MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1918, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] j THE AIR FIGHT. I (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.) ! AMSTERDAM, Juno 8. The crew of a German seaplane, which fell in tho North Sea, after a fight with the British, were rescued by their comrades. Two British machines were shot down. One landed at Vlleland and the otbor on the mainland. The crews were interned. TORTURING BELGIANS. AMSTERDAM, Juno 7. The “Echo Beige” states a Belgian who escaped from Mechlen declares ten Belgians were slowly starved to death, because they refused to work for the Germans. A TRUE HERO.

(Received This Day at 9.50. a.m.) London, June 8.

The Albert Medal in gold, haa been awarded to Lieut. Thorner. He was examining hand grenades in a dugout in France, when one began to fizz. Realising there was no method of disposing of "the bombs, Thorner shouted to twelve men to clear out of the dugout, and himself held the bomb against his body till it exploded. Thorner was killed instantly and the rest escaped, two being slightly wounded.

AMERICA’S EXPENDITURE. (Received This Day at 9.15 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Juno 7. Mr McAdpo estimates expenditure for the year ending June, will be twen-ty-four billion dollars, whereof one third will be raised by direct taxation and the balance by loans. He urged higher taxes on war profits and luxuries. MORE MONEY WANTED. WASHINGTON, June 7. Mr'. Baker asked for appropriation of twenty-eight millions for the establishment of twenty coast aeroplanes stations, including three at Hawaii. HIGH TREASON CHARGE. (Received This DnvatflY) a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 7. Jeremiah O’Leary and six othqrs have been indicted as alleged spies and charged with high treason. j THREAT AND REPLY. Received, this day at 8 45 a.m. WASHINGTON, June 7th. Germany has threatened reprisals against the Americans unless America releases Rintelen. ft German spy serving a sentence in the United States. -Answering this threat America sta es a reprisal will inevitably invite similar action upon great numbers of Gorman subieots in United States. LLOYD GEORGE’S MESSAGE.

(Received This Dav at 9.30. a.m.) 11 LONDON, June Btb. Hon. Lloyd George responding to a toast for the success of the Allied army, at a dinner of the Printer’s Pension Association, said he had just returned from France and had seen the Americans. One of the most encouraging things was the superb valor and skill of the Americans who are coming in steadily. We are depending upon I them, and if the Allies failed, it would be a sorry world to live in. destinies of coming generations wriuld be fashioned by the failure or triumph ol i our cause. There was contempt for i humanity in the Germans struggle for ■ military domination. We are passing i anxious days and the crisis is not end- : ed. We seemed to be watching at the ! bedside of a person who is ! with a fell disease and the only thing to I do was to hold on, until the crisis pass ' c d. and with stout hearts. Wo would win through. Ludendoril s hammer j blows might crush poor metal, but they ! would only consolidate good metal, i Unity and resolution were what »© : needed. Then, God would stem the torrent, (loud cheers).

CHINA AND JAPAN

(Received Hi is Day at 9.15 TOKIO, June Bth. ... Major-General Ngaki who negotiated the China-Japanese Agreement, states It is not limited to defence, nor is it confined to the Orient. , Peking messages point out that t publication of notes exchanged between China and Japan, throws no light on the rumours of Japanese co ' trol of the training and organisationi o • the Chinese Army. The fear is gro ing that Japan’s control may become general in China. GROSS MISMANAGEMENT. IN MUNITION FACTORIES. | (Received

.Extraordinary revelations are mad© m it,he" Auditor-General's report on national munition factories. There was a complete breakdown in the toadquarters records of materials despatched to and from factories. They also faded to, keep adequate records. Stocktaking revealed great shortages, which werewritten off. The production accounts show I 144 national factories produced 000 000, worth of war materia . o \tini«trv frequently sent no invoices l” onV ,2, out of fWMjOOO P..d for materials supplied £15,886,000, represents materials for which no invoices were received. In another case after a fijrm of chartered acountants had certified to tlio accounts, a factory accountant discovered an error amounting i to £3 000,000 inrespect to the value o. i materials supplied by the’Ministry of munitions. ... In a majority of cases a reconciha of the cost accounts, with the financial books is impossible. A ment rolling mill whs estimated to cost £630.000. hut £1,200,000 was about important, requirements being omitted from the original estimate, while the actual output failed far short of the estimated capacity of the factory.