NEWS FROM ABROAD

Evening Star, Issue 20032, 24 November 1928, Page 4

NEWS FROM ABROAD

THE GREATEST ESTATE Ml? WHITHEY’S WEALTH Tress Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, NEW YORK, November 22. Tho greatest estate ever appraised in the history of tho Tax Bureau was announced with tho publication of the not estate of the late Air Harry Paine Whitney, it amounts to 178,893,665 dollars, while'the gross estate is 194,328,514 dollars. The greatest previous estate appraised w r as 107,000,000 dollars—Australian Press Association. HELD FOR RANSOM BRITISH FILM EXHIBITORS’ ATTITUDE Trass Association— By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, November 22. British exhibitors decline to pay tho .<•100 asked by tho Americans to exhibit the King’s “ talkie.” Tho exhibitors shv that the film is being held for ransom. and they feel that the Kmg, if lie was aware of tho fact, would disapprove of the exploitation of his voice. - Australian Press Association. The King unknowingly made his first “ ialkie ” during a speech at tho opening of the Newcastle Bridge on November 7. An enterprising American reel man filmed the scene and tho speech and had it sent to America and developed. It is stated that a remarkable reproduction was obtained. DRIFT TO THE TOWNS MUSBOLIHI PROPOSAL Press Association—By Telegraph-Copyright. ROME, November 23. pifxnor Mussolini pointed out that duriim the half-year ended Juno the natural increase in the urban population in Italy was only 12,000, whereas in eight towns alone the increase by rnraK iullux totalled 68,021. Ho declares that within eighteen months lie intends to clear out the surplus nnmigrants from the country who had not teund work in the towns and prevent auv more leaving the country. He adds; “Paly N spending more than •-lio can afford in bricks and mortal- in the towns. The money would bo better spent in reclaiming waste, lands and rebuilding decayed cottages.”—Australian Prc" Association.

AKsiV OF THE AIR A srv; Oi’DES I'.yss Assor iation -By Telegraph—Cepynght. LONDON. November 23. A War Office order provides Unit officers and other ranks of the Army may ho oitorfd to take Mights lor recounalsuuce or other purposes. Olliecis ami men of the Royal Navy are already under an obii'nitoni not only to go alolfc but, under water when rajuired.—Australian Press Association. PHEUKfS IBFLUESZA . THE AKTSAUAH OASES Press Association— By Telcg rapli-Copyright, SYDNEY, November 23. The ca.M's of iiiHucnza in tho Lectori Hospital number forty-two, including cloven nurses. Tho hospital is being run by a relieving staff. A number of other patients arc being treated in their own homes. MORRIS DETAILS NEWSPAPER ISSUE MKfISSATED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. ROME, November 22. The issue of the newspaper ‘ Popolo dMtalia,’ which was published in Milan and printed by Signor Mussolini during war time, ‘but is now edited by his brother Arnoldo, has been confiscated because it published lurid details of an attempted murder and suicide, contrary to tire rules of the Fascist regime, which forbids the publication of morbid details. —United Service. FRENCH TRAGEDY AVARICE, BIGAMY, AND MURDER Prcas Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, November 14. An amazing story of avarice, bigamy, and murder was disclosed at the trial of Valentin Fontaine, a butchers’ boy of Combourg, who was charged at the Rennes Assizes with tire murder of Eugenio Anger, a youthful heiress. Fontaine (says tho Parts correspondent of tho ‘ Manchester Guardian ’) fell in Jove with the girl and sought her father’s consent .to the marriage. He indignantly refused, and despatched tho girl to a convent at Chartres. Fontaine followed her to Chartres and secured work in a butcher’s shop, which enabled him to deliver goods to the convent and to smuggle letters to tho young heiress. Fontaine returned to Combourg a few months later. There ho courted another girl, and, going through a civil ceremony, married her. Ho promised her a subsequent religious marriage in another town. M. Auger, assured of the safety of his daughter from Fontaine’s attentions, brought her homo. Soon a young woman arrived at tho house, told the father she had been his daughter’s friend at the convent, and readily obtained permission to, take the girl for a motor drive. The visitor turned out to he Fontaine’s jcgal wife. Acting under his instructions, she took Mile Auger to Fontaine’s house in an adjacent village, where the heiress went through a ceremony of marriage with him in tho local church. Tho infuriated father charged Fontaine with abducting a minor, the girl then being 19 years of age, but alter Fontaine had been imprisoned for some time the case was dismissed on legal grounds. Realising that fie was losing both the girl and the legacy, Fontaine broke into her house and shot her dead as she was nursing their baby which had been iiorn fifteen clays previously. Ho then shot himself, but recovered. The case was juridicially important,

because it raised tho whole question of legal versus religious ceremony, the civil ceremony being the only marriage which counts legally in France. Fontaine was sentenced to imprisonment for life, with hard labour, GERMANY AND RUSSIA RESUMING TRADE RELATIONS Prow Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. 15 Fit LIN, November 22. A German delegation is going to Moscow to renew trade relations, which .have been suspended since the Donets espionage cases. The mission is ascribed to the realisation of the seriousness of American competition.— Australian Kress Association.