NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 40

NEWS BY CABLE.

A USTRALIA N B< .R ROWING. The city editor of The limes says that the statement tout Australia conteniplati s borrowing £45,000,000 in 1923-24 is startling. If borrowing were a short cut to prosperity all would be well, but the temptation to increase the national debt, except for reproductive purposes, will be resisted by soundly financed States. "We are not sure that Australia has always followed that principle,” says the city editor, “though we realise that a substantial part of her debt is reproductive. Something more may be necessary than the co-ordina-tion of borrowing, to which Air Bruce refers.” ICE IN THE ATLANTIC. Atlantic liners continue to have startling adventures among icebergs, which are the worst experienced for 20 years. One of tiie icefields was 20 miles broad and 6ft thick. 'I he Canadian Pacific steamer Min-nedos-i had to break a passage, charging at full speed and nosing her way through. Jhe exceptionally mild winter in the Arctic is apparently causing the ice to break off early. EMPIRE PRODUCED GOODS. A number of London West End departmental stores are featuring the Empire shopping week displays, and are devoting all their windows to Empire-produced goods, though the majority of the displays naturally are taken up with British manufactures. A number of famous hotels and restaurants are widely advertising menus on which every item is Empire-grown. 'Hie Empire League is organising an Empire produce demonstration in Trafalgar square on Saturday as a finish to the Einnire shopping week. Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are participating. Australia is contributing 209 ca-ses of apples, which will be offered .Jor sale. The display will occupy the whole of one side of the plinth of Nelson’s Alonument. HUSBAND’S FRENZIED ACT. Peterson, a wealthy Danish jeweller, in Geneva, saw his wife at a ball dancing with a handsome youth. Petersen took her home, and in a frenzy of jealousy hanged her in her ball frock. Before setting the room on fire he set her frock alight. Afterwards he wrote a ielter of justification for the deed and sent it to the police. He then hanged himself in the bedroom. POPE’S APPEAL FOR PEACE. In his Consistorial address the Pope referred to tiie gravity of the Near East situation as well as that in Palestine, where he declared, the Catholic Church would never renounce her rights. He also deeply regretted the continuance of the conflict in Europe, where treaties were ignored. He said the Governments and the peoples wore still struggling to attain their respective objects. lie fervently appealed for peace. OVERSEA FIRMS INTERESTED. Advices received by the last mail that work had been begun on the construction of the approach roads to the North Shore bridge, has dispelled any remaining fears ill the minds of important firms that the project would not be carried out. Great interest has been created in engineering circles, both in England and on the Continent. One German group has sent an inquiry. It is understood that tenders possessing the necessary experience, facilities, trained staffs, and financial backing are confined to two British groups, three American, one French, and one Belgian. KINDNESS REWARDED. Air Ilardy Zeitung, a retired army officer, receives £3,000,000 under the will of Mrs Julia Davies, an American, “in token of his affectionate care and protection of myself.” Mr Zeitung met Airs Davies in Rome in January, 1322. She was ill. and he secured her the best of care and advice. On her return to England he was appointed her secretary. She returned to America, where she died in December. Air Zeitung became first acquainted with his luck when he inquired whether money, which was owing as wages earned by mm during his secretaryship, could be recovered from the estate. The will stipulated that Airs Davies's husband should have no claim on her estate. He is contesting the will in the American courts FLYING TO THE POLE. Advices from Bergen state that it is now settled that Captain Roald Amundsen will start for the North Pole from Wainright, Alaska, to Spitzbergen about June 20. The journey is expected to take 22 hours. A Norwegian patron ship and two seaplanes wili assist in the flight, the former cruising on the edge of the Polar ice north of Spitzbergen, while the seaplanes will fly northward to the Pole to meet Amundsen and escort him home or help him if necessary. A LOCUST PLAGUE. A locust plague has attacked the Philippines. Tiie swarm cf inserts flying over Alanila yesterday virtually obliterated the sun and drove players from the city golf course. Sugar, rice, and other plantations arc seriously threatened. Natives, however, are using the locusts as a food delicacy, and are pleased with the insects coming. MISCELLANEOUS ITF.AfS. It is officially announced that the Duchess of York is suffering from a mild attack of whooping cough. Prince Andrew, a nephew of Vzar Nicholas, has been appointed managing director of an aristocratic tennis and social club in Regent’s Park. London. Advices from Copenhagen state that during a lecture on board the cruiser Geyser a bomb exploded, wounding 52, mostly officers and petty officers. Fifteen were wounded seriously. AI. Poincare, by threatening to resign if the Bill were rejected, forced the Senate to accept a Summer Time Bill in the interests of economy. The clocks in England, France, and Belgium wjll keep the same time after Sunday, to the relief of business men. The National Congress of Tenants in France is creating local committees to resist house owners’ aggressive demands. Tenants will be called upon to strike if rents are further increased.

Mr Groves, M.P., won the Dunmow flitch for liviiig with his wife in perfect, bliss for a year. He is the first member of the House of Commons to win the prize. Efua continues to threaten eruption, The crater, which opened in 1911, renewed its activities with loud roarings, throwing incandescent matter to a great height. A lava stream 10 yards deep is advancing slowly but continuously. Twenty-four Moro religious fanatics on the Island of Pata, Philippines, were killed by the insular constabulary, when the former attacked the constabulary. It is reported that the Moros (Mohammedans) were told by a priest that they were immune from bullets. Reports of many deaf persons succeeding in “listening in” in wireless broadcasting programmes have resulted in an invention which is claimed to enable the deaf to hear general conversations, bemg exhibited before the Royal Society of Medicine It consists of a microphone cabinet containing a two-valve amplifier, with telephones attached. The Imperial War Museum has declined to compiete the purchase of Orpen’s Academy picture. “An Unknown British Soldier in France.” The painter thus loses £2COO through not completing the painting of generals and politicians. The Pacific Cable Board has written to the London Chamber of Commerce stating that it cannot at present reduce the cabling chavges between Great Britain and Australia and New Zealand, because the line is working at its fullest capacity—24 hours daily, and reduced rates would naturally increase the traffic and overload the line. This would produce serious delays. Owing to the low prices prevailing for frozen mutton a firm of exports in Australia is inquiring regarding the possibility of havirg 40 000 sheep shipped back to Australia. The Australian Press Association understands that a sh,pment can be arranged at a freight of l|d per lb. The steamer Hollywood has sailed from San Francisco. A number of her crew are unemployewd fitters and boilermakers, who are going to France, where they have bam guaranteed work on the French railways. If the experiment is a success other batches will be sent.