CHARGE AGAINST THE "TIMES"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2477, 2 June 1915, Page 6

CHARGE AGAINST THE "TIMES"

PUBLISHING NEWS OF VALUE 10

THE ENEMY

COMPLAINT BY THE FRENCH

AUTHORITIES

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

London, May 31. The Government is prosecuting the publisher of "The Times" and Jlaior E. Richardson, the well-known • breeder of dogs, for publishing a letter by Major Richardson after a visit by the latter to the front, stating that tho last of the French reserves were rut, and that young, raw recruits were being called up, and giving other information useful to the enemy. ■ Major Richardson, in his letter, said: "France is looking to us to supply enormous numbers of men. Failing this there is a distinct danger of public , sentiment in France wearying of the war. I saw here scores of lusty young i ß sn, who were utterly callous "and indifferent to the anguish of their brothers so long as they got a war bonus." At the hearing, Mr. Bodkin, K.C., said that "The Times," in common with other newspapers, had received an order regarding matter that might not be published. It ought to have consulted the Press Bureau if in the slightest doubt. The French military authorities had seriously complained to the War Offico about the letter, and the War Office appreciated the seriousness of the statement, as tending to assist the enemy by making them consider that tli'o French forces had reached their limit.

A detective testified that Major Richardson admitted writing the letter, and also said he thought that it would be submitted to the Censor.

Major Richardson, F.Z.S., is a leading British authority on police and war dogs. He took up the study of the subject in IS9S; was attached' with ambulance dogs to the R.A.M.C. Volunteers, and also became instructor to the late Sultan Abdul Hamid's bodyguard at Constantinople; supplied the Russian Army with ambulance dogs in ths Russo-Japanese War; took out an ambulance dog to the Spanish Army in' Morocco; introduced dogs for duty with the police in England, and supplied all the leading towns and also inaugurated a service of dogs for the Admiralty; supplied, the sentry dogs to the Abor Expedition in Northern India in 1911; was present with the Italian Field Force in Tripoli the same year; was in tlie Balkan War in 1912-13 with the Montenegrin, Servian, Greek, Bulgarian, and Turkish. Armies; and supplied sentry dogs .in the Naga Hill Expedition, India, in 1913 He has received the French Red Cross decoration and the Belgian Red Cross decoration, and been specially thanked by several crowned heads.