that a low death rate extends even to Iceland, which few would choose as a health resort. Australia and New Zealand seem actually the healthiest countries in the world. A good case could be made out for England as the finest country in the world to live in, hut, oil the whole, I would give the palm to France, which has a - larger area and more varied climate, and an open side to the Mediterranean. Dean Inge, continuing, says ho knows of no country to which nature had been quite so bountiful as to k France. Even Englishmen must also admit that, if civilisation is the art of making the most of life, the 1‘ tench have cultivated it more than any other nation in the world.

THE HUMAN SOUL. LONDON, May 10. “Scientists and medical men agree that there is no evidence to support the assumption, that the spirit survives after the brain ceases to function,” said Sir Arthur Keith, in a lecture at Manchester University. “If we with hold the supply of oxygen, or fuel, the brain ceases. Medical men can find no grounds for believing that the brain is a dual organ, or that it is a 'compound substance,./ Every fact known to thorn confirms the inference that mind, spirit, and soul are the manifestation of the living brain, just as the flame is the manifest spirit of the burning candle. Both the flame and the spirit cease existence at the moment of extinotion.”

AFGHAN AHSIT. AUKS CO AY, May 0.

At a strictly private show the Bed Army is doing its utmost with flame throwers, low flying aeroplanes, tanks, and machine guns, to make a final and gr.indoisc impression on King Amanulbih before lie starts for Leningrad. There the King of Afghanistan will the shown the grim island, fortress of Kronstadt and the Baltic Fleet, amid smoke screens, in a sham fight with torpedo craft. The queerest mixture of presents lias been lavished on the Afghan Royalties. Queen Souri.va has accepted a. gigantic table service of the Tsar Nicholas’s china, and also a r.ifle. which possibly is a memento of Albseow’s AA'orkgirl Battalions armed for the coining fight with AYestern Europe. and also n lacquered box of sixty dolls, dressed to represent everyone of the Soviet's motley races. Overnight, the Grand Hotel. Afoscow’s dreary and dusty second-rate Soviet Caravanserai, was transformed into an Afghan’s conception of ALiliomet’s Paradise.

Secrecy surrounds a party which King Amnmillah and Queen Souriva gave to AL Chicherin, Af. Karaklianrand other high officials and the Commissariats of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Master of Ceremonies has given the “Daily News” details which will make the local proletariat’s eyes drop out. The food alone cost six hundred guineas, and it. took seventy guests six hours to eat it, It was [he maddest mixture of Russian, Afghan and Persian dishes. The flovers and wines were specially imnorted.

CO A 1 MON WEALTH LINE. LONDON, May ID. Sir Owen Cox has arrived, after a long stay at Riviera. Interviewed, lie said it was too early to estimate the effect of ,the sale of the Commonwealth Line of Australian shipping. Nevertheless, lie was satisfied, that the pi ice paid was reasonable. The line was now in good hands, and better results could lie expected. The line should now be conducted without friction, and without imposing any more hardship upon the people of the Commonwealth than under the previous ownership. State ownership of shipping had peatedly proved a mistake.