CABLE BREVITIES HEAT WAVE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 February 1947, Page 7

CABLE BREVITIES HEAT WAVE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

In spite of rains elsewhere, the situation remains serious in the central western area of New South .Wales, where Cobar and Canowindra are sweltering in temperatures of more than 100 degrees. Meanwhile, large areas of Queensland are threatened by monsoonal floods which have caused the Ross river to break its banks. Torrential rain over a wide area has submerged all traffic bridges, blocking road and rail transport south and west of Townsville. Four suburbs are isolated and partly under water.—Sydney, Feb. 5.

Immigrants for Australia In spite of statements to the contrary, the Minister of Immigration (Mr A A.. Calwell) persists m saying that the British Government is anxious to assist Australia m obtaining immigratns. His latest statement is that the British Under- Secretary for the Colonies (Mr I. Thomas) has given him an assurance that Britain hopes to see a return to large-scale migration to Australia as soon .as possible. Mr Thomas denies saying that Great Britain was discouraging migrants. A leading article in the Daily Telegraph attacks Mr Thomas s denial as absurd hair-splitting and says his evasive attempt to obscuie the meaning of his statements does not help to clarify facts which Australians must understand if they aie to form a realistic policy.—Sydney, Feb. 4.

U.S. Supplies for France. The United States has handed to the French authorities (hiring the last six months, the bulk of the American supplies, originally costing £349,500,000 which are located m France The transfer occurred under the terms of the agreement between M. Leon Blum and Mr. J. F. Byrnes, which was signed in Washington last May. —Paris, Feb. 4.

Funeral of Al Capone. In contrast to the flamboyant funerals he used to arrange for victims of his gang, Al Capone was buried quietly in Chicago under a tent erected to protect the mourners from zero weather. A Catholic priest who read the burial service while Capone s former henchmen and 50 of Chicago s “hoodlums” gathered round, said the brief ceremonies were “to recognise Capone’s penitence and the fact that he died fortified by the sacraments of the Church.” —New York, February 5.

Women in Air Force. Women will provide the bulk of the non-regular staff in Royal Air Force operations rooms and radar reporing units when recruiting for the Auxiliary Air Force gets fully into its stride. Plans have been made to employ three times more women than men on these duties. Those who offer themselves for the auxiliary ser-

vice will be formed with the sprink ling of men necessary, into air defence units, and they will do their training at Royal Air Force stations and town centres—London, S.S. Men' Escape The British Army authorities are worried over the large number of dangerous S.S. men who have escaped from prisons and internment camps while waiting to be tried for war crimes, says the Hamburg correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency. It is estimated that about 30 are at large, among whom is the Ravensbruck camp commandant, Fritz Sohren, and his labour chief, Hans Phlaum; who should have gone into the dock with the accused who were sentenced yesterday. Two of the nine defendants m the Banterwem concentration camp trial, which opens to-day, escaped from prison in' December and are still missing.—London, t Feb. 4.