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Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1928, Page 2

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pondent states: The best city of Damascus, including hotels, the Wakfs Building, with its valuable museum, three hundred houses, and 70 shops have been destroyed by fire. The damage totals half a million sterling. French soldiers were employed to dynamite structures so as to arrest the. outbreak ,and they’ are also taking measures against looting.

THE LATE SPEAKER, APPLICATION FOR CHILTERN HUNDREDS. LONDON, June 22. Tho'Rt. Hon J. 11. Whitley, M.P., who has just relinquished the position of Speaker of the House of Commons, has applied for tho stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds. Air Whitley’s application for tho Chiltern Hundreds indicates that he intends retiring from active political life. Under the Act of Settlement, 1707, no duly elected member of the Commons can resign his seat; on the other hand, no office of profit under the Crown can be accepted by a member without his seat being declared vacant and a by-election held. It was specially provided, however, in the Place Act, that acceptance of the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, or of the Manor Poynings, or the Escheatorsliip of Munster, would sci ve as an excuse for resignation.

EXPLOSION DISASTER. LONDON, June 22,

A messages from Bruges, France, states that a great explosion in a dynamite factory there killed seven and injured thirty. A' number of houses within ft radius of a quarter of a mile were unroofed. BRUGES, June 22.

Xlie explosion is attributed to the bursting of a shell in a heap of scrap metal. Eight persons were killed, including the owner of the factory. Forty were injured.

GENEVA FINDING ON SAMOA GENEVA, June 23

It is understood that the Mandates Commission’s findings in the case of Samoa will include one stating that the mandatory, as being the lawful authority, must he maintained at alt costs, and that anything menacing good order must be firmly dealt with.

THE SERB MURDERS. ZAGREB, June 23.

The bodies of Deputies Paul Raditch and Dr Barraritchek (who were shot in the Chamber) have arrived here. They were met by a crowd of thirty thousand, but tho ceremony passed off without incident.

ROCKET CAR SMASHES. BERLIN, June 23,

Thousands of vatehed a driverless rocket car of a new type, fitted with wheels for rails, smashed to fragments in a second attempt to make a world’s record over a five kiloimotr'cs istretch' o£ railway ibletwjeen Durgwedel and Galle in Hanover. The only injured thing was a cat placed in the ear to" ascertain effect of speed pressure on a living thing. The first attempt w-as most successful, the speed attained being 159 miles an hour. Automatic brakes, in the form of rockets shot from tho front of the car, checked its progress, and brought the"*’ car to a standstill after two. kilometres had been travelled. More powerful rockets, vertically fired, impelled the car in the second attempt. With a terrific roar, amidst sheets of flame and clouds of 'Smoke the car jumped the rails almost immediately. It crashed into an embankment and was demolished.

NEW GERMAN CABINET. BERLIN, June 23.

Herr Mueller (Socialist Leader) has failed to form a Grand Coalition, owing to tlie insistence of the People’s Party that a ten thousand ton cruiser must be built and that the Socialists shall not dictate taxation legislation. Consequently Herr Mueller, is now endeavouring to form a Cabinet of a Weimar Coalition, consisting of the Socialists, the Democrats and the Catholic Centre Party, with Dr Stresoma nn co-operating, though without committing the People’s Party. »

THE FRANC. PARIS, June 23. Tlie Council of Minsiters have approved of Premier Poincare’s measure to stabilise the franc, which has been tabled at a special meeting of the Chamber, preparatory to to-morrow’s debate. The Bill contains thirteen articles. The all-important figure of the franc’s weight in gold is not yet included, though the coin must be nine-tenths of fine gold. The Bill abolishes the forced currency established on August sth, 1914. Tlie Bank of France must assure the convertibility of its notes into gold, with certain limitations, and must maintain a bullion, eoin and gold reserve equal to thirty-five per cent of the notes in circulation. The Bill authorised the uniting of 100-frauc gold pieces. PARIS, June 23. The Radical Socialist Party have decided to vote for the Franc Stabiliser tion Bill. Its passage thus is assured.