NEWS FROM OVERSEAS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 215, 25 August 1927, Page 6

NEWS FROM OVERSEAS.

CABLES IN BRIEF. A Belgrade message states that Prince George, an elder brother c.f the King of Yugo-Slavia. made a determined attempt at suicide, and there is little hope of his recovery. The Queensland Parliament nas opened. The Governor, in hie speech, said the finances of the oast year disclosed a deficit of £343.166, but this was mainly due to the effect, on the railway revenue of the continued drought.

The story from Madrid alleging that a man ran amok with a revolver in a convent, and killed eight nuns, and wounded two others is now declared to be without foundation, and to have been wrongly ascribed to the newspaper “El Sol.”

“The Times’ ” Constantinople correspondent -says the general elections will be held early in September. The re-election of the former Nationalist members depends upon the Kemalist party. Kemal desires that in the future the Assembly shall be composed of the intellgentsia imbued with Republican principles.

The “Daily News’ correspondent at Geneva says the third conference on communications and transit met in the famous glass pavilion attached to the League building which rioters seriously damaged. Roller blinds outside and red curtains within hid the riddled window- but smashed mirrors were not removed The chairman announced that the Soviet refused representation but desired to be informed the decisions.

J. P Morgan and Company, associated with the National Ci tv Company and a syndicate of New York bankers, have underwritten a Commonwealth 40,000,000 dollar loan of five per cent. 30 year bonds, dated September 1. and redeemable at option in whole or in part on or after September 1. 1947. and nrior to September 1. 1952 at £lO2 per cent.: and on or after Septem.ber 1. 1952. at par with accrued interest. Subscriptions open on August 24 and are expected to be immediately oversubscribed and the books closed.

The Sydney Citv Council has completed negotiations for a loan of £500,000 from the Australasian Temperance and General Mutual life Assurance Society. Limited bearing interest at the rate of £5 15s per cent, per annum, for a fixed period of 20 rears, the loan to be drawn I v the Council in monthly instalments spread over 16 months.

The Federal Cabinet considered the report of the Royal Commission on wireless, which has not vet been made public. Although it is known that it contains manv drastic and important suggestions there is not expected to be ar- immediate change in the conditions governing the existing arganisation of broadcasting After exhaustively discussing the question of Government control, the report states that the commission favours the retention of private enterprise. so that broadcasting mav be developed along the lines already laid down, though subject in a large measure to Government supervision.

Britain’s “Robot” army is <stil] manoeuvring on Salisbury Plain An idea of its costliness is gathered from th® fact tlfat. ns it stands today. the outlay represents £750.000. The tanks are the most costly. Estimates are as follows: Battalion of 48 fighting and two wireless tanks. £500,000: twelve dragons for field artillery £18,000; two companies oi armed cars, eight in each company, £32,000; un unnamed number of sixwheeled vehicles, £24,000; twelve tankettes, £6OOO. Both the tanks and the dragons are very thirsty. It requires 13s 6d to run a tank one mile, or £7 an hour, from Avhich some idea may be gained of -he terrific cost of th© recent CC-nule march.

, “The full agenda of the League of Nations Council meeting opening on September 1 consists of 29 items, hardly one of which,’’ savs the “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent, “could not be disposed of by the senior and iunior clerks in the Foreign Offices.” He proceeds: “The September session is generally regarded as most important. The present agenda, however, is even duller and emptier than last spring’s. It seems to justify M de Jouvenel’s complaint that the League nowadays is not permitted to deal with first-class issues. There are the usual matters concerning the internal working of the League, more than the usual crop of Polish-Danzig squabbles, numerous reports on finance, economics, health, infant welfare, transit and the problem of refugees, but no word about disarmament. the Rhineland occupation, the Soviet menace or the Balkan unrest.”

At Montreal. Messrs Klug. Andrews, Herman, and other Australian delegates, addressed the Mining and Metallurgical Congress on Australian mineral resources and methods of recovering and treating products; also on power generation, briquette making, experiments with pulverised coal, and carbonising. Australia’s position was mentioned during the discussion, and a resolution proposed to institute a review of the mineral resources and industries in each unit of the Empire. Speakers emphasised the necessity of preparedness in case of another disastrous war. and the ability to provide all metallurgical necessities from within the Empire.

During heavy seas in the English Channel yesterday evening, the battle cruiser Tiger and the destroyer Salmon went to the assistance of the naval drifter Sheen, on her way from Portsmouth to Portland. The Tiger found her 23 miles miles off Portland Bill and brought her safely to port.