World-wide Cable News In Brief

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31784, 14 September 1968, Page 13

World-wide Cable News In Brief

New Life Begins More than 50 Czechoslovak refugees flew into Montreal yesterday to begin a new life in Canada. Their flight was paid by the Federal Immigration Department and they will be given financial help until they can find jobs. The Canadian Prime Minister (Mr Pierre Trudeau) said last night he expected about 1000 Czechoslovaks would seek refuge in the country, and the Government, was considering allocating s2m to help them. —Montreal, September 13. Viennese View The Czechoslovak refugees flying to Australia from Austria are reported from Vienna to include a large percentage of comparatively young professional people. Diplomatic observers say the “class” of refugee coming out of Czechoslovakia because of the invasion by Warsaw Pact forces is much higher than that of groups who fled from Hungary in 1956. The people who have chosen to leave Czechoslovakia are generally in the under-45 category. Many are said to hold professional qualifications, and among them are a number of teachers, lawyers, engineers and university lecturers. —Vienna, September 13. Students Warned The French Prime Minister (Mr Maurice Couve de Murville) has issued a warning against any fresh attempt to upset public order in France, apparenily directed at rebel-

lious students. In the closing speech to a Gaullist Party congress, he declared: “Public order was restored in June after being deeply disturbed from the beginning of May. It must not be threatened again, either in the streets, the universities or anywhere else. This is the first mandate the Government has been given. It is fully aware of the situation and will fulfil this mandate.” Student discontent has begun to simmer again in Paris with the approach of the autumn term next month.—Paris, September 13. Madrid Prepares The Spanish authorities are considering measures to deal with the rebel student disturbances expected when the university term opens next month. The students are believed to be preparing trouble in Madrid by publishing clandestine leaflets and planning demonstrations against the Franco regime. The Government is studying new regulations for student unions, but nothing is yet known about them, and-plans were recently classified as “reserved” material under an Official Secrets Act approved earlier this year.—Madrid, September 13. Lead Challenged The Soviet Union is now challenging America’s lead in numbers of land-based intercontinental rockets with hydrogen warheads. But .China’s development of nuclear weapons appears to have been re tarded by her internal political upheavals. con-

elusions are drawn by the Institute for Strategic Studies in London in its yearly publication, “The Military Balance,” published today. It reports that the Soviet Union’s total of inter-contin-ental ballistic missiles is approaching the American total of 1054.—London September 13. European Campaign The former Hollywood child “star,” Shirley Temple, now Mrs Shirley Temple Black, will today address the inaugural function in London of the American Republican Party’s campaign in Europe. It is estimated that there are now about two million Americans in Europe, including military personnel.—London, September 13. Service Well Used In spite of cancellations because of bad weather and mechanical troubles, British Railways’ Seaspeed Hovercraft Company is satisfied with the progress being made with the SRN-4 service across the English Channel between Dover and Boulogne. To date 25,000 passengers and 2500 cars have been carried on the service, which still has a high level of forward bookings.— London, September 13. Asian Need A world war could occur unless some kind of political equilibrium was established in Asia, according to an American expert on Asian Affairs (Professor Robert Scalapino), who gave the second 1968 Dyason Lecture in

Melbourne last night. “Peaceful co-existence is not yet an operative principle of Asian Communist foreign , policy,” he said. “As a result, violence remains the primary means of settling disputes among both States and sub-national groups in the Asian-Pacific region. The first requirement in East Asia is thus for the creation of some workable system of international relations, and until that can be accomplished the threat of regional war is acute. Given the political and economic composition of the area, any regional war has instant global implications.”— Melbourne, September 13. Sir Robert Menzies Though his doctors are pleased with his progress, Sir Robert Menzies, who was admitted to the London Clinic on September 5 after suffering a mild stroke, will not now visit the United States later this month, as planned, to give three lectures at the University of Texas. Yesterday, the former Australian Prime. Minister was able to get out of bed and sit on a chair for a short time.—London, Sept. 13. Guarantee Sought Malaysia is seeking guarantees from Britain for her sterling reserves in the event of any future British devaluation, the Malaysian Minister of Finance (Tun Tan Slew Sin) disclosed today. He said he would have discussions when he visited London later this month for a meeting of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers, and he hoped de-

cisions would be finalised then.—Kuala Lumpur, September 13. Brighter Outlook The United States economic outlook has brightened considerably as a result of congressional approval this year of a tax increase, according to Mr Charles Zwick, the Administration’s Director of the Budget Bureau. But he said he could not guarantee that an end to the Vietnam war would automatically mean more money to help solve the nation’s domestic problems. Mr Zwick was testifying before the Congressional Joint Economic Committee during a review of the Budget.— Washington, September 13. Dollar Demise The Straits dollar, one of the world’s trading currencies, will cease to be legal tender from January 16 next year, it was announced in Kuala Lumpur today. Commonly known as the Malay dollar, it has circulated in Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak. Brunei and Sabah since 1903 and was backed 110 per cent by sterling. It was replaced by new dollar currencies issued separately by the Singapore, Malaysian and Brunei Governments in June of last year and has been gradually withdrawn from circulation.—Kuala Lumpur, September 19. More Food Produced

World food production rose by 3 per cent in 1967 after two years of poor harvests, affording to the yearly

report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, published today. But the world’s food problem has not been solved, either temporarily or permanently, and an uncontrolled population expansion could dash hopes of a solution, the report says. Good weather and high prices resulting from the previous two years of disastrous harvests are cited as the main reasons for the increase in food production.—Rome, September 13. Cigars Preferred There are a million cigarsmoking women in Britain, according to survey just published. It says that younger and wealthier women are setting the pace, although they are sticking to the milder and smaller cheroots. One tobacco company says its cigar sales last year rose by 235 million to 1135 million, the biggest rise recorded. About one million more men became cigar smokers, bringing the total to 10 million, it says.— London, September 13. Faux Pas

The mini-car horn suddenly blared, and Miss Sally Bishop, aged 22, of Lancing Sussex, could not stop it. So she telephoned her boy friend, who told her: “Pull the leads away.” So Sally lifted the bonnet and pulled lead after lead. But the noise went on. Only when, in desperation, she sent for a mechanic did the truth dawn on her. The jammed horn belonged to the car in the drive next door.— London, September 13.