Around The World

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 August 1949, Page 6

Around The World

Maltese Envoy Resigns Mr Edward Ellul, Malta s Commis-sioner-General in London, resigned today, following the . example o t the Deputy-Prime Minister and Minister of Reconstruction (Mr D. Mmtoff). The Prime Minister (Dr Paul Boffa) is the only member of the Maltese delegation left to carry on the talks with the British Government on Malta’s economic crisis. Mr Ellul said Chat he found himself in serious disagreement with the suddenly-reversed policy of the Maltese Government.— London, August 16. Marshall Plan Countries . Exports to the United States by Britain and other Marshall Plan countries in June were valued at 40.000,000 dollars less than the average for each month of the first quarter of 1949. British exports to the United States fell from 15,200,000 dollars in May to 14 700 000 dollars in June. On an averaae they were 22,700,000 dollars during each of the first three months of 1949. During June American exports to Marshall Plan countries increased m value by 19.000.000 dollars.—London, August 16.

Marriage Ceremony For Communists “A decree published by the Vatican today allows priests to perform the marriage ceremony for Communists, provided that they promise to raise their children in the Roman Catholic faith ” says the Associated Press. “The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano savs that the decree is very opportune because inaccurate interpretations, especially with regard to .matrimony, have arisen as a result of the earlier measure excommunicating militant Communists and barring other Communists from sacraments.”—Vatican City, August 16.

West Germany’s Cabinet Leaders of the German Christian Democrat Union, which with 139 seats emerged as the strongest party from Sunday’s Parliamentary election m Western Germany, said that it was unlikely that any final decision about forming a Cabinet would be taken before the party committee meets next week-end. The party had no intention of discussing a coalition with the Social Democrats, who hold 131 seats. The electorate had decided unmistakeably in favour of a free economy and against “the planning advocated by the Social Democrats.”—London, August 17.

Former Regents Sentenced Two former Jugoslav Regents have been sentenced to imprisonment, for “Fascism” and “terrorism.” The official Jugoslav news agency says that Dr Radenko Stankovic has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and Dr Ivo Fere vic to 11 years’ imprisonment. Both were members of the Regency Council set up in 1934. Mr Milan Antic, a former “Minister of the Court,” has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and Mr Danilo Gregoric, a journalist, to 18

years’ imprisonment. The four men were found guilty by the Belgrade People’s Tribunal of “introducing Fascism in Jugoslavia and subjecting Jugoslavia to German domination.”—Belgrade, August 17. Steel For Australia The Prime Minister of Australia (Mr Chifley) today told the State Premiers that the United Kingdom had agreed to supply Australia with 8000 tons of steel this year, and from 20,000 to 25,000 tons later. In addition, .said Mr Chifley, Australia would receive £1,250,000 worth of steel from Japan and £245,000 worth from France. The Government had also issued licences for imports of smaller quantities of steel from Belgium and Italy. The premier of New South Wales (Mr J. McGirr). said it was unfair that Australia was unable to get dollars for commodities such as petrol and heavy machinery, when these could .be used to make goods to earn and produce dol-lars.-—Canberra, August 18.