Italian Progress

Hokitika Guardian, 31 May 1917, Page 1

Italian Progress

[rttttf.r’k SERVICE. COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, May 29. Reports indicate that the Austrians are becoming increasingly alarmed at the magnitude of the Italian offensive. The “Corrierc do Italia’s” correspondent states that the Austrian general staff has decided to defend Trieste an all costs, although Generals 1 alkcniliavni and iLudtendorff ad vise a mabandonment. LONDON , May, 30. Italian official:—We repulseu an attack along the Railway .eastward oi Sangiovanmiduino. Wo broke an attack on the.summit oPliill 6t 2 in the Vo dice area. We made important progress southeast of the slope of the hill. The total prisoners taken on the Julian front since May 14th. is 23,681, inched mg 604 officers'. We have already counted 36 guns, -f which thirteen are of heavy calibre, 148 machine guns, and 27 (trench mortars.

W ;r i.-.binat

LONDON, May 29,

Official:—Hon G.N. Barnes (Pensions Minister) has b en, invited to join the War Cabinet during the" Hon. a. Henderson!’s absence on an important mission to Russia. Fooi Prises. LONDON, May 29. Further week end increases in food prices have intensified the general dissatisfaction, wlich is likely to leaun. in strong labour protests against profitmaking. LONDON, May 29. Lord Devonplort .(Food Controller; has taken over all imports of the Umeed States, Canadian, Amsterdam and New Zealand cheese, and lias fixed the retail price at. Is 4d per pound.

German Rapcrt. LONDON, May 29. German Official.—Artillery ing increased at Wyteehaete and on the Ba Bassee canal. Astride of the Scarpe British reconnoitring. advances failed. French, attempts near Hurt-ibis© Farm, Vauclere Mill and Poisldeny failed. Activity has increased on the East front. Russo-Roumanian attacks are expected. Tho Bulgarians repulsed the British on> the west bank of the Vardar.

Amer'ca’s Forces, . WASHINGTON, May 28. America’s first 100,000 men for France will be composed of the 40,000 who. it is estimated, have already enlisted in the British, Canadian and French armies', 10,000 engineers, and the 30,000 men in General Pershing’s force. The .remainder have not been classified, but they will consist chiefly of nurses. The actual fighting force will exceed 50,000. War Emulations MELBOURNE, May 30. A new military regulation cxienus the power of a District Commandant to close hotels, particularly upon the arrival of hospital ships at Freemantle and Albany, when shore leave is granted.

WAR ITEfoS

Addressing the First Appeal Board at Auckland, and stressing the fact tliat New Zealand was now approaching to a sta'ge where very essential men were being dealt with, Mr Hall Skelton gave some figures which, lie said, showed that, so far as the Dominion’s contribution of men to the Empire was concerned, New Zealand was 12 months ahead of the other colonies. W© had sent away 68 per cent, of our men, leaving 32 per cent, at home. Australia had sent 24 per cent, away, and Canada 23 per cent., the latter countries, therefore, having now respectively 76 per cent, and 77 per cent. left. New Zealand’s influence.” continued Mr. Skelton, “has been much more effective in this! war than we realise.”

In the course of an address at the annual meeting of the Manawatu A. and P. Association, Mr. J. M. Johnston, the “retiring president, said: Nine farmers living in districts' immediately surrounding Palmerston North were asked for donations towards the prize funds of the association. Another was a farmer who made all his money jn this dis'tr'ct out of unearned increment, now r isident in another district, and once a member of the committee-. I have care fully ascertained the financial positions of these men, and their aggregate capital is £362,000. Yet not one penny piece- could be obtained from any one' of these men, not even £1 e:*ch, excepting one man who afterwards repented and sent us £l. I do not think any on© of them has even got a yon at the war. It seems almost impossible that such a thing should happen, but I can give the names and particulars.

A statement in Christchurch alleged that cases had been detected of men taking drugs to affect their physical condition on appearing before a Military Medical Board. Officials connected with the examination of recruits in Auckland state that such practices are not unknown, and are not confined to Christchurch. When, however, evidence points to such practices' having been indulged in, the medical officers may deal with them, either by passing the man provisionally or'by deferring his case. In the latter alternative he may he called up for re-examination without notice, so that no opportunity may be given for tho practice to he repeated. It was pointed out, furthermore, than in the case of reservists' drawn in the ballot, upon the gazetting of their names they automatically become soldiers. Consequently any man detected -of taking drugs in the manner indicated would ho answerable to. the military authorities for malingering, and subject to severe penalties under tho Army Act.