THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 January 1917, Page 3

THE WAR

Austral.a-New Zealand Cable Service) (Received This Day 8.30 a.m.) CLEARING-HOUSE FOR BRUTISH MINISTERS. London, January 15. Tlie Hon. D. Lloyd George is .rapidly improving tho. "clearing-house" for Cabinet business, which has absorbe:! the fcrmer War Committee in Imperial Dcfcrtce, enabling Mr Maurice Hankey to become secretary to the Cabinet, with .several military-civil assistants. This is essential, as the Hon. iD. Lloyd George, Earl Cnrzon and Lord Milner have no departments with ordinary machinery for transacting business 1 . Lloyd Geouge also enlisted tihe services of such men as'* Mr Pliilip Kerr (editor of the ißound Table) and Professor Adams (Oxford economist) to work under his immediate direction. "RUNNING THE GAUNTLET." Paris, January 15. Tho extraordinary exploit of 103 inhabitants of Liege who escaped from Holland is reported. They got possession of an old tug and drifted, during the night down the swollen Mouse, despite ia-11 sorts of obstacles including cab'cs across the river. The pilot was protected by armour-plating, the passengers remaining below. Thus they escaped the machine-gun fire by German sentHea. HOSJULL EXPLOSION. New York, Jan. 15., Three arrests have been made in connection with the lloskill explosion. SHORT OF FOOD. The New York Times states that coupled with tho admission of a practical failure of the potato crop, come reports of gross mismanagement of the Food Bureau, grafting and extortion, indicating that despite food spoils from Rumania the German Empire is facing an acutest food .problem. CONDITIONS AT RUHLEIBEN. ' (Times Service). London, Jan. 15. Civilians arrived in England from 'Germany state that conditions fit Ruhleben have improved. The Germans' no longer are arrogant and boastful. Germany's poverty is strikingly revealed in the changed attitude of the children. Formerly insolent, they now linger outside the compound and eagerly snatch particles of food that the English throw out. THE POPE'S ATTITUDE. Rome, January 15. Replying to the Central News Agency, a high offieiall at the Vatican stated that the .Holiyi See's attitude was unchanged. The Vatican continued to observe scrupulous .neutrality, but the Pope was unable to refrain from examination of bellfcerants' war methods. It was impossible to avoid the conclusion that Germany's and Austria's unwarrantable and atrocious acts far exceed anything whereof the Entente wias guilty. The Pope thought he must show some consideration to the late Francis Joseph, who deserved well of the Church, but he saw .no reason, to tolerate primes committed in the' new Emperor's name.

UNDER GERMAN RULE. Petrograd, January 15. The Germans have, introduced compulsory labour in Lithuania, including trench-digisjing. A protest meeting hell cl at Villi a resulted in a punishment levy of one million roubles, although many o& the Lithuanians: are dying of starvation. The towns are placarded with invitations to. volunteer for service in, the German Army.' TWO COMMUNIQUES. (A.-N.Z: and Reuter Service) London, January 15. A wireless German message (official) runs : —We. repulsed strong RussokßumaJiian attacks northward of the Sustia Valley. An Italian communique states: There is increased enemy artillery activity on the Cairso. JAPANESE CRUISER LOST. London, January 15. The Japanese battle cruiser Tsukuba wjvs • .blown' up at Yokosulca. There were 400 casualties.