Public Protest

Hokitika Guardian, 2 April 1917, Page 1

Public Protest

- '(Australian & N.Z. Gable AssoioutT;A au« Ji u<er.) ' 'LONDON, March 31. “ There is considerable feeling’amoi g the public against bringing back to 's’ .the ligliting line silver badged soldiers, who were discharged from tho-nriny o 1 account of wounds, and many oonsid r ;?<• that the age should he raised before c-v* any woundeds are called upon. Mr J. MacPherson, in the House of Commons stated that half • a million /. ■ soldiers were discharged in, the first ■'S eighteen months of the war, ana iu estimated that at least 60,000 of these . i are now fit for .service. Colonel Seclev, the Hon Mr McKenna and Major Churchill are amoT'g the Commoners who are actively agitating in the matter. . . AMSTERDAM, March 81. ' The Austrian Foreign Minister inter-’*, viewed semi-offieially by tlie “Fremdonblatt” states that the central Empires are ready to negotiate a peace honor-' able to our enemies as well as to ourselves, and moreover if negotiations Tail war can conxinu'e. ~ Coming after the numerous reports of new Austro-German peace moves' this.* declaration is regarded as most sig-'' Y nificanfc. . . Two Versions. LONDON, March 31. ’ * The Admiralty reports that during - the night of the 28-29th March firing -M was observed off the shore from Lona?-. ’*• ’ storft, and our patrols full-speeded .to~*^S r ‘ tlie scene, but nothing was* seeix of tlie enemy, who made off, .* V\ '■ .V Yet a. Berlin official niessage says tnax on the night of 28-29tli.'parts of their . - naval forces cruised ill the barred zone on the south coast of England and bd-t •. ' yoiul. and that the armed British steamer Maseotto was encounu-icct *f eight miles oast of Lowestoft and sunk bv thir gunfire; further that neither ft the British lighting forces nor mciy < : i v chantmen were sighted, and that seven of the men of the Mascotfe were prigonei'ed. ' * ■

The British Admiralty points out/-' that the only British Mascotte armed, and the above presumably refers to our patrol “trailer” the .* Mascotte. • , More Mining. LONDON, March"'-31. The “London Ga'zottee” announces that the extension of the Nprtli Sea mined area will follow tlie limit of Dutch territorial ~wat- * ' ers. ’ ; ' - The Otaki’s Captain. 1 , * LONDON, Afarch 31/ Archibald Smith Captain of the Otaki ' who was: Ikilled while Ifigjhtahig ftlie Aloewe would have taken j 4 flie position of marine-'Superiritendent of tlio New Zealand 'Shipping Coy. in Nbw Zealand on tlie completion of his out-' ,1 ward voyage. Ir Mesopotamia.

WELLINGTON, April IT- — TlieHigh Commissioner reports- from London Alarcli 31st at 4.40 p.m.. Mesopotamia official.—-We occupied * Shanoroban after lively fighting on the\ , 2.lth. . "L . There was* severe fighting at t-lio Iliara river about Jebelliaurin, and in •the direction of Kevelrohat where the enemy were heavily punished. - Dclla'wah Sindiyah, 3d miles nprtli of Baghdad is now occupied by us. Hero the remnants of the.reinforced - defeated enemy from Ivut confronted ... us. Fullujah, 3(5 miles westwards of Baghdad was* occupied on tlie 19th, tho Turks, retreating in the direction of Met. ; ‘ - In tho direction of Paitalc Pass a > considerable -number of Turks were en- . countered and. we inflicted heavy, losses. fV ■ • In Palestine LONDON, March 31. The newspapers are giving prominence to the rout of 20,000 Turks in Palestine. They describe a new cru- . sade as likely to result- in the driving of the Turks out of Palestine during the summor, ' General Murray is building a railfay as lie advances along D.ve-setrtSoay!.~"*— The fleet is protecting the army’s flank. Already the Turkish position on the Bur Sheba railway is untenable. * The newspapers suggest that. Britain *' is likely to hold this fifty 'miles of wide highway into Egypt after the v ' war and allow the Jews to return, to,. . • ; : Palestine. Ye/§■-.&