TO BE INTRODUCED IMMEDIATELY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2656, 30 December 1915, Page 5

TO BE INTRODUCED IMMEDIATELY

■ POLITICAL CRISIS PROBABLE SOME MINISTERS WILL' RESIGN ■ THE FIGHT IN EGYPT LORD LIVERPOOL'S OWN IN ACTION ARABS COMPLETELY ROUTED One of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade battalions Las received its baptism of fire in Western Egypt. Accompanied by a Sikh corps, it engaged and dispersed, on Christmas Day, a raiding force of Arab tribesmen .which had entered Egypt from Tripoli. It is officially reported that the British losses wero trifling. More reassuring accounts are now given of the position in (Sreat Britain as regards recruiting policy. It is the prevailing opinion that the Government is about to bring in legislation providing for the compulsory enlistment of unencumbered single men who have'declined to respond to the voluntary appeal, and though some Ministerial resignations are expected, the belief apparently obtains that no serious split in the Imperial Cabinet is tlu-eatcned. ' Various reports are current regarding the Balkans, 0110 to the effect that tho Greeks will permit a Bulgarian advance on Salonika along the main •' railway from tho north, but will not consent to their frontier being crosscd on east and west, in development of a converging attack upon the ' Allies.. The opinion is attributed to the London "Times" that a formidable attack on Salonika is imminent. In the Western theatre intense artillery activity is reported and the French are said to have effected an advance in Alsace. An account of the hardships suffered by the New Zealanders and other troops in the lately evacuated positions at Gallipoli is given by Mr. Ward Price. He declares that nover since the Crimea have British troops endured such an ordeal.