THE UNITED STATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3566, 18 July 1922, Page 20

THE UNITED STATES.

AMERICA’S SCRAPPING BILL. NEW YORK, July 9. The estimated cost to the United States ft scrapping vessels under the Washington Naval Treaty will bo 500,000,000- dollars. Reimburse merits to the contractors for un •ompleted vessels and payment for labour fn breaking up existing ships are estimate! fct 70,000,000 dollars. The cost of par |i ally -completed vessels doomed to de

struction is 330,000,000 dollars. The vessels now in commission which are to be scrapped are valued at 100,000,000 dollars. LYNCH LAW. NEW YORK, July 10. Atlanta telegrams report that two negroes in Wayne County, Georgia, who had been sentenced to death for an attack on a white woman, were granted a uonth’s reprieve by tho Governor of the State to permit the introduction of new ■vidcnce. A mob took the negroes from

the gaol and lynched them. The Governor has declared that this act will not go unpunished, and has offered a. large reward for the arrest of the lynehere. GERMAN DYE PATENTS. WASHINGTON, July 8. The Department of Justice denies Mr Garvan’s allegations that the demand for the seizure of the Chemical Foundation's German patents was due to a. conference between the Attorney-General (Mr Daugherty) and the lawyers representing German interests.

NEW YORK, July 9. Air Daugherty has begun a criminal investigation to force the return of the German dye patents. Air Garvan has been subpoenaed to present the books of the Chemical Foundation before a Federal grand jury at Washington. PAYING HER WAY. WASHINGTON, July 11. President Harding, addressing the Budget Bureau, emphasised the need of economy and the necessity of keeping the

Budget within the estimated revenue, which for 1924 is 3,108,000,000 dollars. The President said : “Our country is one of the few in the world which is now paving its way as it goes along, and 1 must regard with disfavour anv tendencies to interfere with this condition, or to increase taxes.” NAVAL RECRUITING RESUAIED. WASHINGTON, July 11 After a year of suspension, recruiting for the Navy has been resumed. The enlistment of 65,000 men is needed to maintain the Navy strength at 86,000. SAN DOMINGO. WASHINGTON, July 11. Air Hughes has announced that representative political leaders of the Dominican Republic have accepted the State Department’s programme for the withdrawal of the United States troops from San Domingo. A plan similar to the Cuban arrangement- will be nut into force if the Dominican people accept it. INVESTIGATION BEFORE A JURY. NEW xORK, July 12. The investigation of the Herrin mine massacre will probablv begin on July 17, when it is expected that a special grand jury will be summoned. DIPLOMATIC DOCUMENT STOLEN. NEW YORK, July 9. The Japanese military attache lias reported tho theft of valuable diplomatic correspondence covering a period of 20 years. The papers bore the United States and Japanese seals. The documents, which had been taken from a safe deposit vault for classification, disappeared from the attache's home on July 1. THE ’FRISCO SERVICE. NEW YORK, July 12. It. is reported from San Francisco that it is probable that the Ventura will sail for Australasia, the Government having offered to renew the mail contract for £20.000 for the next six months. SHIPPING SETTLEAtENT. WASHINGTON, July 13. The British Government has paid the United States Shipping Board 12,000,000 dollars in settlement of the claim of the United States for 22,000,000 dollars for the use of American ships to carry cargo ship ments during and after the war. The British Government had contended that the United States owed it 26,000,000 dollars on a similar claim, but after a year of negotiations Britain agreed to settle the controversy by the payment of 12,000,000 dollars. POISON GAS. WASHINGTON, July 12. General Pershing has issued a War Department order announcing the discontinuance of the manufacture of poison gas for the Army and the filling of projectiles with poison gas, in accordance with the spirit of the decisions reached at the Washington Conference, except such limited quantities as may be necessary for research work and the development of gas for defence appliances. TRAGEDY OF A “DUD.” NEW YORK, July 13. A report from Watertown (New York) states that a 3in shell—a “dud”—fired during artillery practice there at an encampment last summer, exploded and killed four boys and four girls, the eldest 15 years of age. The manner of the explosion will probably never be known, but it is believed that the children, who were playing croquet, struck the shell with a mallet. It is known that other “duds” are about, and the police and firemen are making a search. It is stated that the father of one of the youngsters had found the “dud" and was using it as a door-weight on the back porch of his home where the children played. The explosion shattered the windows of the houses in the vicinity and in many neighbouring squares. [A fatal accident of a somewhat similar nature occurred at Home a few years ago. A .shell from the. South African war, kept as a curiosity in the kitchen for over 15 years, exploded. The owner was quite unaware of its deadly charge.]