BREVITIES.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10698, 17 October 1931, Page 4

BREVITIES.

i mm**,. “«WWsfIATBW t WAS. Cfpftr. EWREWELL “Back in I’S days” was'Air-Commo-I (>aviii^l^ehi ml ; a ye ;‘ 3mit by” farewell to wynaliani and'Australia's famous axqitcjr.i.iet joul on his attempt to break the flying record to England: '

./Twelve 1 ho.urs and a half later he ss9estup ■ ajC^• Brst stopping place, Cherihon, Java,' as everybody expected he would. The next day he was off again, leaving behind a true "Smity” farewell and the memory of a stern little man who was not to do or die. His ‘plane vanished over the horizon, disappeared into the blue, bound for Victoria Point, 1390 miles away. It was on September 12, a Saturday morning, that “Smithy” definitely announced that he was going to make another flight that would head the list of his previous achievements. Hr was going to fly to England in seven days, and thus wrest the “Aerial Ashes” from Mollison for Australia. TARIFF STILL MARS NATIONAL UNITY

According to semi-official announcements, the forthcoming British election will be a "free” one, in which all Ministerialists can co-oper-ate without abandoning their principles. The feeling in the lobbies does not accord with this view. In a number of constituencies three-cornered contests are inevitable, especially where Freetrade Liberals oppose Conservalivs. The Conservatives declare that the national issue will not prevent them pushing tariffs to the utmost, with the support of Sir John Simon’s Liberal folowers. Meanwhile, Mr Lloyd George’s Liberals, who are in open conflict with the Simon group, had a meeting the other afternoon and condemned Sir Herbert Samuel's adherence to the Cabinet decision as a “bertayel of party interests.” It is anticipated that not more than 100 Liberals will stand, as compared with 400 in 1929. The Liberal election fund is now only £30,000.

DANGER OF REVOLUTION IN UNITED STATE Vancouver. —One of the highlights in the dlscusion of American trade and finance conditions is a declaration by the President of the American Federation of Labour (Mr William Green), which is now holding its annual convention here, that the blame for the stringency can altogether be placed upon the big corporations. In unmeasured terms Mr Green insists that there is danger of a revolution in America, if the policy of wage-cutting is continued. VOICE FROM SKY TO SCARE TRIBESMEN London.—A mighty voice from the skies, warning rebellious tribesmen that an air attack will be launched if they do not disperse, is the object of experiments carried out by a Vickers-Victoria Troop-carrier, at Brooklands. This aeroplane, which will shortly be sent out to Mesopotamia, is equipped with 3 6 loud-speaker units connected to four enormous trumpets at the bottom of the fuselage. The tests were conducted at bights of 2000 to 4000 feet. The “voice” sounded, clearly on the ground, through only two-thirds of the available powfir was used. An operator’s tough 4000 ft. high came down like a gaint’s roar. Experiments are being made with gramaphone records in Arabic to overcome the language difficulty. MANY r MURDERIN SMITHY’S MILAS

London.—Air-Ca mmodore Kingstord Smith may uiot have thought himself in clover when he was forced down at Milas, but .he may have been somewhat consoled, when he found the town renowned Ifor the excellence of its honey, for which reason it was named Miletus .in Bibical times, says a correspondent; in the “Scotsman.” Saint Paul, he poinds out, visited Miletus, but did not mention its local delicacy. The town has little other recom-

mendation. Its prosperity has dwindled since the Turks drove the Greeks out in 1922, and the population is now 8000, chiefly Govern meut officials, soldiers and a large police force which is unable to keep or, der. Last year there were 18 murders. There is only one English, man in Milas, the manager of as a. il mill which is alongside the only' Idvel

ground in the district. It is there that Kingsford Smith probably* lauded. Probably too, he was met by the mill guard nicknamed "mad” Fezi, who is the eccentric uophow of a Turkish general, but a loyaJ servant. If he had ch arge of the machine he would certaj illy guard it faithfully. One of the quaint cl laracterdstics of the neighbourhood of Milas is the river, named Meander, w] aich changes is course every few yi sars, leaving numerous bridges higti and dry on various parts of the p< lafc. THE AMERICANS ARJJ ALL IP OR SILVER Washington.— TweSpff of thirteen delegations represented'a* t the fourth pan-American Commerciail I Conference recently approved' of' a resolution calliug for an iatematioi ial conference to study the possibd lity of rehabilitating silver ini in on etary currency.

The delegations voting in favour were Mexico, Costa - Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Cuba, Venezuela, A .rgentina, Peru, Salvador, Chile, Parag may, and the United States. Brazil j ibstained from voting. There were i 10 negative votes. Mexico Introda ced the resolution.