THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 April 1915, Page 3

THE WAR

Latest Cables

This Afternoon's War fsews. ■Li i.<- ii.-o i ii -cui'i tuuiii - J i Kit i 4> i (Received This Day 'J. 20 a.m.) SEAPLAXE ACCIDENT. London, April 27. Swb-LieutGiurttt MecTncott and his mechanic were killed in a seaplane accident at Calshot. EXPORT OF LO'PPER BANNED. Tho Government has prohibited tlie exportation of raw cotton, except to the Allied countries, Spain and Portugal. THE REBELLION. IN SOUTH AFRICA. A Blue Book on tlie. .rebellion . in South that there is ample; : reason, tor believing, that De ...Wet and Beyers, interpreted.,,-the . Government's 'inaction after jpc Wet refused to confer with Steyn. as a sign of weakness, and that they believed that the African Government's inaction was due to anxiety to avoid bloodshed. De Wet's disingenuousness was particularly ghuv ing. He not only . misled Steyn, "but misled his own officers; he alone, of all the rebel officers, appears ■••to liave wanted war. (Received This Day t5.45 a.m.) COLONIAL 'AMMUNITION WORKERS. London, April 27. Tlie Government is arranging to import colonial ammunition workers. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S REPORT. Sir John French reports: "We repulsed all attacks north east of Ypres and took the offensive. We progressed towards Saint Julien. Our aviators made successful raids on the railway stations and junctions at Tou>rcoing Roubaix, Ingelmunster, Staden. Langemareh. Thielt, and ltoulers. A CONSULTATION. Home, April 27. The Messagero states that tlie Italian Ambassadors at Paris, Vienna, London anil Berlin have Tteen summoudfP to Rome. (Received This !say 11.50 a.m.) TREATMENT OF BRITISH PRISONERS. London, April 27. Lord Kitchener, in the House of lords, in reply to a question in regard to the treatment of prisoners, said that he hitherto always had held German officers in respect, but now with the- greatest reluctance he was forced to accept as incontestably true the maltreatment by the Germany army "ot British prisoners. Constant 'testimony received, not only from our own escapees. buT from French, Russian. Belgian and American sources showed that inliuimanrty by the German authorities. especially towards the British. was beyond a doubt. The Hague Convention laid down sufficient rules for the treatment ot" prisoners, which if observed, the beTTTgerents. could not reasonably complain. Articles four to seven were disregarded flagrantly.

(Received This Day 10.35 a.m.)

> PRISONERS OFF GERMAN

SUBMARINE

London, April 27

In the House of Commons, the Hi". Hon. Winston Churchill, in refffy to a question. 6aid that no special conditions applied to German prisoners because they . fought in the submarines, but special conditions applied to prisoners wantonly killing non-combatants, neutrals and women on the high seas. They could not recognise persons systematically employed in sinking merchant ships anfl fishing vessels, without warning, and regardless of loss of life, and place them on the same footing as honourable soldiers. The sinking of the Oriole, Falaba. and the fishing boats, caused tliem to place all German submarine prisoners. after February 18th, and as long ns the system of submarine attack continued, in a distinct and separate category.

The Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, continuing, said he couTd not at present tell the result of their action nor what form of reparation of a special character could be exacted. The treatment of ■fffftmaVine prisoners was humane. The American representatives were offered faeilitfes to make a report providSfl reciprocal facilities were afforded by Germany. Thirty-nine' German submarine men were thus interned and Germany's reprisals could not be allawed to influence the action ive regarded as necessary. GERIMAXS REPl'T.sm Capetown, Aifil 27. Official. - Colonel Skinner's force, guarding the railhead at Trekkopjes. 50 mile snorth-east of Swakopmund, repulsed after four hours' fight 700 Germans with twelve guns. The enemy Tost 25 killed and wounded. HIGH COMMISSI OXER'S REPORT. T<ondon, April 27. Potrograd reports that on the Plangen littoral of Courland on Sunday, a German cruiser bombarded two villages without result. At dawn on Sunday a Zeppelin discharged several bombs on the town of Bielstok without damage. In the Carpathians on Saturday we successfully repulsed enemy attacks on the heights ot Polen. In the direction of Stryj on' Saturday and | Sunday a desperate battle was waged and still continues. The Black Sea fleet on Sunday bombarded the Bosphorus forts and great explosions were observed in one fort. A Turkish battleship in the Straits made a futile reply to the Russian fir®. ~, '... 'j,-!... ; K j.

On Sunday the Belgian infantry repelled three German attacks south of Dixmude, the Germans again using asplivxiating gases, but suffered lieavj loss. The enemy artillery was active •ami the Belgians replied with success their strong fire proving useful to the French who attacked. Liserne, wresting it 'from the the enemy into whose hands it had fallen on Sunday.

Sir John French reports that yesterday's German attacks north-east ot Ypres were repulsed. in the afternoon the British took the offensive and made progress near St. Julien and west of that place. The French co-operat ed on the left, further north, and retook HeTthars. In the course of yesterday's fighting the artillery took full advantage of several opportunities in inflicting severe casualties on the enemy. 'In addftion to the destruction at Courtrai juction. our airmen yesterday successfully bombarded the stations and junctions at Lurcoing, Roubaix. Ingelminster, Staden, Langemarck, Thielt and Iloulers. Canadian officers killed 20, wounded 38 ; rtien killed 10; wounded 48. British,'men killed 86, wounded 127; prinsoners 35. The summit of Hartmannsweillerkopf, taken by the Germans yesterday, was re-taken by the French, also some prisoners. MORE CHARGES OF CRUELTY

The High Commissioner for New Zea-. land' reports under date of London, April 27th.— , Army casualties : 10 officers killed. 27 wounded. Lord Kitchener, in the House of Lords, said that British prisoners were stripped and maltreated in various ways. In some cases evidence was given they were also shot in cold blood; even wounded officers- are wantonly insulted and frequently struck, according to the testimony of Germans themselves. It is only right to say that German hospitals are excepted from the clTarges of deliberate inhumanity. The Germans last week introduced a method of placing opponents hors de combat by asphyxiating gases, in order to prevail when according to rules of war they might otherwise fail.

Some officers lately had been subjected to solitary confinement, in retaliation for the supposed treatment of Germans in this country. He hoped shortly to receive further evidence «n this point. Germany tor many years had posed to civilised world as a great military nation, and she lind abundantly proved possession of skill and courage; surely she should set a standard of military honour which would gain her the respect, if ijpt friendship, of the nations! Insfpful she stooped to acts which indelibly stained her military history. Viewing barbarous savagery even of Soudan dervishes, he did not think there could be a soldier of any nationality, even amongst the Germans themselves, who was not heartily ashamed of the slur cast on the profession of arms and the usages of the war. Not only had they been outraged by cruelties, but Germany had introduced a method of placing opponents hors de combat by asphyxiating gases, when according to the rules of war their attack might otherwise have failed. Yet Germany signed the Article of The Hague Conventon prohibiting such methods.