NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 37

NEWS BY CABLE.

PROHIBITION CAMPAIGN. Although the polling will not take place till November, a great prohibition campaign is in progress in Scotland. The Bill is on similar lines to the New Zealand law. It provides for a bare majority decision on the issues of Continuance. Reduction, and Prohibition. Both side 3 aro putting their best efforts into the fight,-and are spending much money. The prohibition advocates include many Americans, TREASURY BONDS. Asked what was the cause of the failure of the Treasury bond issue, Mr Austen Chamberlain (Chancellor of the Exchequer) said that only £10,000,000 was received in three months. He admitted it was disappointing compared even with his modest expectations, and he again appealed for public "support, as the floating debt continued to cause anxiety. PLOTS IN GREECE. Owing to rumours that M. Venizelos was dead, great crowds attacked the reactionary strongholds in Athens and wrecked five newspaper offices, a theatre, and a cafe. The police arrested many reactionary leaders, some for their own protection and others for complicity in a plot to effect a. coup d'etat after M. Venivelos's assassination and to restore ex-King Constantino to the throne. The Government states that it has proof that the Opposition we intriguing and plotting with ex-King Constantino in Switzerland. The plotters relied mainly on 1200 ex-officers who were at present congregated -in Athens, and the absence of a garrison on foreign service. M. Dragoumis was shot while attempting to escape from, a military escort.BANK MERGER. The English, Scottish, and Australian Bank has provisionally agreed to purchase a controlling interest in the London Bank of Australia. Ordinary shareholders of the London Bank will receive five £25 shares in the English. Scottish, and Australian Bank for every nine- £22 10s shares held, 'with £1 cash for each share. Preference shareholders have the option to take the same proportion of shares, with £2 cash, or payment in Cfcsh of £l3 each share. Mr Wren takes charge of both banks in" Australia and Mr Janioh charge of both in London. ACCIDENT TO SIR. JAMES ALLEN. While motoring to Southampton to farewell Lord Jellicoe, Sir James Allen's oar collided with another. Sir James was slightly cut about the face through the shattering of the wind screen. COLLAPSE OF A MOUNTAIN. A mountain 200 miles from Manila, in the Philippines, collapsed during a recent storm and buried an entire Igorote villago under hundreds of feet of earth, killing 70 natives. . / NEW ZEALAND MEAT. The meat in Nos. 2 and 5 holds in the shelter deck of the Admiral Codrington was badly damaged, -and is belie-ved to be " only fit for boiling down. Seven hundred carcases and 800 cases of offal have already : been condemned. The remainder of the cargo is apparently well frozen, ibut somewhat stale. GENERAL ITEMS. The German money order service with Great Britain, Ireland, and the British colonies is being resumed to-day. Major-general Sir Henry Burstall has been appointed , Inspector-general, with the rank or lieutenant.-general in the Canadian Militia, succeeding- Sir Arthur Currie. In view of the beginning of the reform scheme in India several new appointments are announced, including Lord Siniha as Governor of Benhar and Orissa. He is the first Indian to become the head of a province. His appointment has gratified the natives of all classes. Dr Grayson, personal physician to President Wilson, in a statement says that the President is improving slowly but steadily. / He had regained his former weight of 1791b5, and is doing a great amount of work. It is stated that coal from the Transvaal mines, via Delagoa Bay, arriving at English ports is cheaper than coal delivered from the British coalfields to Royal (?) ports. One shipment was sold £2 a ton less than the, export price of British coal. The King of Norway has decorated Dame Melba with the Royal Gold Medal of Merit. Melba sang at a concert in aid of the dependents of Norwegian seamen who were killed in the war. She was accorded a public dinner and presented with laurel wreaths; The death is announced of Sir Norman Jjockyer, Director of the Hill Observatory. The deceased, who was 84 years of age, was Director of the Solar Physics Observatory, South Kensington, 1886-1913. He had

a distinguished career, and contributed many valuable works on astronomy. . An explosion occurred on. the barge Dorcas, which Vas carrying to Woolwich 450 barrels of petroleum. Both the cargo and the barge were totally destroyed. Six other barges were set afire and damaged. captain of the Dorcas is massing. Two sailors were sent to a hospital, suffering from severe burns. It is officially stated that out of 209 contracts for the construction of concrete vessels the Government has cancelled 143. The net loss under the programme is estimated at between £2,500,000 and £3,000,000. It is estimated that the loss would have been £5,000,000 if all the contracts had been completed , , An agreement has been reached, with the full consent of the American Shipping Board, between the old Hamburg-Amerikan Steamship Company a.nd the American Ship Commerce Corporation providing for the resumption of the trans Atlantic passenger freight service between American ports and Germany, also the service between Germany and other world ports. The Germans will act for the Americans in Germany, and the Americans for the Germans in America.