THE WAR.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 February 1915, Page 2

THE WAR.

|_ELKCIIUC teleguaph—copibight J LPjtll Pit ess asbocuahon.) AMERICAN PAPERS ASK. QUESTIONS. New York-, Fob. 9. Tin- newspapers generally crystalize America's position in regard to Germany's throat by asking what Germany would do if American ships, convoyed Ijy battleships, demand u passage through Germany's paper blockade? 11 Britain threatens Germany with starvation why does not the German navy destroy the British fleet? If Germany is tillable to keep her supply routes open, why should neutrals embroil themselves with the Allies by allowing Germany to dictate where shipx shall travel? What right has Geririq^ljj-s, cause .she is unable to blockade Britain or destroy her navy, to threaten to sink ueutrals. THE NEUTRALS CONFERRING. Rome, Feb. 'J. The neutrals arc exchanging pourparlers concerning Germany's blockade. FERMENT IN BOHEMIA. Flesh disorders are reported in Prague. The inhabitants were irritated by the arrest of Czech students and journalists. It is reported tliat five dynamite attempts have bt»en made against the politicals of Bohemia since February Ist. DESIRABLE RETICENCE. London, Feb. 9. A Treasury minute points out that it is undesirable, even if it were possible. to give detailed estimates of the °ost of the war. One difficulty is tho impossibility of forecasting if the war will end with the current financial venr. also it is not in the public interest to disclose the nature and extent if the operations for which provision : s required. Therefore in a war where '■.lie whole of our resources are involved ordinary procedure would be arbitrary uid artificial, and we must proceed by votes of credit. The nominal votes mow submitted would afford! a statutory Visis for appropriations and enable the Commons to discuss them.

THE CENSORSHIP,

A debate followed Mr King's motion

n ndenining the Press Bureau as restricting the freedom of the press. He declared that its working caused 9UBs oicions and discontent, and its meth>ds and principles were wholly unintelligible. p Sir iS. Buckmaster said the motion vas based on a charge that the Bureau p vitli holds information, but on tlie con- * brary the bureau published instantly everything it had power to publish, and ' 'lothing was issued unless it was abso'utely true. His first duty was to •irevent the publication of news whioll \ould unduly depi'ess the people, when, such news was not a relation of the rue facts. He denied that he used he office to shield his colleagues from •ritiicism. Mr Bonar Law said it would be i ireat advantage if bulletins were re i j;ularly issued as they were in France, i He wondered if the House realised the ' remendous event the battle of Ypres i was. We had bigger loses there than ilmost any battle in our history i wherein purely British troops were engaged, and out of which we came with honour. It was time the country knew details of the battle. The motion was negatived. A MISSING STEAMER. The steamer Oriole, with a crow of twenty-two. from London to Havre, has not arrived. Tt is believed she was orpedoed at the same time as the Tokomaru. Her lifebuoys have be-in picked up at Eve. THE ALLIES OPERATION Paris, Feb. 9. Official—The enemy exploded mines outside our positions at La'boisselle and xwit two and a half companies to -issault, but they were repulsed, leaving 200 dead. DESPERATE FIGHTING. Petrograd, Feb. 9. Official.—The fighting is more desperate at Serpiece. An attempt to break our front at Borjimoff was checked. We captured strong positions at Kamion, twenty-five miles south-east' of Plock taking prisoner five officers and 360 men : also 00 officers, 3600 men and eleven mitrailleuses at Mezolaborcz. PARAPETS OF DEAD GERMANS. A Bavarian eoJdter states.—During a charge at Rawka T saw parapets "n front of the Russian tre.nehrs. butnearer view disclosed that iJio parapets were the bodies of the Germans who had been frozen. The trenches wore only a hundred paces apart and it was iinpossible to remove the dead which lie for a week in frozen masses.

IN FULL RETREAT. Cairo, February 8. The Turkish Army is in full retreat eastwards. There are no enemy forces within twenty miles of the Oanal and oven at that distance only small rearguards remain, retiring steadily. The retreat was probably due both to discouragement over the defeat' and tho lack of water in tliu desert. Whether t'lioy will attempt a second attack cannot yet bo determined.

The Times Cairo correspondent says the latest informat-ion is that the enemy has drawn off. It is probable that- tlit* went eiiMiunters wero only ; prelude to the leal attack which is likely to he entrusted to the Turkish Fourth Army Corps.