NEWS BY CABLE AND MAIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16042, 1 February 1923, Page 9

NEWS BY CABLE AND MAIL.

ENGLISHMAN HELD TO RANSOM

BY BANDITS.

MEXICO CITY. Dec. 6.— ALv, H. KVereker. British superintendent ot the Agnila. Oil Camp at Vera Cruz, who west kidnapped by bandits and held to ransom for £4OO, has been rescued by Federal troops. The day after Mr. Vereker was captured two Americans were ambushed and killed at the same spot.

CONTRACTS LET FOR. TEN SHIPS. LONDON, Dec. 7.—The Timet} announces that, contracts' have been signed' with a number of British firms, for the Construction of ten ships of 2500 tons deadweight for tlie. Montreal-Buffalo route.

The Eastern Steamship Co., of Canada, for whom tlie ships nrpi to he built/ is to have delivery of them by next May.

Three others have bean ordered by Kepston Transports Limited, oil Montreal.

£15.000 FROM WEEK OF SELF DENIAL.

LONDON. Dec. 6.—Over £15.000 was received at St. Paul's Cathedral on Saturday night as offerings from tbe 500 parishes of the London Diocese for the “Week of Prayer and Self-Denial.”

The Bishop of London, who leceived the gifts, told the gathering in St. Paul's that it was the greatest evening in the whole of his 25 years as Bishop, and one of the most wonderful services of his lifetime-

MAKING USE OF WASTE APPLES

Before the war great quantities of what is known as apple waste was shipped from Canada to. England, France, Holland and Germany, where it was manufactured l into various products and shipped to the markets of all parts of the world. The war put an. end to this trade and 1 Canada, is now taking care m this waste herself. This material comprises scrubby fruit, windfalls, and peeling-; and tores. A number of useful pro. ducti are obtained.

LORD DERBY WINS £31,000. LONDON, Dec. 6.—ln accordance with his annual practice, the Earl of Derby has given £llsO, representing 5 per cent, of his racing winnings for 1922, to be administered by the Benevolent Department of the British Legion. This represents total winnings for the year of £31,000. The gift' is to be earmarked for the benefit of ex-officers and ex other ranks in the Liverpool district. Last year Lord Derby’s gift amounted to £IOOO, being 5 per cent, of total turf winnings of £20,000.

WOOD IN PLASTIC FORM. By means of a- colloidal process followed in England', a plastic wood is made. It may he used' to repair broken or worn wooden articles. A pattern is made of the article and l the plastic wood is filled into the mould and allowed to set hard. This lakes but a, few hours, and ; the product obtained 1 is .said to he extremely hard and possessed) of all the characteristics of wood 1 except, that it will not absorb moisture as wood does. The hard' plastic wood' can be worked with the usual carpenter tools, and nails, screws, etc., can be driven into it without fear of splitting.

SPIRIT EXPLODES. WOMAN SEVERELY BURNED. GRAFTON, N.S.W., Jan. 16.—Whilst Mrs A. E. Miles was lighting a spirit stove at her home at South Grafton, an explosion occurred, and her clothes immediately caught fire. Her husband 1 madb frantic efforts to drag the. burning clothe® off his wife, but without success. Eventually he quenched 1 the flames by rolling Mrs Miles in . sheet, but. not before her body, limbs, and face bad been badly burned l and her hair singed. Mrs Miles was removed to tbe hospital in a serious condition. Her husband was also severely burnt about tbe hands and arms.

A “HUSH HUSH” HELICOPTER. LONDON, Dec. 6.—Though - details are being kept secret, it has now become known in air circles Hint a strange new form of helicopter, or direct-lift air machine, is being made ready in this country. .

It is designed for an attempt to win the £50,000 Air Ministry prize for a flying machine of this type, which fulfils certain official conditions as to height it attains and the load it carries. Curved surfaces, like sections of aeroplane wings, mounted on metal arms revolving horizontally round a central platform are, it is known, to be driven at great speed in this mystery machine by a 450 horse-power Napier “Lion” engine.

BURNS HAS VISIONS OF RADICAL PLOTS. WASHINGTON, Doc. 7.—The Communist Internationale, with headquarters at Moscow, Russia, is directing a widespread campaign in the United St a lets for tlie overthrow of the American Government, and' its deliverance into the hands of 'radicals, according tr< William J. Burns, head’ of thei Federal bureau of investigation. Direct statements toi this effect were made'bv Burns before secret sessions of the House appropriations committee and were revealed in printed! transcript of the hearings. Burns declared l that documents obtained' by his bureau dining the past year “clearly indicate that the Coipmunisl Internationale was; behind' a strong movement among negroes, labor unions and various social organisation's and women’s clubs, the ultimate purpose being t.n undermine those organisations with Hievieiv of overthrowing- the United' Slate'. Government and establishing dictatorship of the proletariat.” “The prevailing sentiment that this country is secure from the spread of radicalism,”. Burns said, “is serving to play into tbe hands of the Red leaders who are urging their followers to take advantage of this feeling and work with greater diligence.”

FORGED NOTE CHARGES.

THREE- MEN AND £93,500.

NEW YORK, Dec. 6.—Secret service officers yesterday checkmated the efforts of a gang of international counterfeiters who were! planning tlie sale in America of false Bank of England 1 notes. As John Popovich was leaving his hotel in New York two dtolcctives tapped him on the shoulder and! inquired, “Where’s tho bag, old man?” Popovich js alleged to have pointed! to a travelstainedl leather bag. From this a detective, it is stated, drew out two packets neatly labelled, “Bank of England notes.”

The officer is said to have observed, “£SO and £ICO ones 1 . TlieVe must bo £90,000 worth of them.” £3SCO more than that was found'. .

While Popovich was being examined in New York word came from San Francisco of thei arrest and confession there of Ivan Glayadonovich, while Los Angeles telegraphs news of the arrest of another man.

Altogether the gang appear to have disposed of £6OOO of counterfeit note*-. Popovich had! been arrested at, Los Angeles, liut allowed' to* go free because of the lack of evidence.

Tlie circulation of spurious Rank of Kngland notes tins been rendered easier since the war by the growth of the mini-, her of dealers in international exchange, some of whom, lacking experience, yield to avarice when exceptional bargains are offered.

FIGHT FOR £500,000. Proceeding linvfe been begun by trustees of tlie Dail in the Chancery Division, Dublin, to obtain from Republicans possession of Dail funds from tlie United States. These are said to amount to £SCO,CCO. LABOR MEMBERS UNABLE TO LIVE ON THEIR £4OO. LONDON, Dec. 9.—Labor members who have given up their other work to enter Parliament, are now finding that they are unable to-live in London on the £4OO salary. They have been forced to attempt the formation of a club, for cheaper living. CRICKETING PARSON KILLED BY A BALL. LONDON, Dec. 6.—News lias reached Lincoln of the death at Balgowan. Natai. of the. Rev. Charles Edwaid Briggs. resident chaplain of Michael House Boy’s School. He was attempting to catch a hall in a cricket match when his cap slipped over his eyes, and the ball, striking him in tbe ribs, caused injuries which proved fatal. £3,130,380 OIL PROFITS. The report of tho Anglo-Persian Oil Company for flip year ended March 31 last shows a profit, after various allowances, of £3,130,380 16s 2d. In addition to interim dividends on preference shares already paid, the .directors now recommend a dividend on ordinary shares at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum'(less income tax). A balance of £1,739,172 18s 2d is carried forward.

GOLF BOOM. £IO.OOO COURSES IN THE MAKING. LONDON, Dec. 6.—There is something like a record boom in golf course construction. It is certainly the biggest since 1902, when the game. entered on a. fresh wave of popularity—due largely to the introduction of the rubbercored ball, At least 30 new courses are being made, or are abont to be started. Each is costing-on an average £IO,OOO. Many courses already in existence are being remodelled. DYING ATRMAN SAVES HIS MAIL BAGS.'" BURNS TO DEATH. BUT THROWS HIS CARGO CLEAR.

PARIS. Dee. 6.—A French air postman named Genfossen, licked by flames, had tho presence of mind to throw out the mail bags before meeting death. As his aeroplane was speeding from Oran to Casablanca it entered a den'Se cloud bank and drove against the crest, of a liill. The machine crashed and burst into flames, which enveloped the airman.

Before he succumbed Genfossen threw out thb mail bags, which contained important Government documents, and thev M ere saved.

FORGIVING WIFE. HOME FOR HER RIVAL AND BABY NEW YORK, Dec. 6.—The unmarried British war mother, Miss Nancy Jot'-, dan, who with her three-years-old son Francis was detained at Ellis Island here and threatened with deportation, niy rived last night at Kansas City, where she was met by Air. Francis G. Warren, lawyer and soldier, whom she describes as “the most chivalrous man in the world.” 7

Tlie mother and child have gone to live with Mrs. Warren, who two years ago divorced her husband after reading a letter from Miss Jordan which he .purposely dropped on the floor. Discussing the part she had played in preventing the deportation of Miss Jordan and in bringing her to Kansas City, Mrs. Warren hoped that it would dissipate tlie notion that “the modern woman is catty or revengeful.” “I certainly,” said Mrs. Warren, “do not wish to punish one who has erred. 1 am confident that any one of mv women friends would have acted as T have acted.”

ITALY SHOCKED BY ATHENS’ DEATHS.

A "BARBAROUS MASSACRE.”

ROIMK, Nov. 30.—-The whole press is in an uproar of indignation expressive of the wave of horror sweeping over the country at the execution of the exMblisters at Athens. The executions are lopked upon here as nothing short of murder, and t.he newspapers voice this view in no uncertain terms; Most of the dailies print, large headlines stigmatising the happenings at Athens as “monstrous vengeance,” “barbarous massacre,” and in other strong language. In their comments they display a distinct responsibility to Venizelos. .

Italy’s feeling in the matter is well exemplified by the action of Deputy Robert G'’Galli, who has epenb much of his life in fostering friendship between Italy and Greece, and has always shown pride in being a champion of Greeoe. For this a street was named after him in Athens and honors and decorations were showered upon him. He has now returned the decorations to the Greek 'Government' with a letter ending with the words i “Wherever it may appear, strike out my name in sign of mourning, and may God, who gives men liberty and justice, not visit upon Greece this crime, which in the light of bur civilisation appears most horrible, most eavage.” The newspaper Tribufia remarks that every nation alter a defeat, secs traitors everywhere, and tries to wreak vengeance upon them, as happened in Fian,ce in 1870, and in Germany in 1919. It adds: "But no civilised nation ever, descended to such wholesale massacres ns Greece to-day. Exile was always considered a sufficient punishment.'’

The Epoca says Greece has given a sad cxariiple to the (world and to herself. The murdered ex-Ministers’ only, fault was to be the heirs of an untenable position. They were Ministers of, one pretending to be a- prince and have paid with their lives for his diaillusion at finding he cannot continue being a prince. Rot the Cabinet, but Greece was at fault, because it lacked military valor to defend with force oi arms what Venizelos artificially pieced together by guile. . The press' .also emphasises the differences between Mussolini’s revolution against tho Facta Cabinet and the Venizelos revolution against King Constantine. Tho Giornalo D’ltalia in this connection recalls that three Fascisti in Paicrzlo, Facta’s birthplace, removed from the municipal building the memorial tablet which the population had recently unveiled to tlie illustrious .fcllowcitizen. They did this as a protest against the supposedly anti-fascist i policy pursued by the Facta Cabinet. As soon as the local Fascisti authorities were informed of the action, they .summoned them and gave them such a severe talking to that they straightaway went and knelt at Singor Facta's feet* imploring forgiveness. * “At the same moment as a firing squad in Athens was shooting down cxMinisters,” the paper says, “the three Fascisti were kneeling before Signora, Facta, who forgave them and kissed them in the name of her husband who is absent in Borne. These are two din metrically/ opposite conceptions of revolution.”