CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24960, 22 August 1946, Page 5

CABLE NEWS IN BRIEF

Blind Girl’s Sight Restored.— Miss Rosemary Swarbrick, aged 23, of Preston. Lancashire, who has been partially blind since she was 14, and totally blind for 10 months, is now able to read the smallest print and thread a needle, as the result of a remarkable operation at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. The cornea was removed from the eye of a wounded soldier and from the eye of a civilian and grafted on to replace Miss Swarbrick’s weak ones. She now works effectively as a waitress.—London. August 21.

Cost of Australian Government Houses.— The cost of Government houses built by the New South Wales Housing Commission is the highest in Australia, according to figures produced to the Premiers’ Conference. The estimated average costs of a dwelling of three bedrooms were: New South Wales, £1650; Victoria. £1620; West Australia, £1290; Tasmania, £1205. The Prime Minister (Mr Chifley) told the conference that supply difficulties would continue for some time.—Canberra, August 21.

British Plane Crashes in France.— ‘‘Four persons were killed and two were seriously injured when a Lancastrian crashed in flames on a farm at Broglie.” says Reuter’s correspondent in Paris. “The British Overseas .Airways Corporation earlier announced that the Lancastrian was several hours overdue on a training flight from Lydda to England. The aircraft carried a crew of eight and a member of the staff of the British Overseas Airways Corporatiofi.”-—London, Aug. 20.

Mufti Denies Charges.—An Arab spokesman in Alexandria said that the Grand Mufti had described as a forgery the document found in Germany purporting to show that he had fomented revolution in the Arab countries during the war. He suggested that Zionists might be responsible for the forgery.—Alexandria. August 20.

Simpler World Travel Desired.— The International Chamber of Commerce has urged the United Nations Economic and Social Council to call an international conference to simplify passport and visa formalities, the customs inspection of luggage, and currency control operations, also the consular regulations of the shipment of goods. The. Secretary of Commerce (Mr Henry Wallace) endorsed the proposals and urged that American practices on those lines be investigated forthwith. He said: “The United States can well afford to take the lead in helping the world to abolish much irritating red tape and impediments which tie up even the smallest international transactions and ordinary commercial intercourse between peoples.”—New York, August 20.

Crime Increases in U.S.—Announcing that crime had increased by 13 per cent, in the first six months of 1946 compared with the same period in 1945, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Mr J. Edgar Hoover) said it was the highest rate of crime increase since 1930.—Washington, August 20.