CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24869, 8 May 1946, Page 7

CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Poaching Football Players.—The manager of the English Rugby League team at present on its way from Fremantle to Melbourne and Sydney by troop train intends to ask for a threeparty conference in Sydney with Australian and New Zealand Rugby League representatives on the poaching of players. A five-year agreement with England not to poach players from Australia and New Zealand expired some years ago and has not been renewed because neither Australia nor New Zealand has applied for a renewal. Enterprising English clubs are expected to make contact with players who are outstanding during the coming tour, but the English Council is believed to be opposed to the snatching of Rugby League talent from the Southern Hemisphere.—Sydney, May 7. U.S. and American Republics.—Mr Truman has asked Congress for legislation authorising military collaboration with other American republics and Canada. The bill, which is entitled the “Inter-American Military Co-operation Act,” provides for the training, organisation, and equipment of the armed forces of those countries as recommended by the Inter-Ameri-can Defence Board. The legislation asked for would authorise the President to transfer military and naval equipment to other American Governments by sale or otherwise.—Washington, May 6. Davis Cup Tennis.—Switzerland qualified to meet the winners of England and France in the European zone of the Davis Cup tie by eliminating Spain by three matches to two. —London, May 6. A Fluent Linguist.—Mrs S. W. Peers, who* arrived in Sydney to-day on her way to Auckland to join her husband, is a fluent speaker in English, Malay. Chinese, Spanish, and Hindustani, and is of Filipino descent. Her husband owned, and was headmaster of a private school for 700 children in Singapore before the war. He left when the Japanese invaded the country, and they spent some time together in India before he went on to New Zealand.—Sydney, May 7. World’s Snooker Championship.— Davjs led Lindrum by seven games to five at the end of the first day’s play in the world’s snooker championship. The best breaks were: Davis, 59 and 51; Lindrum, 33.—London, May 0.

Pulitzer Prize Awards.—Pulitzer Prize awards for journalism have been made to Arnaldo Cortesi, Buenos Aires representative of the “New York Times,” for distinguished reports from the Argentine; Homer Bfgart, of the “New York Herald-Tribune,’’ for distinguished reporting of the Pacific war;, and William L. Lawrence, of the “New York Times,” for an eyewitness story of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and subsequent articles on the atomic bomb. Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay won the drama prize for the play, “State of the Union.”— New York, May 6.

Arrest of French Colonel.—An official statement by the French Prime Minister (M. Gouin) and the Minister of the Interior (M. Letroqueh) says: “It is inexact to say that ColoneJ Wavrin (the Free French Intelligence Service officer) and a certain number of his collaborators are now under close arrest.” Officials declined to make further comment when asked whether the statement meant that Colonel Wavrin and his collaborators had not been arrested.—Paris, May 6. Dutch Nazi Executed.—The Dutch Nazi leader Anton Mussert was executed this morning. His appeal for remission of the death sentence was rejected by Queen Wilhelmina.—London. May 7.

Arrests in Java.—The Indonesian Ministry of Information has announced that the Indonesian police have arrested two Japanese and three Indonesians alleged to have murdered three Australian war crimes investigators near Buitenzorg last month. The two Japanese were disguised as Indonesians.—Batavia. May 6.

Accidentally Hanged.—Two days after discussing the “Liverpool hanged boy” case with his sister, Alexander Saunter, aged 16, of Tonbridge, was found dead in his bedroom with a rope around his neck. It was stated at the inquest that the sister had expressed the opinion that it was possible for the Liverpool boy to have slipped oft a chair. Saunter, who was fond of experimenting with ropes, declared that it was impossible, adding: ‘Til prove it.’’ The boy was later found kneeling at his bedside with his chest against a chair and a noose around his neck. The rope was fastened to the bed rail. The Coroner, in recording a verdict of accidental death, said: “Quite likely the boy was experimenting, and unfortunately the experiment went wrong.”London, May S.