VARIOUS-CABLES

Evening Star, Issue 17226, 16 December 1919, Page 9

VARIOUS-CABLES

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyrigh*. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. THE WORLD'S WHEAT. LONDON, December 15. An Imperial Institute bulletin on the world's wheat position states that tho prewar productdon was 110,000,000 tons. The. largest contributor was Rusia with 22,000,000. During the war the- acreage outside Europe increased 25 pet cent. The opinion expressed at present is that there is a sufficiency of wheat even without the help of Russia to meet the requirements of the world.- The article takes an optimistic- view of the future, vast areas awaiting development in Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. THE SMITHSONIAN QUEST. LONDON, December 15, The story of .the discovery of the brontosauvus is regarded in London with mingled amusement and scepticism, Scientists, however, have not finally consigned the reports to the> realms of fiction. Professor Chalmers Mitchell saya: "The discovery ia possible, though -unlikely. Similar stones have previously been current. The ex-Kaiser supplied the last 'when, visiting the London Zco, he described the existence of a similar prehistoric monster in Gorman. East Africa. The brontoeaurus may be living in the Congo to-dav, but I would feel safe in offering £I,OOO to a half-penny that it is not." Professor Smith Woodward, of the British Museum, is equally sceptical. Ho believes that tho brontosaurus finally disappeared with the arrival of the cretaceous period. DESPICABLE THIEVES. LONDON, December 14. Sergeant-major W. E. Bradford was sentenced -to 12 months' imprisonment, Sergeant Simp.-ox and Corporal W. R. Grosvenor to three months, and Private Courtney (all Australians) was bound over, for the theft of stores from the Australian R«d Gross. THE FALLEN FRANC. PARIS, December 14. With a view to covering the loss on the rate of exchange the French Government will henceforth, tax foreign telegrams at tho rate of 65 centimes per franc. TOUGH OLD CLEMENCEAU. PARIS, December 15. M. Clemenceau was thrown down on the deck of a destroyer during a rough crossing to England. He ignored his injury during the conferences, but on his return to Paris his doctor discovered that he had fractured a rib. AMERICAN NATIONALISATION cry;. WASHINGTON, December 14. The Farm Organisation at the American Federation of the Labor Conference submitted a legislative programme including regulation of the packing industry, Government ownership of railways, Government control of the mercantile marine, the nationalisation of national resources, and the ratification of woman suffrage. COMPIEGNE PALACE BURNED. PARIS, December 15. Fire destroyed the Palace of Compiegne, which was tho headquarters of the French General Staff in 1917-18. The damage amounts to £BO,OOO, but fortunately the priceless and historic furniture • had" been removed during the war and had not yet bson returned to the palace. A GOOD IDEA. Router's Teiegrams. LONDON. December 12. No papers will be published on Christmas and Boxing Days. BANK PROTECTION. LONDON, Dcember 15. Following the numerous bank robberies, the principal banks aTe providing their messengers with revolvers and placing guards at suburban brandies. SIR ROBERT BORDEN. OTTAWA. December 15. Owing to his ill health continuing" Sir R. L. Borden is retiring from the Premiership of Canada at the New Year. EXCHANGE PROBLEMS. WASHINGTON, December 14. The Director of the Bureau of Foreign Commerce has isued a statement that, unless certain reasonable adequate credits are extended to foreign countries, American exports may bo expected to diminish owing to the depreciated foreign exchange. ALLENBY AND THE " AUSSIES.'' SYDNEY, December 16. General Eyrie has returned from Esypt. Referring to General Alienbv's pointed omission of any reference to" the Australians in his fairly recent speech at Dover, he said that their behaviour was excellent. A regrettable incident had occurred at Gurafend, in Palestine, which was perhaps responsible for General Allen by- s lack of any reference to tho Australians, but the act- which he (Allenby) held the Australians responsible for should never have been attributed to them, as it was the work of New Zealanders