Blog

17 APRIL 1925

The British airship, R.33, broke from her moorings at Pulham in a squall. She carried a crew of twenty, and was driven across the North Sea by the gale.

Telegrams from various parts of England and Ireland report damage by severe gales.

M. Painleve has almost completed his Cabinet. He is Premier and Minister of War, M. Briand is Foreign Minister, and M. Caillaux, Minister of Finance.

A manifesto by the German Centre party says that the people behind von Hindenburg’s candidature are aiming at the restoration of the Monarchy, and are thus not only leading up to civil war, but, if they succeed, will plunge Germany into fresh international difficulties.

Reports from Bulgaria are of a disquieting character. Another Deputy has been murdered in the streets of Sofia, and at a memorial service for the assassinated General Gheorghieff an infernal machine exploded, killing and injuring many persons. These crimes, as well as the unsuccessful attempt on the life of King Boris, are regarded as the work of Communists.

The Chinese Foreign Office has replied to the British, French, and American Notes of protest against the flotation of a new internal loan.

Prince Henry got a fall at the Crawley and Horsham Hunt Steeplechases at West Grinstead, but was unhurt. His horse, Ocean III., had to be destroyed.

Ulster Parliament, for the first time in its history, had a debate on party lines.

16 APRIL 1925

Lagos gave the Prince of Wales a great welcome when he landed there. He afterwards left for Iddo, en route for Kano, on the frontier of French West Africa.

MR John Sargent, R.A., the famous portrait painter, is dead.

A motor car in which King Boris of Bulgaria was travelling was ambushed on the road to Sofia. M. Ilchieff, Chief of the Entomological Museum, and a servant were killed and the driver wounded. The King’s escape has been hailed with delight and relief in Sofia.

M. Painleve has accepted the task of forming a French Cabinet. It is reported that M. Caillaux will be given the portfolio of Finance.

According to a Berlin telegram, the German Nationalists believe that there is every possibility of Field-Marshal von Hindenburg being elected President of the Reich.

The unloading and assembling of the planes of the Amundsen Polar Expedition will begin as soon as the Farm and the Hobby, now at the edge of the ice in King’s Bay, Spitzbergen, can reach the shore. The expedition will then move to a new base, from which the flight to the Pole will be made as soon as good weather is forecast.

In his attempt to fly to the North Pole Captain Roald Amundsen is to have a rival in Mr. Gretir Algaitsson, who proposes to make the flight in a non-rigid airship, starting from a point north of Spitzbergen.

To a request of the Italian Government for delimitation of the frontier between Egypt and Tripoli according to the Milner-Scialoja agreement, the Egyptian Government is reported to have replied that it cannot accept determination of the frontier according to an agreement made with a foreigner in which it did not participate.

Mr William C. Leonard, presiding at Dumfries at the 28th annual Scottish Trades Union Congress, pleaded for a shorter working week.

15 APRIL 1925

M. Briand abandoned the task of forming a French Ministry after the refusal of the Socialists to be represented. M. Painleve, President of the Chamber, has again been invited by President Doumergue to form a Cabinet.

A memorandum, issued by the Empire Development Union, dealing with unemployment and the peril of British industry, states that if the British race is ever to recover its lost supremacy immediate and drastic action along Imperial lines must be taken by Great Britain.

At the first sitting of the new Ulster Parliament, Mr. Hugh O’Neill was elected Speaker. The State opening takes place to-day.

To a resolution moved at the Independent Labour party’s conference at Gloucester protesting against Mr. Austen Chamberlain’s refusal to submit the question of the Zinoviev letter to independent arbitration, an amendment was moved regretting that the late Foreign Secretary, Mr. MacDonald, authorised Mr. Gregory’s reply to the letter before he was completely satisfied of its authenticity. Defending Mr. MacDonald in his absence, the president of the conference, Mr. Allen, said that he did not authorise the letter. The amendment was withdrawn and the resolution carried.

14 APRIL 1925

A message from the Amundsen expedition records the arrival of the transport farm at Spitzbergen after encountering fog and drift ice. Weather forecasts have held good, and the meteorological service aboard is operating satisfactorily.

M. Briand has not yet formed a Cabinet. A message from Paris last evening says that M. Briand appears to have resolved to do his utmost to form a Government in the national interest, even should the Socialists refuse to allow their Parliamentary leaders to serve in his Cabinet.

Two important Franco-German diplomatic instruments were signed in Paris for the purpose of confirming certain frontier modifications imposed by the Treaty of Versailles.

Sir A. Maurice Low, the Washington correspondent of the Morning Post and The Scotsman, describes the spread of the drug habit among young people in the United States since the passage of the Prohibition Law.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held as unconstitutional the compulsory arbitration of industrial disputes.

The condition of Mr. Massey, the New Zealand Premier, is reported to be critical.

The circumstances attending the recovery of the body of the lost climber on Ben Achalader are described. Some importance is attached locally to a clairvoyant’s description of where the body was to be found.

At the I.L.P. Conference Mr. Ramsay MacDonald replied to criticism from within the party of the work of the late Socialist Government.

MR. J. Ramsay MacDonald, addressing a meeting at Staple Hill, Gloucestershire, criticised the suggested relief in income-tax in the forthcoming Budget.

13 APRIL 1925

M. Briand has been offered the French Premiership.

The Earl of Balfour has left Beyrout for Alexandria. Twelve gendarmes were wounded in the Damascus riots, as well as a rioter and a carriage-driver.

Sir Thomas Hutchinson, Bart., ex-Lord Provost of Edinburgh, died suddenly in Edinburgh from a seizure, which occurred while he was on his way to attend the forenoon service at St. Giles’.

The body of the climber who went amissing on Ben Achallader has been found at an altitude of 3060 feet.

It was announced that, owing to plague restrictions, the visit of the Prince of Wales to Nigeria had been cancelled. The announcement caused intense disappointment in Nigeria, and it has since been decided to carry out practically the full programme, although the landing will probably be made at Port Harcourt instead of Lagos.

The Panchan Lama, or Living Buddha, received in audience at Peking 500 representatives of the world’s most important religions.

The Independent Labour party Conference opened at Gloucester. There was some criticism of the National Council in reference to the Zinoviev letter affair and complaint that nothing had been done by the committee of inquiry set up by the party. The critics succeeded in carrying the reference back of a clause in the report relating to the matter. Later, after rebuking Mr. Shinwell, who raised the question whether it was not a vote of censure on the Council, the Chairman assured the Conference everything was being done to probe the matter. Confirming this, Mr. Maxton, a member of the committee, declared that there had been no desire on Mr. MacDonald’s part to prevent searching inquiry.