MISCELLANEOUS STEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1918, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS STEMS

GERMAN REPLY. LONDON February 14. , Replying to the Spanish protests, Germany lias offered to intern at Pola for the duration of the war the'submarine which fled from Cadiz.

The Spanish press indignantly denounces the offer as a burlesque, a mockery and an insult. ,

DEAD GERMAN MARINES. (Received this day at 1.20 a.m.,) \ COPENHAGEN February 14. Fishermen arriving, at Malmoe re- 1 port passing a large number of bodies of German marines off the west coast of Sweden. . They had apparently not been long in the water. j

FREEDOM OF SEA'S. LONDON, Feb. 14. In the House of Commons Lord Robert Cecil, said regarding the German interpretation of freedom of the seas, the latest pronouncement of Count Reventlow’s was a demand whereby upon the outbreak of war she would be able to guarantee herself jumping off places with a fair chance of dominating the seas. Therefore the possession of the Flanders seaboard was a matter of life or death to Germany. He was n aware whether Reventlow was the mouthpiece of the Government; hut lie was tile representative of 'a clique which lisallv asserted sway over the Ger man Government.

SHIPBUILDING AND IMPORTS

LONDON, Feb. 14,. In the House of Commons Mr. Bonar Law stated .that the Government built 1,163.474 tons of new shipping in 1917. and brought 170,090 abroad Our imports in the last quarter of 1917 were the same as in the early part of the year.

GENERAL ROBERTSON RETAINED

LONDON, Feb. 14tli. . The “Daily Chronicle” states that

General Robertson remains Chief of the Staff, with the full approval and confidence of the Cabinet. Mr. Wilson continues' principal British representative at Versailles.

General Robertson’s powers will be modified by certain changes in the Order in Council which re-created the office in 1915.

CAVILLINA TO BE SHOT. LONDON, Feb. 14. Bolo’s sentence was unanimous • or tlie ground that he was conveying intelligence to the enemy. Cavillina was sentenced to be .slio’t ii lie return s to France. Torchere warsentenced to three years’ imprisonment for having commerce with the enemy. PRE-WAR CONTRACTS. LONDON, Feb. 1'

Baron Buckmaster's committee o' pre-war contracts in the United Kingdom, and Allied and neutral countries (which has been impeded by the warp reports that the best possible solution is the extension of the spirit of compromise, which has already solvedmany difficulties.

■ The Committee does not favour cancellation by legislation, or compensation, where tlic loss involved is due directly to Government interference. It does nob recommend further legislative interference in the absence of more convincing evidence that the witnesses submitted ; that the existing law has been tried and failed.

AUSTRALIAN DRAFTS. LONDON, Feb. 14. The latest Australian reinforcements have made an excellent impression. The system is now in full swing, whereby experienced Australian officers are assisted by Imperial instructors, including many Arons men in command at the training depots at Salisbury, and put the final polish on the reinforcements under war conditions. Many drafts have gone to France in the past two months. A considerable proportion of recovered wounded who have been in England, in some cases for twelve months, are now undergoing a slow hardening progress.

The recruits have great respect for the men who have been through tb figting in France. 'Many warm friendships spring up with instructing noncoms. When the latter are ordered to France they are besieged with appeals by recruits to aceompamv them, despite the fact that the training period is unfinished. Some are ,even willing to forgo disembarkation leave if permitted to go to France with the popular l officers. A s HJti instance of the general keenness, tlic latest arrivals, a hatch of artillerymen, offered individual bonuses to the ; instructors to give them extra instruction in gun-laying, including night practice.

CEASE RECRUITING. LONDON Februry 14., Sir E. Geddes lias •announced that it has been decided in ■ present circumstances to cease recruiting Russians under the Anglo-Russian military convention.