1920-10-16 — Page 4

THE CHINA MAIL

EXTRA.

HONGKONG, SATURDAY, OCTÓBER 16, 1920.

TO-DAY'S CABLES.

(Reater's Service to the China Mail)

MINERS STRIKE.

NOTICES DUE TO EXPIRE TO-DAY.

FINAL DECISION.

LONDON, October 14.

It is officially announced that the Miners Conference has decided that

the strike notices shall expire on October 16.

PREMIER SILENT.

LONDON, October 14.

The Miners' Conference remained in session all the afternoon, but prior to adjournment Mr. Lloyd George had not replied to the Conference's letter intimating the strike decision. The Conference resumes in the morning.

BALLOT FIGURES..

LONDON, October 14.

The following is the result of the miners' ballot For acceptance of the owners' offer; 181,428. Against, 635,098.

Majority against 453,670.

BLACK OUTLOOK.

LONDON October 14.

The coal strike outlook is blacker to-night than it has ever been during the months of crisis. The gloominess of the situation is reflected in the Prime Minister's reply (just published) to the Mixers' Federation's intimation of the result of the ballot and notification of cessation of work on Saturday (to-day) unless a 25. a day wages advance is granted.

PREMIER'S GRAVE OBSERVATION.

"In facing the trials which the decision of your conference to-day has imposed upon our people," Mr. Lloyd George gravely observes, "the country will be doubtless fortified in its determination to endure by the fact that the proposals of its elected Government received the support of most of the responsible and experienced mind within the Miners' Federation."

DISASTER THREATENED TO TRADE.

Mr. Lloyd George further in, the course of his reply to the Miners' Federation expresses the greatest regret at the miners' "decision, regarding which it is impossible to conceive any action more likely to cause serious disaster τα the country's trade or more gravely "increase unemployment. He also points out the injurious effects on struggling Continental nations dep endent on the supply of British coal. FINAL REJECTION.

The Premier reviews the repent fruitless proposals and notes that the whole country must deplore that Mr. Smillie's and the other prominent miners' leaders' support of them was not followed. The Premier concludes: "We explored, and are still ready to explore, every avenue that might lead to a peaceful solution of the difficulty. We can only regret that supremely reasonable proposals have received final rejection at the hands of the conference."

IRISH PROBLEM.

CAMPAIGN OF MURDER THE REAL BAR TO PEACE.

GOVERNMENT DETERMINED, “

LONDON, October 14.

Sir Hamar Greenwood, in a speech at Belfast, said that the real bar to peace was the campaign of callous murder and intimidation, but no matter what it cost in men and money the Government would treat the criminals as criminals. "We are breaking the terror in many countles," he said. "The boycott of the police has ceased and will cease all over." The Government was setting up almost immediately a special constabulary force under the R.I.C., composed of "selected patriotic men having a right to protect their own homes. He hoped that the time was not distant when Irishmen would all be united in common loyalty to the same Crown and be co-partners in that great communion of nations, the British Empire, which was the greatest secular instrument for good the world had ever seen.

COMMERCIAL, AVIATION.

FASCINATING PICTURE OF FUTURE AIRSHIP,

ONE HUNDRED PASSENGERS.

LONDON, October 14.

A fascinating picture of the commercial airship of the future was drawn at the Air Conference this afternoon by Commander Sir Trevor Dawson, who foreshadowed a weekly of a bi-weekly passenger service from Europe, to South Africa, India, and Australia by airships flying at 60 miles an bour, reducing the time of the journey from London to Cape Town or India to fire days. The airships would be rigid, and 800 feet long, with a gas capacity. of at least 4,000,000 cubic feet, carrying 100 passengers.” The probable cost of a regular airship service between England and India carrying four tons of cargo and 100 passengers each way weekly would be about 2s. 9d. per ton a mile, giving the passenger rates about 50 per cent higher than the present first class steamer and mail rates of 6d. per ounce,

GERMAN LINER FİRE.

BERLIN, October 14.

A message from Hamburg states that the fire on the "Victoria Luise'

on October 13 was confined to the refrigerating room! The vessel was not, one of those to be surrendered to the Allies."