OFFICIAL WIRELESS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1928, Page 2

OFFICIAL WIRELESS

WORK FOR PEACE. BRITISH INITIATIVE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Aug. 12. Referring to disarmament questions, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Air William Bridgenian, at Hellifield, Yorkshire, last night said that Britain had done more in this direction than any other Power and she was prepared to do still more. The proposal for a multi-lateral pact was in fact only another way of proposing what, on behalf of the British Government, ho proposed at Geneva a year ago, when Mr Kellogg explained what he meant hv the outlawry of war.

He showed that his idea was that no nation which signed the Pact should use war as an instrument of national policy. That was a perfectly plain statement, with which he cordially agreed. It meant that each nation could take what measure it thought fit for its own defence, but that each was bound in honour not to appeal to armaments in order to carry out an aggressive policy. It was almost exactly the same thing in principle as that Britain had proposed at Geneva, namely, that aggressive naval warfare should be considered entirely out of court and that the Powers should come to an agreement on what vessels each wanted for its own self-defence, The Pact was a very long step in the right direction.

Referring to the Anglo-French compromise regarding proposals for a basis of naval limitation, he said: “At previous meetings of the Preparatory Committee for a Disarmament Conference, a good deal of indifference was revealed between the French view and the British. Since then we have had conversations with the French, and by concession on both sides we have arrived at an agreement which we hope will lie accepted by all other nations. It is nothing to do with the American multilateral pact, hut it will make it perhaps easier in future to arrive at some agreement at the Disarmament Conference at Geneva.

PRINCE’S AFRICAN TOUR, RUGBY. Aug. 12. The Prince of Wales will leave London with his brother, the. Duke of Gloucester, on September 6th. on their East African tour. They will travel overland to Marseilles, where they will join the Kaiserliind for Egypt, They will there transfer to the Maldar for Mombasa, which they are due to reach on Sept. 28th. THE FOREIGN SECRETARY TO HAVE A COMPLETE REST RUGBY, Aug. 12, Sir Austen Chamberlain is making satisfactory progress towards recovery alter his illness, hut under the doctor’s orders he has decided when convalescent. to take a sea voyage.Arrangements are accordingly in hand for Sir Austen and Lady Chamberlain to leave England at the end of the month on a voyage to California by way of Panama Canal, returning through Canada, A complete rest from official duties has been ordered, and during the visit, which will have no political significance, Sir Austen Chamberlain will not engage in public speaking, either in the United States or in Canada,

It is possible that on the outward journey, Sir Austen Chamberlain will make a. brief call in the West Indies. He expects to return to England the first week in November. CANADA’S HAR VEST. WORKERS FROM BRITAIN. RUGBY. August 12 The Minister for Labour anounees that the rush of unemployed men to enrol for harvest work in Canada under the Government scheme, lias been so great that up to yesterday evening approximately 25,003 had applied. Allowing for rejections as a result of civil and. medical examination, this number is sufficent to fill the quota of 10,00!) who are required, and accordingly the employment exchanges have been instructed to close their lists to further applicants. The scheme has been speedily carried out. It was only on August Ist that Mr L. S. Aniery, Secretary to the Dominions, announced in the House of Commons that arrangements had been made with the Canadian Government whereby 10,000 men were to go to Canada for harvest work. The Canadian Government had expressed a special wish that the men should be recruited from mining areas. It appears from the official figures that the large majority of applications have, in fact, come from the distressed areas of Northern England, Scotland, and Wales. About 3000 of the 10,000 men required will he ready and on their way to Canada this weekend.

The generally declared intention of the voyagers is to remain in Canada after the harvest season if they can find work.