British and Foreign

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 January 1914, Page 3

British and Foreign

ELECTRIC TELEGRAM—COPYRIGHT. [PER PP-ESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.). DISMISSED. London, January 19. The motor customs prosecutions have been dismissed without the defendants being called upon. MUST BE FOUND. The Admiralty has ordered that the submarine AT must be found, and twelve torpedo boats, with nine divers, are scouring the sea bed. Torpedo boats, with finding hawsers, are being and ten square miles were covered on Monday. It is feared in some quarters that tlfe quicksands of "YVhitsand Bay have swallowed the submarine. Naval experts complain that the tender accompanying the submarine was not iitted with wireless, and was not able to summon help immediately; they also complain of the absence of lifting ships similar to those attached t-.: the German and French navies. Berlin, January 19. Naval experts consider that the Admiralty's criminal negligence was responsible for the submarine disaster. Some newspapers describe the A class , submarines as coffinships. The search for the submarine has again failed. The Evening News, purporting to give an official view, states that the A class of' submarine is not dangerous, and the men share that view. Owing to the depth of water it is impossible for any apparatus fe raise the submarine within 24 hours if the "men are asphyxiated. The submarine should have risen automatically. If embedded in the sand it nad sufficient power to release itself . There was no delay in signalling. (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) THE CUSTOMS CASE. London, January 18. h). 'the Customs case Mr Bodkin ]£.(?., submitted that Walter liad no knowledge of tliy transactions in Australia. The other defendants may have had not fraudulent kjiov.-ledgeTiWfcr evidence has been called to show that the firm had profited by the transactions. Neal's evidence showed that ihe values charged to Australian houses were the same as the firm paid to British manufacturers. The allegation that pnees for the chassis were inflated had not been supported. Between May, 1912, and June, 1913, the Government had tried to get the firm to give evidence against its Australian clients, but the Magistrate considered that though the ease was a proper subject for inquiry no jury would convict on the documents submitted in the absence of witnesses who alone would b3

able to give evidence concerniag the transactions to which the documents referred. Except in Clement Talbot's transactions no such evidence was called. He complimented Neal and Shorland on their fullness, frankness and fairness in giving evidence; also Neal on his preparation of the documentary evidence. WAR OFFICE ENQUIRIES. The War Office enquiries among the Belfast camera for the first use of their horses in the event oi' war has led to rumours that the Government aimed at hampering Ulster's resistance. It is semiofficially stated that the inquiries are nominal and are not confinad to Ireland. Nevertheless the owners stipulate that their horses must not be used against Ulster. RESIGNED. Paris, January 11). M. Lemire has resigned the VicePresidency. (Received This Day, 10.20 a.m.). SOUTH AFRICAN STRIKE. Capetown, Jan. 19. While the industrial difficulties are by no means over—indeed, the settlement has scarcely yet begun—the immediate prospect of red ruin and the breaking up of the law is past. The Government's call to arms was responded to by all well disposed persons throughout the Union, irrespective of party, or. any other considerations which ordinarily divide the people. The Indians, led by Gandhi, stood aloof, and the natives wer-j obedient to a message from Botha and remained quiet. The issue has thus become a clear cut issue between constitutionalism on the one hand and anarchy on the other; and constitutionalism has prevailed at a cost which, in the end, may be anything from a quarter to half a million. The cost depends on how long the active citizen forces will remain on duty. Gradual demobilisation _ has already begun, but it will not be unduly hastened, and it is noteworthy that the Government, even after demobilisation, will retain in the control areas considerable forces, on the'plea that the men, having been got together, Hie present is a good opportunity for them to undergo # the regulation training. The railway strike has practically ended, except in the Pretoria workshops and to a limbed extent in Durban. Neither case is interfering with £he restoration of the normal train service. Raeburn and Tilbury, Two prominent local labourites, have been arrested at Pretoria. (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) FATAt EXPLOSION. Ottawa, January 19. A dynamite explosion occurred prematurely on the Canadian Northern Railway's construction works at Rosspoint, Quebec. The explosion killed eight workers. Two labourers narrowly _ escaped a similar fate. The accident occurred when blowing up a rock while excavating a pier for a bridge.