GENERAL CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1928, Page 3

GENERAL CABLES

german discussions. SUnited Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Ueceived this day at 8.30 a.m.) BERLIN, Sept. 15.

The German Cabinet discussed all day the French proposals for the evacuation of the Rhineland. It is understood an objection will be raised to any crime control of Rhineland after 1935, when the third rone will Ire evacuated under the provisions of the Versailles Treaty.

DIVORCES INCREASING (Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 15. The list of Michaelmas divorces shews the cases in 1928, which exceed 5400, almost doubled since the new act, censoring publication of details, passed in 1926, when there were 2973 cases. This year women petitioners outnumber the men by 2 to 1. Divorce lawyers attribute the alarming increase to the fact that prior to 1926, women preferred to suffer anything before face the publicity of the newspapers, but the-increase is also due to many young women not making an attempt to make the best of their married lives. They quarrel with their husbands over the most trivial matters, and arc ever ready to lxs the legally guilty party, relying that friends need never know the facts. Most of the cases are undefended and occupy ten minutes in the High Court or eighteen minutes in the Assize Courts throughout.

A SORDID CASE. -r LONDON, September 14. After close on three days’ trial at the Old Bailey, J. IV. Clayton and C. T. Stevens, two Metropolitan constables, were sentenced to eighteen months each for conspiring to bring a false charge against Helen Adele a twentyone year old girl, and also for wilful rind corrupt perjury in support of this charge.

The case for the prosecution was supported by many witnesses, and it was to the effect that last July Miss Adele resented the attentions of Constable Clayton in a taxicab in a garage at Islington, where she sometimes used to sleep; and also that when she threatened to inform the Sergeant, both Clayton and Stevens, who were accusomed to visit this garage while they .were ’supposed to bo on night duty, arrested her on a charge of using insulting words and behaviour. The charge was dismissed at the Police Court, after which the constables were arrested at the instigation of the Public Prosecutor. . In view of the recent police disclosures, there has •been considerable interest in this case. ' Sir Henry Curtis Bennett, K.C., M.P. (formerly of the Secret Service) defended the accused. He declared that if the condition of affairs in the Metropolitan Police Force were such as had been suggested, then this case was worse than any anti-police fanatic had ever suggested. It was alleged that the police were perjurers, and that they left their beats at any time for anything. It also was alleged that they bad got the public into such a state that nobody would care to say them nay.

Sir H. Curtis Bennett dealt at length with the character of the witnesses. He described them as “a gang from the garage.” Miss Adele had said in her evidence that she thought that policemen in uniform could do as they liked. ' Sir H .Curtis Bennett added that ' if that were the position in the police force then it was quite time that something should (be done ’ Mr Justice Humphreys declared Jr that it was a serious case. These men had disgraced the uniform. The defendant Stevens collapsed in the Court.

FOREIGN CAPITAL WANTED. LONDON, Sept. If>. A Riga correspondent states a meeting of commissars passed a resolution that a new effort he made to attract Foreign capital for industrial assistance on a great scale, by again offering concessions in Europe and Asia in connection with railways, electric power stations, agriculture, dairying, sugar works, and fuel industries. Also the pioneer industries of metal mining and motor works and artificial silk. The resolution frankly states that ■ the guiding principle must he the attraction of the maximum amount of V foreign capital, which must be actually transferred to the Soviet. The resolu- ' ti o n partly represents the result of the ; Government’s recent decision, that a most 'resolute measure he taken to stave off disaster. Foreign captial and technical assistance are vitally necessary to prevent a general industrial breakdown.

CRITIC OF AMERICA. ‘Received this dav at 9.30 a.m.l LONDON, Sept, 16. “Britishers would .like to know why America ‘ ; is raising suoli an outcry about the so called Anglo-French Naval Agreement,” says the “Sunday Chronicle,” while details of such an arrangement are not public property The sustained attack by the American press, aided hv misguided fanatics in Britain, are being aimed at England and France. America’s navy is now greater than Britain’s in number and much superior in naval aircraft. Further, what of the close naval association between America and Brazil. Why all this pretence of seeking peace and of being alarmed of Anglo-French pacts, when America herself is going on with huge naval programme against whom or what? America’s role of only “honest broker” is a little sickening to every other nations particularly England and France, which are presumed to be diplomatically intriguing, while America alone is the fair, honest and pacific party. The world of facts does not support subh unctuous assurance. What wo want from Uncle Sam is a little less soap and more open dealing.

WATCHING AIR SHOW. PARIS, September 16. The Minister for War, (Mr Rainleve.) Wilbur Wrigth’s first pasenger in 1908, without announcing his intentions, donned an overcoat and air\s~ man’s helmet, and entered a. two scoter aeroplane at Villacoublay and «c- ---• companied by three aeroplanes, conveying General Carene? Pugo Heigault, rose aibovo Paris and watched the air fleet of throe hundred and fifty planes passing below in formation towards Le Rourget, at heights of tliirtv six hundred and forty five hundred feet. Mr Painleve, after the review forwarded a letter of congratulation to the Air Minister.

UNWANTED BABIES. PARIS, Sent. 10. No fewer than fifty thousand unwanted babies are secretly deposited at public institutions annually, by slipping them through shutterless windows of children's maternity hospitals. A DESTRUCTIVE FTRF-. PARIS, Sept. IC. A fire destroyed tno whole quarter of Bourges. It lasted throughout the niMit, and tho damage is estimated at a quarter of a million. The historic Palace of Jacques Colur narrowly escaped and the world famous Cathedral was also undamaged.