OFFICIAL WIRELESS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1928, Page 2

OFFICIAL WIRELESS

[Special to Press Assn, by Radio.] THE KING OF SPAIN. FIELD-MARSHAL IN BRITISH ARMY. RUGBY, July'l. With reference to the appointment of King Alfonso of Spain to he a field-marshal in the British Army, the only other foreign Sovereign , who holds this rank is the King of the Belgians. Marshal Focli shares with these two moharchs the honour of holding the rank ns a foreigner. King Alfonso had previously held the rank of general in tlie British Army.

MOTOR SHIP TONNAGE

BIG INCREASE THIS YEAR

RUGBY, July 1

A considerable increase in the construction of motor vessels in British shipyards is reported. There are 280 oil-engined vessels, totalling 1,(00,000 tons gross, on order. Of these 209 are cargo nVid passenger ships, tlie gross tonnage of which is 150.000 more than was the ease in July, 1927. Since the beginning of the year ninety-nine motors ships, of 600,000 tons gross, have been completed, whereas for tlie whole of 1927 the number was 137 and the tonnage 816,000. The number of motor ships placed in commission during the first half of this year is a record. .

LORD LONSDALE TESTIMONIAL. RUGBY, July ITlie amount raised by subscription from all parts of tlie world as a personal tribute on the fiftieth anniversary of his wedding to Lord Lonsdale, in recognition of Ins services to British sport, reached the huge and unforeseen total of £350,000. Lord Lonsdale has asked that a committee of trustees he appointed to use the sum for maintaining a convalescent home for those who have participated in , sport and have encountered misfortune.

ATLANTIC TELEPHONE. RUGBY, July 1. A telephone service between Britain and Mexico was opened this evening., with conversations between Lord Woliner, Assistant Postmaster-Gen-eral, and a representative of the Mexican Government.

PRINCE OF WALES,

TOUR OF EAST AFRICA

RUGBY, July 1

Jt is now officially announced that the Princ-e of Wales will leave England for his East African tour with his brother, the Duke of Gloucester, on (September 7.

ATT?, PAGEANT

THRILLING EPISODE?. '

RUGBY, July 1

The King and'Queen, tlie\Duke of York and most of the members of the (jabinet, with air attaches and other representatives or nearly every nation of file world, saw at Hendon yesterday the greatest display ever in the air, when 200 machines and 2300 officers and men of the Royal Air Force took jiart in the,ninth annual air pageant.

There was a crowd of 150,009 people at the aerodrome, and it is estimated that, another 300,000, who could not be accommodated, watched from outside. They saw an astonishing display of aerial efficiency with machines of all sizes and descriptions, from tlie Beardmore Inflexible experimental monoplane, which is the largest in the world (it weights fifteen tons and has a wing span of 150 feet and 2000 horse-power in its Rolls Koyce engines) to a tiny single-seater Moth and the tailless, rear-propelled machine known as the Pterodactyl.

Many episodes thrilled the crowd, including aerial battles, artillery spotting, the firing of observation balloons and bombing. iSome of the manoeuvres filled expert air attaches from other nations with admiration for the Air Force personnel and machines. Great precision was displayed in the aerial drill, the orders for which'were heard by the spectators through loud speakers. The manoeuvres included inverted loops and upward spirals.

Contrasted with the speed shown by many of the aeroplanes was an exhibition of slow motion flying, when manoeuvres were performed, with a machine equipped with the new British slotted wing safety device, which in ordinary circumstances: must have resulted in disaster.

Once again this annual exhibition was given without the slightest mishap. The financial proceeds go to the Air Force and charities associated with it.