Cable Jottings

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 218, 3 December 1927, Page 9

Cable Jottings

CHINESE PIRATES. —A naval message from Hankow reports a daring act of piracy against a British ship, the Siang Tan. Three men of the ship’s company were killed when they resisted the pirates. The captain, W. G. Maynard, was carried off, presumably to be held for ransom.—Sun. WOMEN’S FRANCHISE.—In the House of Commons, the Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks, informed a questioner that if women as well as men were given the franchise at the age of 21 the estimated total number of voters ' 1 Britain would be 12,230,000 men and 14,500,000 women. —A. and N.Z. PUBLICITY DISL.IKEP*—The aeronautical correspondent of the “Morning Post” says that the Air Ministry is avers© from publicity and that it does not favour demonstrations of popular enthusiasm in regard to the doings of pilots. The Ministry, it is added, will probably forbid members of the .Royal Air Force to participate in the next Schneider Cup race.—A. and N.Z. MUSSOLINI RUMOUR.—A rumour that the Prime Minister of Italy, Signor Mussolini, has been assassinated bas been circulated. It originated in Vienna, and was, it is believed, designed to cover speculation in the lire. The rumour rapidly spread to all the European Stock Exchanges, including London, and the lire temporarily sagged slightly.—A. and N.Z.