NEWS AND NOTES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4808, 10 July 1939, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES

Thirteen Japanese at Tientsin delivered fiery anti-British speeches at a mass meeting to celebrate the anniversary of the war in China. Beflagged trucks, bearing anti-British slogans, were a feature of a large parade in the Japanese area. A dangerour incident occurred at Hankow, where 100 French marines, armed with machine-guns, defied the Japanese garrison and refused to allow a decorated float to traverse the concession. It is learned on good authority that the visit of Sir Archibald Cochrane, Governor of Burma, Mr. Phelps, Defence Secretary, and Major-General McLeod, G.0.C., Burma, to Simla, is to confer with the Viceroy, the Marquess of Linlithgow. The conference concerned a plan advanced in certain high Chinese circles, to cede to Britain the western part of Yunnan Province for incorporation in Burma. A communique issued in Berlin at the conclusion of the visit of M. Kiosseivanoff, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, stresses the traditional friendship between Bulgaria, Italy and Germany, and of a desire to deepen it. Officials expressed sympathy with Bulgaria's desire to regain territory given to Rumania and Yugoslavia.

The first steps of the mobilisation of Britain's £3,700,000,000 of overseas investments for emergency purposes was taken by the Treasury, which requested the Association of Investment Trusts to declare the total value of their foreign security holdings.

The New Zealand Finance Minister, Hon. W. Nash, has postponed his departure for New Zealand until Wednesday next. The Minister's decision to postpone his sailing was made at the last moment. His luggage was on the point of being shipped. His later departure does not affect his Pacific sailing. No indication is available whether the reported export credit will be completed before his departure on Wednesday.

The British Ambassador to Russia, Sir William .Seeds, and M. Maggari, the French Envoy, are seeking an interview with M. Molotoff to submit new proposals, says a message from Moscow.

The British United Press Tallin correspondent says that Foreign Office circles claim that Britain gave Estonia a solemn assurance that she would protect the interests of the Baltic States during the Moscow talks and would not approve of a guarantee of automatic Russian aid to the Baltic States.

Commonwealth finances for the year ended June 30 showed a surplus of receipts over expenditure of £627,000. Revenue amounted to £93,256,000; expenditure to £92,629,000. Defence expenditure was £1,000,000 in excess of the Budget estimate, but there were savings in other Departments.