Around The. World

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 April 1949, Page 6

Around The. World

Nazi Sterilisation Victims Surgeons in North Rhine-Westphalia have formed a committee to restore the fertility of victims of Nazi sterilisation operations.—Berlin, April 25.

Plymouth Demonstrators Fined Six men, including a Royal Navy rating, were fined sums ranging from £1 to £2 at Plymouth for obstructing the police during a demonstration against Mr Harry Pollitt, secretary of the British Communist Party—London, April 25.

Earthquake In Persian Gulf Many casualties and heavy damage to buildings were caused by an earthquake which rocked the port of Bandar Abbas, on the Persian Gulf, reports the newspaper Keyhan. The shocks went on for 30 seconds.—Teheran, April 25.

Canadian Parliament . The Prime Minister (Mr Louis St Laurent) announced in the Canadian House of Commons tonight that Parliament would be dissolved before the end of this month, and the General Elections would be held as soon as possible. —Ottawa, April 25.

Slav Union In Argentina The Argentine Government today outlawed the Slav Union. The union, which has flourished in Argentina since 1942, is believed to have at least 250,000 members. Today’s action by the Government is another step in the progressively severe attitude of the President (General Peron) towards the Communists, whom he formerly tolerated with apparent good-natured indifference. Members of the Slav Union are not members of the Communist Party, but the Argentine Government considers them ardent supporters of Mr Stalin, or, to a less extent, of Marshal Tito.—Buenos Aires, April 25.

Giant Aircraft-Carrier The Secretary of Defence (Mr Louis Johnson) today ordered the American Navy to stop the construction of the 65,000-ton aircraft-carrier, United States. A spokesman for the Defence Department interpreted Mr Johnsons order as meaning that construction of the carrier had been halted permanently. The Secretary of the Navy (Mr John Sullivan), announcing that the construction of the carrier had been stopped, said that the decision had been taken after receiving the views of the Chiefs of Staff, and after consultations with President Truman.— Washington, April 25.

Armistice Lines For Jerusalem “The mixed Armistice c^ I P ls^ ns _ Jerusalem has decided jordan is to restore moie than W squaic miles of land north and south of Jeru salem to the Israelis on May 1, says Reuter’s correspondent m Amman. “The Jerusalem-Tel Aviv ral ] wa will be the frontier between Arab-held and Jewish-held land in this region the south to the Arabs, the north to the Israelis.” Reuter’s correspondent in Jerusalem says that motor lorries loaded with f iles .and office equipment arrived in Jerusalem from Tel Aviv to day as sections of the Israeli Ministiy of Justice moved to new headquarteis in Jerusalem. More Government offices are to move to Jerusalem soon to ease congestion in Tel Aviv.—Lonuon, April 24.

Theft Of U.S. Documents The trial of Judith Copion a formei employee of the United States Justice Department, began today in a Federal Cour, Copion is charged with stealing secret Government data “relating to espionage and counter-espionage activities, with intent to give them to Valentin Gubitchev, a Rosian engineer formerly attached to the United Nations Secretariat, to injure the United States, and help a foreign nation.” Copion’s attorney sought the ouashing of the indictment on the ground that nine of the 17 grand juiors who indicted Copion were Government employees, and would not dare to challenge the Attorney-General. The judge (Mr Justice Reeves) denied the motion, and ordered councel to proceed with the' selection of the trial jury—Washington, April 25.

Urged To Change Policy Senator Arthur Vandenberg, the Republican Party’s foreign affairs spokesman, in a speech today appealed to Soviet Russia to reverse its present foreign policy in the interest of world peace. Senator Vandenberg said. “Greater in its effect than our whole storehouse of atom bombs would be an announcement tonight—backed by deeds to give it some belated semblance of reality—that Moscow seeks to heal the East-West breach in world relations; that Communism is ready to drop its plans for external conquest and subversion; that the Politburo is truly ready for mutual good faith in efforts to create a liveable world in which free self-determination shall decide any nation’s accepted ideology; and that effectively disciplined and adequately suuervised universal disarmament shall be the world’s progressive goal on a new agenda of hope for the people of the Soviet Socialist Republics and for other people in a friendly world. There will be no third world war unless Communist Russia starts it. No matter how feverishly we might seek to insulate ourselves if a third world war ever starts, it will be aimed at us.”—New York, April 25.