CURRENT TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1932, Page 2

CURRENT TOPICS

CHINESE STATESMAN’S VIEWPOINT. Three years ago Dr Wellington Koo was expelled for life from the Kuomintang, and now he has been reinstated with honours. Less than a year ago because of his refusal to declare war on Japan, the influence of the students was strong enough tp drive, him from office as Foreign .Minister, and to-day the students hail him as a) national' hero. This new popularity with the ruling party and with the students i J due to Dr. Koo’s changed attiude concerning an armed China. In a series of recent addresses throughout China, he has stated his opinion that the League of Nations has no actual power to enforce international peace and justice, so China’s duty is to create an army and a navy sufficiently powerful to rescue the 30,000,000 Chinese whe compelled to come under the authority of “the Japanese puppet State of Manchukuo.” He warned youthful enthusiasts against premature action, for the creation of an army and navy might take a generation, but it was necessary for self-defence if for no other reason.

WEALTH BENEATH PARIS

Abbe Mermfetj who has achieved widespread fame in France as a water diviner, startled an influential scientific audience in Paris recently by declaring that under the city was* an inexhaustible eupply of pure water from Mont Blano, and a volume of gas sufficient to light 1 the city for a century. At a depth of 160 C feet and quite close to Paris, there is, he declared, a river comparable to the Seine, with water of> the purest type and capable of giving the city a supply of more than 200,000 gallons per minute. Not far from this subterranean river there exists,, the Abbe said, a vast volume of gas Waiting to be used by man. The most arresting feature of the statement was the conviction with which lie expressed himself regarding these subterranean treasures at the disposal of Paris. .

THE LAME DUCK ACT.

The successful candidate in the forthcoming Presidential election in the United States will probably be the last President to be inaugurated <?n March 4. Because of the slow travelling of the eld stage coach days for more than, a four months have elapsed between election and inaugnra. tion, A resolution passed by the senate and the House proposes to make the twentieth amendment to the Constitution ,by fixing the inauguration for January 20, Or approximately two months and two weeks after ejection, This “Lame Duck Act,” as it is called also, does away with the anmnalcue session of Congress fixed for Janua’ry every alternate year, which contains members defeated at the lint election, but who under the existing practice, retain office for three months, By the present remarkable arrangement, which' has stood for over 100 years, new Congressmen elected in November receive members’ payment from March 4 but except for a specially called session, do not enter upon their duties until December.

LANCASHIRE AGRICULTURE SHOW. , The Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show held at Preston during the last week in July, is one of England’s most .characteristiq; displays of live stock, agricultural l and dairy produce and flowers. The town, now a centre of cotton industry, possesses fourteen Royal charters, nearljy alt granting the privilege of holding fairs, and from 1179 to the present day tbbse functions have been held. Although the modern agriculture shows have lost much of the historic significance which attached to the earlier gatherings, they still carry purposest, for which fairs and market were organised. Tlie Royal Lancashire Agricultural Show claims seniority over every event in the country, tracing its descent from.. a society founded in 1767. In Agricultural circles it is regarded as one' of the foremost of its type in the United Kingdom, and entries for this year’s event were received from every part of the British Isles.