CABLE BREVITIES RUSSIAN POLICY IN HUNGARY OUTLINED

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 April 1946, Page 2

CABLE BREVITIES RUSSIAN POLICY IN HUNGARY OUTLINED

Russia regards Hungary as an independent nation and will not interfere in her internal affairs in any way, states the Vienna correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, in reporting the gist of Mr. Stalin’s discussions with the Hungarian Prime Minister. The assurance was given when the Prime Minister complained of Russian interference in purely Hungarian matters. Mr. Stalin also agreed to reduce the Russian occupation forces in Hungary, but he declared that it was at present impossible to make a large-scale reduction. The correspondent states that it remains to be seen how Mr. Stalin’s assurance is interpreted by the local Russian authorities in Hungary, where the political commissars, at present working with the Red Army in Hungary, have considerable influence on local affairs. — London, April 22. Nev/ Air Record.

A jet-propelled plane broke the Nev/ York to Washington record, covering the 220 miles in 29min 15sec. The average speed was 476 miles an hour.—New York, April 22.

Swiss Air Tragedy. Three people were killed when a K.L.M. airliner crashed north of Lake Geneva to-day.'—Berne, April 22.

Church-Going in Russia Priests of the Greek Orthodox Church said that Moscow congregations would swell* to 1,000,000 people by noon to-morrow. The number of churchgoers in Moscow had increased during the war and the congregations last year were the biggest since the revolution.—Moscow, April 21.

Tranis Collide in Sydney. Twenty-four persons were injured, none of them seriously, this afternoon, when two crowded trams collided in Anzac Parade at Moore Park. Windows were shattered and the passengers were thrown to the floor. Seventeen of those injured were taken to hospital for treatment. —Sydney, April 22. Trains Collide Near Boston

A fireman was killed, a driver critically injured, and an unofficial total of 136 passengers admitted to hospital after two passenger trains collided on the outskirts of Boston. The impact left one engine standing on its rear wheels on fire. No carriages were overturned or damaged, the passengers receiving their injuries from being thrown about by the impact.—New York, April 22.

Soldiers' Marriages. A British communique published in Austrian newspapers warns Austrian women against a rumour that after July British soldiers will be able, to marry them. Viennese women are indignant, because, although Austria is considered a liberated country, they are not given equality with Italian girls in marrying British soldiers.— Vienna, April 22.

Assisting Returned Men. Living allowances are to be paid for a year to former servicemen who settle on the land under the War Service Land Settlement scheme. A settler with one adult dependant will receive £4/16/- and a man with two or more dependants, including one adult, £5/5/-. In special circum 7 stances the allowance may be extended for more than a year. This financial support is intended to assist a man while he is awaiting profitable returns from the land.—Canberra, April 22.

Investments in Argentine Colonel Juan Peron’s supporters, who will control the new Argentine Congress, are demanding nationalisation of the British and Americanowned public utility companies, including railways, roads, and telephones, reports the Buenos Aires correspondent of the New York Time's. Tentative feelers have been put about a deal by which Britishowned railways will be taken over by Argentina in exchange for sterling funds, totalling 160,000,000 dollars, which Argentina is holding. British interests protested that these funds would be better used for the purchase of British goods which Argentina badly needs. —New York, April 20.

Australian Coastal Ships All ships trading on the Australian coast will, by legislation, have to be built in Australia, the Minister of Reconstruction (Mr J. J. Dedman) told the Australian labour conference. He said that legislation would be introduced next session, making it essential for coasters to be built here. In two or three years ships throughout the world would be “twopence a dozen,” he said. Australian-built ships would be replaced every 25 years. Though a reduction in shipbuilding employment was inevitable, due to the economic impossibility of maintaining war-time pressure, mercantile and naval programmes would provide work. War vessels would include a majority of destroyers. The programme envicaged the construction of 32,000 tons of shipping a year. —Sydney, April 21,

Historic Relics Stolen Four masked men, using a car, overpowered the watchman and stole antiques and works of art valued at thousands of pounds to-night from Hever Castle, in Kent, the home of Colonel the Hon. J. J. Astor, president of the Empire Press Union and managing director of The Times. Port authorities throughout Britain have been instructed to keep a lookout for men trying to get the treasures from Britain. Hever Castle was once the home of Anne Boleyn. The treasures stolen included a signet ring which belonged to Henry VIII. Anne Boleyn’s prayer book, which she is believed to have carried to the scaffold, several prayer books, including those belonging to Queen Elizabeth and the Emperor Charles V, a number of snuff boxes, among them a Louis XVI box given to Marie Louise by Napoleon, a miniature of Lady Hamilton, and a full-length mink coat worth at least £lOOO belonging to Lady Astor.—London, April 21.