OVERNIGHT CABLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18466, 18 May 1928, Page 11

OVERNIGHT CABLES.

(United Press A«sn.-—By Electric Tel egra ph.—Copyr i gh t.) U.S. Navy. WASHINGTON, May 16. President Coolidge surprised the House and the Senate by sudden and vigorous insistence that the navy should build ships. His chief opposition is a small group of radicals in the Senate who threaten to talk the Naval Bill to death. Senator Curtis, after conferring with Mr Wilbur, Secretary of the Navy, offered little hope on the idea of holding Congress' long enough to break the threatened filibuster. However, some encouragement is seen in Senator Johnson’s statement that he would be satisfied with two days’ discussion in the Senate of a Bill which lias been blocking the Naval Bill. The Assistant-Secretary to the Navy, Mr Robinson, talked with the leaders of both Houses, urging that the Naval Bill should not be permitted to be talked to death.—Australian Press Association. Battle in China. SHANGHAI, May 17. The Northerners are-in action against Feng Yu-hsiang and the Shansi troops in the neighbourhood of Wangatu, on the Pekin-Hankow line. The battle opened yesterday and is reported to be developing into a major engagement. A decision is expected within a week. The population of Pekin is panicstricken.—United Service. Aorangi at Suva. SUVA, May 37. The Aorangi arrived from Vancouver and sailed for ’Auckland. “Miss New Zealand” (Miss Dale Austen), who has been at Los Angeles, is a passenger.— Australian Press Association. Wealth of America 1 . NEW YORK, May 16. According to a compilation by Stone, Webster and Blodgett, Inc., a 4400 per cent increase in the wealth of the United States since 1850 has carried the total worth of the country to 320,000,000,000 dollars.—Australian Press Association. Motor Speed Record. LONDON, May 17. “ I do not see w r hy we should not be allowed to take the risk,” said Captain Malcolm Campbell, commenting on the Royal Automobile Club’s ban on his attempt to regain the world’s speed record on the Pendtne Sands. He now must incur the terrific expense of taking a car and organisation abroad. Nevertheless he intends to try to get the record back.

An official of the club, defending the decision, said that there is only a bare seven miles of sand, with a river at one end arid a wall of rock at the other. The club does not wish to appear red tapish, but it is felt that it would be almost criminal to grant the permit.— Australian Press Association.