IMPERIAL AND FOREIGN ITEMS

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16812, 19 April 1920, Page 7

IMPERIAL AND FOREIGN ITEMS

Major-General Sir Charles Townshend, the hero of Kut, has arrived m New York, on a £ve months' sight-see-ing tour of tho United States. A billiard hall in Wolverhampton collapsed without warning, while 120 persons were inside. Remarkable scenes followed. In a moment the building was a heap of ruins, and scores of the inmates were struggling in an agonv of fear. The rescue work was most difficult, owing fo tho darkness. It is impossible to ascertain the number of deaths until daylight, but it is known that several inmates are dead, and also some passers-by. A London message says Mr E. C. Barton, of Brisbane, and Mr J. TV. Hunter, Agent-General, were the guests of the Decimal Association at dinner. Mr Barton said he regretted the conservatism of England towards modern ideas, and suggested that Australia should embark on a metric rebellion. If Australia adopted a decimal coinage and metric measures it would have a powerful influence on Great Britain. Italy is advancing Austria 20,000 tons of wheat, to be repaid after the arrival of the American and Australian wheat, as Austria is on tho point of starvation. Italy is helping Austria to secure 50,000 tons of coal monthly. In order to facilitate the building of dwellings in London, the County Council has prohibited the building of kinema theatres, clubs, and similar premises. Chinese officials in Shanghai have received advices of serious disturbances due to a change of military governors occurring in Honan, where civil war is imminent. A London message says that Vesta Victoria, a music hall artiste, who was the victim of a burglarv at Clapham Park, lost jewellery valued at £20,000. A Paris message says the Caillaux trial is drawing to a close. The Attor- 1 ney-General, in a dramatic speech, asked the Court not to pass the death sentence, but declared that it should not go further along the path of indusgence. A Paris message says: An official decree has been published re-establish-ing commercial relations with Germany and Austria. A Washington message says reports from Aguaprieta state that four towns in the State of Sanaloa (Mexico) have fallen before the invading Sonora rebels. The Admiralty has issued an order permitting naval ratings to join the rifle team for Australia on full pay.