New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 4, 6 January 1915, Page 8

New Zealand

MYSTERY OF THE AUDACIOUS. I VESSEL NOT SERIOUSLY DAMAGED. Pee Press Association. Christehurcli, January 4. Regarding the mystery surrounding the super-Dreadnought Audacious, .Mr J. B. Clarksou, a well-known Christehurcli resident who returned to-day from a trip round the world, said he left America on October 21st in the s.s. Mauretania, and the day before they sailed the s.s. Olympic left. "This ship took a course around the north of Ireland," said Mr Clarkson, "which providentially allowed it to give assistance to the crew of H.M.S. Audacious, which was damaged by striking a mine off the north or Ireland and. had to be beached. This incident was never referred to in the public press of England, but it occurred all right, and 1 have a pfiotograph in my luggage of the Olympic standing by to give assistance to the Audacious. The warship was not badly crippled, and was able later to steam slowly around to* Belfast to the "yards of ' Hatland ' and Wolff, where she has probably been repaired before this. Luckily no lives were lost.' A Norwegian ship was suspected of laying the mines which did the damage,, and this boat was captured and taken to Glasgow for examination." OUR REINFORCEMENTS. ; Dunedin, January o. "In all probability," said Hon. James Allen to a pressman to-night, "we shall soon be bringing back 500 of the men now in Samoa. They will oe allowed some leave in New Zealand, and then go into camp at Trentham, in preparation for going to the front if they wish. After that we nope to send to Samoa, to relieve the bulk of the rest of the garrison, men now being enlisted in New Zealand oetween 40 and 47 years of age, after chey have received a certain amount jf training here. When the remainder of the garrison in Samoa returns to New Zealand, if they wish to go to tho front, they will have the opportunity of going with future reinforcements. The first 500 who return will probably go with the fourth reinforcement, and the second lot will probaoly go with the fifth reinforcement." ——— ARREST. OF CERMANS. , i GJisborne, January 5. Under the authority of the military powers, the police to-night raided a camp at Maugapapa, a suburb of Gis-r borne, and arrested four Germans, including G! Wohnsiedler, a brother of h\' Wohnsiedler, whose pork butchery shop was wrecked by a mob on New Year's Eve. The four prisoners are, it is understood, tp be sent to Wellington internment, on Somes Island. Since the New Year riot there have been threats of mobs wrecking the premises of various alleged Germans, and the newspapers now contain 'advertisements by certain threatened in. dividuals, denying German parentage, and tracing their ancestry for generations hack. i

THE MAORI UNIFORMS. Auckland, January 5. The authorities have come to a most interesting decision with regard to the equipment of the Maori soldiers at present in training at Avondale camp. It has been decided to put the Maoris in "shorts" and putties, to replace the long trousers which at present form the nether half of their uniform. The short pants will be of a pattern that has become familiar in the now well-known uniform of the senior cadets. The Maori in wide, well-cut shorts, putties, and bare knees, and a drill tunic (to be discarded on the slightest provocation), should be in a comfortable garb that will enable him to appear and to work at his best.

PREMIER'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE Wellington, January 5. In reply to a request by the London Daily Chronicle for a message of Imperial fellowship and support on the occasion of the opening of the New Year that will be so fateful for the future of the Empire and the civilised world, Mr Massey stated : "As British citizens, New Zealanders commence the Xew Year with perfect confidence, feeling certain that the spirit which consolidated and strengthened the Empire during' 1914 will conanimate the different members of the great Imperial family, until the whole world realises that, in peace tor war, we stand together, ready and willing to defend to the last our glorious heritage of freedom, and that we consider no sacrifice too great to maintain the honor of our nice which will enable us to keep faith with ouV allies." REDUCTION IN WAR RISK RATE. Wellington, January 6. The Department of Agriculture, In. dustries and Commerce has received advice from the High Commissioner dated 2nd inst., that the Government war risk rate has been reduced to £1 Is per cent., and Lloyd's to £1 per cent, war risk only.