OVERNIGHT CABLES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18644, 22 December 1928, Page 14

OVERNIGHT CABLES

Christmas Shoplifters. SYDNEY, December 21. Christmas trade has been very heavy irt gifts,, but large firms report a diminished turnover in clothing and the more costly goods. The city streets to-night are heavily thronged with shoppers. The police state that a record number of women and girl shoplifters were arrested to-day—a total of thirty. —Australian Press Association. Jockey Disqualified. MELBOURNE, December 21. W. Duncan, a leading Victorian jockey, was to-day disqualified for having approached the owner of a ticket in a certain sweep for a share of the winnings on Maple in the event of that horse winning the last Melbourne Cup. His license was withdrawn during the pleasure of the Victorian Racing Club’s commitee.—Australian Press Association. Lawn Tennis. NEW YORK, December 20. The United States will probably not object to the French proposal to divide Europe into two Davis Cup zones. A similar proposal for the American zone is under consideration since the suggestion was made at the London meeting last July—Australian Press Association—United Service. Russo-German Treaty. BERLIN, December 21. In a new Russo-German trade treaty which is imminent, the Soviet agrees to utilise a certain amount of German shipping and to accept the German Government's interpretation of commercial espionage, and to acknowledge the right of German consuls to visit German subjects imprisoned in Russia. —Australian Press Association. Wool Carried by 'Plane. MELBOURNE, December 21. The transport of wool by aeroplane is now contemplated by Aerial Services, Limited, who propose using an all metal aeroplane capable of lifting eight or ten bales per trip. An estimate of the cost is being prepared for a northern station-owner whose wool is at present transported by camel teams which occupy several weeks getting it to railhead, whereas aeroplanes would cover the journey in one day. The cost would be about the same, namely £3O per ton. —Australian Press Association. Fraudulent Drafts. PARIS, December 21. Following a denunciation by a Russian commercial representative in Berlin Marinovitch Litvin off, a brother of the Soviet leader and foreign commissar, was arrested for fraudulently issuing drafts to the value of £200.000 on a Berlin banker. He was discovered in a small hotel under an assumed name. He had many documents in German and Russian, but no money. The hotelkeeper was arrested on a charge of complicity.—United Service. A cablegram from Paris on November 11 stated:-—A search by a special agent of the Soviets Berlin Legation resulted in the discovery in two French banks of seven bills of exchange amounting to £200.000, allegedly forged by M. Litvinoff’s brother, who was the Moscow representative of the Russian Trade Delegation in Berlin until in January, 1926, he issued bills without authority. Explosion in London. LONDON, December 21. To-night flames six feet high were still coming from portions of the roadway. Fire engines are standing by at most of the entrances to the affected area, and are prepared for emergency. Prince’s Theatre had to close. Many residents; fearing a renewal of the fire, slept elsewhere. —Australian Press Association. Sentence Commuted. SYDNEY, December 21. Cabinet has commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence passed on Thomas Butler, who was convicted of the murder of a woman named Ellen Egan, with whom he had been living. —Australian Press Association. Appointment of Cardinals. LONDON, December 21. At the meeting of the Consistory on Monday the question was raised of the composition of the Sacred College. Since Pius XI. became Pope, thirty Cardinals had been created, of whom fifteen were Italian and fifteen nonItalian. Now there are seven vacancies and there may be more before the spring, when the Pontiff is expected to hold a new Consistory, at which Cardinals will be created. Ireland is anxious to be represented, the choice resting between the Archbishops of Dublin and Armagh. It is also recalled that Australia has been seventeen years without a Cardinal, since Cardinal Moran’s death. After the splendid Catholic manifestation at the Eucharistic Congress at Sydney, Australia considers that she is entitled to have a Prince of Church. South America, however, has only one cardinal, and Argentina and Chile are specially anxious. If the next Consistory gives Ireland, Australia and Argentina a Cardinal apiece, there is room at least for two Italians, bringing the composition of the Sacred College to thirty-two Italians and thirtysix non-Italians.—Australian Press Association—United Service. Nobel Peace Prize. STOCKHOLM, December 21. The Nobel Peace Prize for 1928 has been awarded to Baron Pierre Decouberton, founder of the Olympic Games. —United Press - Association. Pa.pal Jubilee. LONDON, December 21. The correspondent of “The Times” in Rome states that the Pope, Pius XI., celebrated at Saint Peter's the commencement of the jubilee year of his first mass, which he served in the church in San Carlo in 1879. Eleven Cardinals, several Bishops, the priests of the Vatican and members of the Diplomatic Corps were present and a small pilgrimage from Lombardy, the Pope's natal province, attended. The Pope ascended the Papal throne to a triumphal march played on silver trumpets, and served low mass while ecclesiastical students sang hymns. He administered Communion to 120 children and subsequently opened the Vatican Library and the Belvedere Courtyard which were recently renovated. Many religious ceremonies will follow*. The city of Rome has given the Pope a throne for his installation in the Sistine Chapel. Times Cables. Turkish Plot. LONDON. December 21. The Constantinople correspondent of “ The Times ” states that in spite of concealment, it is clear that the authorities have discovered an anti-Gov-ernment plot. One hundred and fifty arrests have been made. At. Constantinople, three generals Cables. Byrd Expedition. VANCOUVER, December 21. A message from the barque City o( New York on Thursday says: “For two days there was little pro-

gress through the pack owing to the thick ice. Snowstorms, at times, made it impossible to see the leads. A heavy head wind blew all night with the barometer down to 28.50. Sheltered as we were, it nearly stopped us for a time and we lay snugly in a small pond surrounded by ice. Our sights to-day indicated that in the last two days, when it was difficult to get observations, we may have worked further to the east than desired. “The coal has been shifted below from the deck during the day. Now we have only a few tons left in bags, these also go below in a few' days. It is a great comfort to know that we have such a good supply of coal. “We have been much amused by the penguins which come to the edge of the ice to watch us. We have also passed many seals, and a killer whale came alongside and disappeared under a floe. The abundance of life in these ice fields is remarkable.” —United Service. Houze of Commons. LONDON, December 21. In the House of Commons, Mr G. Locker Lampson, Under-Secre-tary for Foreign Affairs, questioned regarding the dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay, said that the Foreign Secretary had not entered into any negotiations with the United States in order to secure, with the help of the League of Nations, a peaceful settlement. The British Government had not thought it right to take any action independent of the League of Nations. On the vote for a subsidy of £IOO,OOO to facilitate the work of transfer of people from distressed areas, Mr Baldwin said that 1250 men were getting other work weekly, of which 750 were moved directly under the auspices of the Labour Exchanges. The programme for the coming year provided sending at least six thousand trained and tested men to Canada. He repeated his appeal to ejnployers to take as much additional lSbour as possible, remembering that with the exception of these black spots the country was prosperous. In most parts the standard of living was higher than in any country in Europe. The year had been singularly free from industrial trouble, hence the purchasing power had been maintained and even increased. They could reasonably look for an expansion in trade. The stiffening of freights had put confidence in the shipowners and had led to the placing of very considerably increased orders for tramp steamers. The reflection would be seen in the new year, when the orders began to be placed for hulls and machinery. Mr MacDonald, who followed, described the Prime Minister’s statement as profoundly disappointing. If the Government had done its duty it would not have waited until the last days of the session to produce the supplementary estimates. “The Government says it will give pound for pound, but the measure of the Government’s support is not the needs of the community. This is the vicious principle upon w'hieh w f e vote money. The Government ought to supply food through the local authorities. Boots ought to be a charge on education, leaving clothing to private charity.—Australian Press Association.