NEWS BY MAIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 May 1925, Page 7

NEWS BY MAIL.

BRITISH OFFICER- AND THREE NATIVES ROUT 300 RAIDERS. A gallant action of Lieut. Chester and three natives of the 50th King’s African Rifles is disclosed in a story of a raid by Somalis on the Abyssinian frontier, Although they did not know the enemy’s strength, Chester and his companions followed up the raiders, am hashed and fired upon them.. Nine or ten of the Somalis were killed, nineteen wounded, and the whole- party, which, numbered 300, -routed. Moreover, Chester recovered possession of 3000 head of the stolen stock. ARCHDUKE RUNS ERRANDS FORFILM COMPANY. An errand boy, alias former Archduke Leopold of Hapsburg, appeared for a second time in a Vienna court for over-speeding and running down a man with a motor-cycle. Leopold, who has completely renounced all his rights in the dynasty, has been allowed to live in Austria, where he is making a most modest living under the greatest difficulties. Leopold, who has a wife and children to keep, was fined three dollars, but the injured man renounced his rights to damages, having sympathy with the hardships of the archduke’s present circumstances. Leopold, who is an errand boy for a film company, was rushing a film to the movies when arrested. FRENCH FLYER TRAVELS AT A COST OF ONLY CENT. A MILE. Airplane travel at a. cent, a mile is the latest accomplishment of the French flier Droudin. Competing for the Solex prize of .30,000 francs for the cheapest flight from Paris to Rouen, 100 kilometres, Drouin covered the distance with a controlled expenditure of 4019 cubic centimetres of gaso'ene and 105 cubic centimetres of lubricating oil. These amounts make a consumption of less than six pounds of fuel and lubricating oil and an expenditure of 15 francs, or about SO cents, for 80 miles. The competition is open for two more days, but it is thought unlikely that Dronin’* feat will he surpassed. FRANCE'S BIRTHRATE STILL ON THE DECLINE. The French birthrate continues to decline, according to vital statistics for last year. The births numbered 752,101 and the deaths 679,885, the excess of births over deaths being 72,216. as against 95,000 for the preceding year. PROPOSED BRITISH OPERATIC TRUST. A national opera trust- to establish opera in Britain as a basis of popular musical art is to be formed. It is proposed to form committees in all the large- industrial centres and raise a capital fund of £500,000 to yield a subsidy large enough to present grand opera regularly on a full scale. An appeal for this fund has been issued by Lord Londonderry, Lord Shaftesbury, Lord Clarendon, Sir Landon Ronald, and other prominent patrons of music. TRACER BULLETS FOUND IN GERMANY. A telegram from Aix-la-Chapelle to n Brussels newspaper states that the Inter-Allied Control Commission on the Rhine has discovered and confiscated several million tracer bullets consigned from non-occupied Germany to a doctor at Neuss on the Rhine. BANK WRECKERS’ RING UNCOVERED. A ring of bank wreckers, nationwide in scope, is believed by Chas. L. Moore, prosecuting attorney of Scotland County, to have been uncovered. Mr Moore said that through 49 operation's tile alleged ring lias obtained 1.151,748 dollars. Banks .in Missouri were hardest hit, he said, adding that the institutions in the State that were still operating had been victims of the ring. He said that four banks had been closed as a- result of the wreckers’ operations. Mr Moore named J. B. McCutchan of St. Louis, under arrest in connection with alleged manipulations of bank .paper, as head of the ring. He stated that the ring operated by ‘"kiting” cheques and selling certificates of deposit. The ring, Mr Moore said, operated as far east as Pittsburg and west to the Pacific. SHEIKS WILL FIND NEBRASKA TOO HOT UNDER NEW LAAV. Sheiks in Nebraska can fold up their tents and trek to healthier climes, if the Bill of Senator John W. Cooper becomes . a law. Practically assured . of passage by both Houses, the measure makes alienation of a husband and wife’s affection a felony, punishable by a prison sentence of from one to. Jive years, and a fine of from 500 to 2500 dollars. •“We are going to make it hot for the sheiks of Nebraska,” said Senator Cooper, sponsor of the Bill, “and just as hot- for over-rouged flapper? who have no regard for the sanctity of the home or respect for the marriage vows.” The Bill, has the whole-hearted support of the older representatives and senators, hut is meeting with much opno-sition from the younger so'ons. Senator Jea-rv. one of the youngest members of the Upper House. in giving his reasons for opposing the measure, sfiid it would “give lawyers too many chances to obtain nice fees for hacking designing women in blackmail cases.”