Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY. MARCH 31, 1917 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 March 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY. MARCH 31, 1917 THE WEEK.

The nows from Rassia as to the internal situation continues to be of great importance and concern. As a contemporary says the importance of Russia to the Entente Alliance cannot of course be overrated. We can realise it best by- supposing the collapse of Russia and tracing the consequences. There is, happily, now no fear of such collapse, because the Russian people have realised, apparently, that to keep their strength bearing in the direction of the national desire, they must keep the national head clear and steady. That the national head is pretty steady is proved by the treatment of tbe fallen dynasty, and the convicted bureaucracy, that is, the leadeis of the Tohinovniks. The House of Romanoff has been set aside as completely iu Russia as the House of Bourbon has been in France, with the difference that the French dynasty had life for three-quprters of a century before the Duo d'Aumale retired from the army, whereas in a few weeks the Grand Duke Nicholas, with a far greater record than the Duod’Aumale’a in tbe

ield, and of not less distinguished oatrioiism in the Cabinet, has bean retired from his great position in a few weeks. At the same time the traitors of the Tchin are not massacred, but they are to be tried openly by legal process. They are meeting justice, not revenge. Moreover, the Provisional Government, in the multiplicity of its enormous labours, is placing the conduct of the war before everything. According to Mr Gibb:) the Germane are now actually back on what he calls von Hindenbnrg’sliue, so that the local battles should be growing more frequent and more intense. Bnt there is no positive evidence, gays the Lyttelton Times, that the Allies have so far been in contact with anything more than the enemy’s advanced positions, except south-west of Arras and perhaps south of St Quenth), and if that is a correct estimate of the situation there need be no expectation of an immediate general actioD. About Bsanrains there was no prospect of a farther retreat of the enemy unless be intended to atandon'his positions north of Arras, and the earlier predictions of such, a movement have not been justified All along the front past Croisilles, Lafimicouri —which the Britith have captured—and Baaumetz, the Germans are established ou outer rim''of the Bapaume plateau, where their frst stand was quite to be ex- — -» », • 1 il.ni Qir

pected, and it is possible that foir Diiuglas Haig will proceed to hammer them as soon as their main positions are definitely located. We have no indication of his intentions, however, aud the communique deals with a small affair at Lagnicom t. There is no news concerning iha position between Baaumetz and Si Quentin, and south of St Quentin the only news we have is of German attacks that seam to have stopped the French progress for the time b9ing. South of the Oise the patrols are still in frequent contact, but the enemy is steadily falling back through the forest. On the. Vregny front the conditions must be those of trench warfare, France ia calling the 1918 class of

recruits to the colours a year in advance of the due date, just as she called up the 1917 class last year, not with the intention of using the recruits at once in the trenchs?, but to give thorn a full training in anticipation of the time when they will be requited at the front. Britain, also, ia putting her young men in training betimes, so that in spite of the heavy «’rafts that have bten sent to France her depots at home will still be foil. Last year she wa? retaining in the depots too large a proportion of the Army, bnt there are indications that of late ebe wastage this year is bound to be heavier than it was last year, New

Zealand is interested in this subject of new formations because her surplus reinforcements have just been utilised to form another brigade, although the ' contingents of reinforcements are to continue oa the old basis. Wben Germany found new hr nations urgently nvci’saary last V she reported to tbe device of reducing the strength of existing divisions, and Iho indications ora that the new army thus created, which was used iu the Roumanian campaign, will be employed this summer against the Russians. Her methods prove the futility of calculations that are based merely on the numejical strength of the armies, and it may be recalled that wben Mr Asquith gave the average strength of a B it-iab division as beieg nearer 25,000 than 20,000 some of tbe critics promptly condemned the overloading of the formations as tending to produce immobility. However, that practice seems to have been abandoned, and probably it was due in the first place to an insufficiency of officers ana perhaps also of artillery for new divisions. All tbe indications now are that the Allies are building us a pronounced superiority in the weat in number of men, in number of division* and in guns, although one weUknown critic in January was disposed to argue that the superiority was atill not sufficient to force a decision. The situation in the west has not changed materially. The British are steadily advancing, but the latest communique, referring to the occupation of villages north-west of Roirei, shows that they are not yet in contact with the main enemy positions on that sector. South of tbe Oise tbe Germans are withdrawing from their dangerously advanced positions m the forest of Couoy, and north of the Aisne they are retiring very slowly. The Germans have been ac ive on the Russian front, delivering attacks on the Baranovitooi sector that corncompelled tbe Russians to give ground. A Russian movement W33t of Lutsk, according to tli9 enemy’s report, was repulsed. There has baen farther fighting north of Monastir, where the Allies gained a local success. iMWwaMßWwwi rwwawgaa.

Mr and Mrs J. Holmes of Ross, .nsert a notice of thanks in this issue. The Guabdian supplem-nt is issued to our readers to-Jay in the usuai course. Messrs G. W. Moss aid Co an-ounce a sale of store sh:ep at Totera Flat on April lOili, The Success dredge washed up on Thursday L.r a ie'n-n oi: 27ozs 3dwts for the week. The Railway Department announce ia this i'sue alterations to the timetable for the E aster holiday s. The Lands and Survey Department are inviting applications for draughting cadet -, th re being live vacancies, receivable up to April 21st. Acceptances close at 10 o clock on Monday night wit.i the Secretary, Mr R. Et juse, for all events at the Kumara race meeting fix.d for Easter Monday. A ui'eting of the Westland Fa riotic Society will be held at the County Cbacjbers at 3 o’clock on Monday afternoon. The County Council sits on Monday forenoon, the meeting being timed to commence at 11 s.vn. A meeting of the Recruiting CommitUe will be held at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, One fcf the wharf hands employed on the s.s, Defender last, evening fell into the river while at work, hut was fished out without any damage beyond a tirgA join) meeting of the lccal bodies, clergy and patriotic socle'fe* to be V 1U - 1 —. .. .. ... , , jH l'. ,• r»I 1 r.. f, 4l\

held at tli9 Couiny OoHmtjeia ao o’clock on Monday afternoon to make arrangements for the celebration of Aczstc Day. Mr T. W, Hill, son of Mr Hill, of Taylorville, who left with the Main Body arrived on Thursday by the Mapourika. He was wounded in both legs and has been discharged as unlit for further service. We learn from an authentic source that there was a very satisfactory clean up at the Mount Greenland quartz claim at Cedar Creek this week, the return being °ven more satisfactory than the first one of some time ago. It is stated that there is at least two years quartz in sight and that the shareholders are extremely pleased with the prospects of the veiture. Mr Oscar ifegden of Greymouth has re-

ceived a cable message, stating that liis brother Hugh had died in Winton, 'Queensland. The deceased, who was 45 years of age, and a siugle man, was well known in the Blackball and Dunollie districts. He 'kept a shop and bakery at DunoHia when the mine was first O’ ened. ’* So Rubbing ” Laundry Help is our special favorite for washing silks, muslins, prints, woollens and mechanics overalls spotlessly clean without rubbing or injury to the hands or fabric. We give the famous Thinker Note Book free with every 1/ packet of “ No Rubbing.” Local Orjcefs. • mile pegriMbklhlhuTbrahcb 'line stopped traffic. Pour hundred yards of material 1 came down. It took Mr O’Leary and i J L

fourteen good men, two days to re-open traffic. The following appears :n the latest list of promotions on active service Sergi H. A. Lockington, to be 2nd Lieutenant. I ieuleuanl Lockiuaton, who enlisted at Reeftoo, went through the Gallipoli campaign and is now ‘ doing his bit ’ in France. Mr J, Filz-Gcrald, Clerk of the Court at Nelson, has been advised that he bad passed the barrister’s examination in the following subjects:—Roman law, international law, jurisprudence, and constitutional kisto'*y. Mr Fitz-Gerald has also passed the examination under the Education Department in [jurisprudence, constitutional history and accountancy. Mr Fitz Gerald is a son of Mrs Fitz-Gerald, a well known resident of Goldsborough. Mr T. A. Edison, who on February 11th attained his seventieth birthday, aired an idea not long ago of which one would like to hear more of in these days of paper famine—the use of nickel to replace paper for printing purposes, says the ‘’Westminister Gazette.” “A sheet of nickel," he declared, “one-twenty-thousandth of an inch thick, is cheaper, tougher and more flexible than an ordinary sheet of boob-paper, ani will absorb printing ink equally well, A nickel bonk two inches thick would contain 49,000 pages and would weigh only a pound.” He could make a pound nf nickel sheets he added, for a dollar and a half ; but somehow the nickel book has not yet materialised. Tbe world’s medical tonic beverage— WOLFE’S SCHNAPPS. First shipment of new winter costumes and coats, ex s.s. Rotorua, showing at McKay’s, the Leading Drapers,— Advt, For influenza and colds doctors recommend WOLFE’S SCHNAPPS.