NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 8 March 1921, Page 36

NEWS BY CABLE.

PROTECTORATE OVER EGYPT. The British Government Iras sent a message to tlie Sultan or Bgypt to me ertect that it has come to tho conclusion that tho 01 ilio rroiectOii*'-tj declared m vember, 19i4, iurmsiies an un&iuigiactory re-laiJci-uHiip between Ur eat Jomu.n auu it desires, therciore, to open a discussion witn tne K&'yijticin delegation wit-n a view oi a dni'eront- reiauunsecuring- Britain s special interests, on cr mg adequate guarantees to iorcign Powers, and meeting the legitimate aspirations oi Egypt. COMPENSATION POP WAR LOOSES. Tne German Government lias agreed to pay German shipping companies 4,700,udU,000 paper marks as compensation ior vessels lust in tiie war in audition to tile sums already paid. The vane.- o l the ships is 7,(AA),Oo\>,G<jO marks in gold. At least bXJ per cent, oi the money must be spent on new const riietion, ana tne companies must build tens oi snipping m a decade. TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA. TERRIFIC HEATH ROLL. A QUARTER OF A MILLION. Reports from tho Kan-su and Elian-si provinces, China, stale that renewed earthquakes kided 12,000 people, making a total death roll of 2 £>o,ooo in 50 days. IX TER-EMPIRE TRADE. Sir Robert Home presided over the Customs Conierenee. All the dominions—• India and the colonies—were represented, including- Mr Darkly (Australia) and Mr T. R. Hird (New Zealand). Sir Robert Horne said that the "war had brought Great Britain and the dominions closer, but it was desirable to still further remove the restrictions on inter-imperial trade. He expressed the hope that the conference would produce a certificate of origin values to facilitate the exchange of goods on a uniform basis. It is expected that the conference will last a fortnight. PUNISHING A,DEPUTY. Michael March, a peasant deputy to the 1 olish Diet, returned to his constituency at Lenowa (Galacia) to give an account of his stewardship. He gave satisfaction until he mentioned that lie had voted for the establishment of the I pper House, and a self-appointed committee, awarded him 25 strokes ol the birch, winch were administered, with a warning, that a further stroke would be administered later for every member of tlie Upper House appointed. VENIZELOS’S SUPPORTERS. . Counsel who was defending the two Greeks who attempted to assassinate M. Venizeios paid a tribute to M. Venizolos, but accused his supporters of gross oppression. Ho stated that they signalised liis return to power by dismissing 8000 officials. They were guilty of such acts as putting a whole family in gaol because they were- in possession of a parrot which had been taught to say “God save the King.” .The family changed their views, but they could not silence the parrot. MEMORIAL OF TWO GREAT CRUSADES. In order to provide space for a memorial for the priests of the diocese who fell in the Great War, the tomb of Queen Berengaria, Consort of Richard Cce.tr de Lion, has been moved in the cathedral at Le Mans, where it had remained undisturbed for nearly 7GO years. The reinterment ceremonies were imposing. The organist played the British National Anthem, and the tomb was heaped with violets gathered at Queen Berengia’s Epau Estate, and bound with tricolour ribbons, with an inscription commemorating both great crusades, the Queen, and France’s victims in the holy crusade of 1914-18. PR IN” M OF WALES’S SOUVENIRS. An exhibition of the Prince of Wales’s souvenirs at the Imperial Institute is attracting public attention. A large man is displayed indicating the Renown’s route, and is surmounted by the Prince’s Standard, which was flown from the Renown. The chief feature of the collection is the amazing array of addresses, from the simplest written ones to splendidly-illumi-nated relumes. Some newspapers describe the Tasmanian Cambrian Society’s address as the most original. They also refer to the West Australian “ugly mail's” address, ami specially notice the New Zealand cabinet wombs anti the- Maori carved pipes. FRENCH BLUE BEARD. 1 lie Court of Cassation lias quaslied tlie indictment against Landau, owing to minor irregulath;es in tho preliminary court, including the examining magistrate’s neglect to sign the evidence given by medical experts. Therefore, the case against Landru, who was accused of murdering 10 sweethearts, which has already lasted 18 months, must be gone through all over again. GENERAL ITEMS. Sir Erie Geddes will leave polities in August. T tie death is announced of Nicholas, exiling of Montenegro. Workmen at ITensborg, Denmark, prevented the launching of a steamer for Hugo Stiunes (Germany) because she was named the “Tirpitz.” The League- of Nations has refined Dany'(X permission to manufaci uro arms for Pen i. Karolyi has been expelled in consiquenee of the discovery that he financed Bolshevist propaganda, in Italy. Legislation providing for an in< reuse in the tariff on North. America:! products has been inf reduced ill (ho Argentine Chamber of Deputies. Air A. Hayday, Labour member for Nottingham in the House of ('oimuons. Pas just, had the eighteenth child born to him. Thirteen of his children are living. The Privy Council has granted Archdeacon Wakefield leave t o appeal against the findings of the Consistory Court flint lie had been found gniltv of two charges of adultery. The Bishop of Lincoln 1 deprived him of his benefices, leaving him free to act in another diocese. Mr A. IToR and Company (Blue Funnel Lino) are organising a service from Hamburg fo Australia via the Capo, calling at Glasgow, tho first sailing being in March.

Thieves climbed the tower of Notre I)amc Cathedral, Paris, and cut away a section of tiie lightmng conductor, containing most valuable platinum and copper. A wallaby presented to the Prince of I Wales by the New ,South Wales GovernI merit has arrived by tho Orsovu, and has | been handed over to the Zoo. [ , Fourteen persons were killed and 32 injured in a train wreck in Mexico caused by strikers disconnecting the air brakes of a leading tram as it descended a grade, iims permitting its crashing into another train. A 68'CO-tonnor, ox-Grrman, renamed ihe Huntspdl, due to -ail on Tuesday from bout hampton with troops for the Par East, inexplicably listed and sank in tho mud, a fid is at present half submerged. In the Grenadiers’ Point-to-Point, Rare tue Prince c.f Males rode a hunter called Pet Dog. Tlie horse foil .at tho second feme, but the Prince took the to--. and was pi the saddle again immediately, and fin shed third. There were. 15 runners. A member of the German mission to London said lie was of opinion that Germane a; present does not need Australian wool. Her factories had obtained large stocks elsewhere. He believed tiiat in the ev- nt of trade resumption fruit imports would be discouraged and classed as luxuries The Lisbon correspondent of The Times states that an extraordinary situation lias developed through Svithor Machado's inability to form a Government, owing to class parties demanding sectional representation. It is now believed that he will | elect bis colleagues without consulting party interests. j The Berlin correspondent of the Echo ! de Paris states that a French Commission I is selecting from Germany material carried j off from Northern France. The commission j has found up to date 400.G00 machines worth £80,000.000, forming 75 per cent, of j the lost machinery. j Australia House clearing-house, dealing with German claims against Australian firms in London approved of 231 claims to date amounting to £11,148. Contrariwise, Australian firms in London submitted 70 claims against Germany amounting to £83,727, of which the German clearing-house approved of claims amounting to £721. Journalists in the Genevan Parliamentary Press Gallery protested against the overwork caused by a too lengthy session and longwinded oratory. The President read the protest in the Chamber. Some of tlie deputies angrily harangued the pressmen, who declined to attend the subsequent session. A number of deputies sent written [ reports of their own speeches to the newspapers, which declined to publish them. The arrangements for Lord Milner’s wedding to Lady Edward Cecil were kept j very quiet. None of Lord Milner’s house- j hold staff was aware of the engagement. He left the house during the morning, saying he was going abroad for six weeks. The bride, accompanied by a lady friend, and the bridegroom and a solicitor, reached the church separately, and entered by the private door. After the ceremony the bride and bridegroom left by the back entrance en route ro the Continent. Lord Milner is 67 years of ago. Ho was a bachelor. AUBTP.ALIAH HEWS. The heat wave has broken in New South "Wales, and good rains fell on the Ist. It is anticipated that the Queensland wheat yield will exceed 4,000,000 bushels. Slightly over £2,000,000 of the- New South "Wales £3,000.000 loan is subscribed. Owing to the slump in metal prices the Queensland Government has closed the State smelting works at Chillagoe, rendering idle 1500 men. A fire at the Enmore Building, Sydney, occupied by the Inland Wood Company and the Morris-M‘Mahon Company, caused damage to the extent of £IO,OOO. The New South M"ales stock inspector’s returns for the past year show a decrease of 3,500,000 sheep and 80,500 horses, but there is an increase of 3000 cattle. (sldtield. the test wicket-keeper, was defrauded of £260 in Melbourne by a confidence man promising to convert paper into gold for use abroad. The detectives effected an arrest at Katooniba and recovered £2OO of the stolen money. Referring to the new Federal Health Department. Mr Massy Greene, who is Minister in charge, stated that the Government is anxious to establish laboratories in the various centres, to serve ns distributing depots for serums manufactured by the (loveniment. Monsoortnl rains caused extensive railway washout- in South Australia and flooded the townships in the north, necessitating cancelling the cast and west expresses. The Melbourne express has not run since Saturday. On Mondav there were phenomenal registrations at Melrose, Hammond, Quorn, and Tarcoola. The Sugar Controller states that Cuban purchases of sugar for Australia represent £25,C00. while 100.000 tons have been obtained in various parts of the world. Importations will now cease, as a heavy Australian crop is in view, which will be sufficient to supplv all the commonwealth’s requirements and to provide a carry-over to next year. Tire New Booth W ales milling industry is in a parlous condition. Some mills have closed, and others are wonting short time. The reason is that wheat is unobtainable at a price which would enable millers to export to the East f Australia’s main exnort. market!. as the Wheat Board refused to allow the millers to obtain wheat for making exportable flour at a price below 9s per bush'd. SENSATIONAL TRAGEDY. A sensational tragedy occurred at Inverell. New Bouth Wales. Mrs Farrington was lit mg with a man named Dean. Iler husband arrived, and tried to induce his wife to return to him. Dean intervened, and, drew a revolver. A running fight with revolvers along the street followed between Farrington and Dean. Farrington was shot dead, and Dean was severely wounded in tho mouth A bvstander was shot in the leg and others had narrow escapes from the flying bullets. CARGO PILLAGING. At the sitting of tho Royal Commission which is inquiring into cargo pillaging, evidence was given on behalf of tho Victorian Marine Underwriters’ Association that pillaging claims amounting to £28,000 were made upon the association for tho year ended last October. Other evidence indicated that an organised gang was -working the Australian waterfront.

METHODIST CONFERENCE. The Methodist Conference sitting fei Sydney designated the Rev. A. 11. Cnl; to New Zealand. The conference adopted a resolution re gretting the death of Mr James Marion the prohibition lecturer, in New Zealand and expressing sympathy with his widow. the conference declined to unite will other conferences in establishing a Methodis immigration bureau in London. SYDNEY MILK SHORTAGE. As result of the milk shortage al milk employees in Sydney have been givei a week's notice. It is expected that theta will be at least ICOO persons rendered idle The Anti-Profiteering Court decided thin farmers and distributors may fix the price ! °f milk amongst themselves, but they 1111x1 leave the price to householders unchanged DYNAMITE EXPLOSION. The Y iirrnambool Oounril’s stone-crusliin* plim*. which was installed in 1920 at a coq of £ /CO, was blown to pieces by a box oi dynamite, which was placed in tlie jaws of the crusher. A piece of the fuse was found in the vicinity. Pieces of iron weigh mrr 1001 b wore blown a distance of three quarters of a n: !o. A cow which was gTiizmp; 300 yards away was disombowehei hy fly mrr iron. Window- were broken anc houses shaken in the ciiv.