THE UNITED STATES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3584, 21 November 1922, Page 29

THE UNITED STATES.

STRANGE AGENCY UNEARTHED. NEW YORK, November 12. With the arrest at Chicago of two women, who are charged with murder, the police believe that, they have unearthed a strange agency which made it its business to poison people for the nurpose of collecting their life insurance money. The bodies of two men, one woman, and three children have been ordered to be exhumed for the purpose of searching for poison in their stomachs. The Dolice believe that there are six more victims. It is stated that the arrested leaders would approach a willing husband or wife, whose mate was insured, and suggest poison for the purpose of collecting the indemnity. Wherever children were in the way these were also poisoned. NEW ZF. 1. 1. A \T) SONGS. NEW YORK, November 13. Irma Caron is introducing a series of Now Zealand native songs on the concert and stage platforms. They have been favourably received bv critics and the public. AMERICA FOUND WANTING, WASHINGTON, November 16. Tn the course of a speech, Mr J. W. Weeks (Secretary of War) said that half the population of the United States were physically subnormal, according to a draft of the medical statistics obtained during the war.

PROHIBITION IN AMERICA. WASHINGTON, November 17. Apparently unfounded reports that President Harding in two letters to prominent Republicans had expressed the view that while he did not expect that the prohibition amendment would ever be repealed he believed that the public mind was changing and that liberalisation in its enforcement would result, have caused such a sensation that the authorised spokesman gave the press the following outlines of the President's views:—Definite hostility to prohibition is being expressed in certain quarters, but prohibition will be a political issue for years to come. President Harding’s position is unchanged. As a senator he voted for prohibition and the Volstead Act, as a presidential candidate he declared for its strict enforcement, and as president he ordered its enforcement through the Dougherty ruling. The president, however, has taken cognisance of the “wet” gains at the recent elections. He has no intention of asking Congress for beer and light wines at present, but if assured the country is not merely undergoing a. temporary reaction and really demands beer and wines, he will endeavour to meet the demand. While tlie aforementioned letters were being sent the recipients did not divulge their contents, but the reports of tlie meetings at which the outlines of the letters were read indicated that the president favoured less rigid prohibition. While the recipients later denied the accuracy of these reports, their insistence resulted in a statement of President Harding’s position. DKSTRUCTIVE FIRE. NEW YORK, November 18. The Armour Company’s vast pig-kill ing plant at Chicago has been destroyed bv fire. The fat from 2000 dressed hogs made it impossible to extinguish the flames. N A TUR A EISATIO N DECISION. TOKIO, November 16. The Japanese newspapers, commenting on the naturalisation decisions in America, express themselves in moderate terms, but show resentment. The Osaka Asahi points out that~'the decision does not end the nationalisation question. Niehi Niehi declares that citizenship ought to be granted to subjects of any cultured nation, but naturalisation is a thing to be granted unforced. The time will come v.d cn Americans will have a better conception of Japanese. The Japan Times says that the time is not far distant, when ail the Japanese will be driven from America, Yarozochohi nrediets that the decision will impair the friendly relations between the two countries.