IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1917, Page 3

IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS

GERMAN GOLD AND AMERICAN. NEW YORK, Aug. 12. A message from Bristol Virginia, reports that a sensation plot by Germans to organise an army of mouniitiuoors to impede war preparations has now been disclosed dn the course of a trial of two mountaineers, who were charged with treason. One witness .testified that one of the accused men displayed a largo amount of money, and claimed that it was part of 30,000 dollars which Germany was paying him to organise companies 1 of mountaneers to blow up bridges and Government plants. CANADIAN AIRMAN’S FEAT. LONDON, Aug. 12. The Victoria Cross has boon awarded to Captain William Bishop, a Canadian aviator. He went out alone and visited an enemy aerodrome. Finding no machines about, he flew three miles further, being then twelve miles beyond the enemy’s lines, when seven machines were seen. Some of the engines running were on the ground. Bishop attacked from fifty feet. One machine ascended, hut at sixty feet Bishop fired fifteen rounds and it erashwl down. A second machine arose, j and the plucky Canadian brought it j down with fifty rounds. Then two other machines rose to 1060 feet, and Bishop brought one down and emptied his drum into the fourth, and returned to his station.

His machine was badly shot about

STARVING POLAND. LONDON, August 20. Reuter’s correspondent at New York states that a letter has been received from Warsaw for the authontictity of which the Zionist Committee j vouches revealing (the appalling suf-j ferings of the population. It says “Death and starvation can be wit- j ncssed in every street, and at every j step, and in every Jewish house Mothers feel happy to see the babies' they are nursing die. They sell their daughters’ hair to enable them to; buy bread for their dying children.” j NEW GERMAN GAS. j LONDON, August 18. i The TJmes correspondent at Paris states that tho Germans lately have j been plastering Armentporles with high explosives, gas shells, and small canisters containing a colourless liquid, producing a heavy, penetrating poisonous gas. Women especially suffer because the gas settles in their hair, i Smoking somewhat protects the men. I The civilian population is now evacuati Lng tho town. ! “SECRET LAWS OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC.” LONDON, August 14. Michael Brennan lias been sentenced to a year’s imprisonment and Peter O’Loughlin to 15 months. Tho prisoners have declared that they did not recogpise British law; only the secret law of the Irish Republic.

* LONDONERS AND IRjISHMEN. | HONOURS DIVIDED. • LONDON August 18. j Correspondents state that Londoner j and Irishmen divided the honours oi | the hottest fighting, winning Shrows | bury Forest and Polygon Wood. Both were man traps of death, bristling with “ Early in 'the battle 1 j the Londoners and the Irishmen waved i farewoll to the barrage and advanced r .j without artillery to help to win these j tanglod fastnesses of wooded swamp. 3 I Necessarily there was much broken ’ I -.Ughfling, conthnijing the whole day long, until the men were physically exhausted. Far into tho night little parties brought back prisoners from nil sorts of untenable and impossible ’ places. Other parties managed to send messages stating their positions and prospects. A young officer pushed on until enr circled, to get a message through saying that only 10 men were left, and for their sakes ho was compelled to suri rendon. ! These isolated liodies of men showed | iniative and resource. A Tommy leading others approached an officer in the thick of the battle stating that all the officers of liis party, were killed and asking if they could join the officer. The latter said. “That is impossible, you must carry on..”' The private replied “Right!” saluted, and disappeared in tho black smoke and a handful of men. A shell blew off the legs of tho Sergt-Major. ] He called a corporal, the last non-com to look after the men saying, “Get on with them. Don’t stand staring like a fool.” Then ho died. The j men advanced. WATER, BOMBS. LONDON, Sept. 17. The Norddeutscho Aligemoino Zedlung, discussing the an,ti-submarine methods states that Great Britain is using ‘water bombs,’ which are thrown overboard, but seldom succeed, owing to the opaqueness of tho water. When' a U-boat sinks a ship patrol boa'ts arrive and hurry to and fro, like hounds j looking for the scent. Oil patches may j betray the presence of the submarine. Now conies tho moment of excitement for the U-Boat crew. They hear their ,pursuerb thrashing jpropellers, then, splash comes a water bomb, followed by a tremendous detonation. While the submerged boat is getting away, a wireless is sent to tho British Admiralty, “Another U-Boat sunk.”

ATTEMPT TO TANGLE THE TANKS. LONDON September 17. j The success of the tanks is troubling J the Germans. The terrific British artillery bombardments knock out the enemy’s armour-piercing trench guns, with the result that few are left when tho tanks advance. The enemy is adopting the method of spreading a mixture of oil and lumps of cement in the bottoms of shell craters, with the view of clogging the caterpillars, and holding them until heavy guns can find their mark . GERMAN WAR FILMS. | LONDON, Aug 10. j A Geneva message says that German residents held, in a cinema theatre, a private exhibition of German Somme battle films. This provoked grave disorders, and thousands of citizens surrounded the theatre and attempted to raid the huilding.l The German Consul and others escaped under police prolection by a side door. A QUESTION OF PROPRIETY. LONDON, Sept. 17. The representatives of 13,000 women volunteer land-workers in Bucks have passed a resolution by which they refuse to wear trousers, and demand that the Board of Agriculture shall issue to them short water-proof skirts, and em-j phasiso that many are married and el-! derly. The Board’s usual issue consists of. breeches, and gaiters, and coats that j reach to the knee. I IMPORTANCE to HUNS. j * I LONDON, -opt. 17. j The Lokal Anzieger publishes an interesting German export view of tho submarine campaign. Captain von Pustan who lias inspected tho U-,boat fleets writes:— “The Flemish harbors are of the utmost importance to the campaign. locker-lampson honored. LONDON, Aug. 13. Commander Locker-Lampson, who was in charge of the British Armored Car Division which did such splendid work in Galicia, has been created a C.M.G