OVERSEA NEWS CABLES IN BRIEF

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 136, 23 May 1928, Page 6

OVERSEA NEWS

CABLES IN BRIEF

Cook's Bi-oentenarys H.M.A.S. Brisbane will represent Australia at the bi-centenary of Captain Cook’s death at Honolulu in August.

A Labour Loss; The Legislative Council elections for Western Australia are complete. Another Labour seat has been lost to the Country Party.

Five Years for Manslaughter: At the Roma Circuit Court, the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, with a strong recommendation lor mercy, due to provocation, against the brothers Laycock. Both were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

Canada’s Trade: Canada's trade for the twelve months ended April 30 has suffered a serious reversal of form compared with the previous year, being a total subtraction from favourable balance of 135,250,000 dollars. Imports increased bv 75,750,000 dollars and exports decreased bv 59,500,000 dollars.

Dead Sea Salts Concessions: The Hon. L, M. Amery was asked in the House of Commons whether there had been any further developments regarding the Dead Sea salts concessions. He said that negotiations were still under determination by the Palestine and Trans-Jordanian Governments.

Contented Where He Is: Percival West, the New Zealander whose father went in search of him. states that he will not return to New Zealand. as he is quite happy and comfortable at a Mornington hotel, South Australia, where he has been employed for the past seven years. West has not seen his father since 19H„- ‘

Indian Reform: The South Indian Liberal Federation is placing before the Simon Commission a scheme for constitutional reform, in which the central Government wil] be of the Federal type on the Australian system, with a claim for full dominion status.

Marriage and Divorce in U.S.: Complete marriage and divorce statistics, just compiled for 1926 by the Census Bureau at Washington, show that while marriages nave fallen off in recent years from the high point reached in 1920, divorces have increased for more than a ouarter of a century prior to 1926 nt a rate far greater than the growth of population. Marriages still lead divorces, but the rate of divorces is steadily increasing, while the marriage rate continues to lessen slightly.

Russian Grain: Again counting their chickens before they are hatched the Soviet has formulated a rdgantic scheme to export grain, says “The Times’ ’’ Riga correspondent. The Grain Commissariat had decided that exports in 1932 shall be 850.000 tons, but, considering that provision should be made for a margin of safety, decided to make the figure 800.000. The exportable surplus will be the proceeds of great State farms in Southern and Eastern Russia. Some 1250 farming units, each of 7000 to 10,000 acres, will be allotted as a beginning. The estates will be State managed in order to prevent “peasant sabotage of the grain crop.” Meanwhile the soil remains in its virgin state. Nobody knows

whence the ploughs are coming, but as a start 30 wheat-growing specialists will proceed to North America in June to study United States and Canadian methods.

Athenio to be a Whaler: The “Daily Telegraph’’ i 8 informed that the Athenic has been purchased by Mr. Ajahre. chairman of a whaling company in Norway, and will be converted into a whaler for use in the South Polar seas. Her transformation will occupy three months and cost £lOO,OOO. She will start her new career at the earliest moment, with a crew of 200.

East and West: The “Liberty National” magazine, of New York, with a 2,000,000 circulation, carries an article. “White Australia—Low Pressure Centre of the Globe,’’ by Lowthrop Stoddard, who several years ago became sensationally famous by his observations on the race problem. He says in part: “Australia is the focal point where the extending forces of East and West will confront each other when most sharply irreconcilable. It is the logical storm centre, where, if the potentially hostile forces should be unleased, the hurricane winds of a race war would begin to blow. “Let there be no mistake-wo Americans will be in it too. America could never stand by and see Australia overwhelmed bv Asia. Give Australia time 'and security from Asiatic peril, and she ought ultimately to become a nation strong enough to guard against any possible attack.”