CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24959, 21 August 1946, Page 7

CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Socialist Conference on Spain.—The French Socialist Party has called an international Socialist conference in Paris for August 27 and 28, primarily to discuss the Spanish question. It is understood that the British Labour Party is sending delegates.—Paris, August 19. Boxing in U.S.—Wesley Mouzon, aged 19, of Philadelphia, knocked out the world light-weight champion Bob Montgomery in the second-round of a scheduled 12-round non-title bout—- . New York, August 19. New Commodore of P. and O.—The master of the liner Straithaird, Captain D. M. Stuart, D.S.C., has been appointed commodore of the P. and O. Line in succession to Captain J. Smith, master of the Maloja, who is retiring. Captain Stuart has been 37 years with the P. and O. Line.—London, August 19.

Award of U.S. Decorations.—lt is announced that the United States Army is overhauling the system that has permitted the award of more than 2.500,000 medals during the war as a result of inquiries by the board set up to consider complaints by troops. The board’s recommendation is that the distribution should be fairer and should be tightened up so that medals would not be cheapened and in favour of the lower ranks rather than officers.—Washington, August 19.

Pope Receives Food Experts.—The Pope gave an audience to the United States Under-Secretary of Agriculture, Mr Norris Dodd, and a party of experts who are touring Europe to gather information for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s conference at Copenhagen on September 2. The Pope said: “Great masses of people are still starving, but we cannot ask for a miracle because Providence wills that man should use the appropriate means of his sustenance.”—Rome, Aug-

Indian Polo Grounds Ploughed Up —News calculated to increase ths blood pressure of old members of the Army and Navy Club in London reached London to-day from India The polo grounds at Poona and New Delhi and the Vice-Regal estate lawns at New Delhi have gone under the plough to aid India’s “Grow More Food” campaign. The Army is sowing 1000 acres of wheat, barley, maize, rice, and other cereals, which form 8C per cent, of India’s food consumption. —London, August 20. British Bread Rationing.—No individual baker could possibly make any estimate of what flour was being used, said the Minister of Food (Mr John Strachey), replying to bakers’ criticisms of his figures for savings in the first three weeks of bread rationing. Mr Strachey claimed that the figures were supplied by a reliable official of the Food Ministry. They were calculated from the actual amount of flour taken from stocks. There could not be any possible challenge against their accuracy. “Bakers’ opinions on this matter are wholly valueless,” said Mr Strachey. [Mr Strachey announced yesterday in a speech that in the first three weeks of rationing 109.000 tons of flour, or nearly 33 per cent, of previous consumption, had been saved. Bakers and millers were reported as doubting this, giving their own savings at “nearer 10 per cent.”] —London, August 19. Sydney Shipyard Dispute Ends.— Work was resumed on Monday at the Poole and Steel shipyard, and by the end of the week full production is expected to be reached. This resumption ends the threat of a lock-out which would have thrown 10,000 men out of employment this week. The employers agreed to call the lock-out off if the crane-drivers offered for employment at Poole and Steel’s yard. —Sydney* August 20.

Cook Island Tomatoes.—The Maui Pomare lifted a record shipment of 24.500 boxes of tomatoes from the Cook Islands. She is due at Auckland via Niue Island about August 26.—Rarotonga, August 19.

British - Egyptian Talks. Lord Stansgate, leader of the British treaty delegation in Egypt, had a 90 minutes’ conference with the Egyptian Premier (Sidky Pasha) and Luftys Sayed, the Egyptian Foreign Minister. Afterwards Lord Stansgate said that many such talks would follow. It is rumoured in official circles that Britain might propose to reduce the period for the evacuation of her troops from three years to two and a half years.—Alexandria. August 19.

Refreshment Room Strike at Canberra.—The refreshment room staff of Parliament House in Canberra went on strike to-day while the Premiers’ Conference and the Agricultural Council were sitting. At least 20 Commonwealth and State Ministers and about 100 officials could get no meals, no drinks, and only a limited quantity of cigarettes left behind by departing members. The strike was called as a protest at the dismissal of a chef. The strike was settled in the afternoon after a compulsory conference ordered by the Prime Minister (Mr Chifley). The Conciliation Commissioner found that the chef should not have been dismissed and should be August 20.

Japanese Indifference to Fire*.— Opening a drive against the Japanese people’s “amazing indifference” to fires an Allied Headquarters official (Mr G. W. Angell) said that 26 persons had been killed and 240 injured in fires throughout the country between May 1 and August 1. The estimated total damage in 1946 would be more than •L 200,000,000 yen.—Tokyo, August 19.