Around The World

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 June 1950, Page 6

Around The World

U.S. Farm Prices

The United States House of Representatives today approved a Bill to provide an additional 2,000,000,000 dollars to' support farm prices. It expands the borrowing authority of thd Community Credit Corporation to 6,750,000,000 dollars. The Bill also empowers the President to proclaim either import fees of up to 50 per cent, of the . value of produce items, or to cut the normal import quotas by half, if necessary, to protect the free support system.—Washington, June 21.

Belgian Servicemen’s Protest Reuter’s Brussels correspondent reports that more than 10,000 Belgian former servicemen will parade through the streets of Brussels on Sunday to demonstrate against the granting of any amnesty to convicted war-time collaborators now serving prison sentences. It will be a silent demonstration. An order issued by the “National Committee of Action and Vigilance”-calls on the demonstrators to “parade in silence and without smoking.”—London, Juno 22.

Choice Before Humanity Professor Niels Bohr, the leading atom scientist, said today: “Humanity is facing this choice—an open world or the end of our civilisation. There is only one path for the world to take if civilisation shall survive. ■We must create an open world with common knowledge about social conditions and technical enterprises, including military projaarations in every country. Such conditions alone will”be able to guarantee that the progress of science is used only for the benefit of mankind.”—Copenhagen, June 21.

British Exports in May Britain's exports in May were 1.64 per cent, of the average monthly export figures for 1947. The value of British exports to the United- States during May reached 23,000,000 dollars and were the best since January, 1949. Exports to Canada were valued at 34,700,000 American dollars. This ■ showed a further improvement upon the figures for the iirst period of this year which averaged 23,900,000 American dollars. The best export figures for May were established by the motor industry which sent overseas 37,463 new cars and chassis and 7825 agricultural tractors. —London, June 22.

Policy In Middle East The Arab States today handed to the United States, Britain, and France identical Notes disclosing that they have adopted a generally friendly attitude towards the joint Big Three policy in the Middle East. The Big Three on May 25 announced a guarantee of Middle East borders against forceful change and said they would supply both the Arab nations and Israel with armaments on condition that these were used for defensive purposes or internal security only.—Cairo, June 21.

[Ban On British Journalist I American newspapermen in Japan have telegraphed to Mr Truman protesting against the action of General MacArthur in declaring Mr Frank Hawley, Tokio correspondent of The Times, London, to be persona non grata with the administration. The telegram describes General MacArthur’s action as one which jeopardises the professional integrity of all overseas journalists in Japan, and threatens the freedom of objective reporting. It asks for an opportunity to discuss the situation with representatives of the State Depart-ment.—-London, June 21.

War Sanctuary Area The burgomasters of six Belgian towns between the Dutch frontier and Zee brugge their area declared a safe zone where women and children and the old and sick could shelter in any future war. Belligerents would be asked not to bomb the area. The burgomasters have written to the Prince de Merode, president of the Belgian Red Cross, asking him to raise the question with the International Red Cross. The towns are Bruges, Zeebrugge, Heyst, Duinbergen, Knocke, and Le Zoute. —Brussels, June 21. The Dean Of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr Geoffrey Fisher), commenting on the overseas visits of the Dean of Canterbury (Dr Hewlett Johnson), said: “The Dean of Canterbury, in spite of his political views, is not an antiChristian, but holds, profoundly and sincerely, precisely the same Christian faith as you and I hold.” The Archbishop of Canterbury, who was addressing a gathering of archbishops and bishops, added: “You may think it odd that I try to defend him like this. I think he is mistaken. He draws conclusions, many of which I do not accept; but I believe he is not in himself disloyal to his interpretations of the Christian faith.”—London, June 22.

Death Sentence On Japanese. A War Crimes Court today ■ sentenced Lieutenant-General Takuma Nishimura to death by hanging, and his former personal aide, Captain Shoichi Nonaka, to six months’ imprisonment. Both had been found guilty of having murdered. 110 -^ us “ tralian and 35 Indian prisoners oi war at Parit Sulong, Malaya, on January 22, 1942. General Nishimura, at the time the offence was committed, was commanding General of the Japanese Konoe Division (Imperial Guards), which took part .m the battle for Singapore. In 1947 General Nishimura had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Britisn War Crimes Court at Singapore.

Neither showed any sign of emotion when the sentences were passed.— Los Negros, June 22. American Judge Sentenced Judge Norval Harris was sentenced at Indianapolis today to 60 days’ imprisonment at the State penal farm for contempt of court. Judge Harris had defied the Supreme Court which had ordered him not to interfere with an investigation of .his judicial conduct. The judge faces a charge in his own circuit court of having issued a fraudulent cheque and also charges of drunkenness in the Indianapolis Municipal Court. The action taken today is not a ground for removing Judge Harris from office, but he must name. a special judge to replace him while he serves his sentence. It is his second prison sentence. He served seven months for forgery in 1933, but President Roosevelt later pardoned him. —New York, June 21. Germ-Free Animals

A colony of germ-free animals for scientific research was started today at dedication ceremonies for a new germ-proof laboratory at the University of Notre Dame. New apparatus in which the germ-free animal colony will be reared will house about 1000 animals at one time. The animals will be used for scientific research in medical problems, including experiments seeking the cause of tooth decay. The colony was. started today by the introduction of six germ-free fowls. They will be followed by other species of animals such as rats. Dr J. R. Blayney, of the University of Chicago, shid that the germ-free animal technique had now positively demonstrated that dental decay in white rats did not occur in the absence of microbic life. —New York, June 21. i

Opportunity For Germans “The Germans can make an immense contribution to the world,” said. General Sir Brian Robertson, the British High Commissioner in West Germany, at his final, press conference before relinquishing his position. He will be succeeded by Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick. General Robertson added that he hoped the Germans would take advantage of the opportunity, and pointed to their “many great qualities” which he felt

would more than counter-balance the “weaknesses of character which have been installed by a long period of unhappiness. The Manchester Guardian’s Dusseldorf correspondent says that General Robertson’s departure marks the end of an epoch in the Allied occupation. The British, as well as the American and French, will now have civilian high commissioners in their zones.—London, June 21. Aid For South-East Asia

British Commonwealth nations could not throw their full weight into the task of raising living standards in South-east Asia until they were provided with dollar loans, declared Sir Douglas Copland in the latest issue of “Foreign Affairs',” a ■ quarterly review published by the Council of Foreign Relations, New York. Sir Douglas Copland said that some sort of joint secretariat might be established which could act as a clearing house through which both American and British Commonwealth aid to South-east Asia could pass. Giving the .total of 1,000,000,000 dollars a year as a possible absorption of American loans by the Commonwealth for development purposes, he said that there would be little difficulty in meeting interest, charges. Sir Douglas Copland said that Australia might need to borrow 200,000,000 dollars to 400,000,000 dollars a year, on which about half of the interest charges might be met by the sale of 150,000,0001 b of beef to the United States.—New York, June 21. .

Appeal By U.S. Communists The United States Court of Appeals today began the hearing of an appeal of 11 Communist leaders who were convicted last October of advocating the violent overthrow of the Government. The defence coun- [ sei, Mr Abraham Isserman, in his opening argument today sought to prove that the Smith Act of 1940 under which the convictions were obtained was unconstitutional. He declared that an affirming of the Convictions of the 11 men would strike a death-blow at the first Amendment to the Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly. He said that the overthrow of a Government did not occur by words alone but required preparations and acts. Ten

of the 11 convicted men are free on bail, and the other, Eugene Dehnis, .secretary of the American Communist Party, is serving a prison term for contempt of Congress. The case which began nearly two years ago, resulted in the 10 men being given five years’ imprisonment and one three years’ imprisonment. , Each was fined 10,000 dollars.—New York, June 21.

Seattle’s Trade Policy The City Council of Seattle has reversed a recent decision which would have given. United States manufacturers a 25 per cent, preference over foreign competitors. Elimination of the preference resulted mainly from arguments by the Economic Cooperation Administration that such a policy would not be good for Seattle, whose port depends on international trade, and that it would undermine Europe’s faith in the sincerity of the Marshall Plan policy of increasing American imports of European goods. The City Council earlier this year rejected British tenders for electrical equipment, although acceptance of them would have saved money. The council at that time had not adopted its 25. per cent, preference policy. Tenders for several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of additional electrical equipment have now been called by the council.—Washington, June 21.

Mine Stoppage In N.S.W. South coast miners’ leaders have called a 24-hour stoppage tomorrow at all southern New South Wales mines to consider grievances over workers’ compensation. The stoppage will involve 3300 miners. Today 29 New South Wales mines are idle because of the weather, for a loss of 13,000 tons of coal.—Sydney, June 21.

Heat Wave In Yukon

A heat-wave has struck Dawson City in the Yukon, just beneath the Arctic Circle. Last. Sunday a temperature of 95 degrees was recorded and yesterday it was 87 degrees. The town of Snag, which reported 85 degrees today, had a record North American low temperature of 51 degrees of frost in February, 1947. — Vancouver, June 20. ' '