NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 45

NEWS BY CABLE.

DEATH OF OLDEST WOMAN IN EUROPE. LONDON, May 11. Mrs Roek, the oldest woman in Europe, died in Roscommon; aged 114. LORD DUDLEY’S POSSESSIONS. LONDON, May 11. Earl Dudley intends offering at auction a ton and a-half of family silver and a library of 20,000 volumes from Himley Hali, his Staffordshire seat. NEW GUINEA ADMINISTRATION. MELBOURNE, May 12. In order to check intertribal fighting in New Guinea the Federal Government has established a station 250 miles up the Sepic River. GRAVE-DIGGERS ON STRIKE. LONDON, May 10. A strange scene was witnessed at Derby? where mourners had to fill in a grave after the interment owing to a strike of gravediggers for increased wages. Until a settlement is reached, bereaved persons must dig the graves for their deceased relatives. THE iiTTSBURG STRIKE. NEW YORK, May 12. The Pittsburg strike of 3200 motormen and conductors was settled when the men voted to return to work on the plan 6U gS es fed by the company for a t w o years’ contract at the present scale of 67 cents per hour. The men had demanded a maximum increase of 10 cents per hour. BIRTH CONTROL. LONDON, May 11. A deputation including Mr H. G. Wells and Mrs Bertrand Russell asked Mr J. Wheatley (Minister of Health) to emove the embargo against giving information relating to methods of birth control at the maternity centres. Mr Wheatley replied that a distinction must be drawn between allowing access to knowledge and its actual distribution. Nobody would seriously maintain that access to knowledge should be forbidden, but public opinion was not definite enough to allow the State or municipal undertakings to do more than indicate where knowledge is obtainable. May io. A thousand women delegates attended the opening of the National Conference of Labour Women. Resolutions urging an equal franchise with men and pensions for widows were carried. The sub-committee on birth control reported that, in view of the conflicting opinions of medical experts, :he Hubcommittee was unable to recommend that the Ministry of Health should order in formation on birth control methods to be given at public clinics. May 14. There was an astonishing scene at the Labour Women’s Conference when a little woman, who said she was the mother of eleven children, declared against the general teaching of birth-control methods to working women. This roused a storm of hisses, and women on all sides cried “ Dissent,” but the little woman stood her ground and proclaimed her faith in fighting tones. “ What can be nicer than children?” she asked. ‘‘The economic conditions of mothers should he improved, but our Lord Himself instructed women their duty when He said : ‘ Suffer little children to come unto Me.’ ” Other speakers on the subject aroused similar outbursts of passionate feeling. Among so many delegates the chairwoman admitted that she found a difficulty in keeping order during the debate. HYGIENE CONGRESS. LONDON, May 16. At the hygiene congress at Wembley Profesor W. S. Littlejohn expressed the opinion that in 1922 there was less venereal disease in West Australia, Victoria and Queensland than in 1916. This did not indicate that the disease was waning, but that the pre-war level was being reached. Delegates were astonished at his announcement that of Australian births from the year 1909 to 1920 54 per cent, were illegitimate or nearly so. He added that the conditions were becoming worse. The education of adolescents was a key of the problem. Personally he favoured the use of prophylactics. Delegates plied Dr Hayward and Professor Littlejohn with questions concerning Australian venereal legislation. YOUNG MAN SHOOTS HIS LOVER. BRISBANE, May 18. Following the refusal of Doris Ludwig, aged 17 years, to keep company with him, William Lord, aged 25 years, during the early hours of the morning climbed through the window of a room where the girl was sleeping with her sister at Athelstane, Rockhampton, and shot her in the head with a revolver while she slept. He then shot himself twice in the head. He fell beside the girl’s bed. The sister was by the revolver shots, ana on going to the door stumbled over Lord’s body. She then found that Doris had been shot. Both died shortly after they were discovered. Lord had been keeping company with Doris for several months, but yesterday she told him she did not want to see him again. POISONOUS GAS. LONDON, May 12. Professor Cecil Delisle Burns, of London University, states that a deadly poisonous gas has been discovered which is easily distributed from aeroplanes, and ■which is invisible and devoid of smell, hut anyone breathing it dies in terrible agony

in from six to twelve hours. Later the gas sinks to the ground, and will haunt basements and subways for days. This gas can now he produced in big quantities. Gas masks are the only protectionTwo tons of gas can be carried in a single areoplane. This would spread death over a quarter of a mile radius on a spot from which it was discharged. ITALY’S MEAT TRADE. LONDON, May 12. In connection with Italy’s increased importation of meat, it is learned that an Italian firm has purchased the steamer Whakatane, and is negotiating for three other refrigerated vessels. They are to be used chiefly to bring meat from the Argentine. QUEEN ALEXANDRA. LONDON, May 12. It is officially announced that Queen Alexandra’s health continues satisfactory, but, in order to avoid unnecessary fatigue, it has been decided that she shall not take a personal part in the public celebrations on Alexandra Day, June 25, nor has a date been fixed for her return to London. TRADE IN CANADA. LONDON, May 11. “ Sir James Allen’s description of the position of Canada is quite true,” said Mr F. G. Wade, Agent-General for British Columbia, in an interview. “ The past generations of Canadians were Empire loyalists, who left the United States atter the American Revolution. To-day a generation is growing up who ‘ knew not Joseph,’ and who are without the mam s spring of loyalty of those of half a century ago. British contact with Canada is becoming less, and the American influence is growing daily. American emigration to , Canada in the past 20 years s greater than British emigration. Since the war the Americans have established x2OO Canadian branch factories, thus obtaining the benefit of all the preferential arrangements. If this peaceful penetration continues without a great awakening from Britain, Canada will soon have nothing left but a flag and a sentiment.” BRITISH IN EGYI«T. CAIRO, May 12Zaghloul Pasha, answering questions in Parliament, said he was unable to explain why the British troops remained in occupation when Egypt had been recognised as an independent sovereign State. His Government was willing to enter into negotiations with the British Government, but only if free from all conditions. If convinced that the British were not ready to concede complete independence to Egypt and Soudan he would not negotiate or remain in office. Excited scenes followed a unanimous vote of confidence in Zaghloul Pasha’s policy. “We want complete independence of Egypt and Soudan,” shouted the Nationalists. Zaghloul Pasha added that he denounced and repudiated the four conditions which Great Britain added to the declaration of February 28. 1922. MONKEY GLAND AGAIN. LONDON, May 12. The Weekly Dispatch states that Dr Voronoff, interviewed, said he was convinced after 70 experiments that the monkey gland operation is an infallible method of rejuvenation, resulting m a quick return of energy and vitality to both body and mind. One of his patients, a poet, was unable, owing to tailing health, to put pen to paper for six months. After the operation he wrote a brilliant play, which made his fortune. His mind had been almost a blank, but he regained intellectual energy almost instantaneously. Dr Voronoff said he lvad operated on 16 paupers over the age of 65 years, and in a few weeks they left the almshouses and were now earning salaries, doing the work of strong men of 35 years. A schoolmaster, aged 69, who was unable to com plete the year necessary to qualify for a pension, underwent the operation, and he not only finished the term, but two years later was successfully practising as a lawyer. Dr Voronoff points out that the onlv failure was in the case of a patient suffering from an incurable disease.' WEST AUSTRALIAN FINANCE. PERTH, May 14. The West Australian Premier, Mr P. Collier, states that for the past five or six years the State deficit has been £650,000, but this year will close with a deficit of about £300,000. Even this he considers too high, being almost £1 per head of the population. MEXICAN REBELLION. MEXICO, May 13. A report from General Gaujardo io the War Department states that General Fortunate Maycotte, one of the leading com manders in La Huerta’s rebellion, Leovigildo Avila (his Chief of Staff), and Manuel Flores were executed after a court martial at Pohufla. TERMS FOR BOOKSELLERS. SYDNEY, May 14. The Conference of Australian and New Zealand booksellers has appointed Mr H. C. South, of New Zealand, and Mr W. Pvke, of Victoria, as delegates to approach the publishing houses of Great Britain to attempt to get better terms and conditions for booksellers in the southern hemisphere. IMMIGRATION. PARIS, May 13. I The British Empire is among the countries represented at the conference at the Quai d'Orsay for the exchange of views

preliminary to the Rome Migration Con lerence. The discussion dealt particularly with immigration problems. It is understood that the delegates agreed m prm ciple to a common policy regarding technical questions, such as labour conditions and social insurance to immigration countries. LONDON, May 15. Addressing a largely-attended Empire Migration Conference at the Empire Exhibition, presided over by Lord Burnham, Mr M. C. Macnaghten, chairman of the Overseas Settlement Committee, suggested that there was a chance for a wealthy philanthropist to present some hundred listening-in sets to families settling in the baokblocks to eliminate loneliness. Mr J. R. Clynes expressed the opinion that the most helpful and mose successful form of migration was the group settlement of young men. He advocated getting the assistance and counsel of big trade organisations of Britain. There should be no element of compulsion or appealing to poverty. The Government hoped to prove itself in nowise inferior to its predecessor in the encouragement given to migration. He believed that under appropriate conditions and fair terms the transference of the surplus population of Britain to other lands would be an advantage to the working classes remaining behind, as well as an enormous personal advantage to the migrants. THE NIGHTINGALE’S SONG. LONDON, May 16. On Monday a broadcasting company will carry out an interesting experiment. Mrs Harrison, the occupant of a mansion at Oxted, has succeeded by means of cello playing, in inducing nightingales in Surrey Woods to sing nightly. Microphones have been installed, and an attempt will be made to broadcast these birds’s songs by means of wireless all over the country. WIRELESS. LONDON, May 15. Speaking on the beam system of wireless communication, Mr G. M. lisle said it was a revolutionary development in wireless for the reason that greater secrecy was obtained, which enabled messages to be regulated and sent in one direction, instead of in all directions as hitherto. The system would greatly reduce interference, and permit a greater number of stations to work simultaneously about one wave length than would be possible if waves from each station were propagated in all directions. ILLNESS OF THE POPE. ROME, May 14. The Tribuna states that the Pope is suffering from uraemia, and all audiences with him are suspended. AN EARL’S TWIN SONS. LONDON, May 14. The Countess of Leven and Melville has given birth to twin sons, which raises the question of succession to the earldom. The newspapers recall the present Earl of j Durham, who succeeded to the earldom by virtue of his birth, which preceded his twin brother’s by 30 minutes. UNPOPULARITY OF HONOURS. SYDNEY, May 15. Sir George Fuller has announced that his Government will make no recommendations for birthday honours, consequent on the motion carried at the last session of the New South Wales Parliament. It is probable that the Federal Government will include in its recommendations a number of persons resident in New South Wales. SCHOOL AGE. LONDON, May 14. The Conference of Labour Women passed a resolution that the school age be raised to 16 years in order to prevent the annual flooding of the labour market by 600,000 14-year-old children. Miss Susan Lawrence, M.P., said the waste of childlife was getting on the national conscience, which condemned the placing of children in industry at tb most susceptible age when character was being formed and the intellect was developing. PROTESTS AGAINST EMIGRATION. LONDON, May j. 4. Protests against the emigration to he dominions of children apart from their relatives were made by delegates to the National Conference of Labour Women now being held in London. The conference passed a resolution urging the stoppage of such emigration until completely satisfactory plans have been mane to ascertain the children’s own inclinations, and to supervise them after their arrival. The conference passed a resolution vrging the Minister of Health to appoint a committee to inquire into the care exercised in maternity cases, to investigate the physical and social effects of various methods of birth control, and to recommend a scheme to make the best advice available to women deserving it. ‘‘EXCURSIONS INTO HELL.” LONDON, May 14. Sir Frederick Mott, F.R.S., M.D., speaking at the Social Hygiene Conference at Wembley, said: “It is natural for a young woman to strive to make herself attractive. She does not hesitate at any physical discomfort or suffering to achieve this end. She pinches her feet in tight shoes, cramps her body in corsets, wears thin stockings in winter, pierces her ears and even pierces her lips and nose to permit of her attracting attention by means of jewellery.” Viscount Astor said that the Anglo- | Saxon race was leading the world, because it had developed the idea of the same moral standard for both sexes. One could tell a nation’s spiritual outlook from the position of its women. British girls

in war time showed courage, endurance, and initiative without losing their modesty. It was only idleness and curiosity that tempted girls to make excursions into hell in search of new sensations. SUN YAT-SEN. HONGKONG, May 15The death of Dr Sun Yat-sen, the visionary leader of the recalcitrant South China Government, is causing widespread speculation and concern regarding the heritor of his power. PEKING, May 16. Officials entertain grave fears of uprisings and disturbances in Southern China as the aftermath of the death of Dr Sun Yat-sen. President Tsaokun has telegraphed to Generals Wu-pei-fu and Chih-seih-yuan instructing them to hold troops in readiness for an immediate expedition to pacify and unify the Southern provinces. It is reported that the United States naval vessels as well as units from the other foreign Powers’ forces are being held in readiness to assist in the dispatch of 100,000 Yunnanese troops to Canton in the event of an uprising there. It is learned that Dir Sun Yat-sen, just before his death, dictated a will naming his son as his successor, and entrusting to him the task of executing his policies. This is arousing jealousy among his piqued military associates. A proposal by the Premier, Sun-Pao-Chi, to Cabinet asking that the highest posthumous honours be paid to Dr Sun Yatsen failed to secure adoption, owing to a division of opinion whether he was a great patriot or a great traitor. The Cant-on Government has not yet officially notified Peking regarding Dr Sun Yat-sen’s death. Meantime it is enforcing strict sensorship at Canton. JAPANESE SILK INDUSTRY 7 . • TOKIO, May 14. A severe late frost in Fukushima and other prefectures seriously damaged the mulberry crop. It is estimated that iO per cent, was lost. COLONIAL INSTITUTE. LONDON, May 15. At the annual meeting of the Colonial Institute the Duke of Connaught was reelected president, and Prince Arthur ol Connaught, the Earl of Athlone, and Sir Harry Wilson vice-presidents. APPOINTMENT OF TRADE COMMISSIONER, SYDNEY, May 16. The Prime Minister (Mr S. M. Bruce) has announced that Mr J. A. Elder has been appointed Trade Commissioner for Australia in the United States, in succession to Ylr M'Kinnon. LOSS OF COLLIER ASTRAL. SYDNEY, May 15. The Marine Court, after inquiry into the loss of the collier Astral, 157 tons, off Barrenjoey Head on April 7, found that the vessel foundered through springing a leak, no blame being attachable to the officers and crew. DANCER’S CLAIM. PARIS, May 16. The court at Versailles has decided that Edith Killy Gould, the dancer, who is claiming half the estate of Frank Gould, a millionaire, from whom she is divorced, is not entitled to claim, as she was married at Edinburgh and was domiciled in America, and so she is unable to benefit under French law. SMALLPOX. LONDON, May 15. A smallpox epidemic is raging at Chesterfield. There have been 32 cases this week against 42 the previous week. A local tradesman, who is a leading antivaccinationist, was taken to hospital, and all his family were immediately vaccinated. Smallpox has spread to Sheffield. NEWSPRINT INDUSTRY. LONDON, May 15. Mr Frank Lloyd, chairman of the Lloyd Newsprint Manufacturers, speaking at a general meeting, said the preference which’ New Zealand and Australia had generously granted had materially assisted the British newsprint industry during the post-war reconstruction period. It had helped to reduce unemployment. The price of raw materials was approaching an economic basis, thus enabling British manufacturers to lower export prices to a competitive level. HOUSING SCHEME. LONDON, May 15. An important item in the Government’s housing policy is contained in a circular issued by the Ministry of Health to local authorities. This circular announces that an agreement was reached at the recent Housing Conference providing for a subsidy of £l3 10s annually for each house for a period of 40 years, the Government providing two-thirds and the local authorities the remaining third. It also stipulates that the rentals shall be equal to pre-war levels. RAND REVOLUTION. CAPETOWN, May 17. Nine of the Rand revolution prisoners who were released thanked the Prime Minister publicly for releasing them. Two natives wall be released on Monday. MELEE AT FOOTBALL MATCH. SYDNEY, May 18. At the conclusion of a football match at Centenial Park a general melee occurred. Boots, bottles, and an iron bar were freely used before the disturbance was quelled. One man who was waving a revolver was arrested.

ENTERPRISING CHINESE NEWSPAPER. SHANGHAI, May 16. A regular radio broadcasting service hasbeen started by Sin Slvun-pao, the first Chinese newspaper to utilise wireless. Its four daily programmes comprise lectures and music. A GENEROUS BOY 7 . LONDON, May 17. Sir- Edward Elgar, in a letter to the Daily Telegraph, says the appreciation of his ‘‘Dream of Gerontius” usually takes the form of a “great spiritual uplift.” “Now,” he writes, “I have received a most appreciative testimonial from New Zealand. A little boy there, after hearing selections, sent a message, ‘I wish, he would come and stay with us. I would give him my pup.’ 1 am notgreedy, but I long for that pup, and if legislation did not interfere with its landing, I would go and fetch it.” A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE. TOKIO, May 16. The principal streets of the town of Hachinohe, in the Aomori Prefecture, weregutted by a fire which raged for three and a-half hours in the early morning. A thousand houses and many of the principal buildings were destroyed. Thecasualties are unknown. CHINESE STUDENTS. MELBOURNE, May 17. The Federal Cabinet has decided that, in future no Chinese student under fourteen years shall be admitted to Australia, and then he must produce a certificate from the British Consul in China that he is undertaking secondary education only. Some students as young as five years have attended the State schools. BOMB OUTRAGE. PEKING, May 16. An unknown person left a box at the home of the Foreign Minister (Dr Wellington Koo) saying it contained articles for Koo’s personal use. Dr Kco ordered the box to be opened, but remained in his. study. When the lid was removed a bomb inside exploded with terrific force, mangling 'three servants, whose condition is critical. SHEEP IN AUSTRALIA. MELBOURNE. May 17. The Australian Wool Growers’ Council submitted a statement to Mr S. M. Bruce (Prime Minister) showing the decline in sheep owing to dingo ravages. It appointed out that, whereas the number of sheep increased by 36 millions between. 1860 and 1891, it decreased by 27-J,- millions between 1891 and 1923. The council urged that the Commonwealth should! make wire netting available as cheaply as possible to help combat the rabbit and dingo ravages. “A BIG BANG.” PARIS, May 16. The explosion of ten tons of millimt6> at La Contine provided a big bang. Listening posts on the ground and in the air had been established in most countries of Europe with the object of studying the behaviour of sound waves. The experiment is under official international auspices, and is a continuation of tests made at Olderbroek, in Holland, in 1912. Similar explosions have been arranged for Friday and Saturday. HOSPITAL PROBLEM. LONDON, May 16. The local workers and firms have solved the hospital problem at Llanelly. Workers, are each contributing twopence weekly* to which the employers add a sum equal to half the workers’ contribution. The result is that the balance sheet show's a surplus of £7OO, with £20.000 in hand for an extension of the scheme costing. £30,000. All the churches are co-operat-ing in the extension of the scheme. SUCCESSFUL MASQUERADE. LONDON, May 17. Ten years ago the manageress of a>. famous little Continental cate in Sohogave employment to Ernest Wood, introduced as a brother by another employee who was later killed in the war. During a decade Ernest gave entire satisfaction as assistant waiter, but when a few weexs ago Ernest was admitted to hospital, suffering from consumption, front which he died to-day, aged 24, it was then dtsoovered that Ernest was a girl. No one in the cafe ever had the slightest suspicion during the whole decade that, Ernest was a girl. MUTINY IN GAOL. SYDNEY, May 18. Following on a conflict between the. chief warder and a refractory prisoner at. Bathurst gaol, the prisoners gathered together and sent an ultimatum to the governor of the gaol demanding the war der’s suspension. When this was refused the prisoners, many of whom are serving life sentences, assumed a belligerent attitude, hooting and hissing the warders. After much effort order was restored. the governor meantime sending to Sydney for reinforcements of warders and police. An inquiry was then held by a magistrate concerning the trouble, and while this was in progress the prisoners, to the number of 100, refused to go to their cells. A serious situation was developing when reinforcements from Sydney, who had been kept in the background, rallied to the assistance of the warders. Bedlam then ensued, the convicts making a determined attack on the police, who replied with bayonets and batons and soon dispersed the mutineers, after several of the latter had been wounded.

During the outbreak, the noise was deafening, and the howls and curses of the prisoners were heard half a mile away.