THE NAVY

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 141, 17 February 1915, Page 5

THE NAVY

MR. CHURCHILL’S TRIBUTE. LONDON, Feb. IC. la the House of Commons, Mr. Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) emphasised the efficiency of the Navy at the outbreak, of the war. It was fully mobilised, and the reserves of ammunition and torpedoes were far above the regular quantities and there was ample fuel and oil. The immense programme of new construction was now maturing to reinforce the fleet. The prearranged system of accelerating new construction was yeilding surprising results. The oil consumption was greatly above the estimate, but not a single oilship had been lost, and the price was lower than when ho last addressed the House, The Naval training school was full to the brim, and they were, thus able to man the ships coming on in such great numbers. Replying to a suggestion that they should court-martial every ship. Mr. Churchill pointed out that the novel conditions of warfare presented naval officers with problems of incomparable hazard and difficulty. Court-martial was frequently inappropriate.

Mr. Churchill said the Admiralty deprecated anything tending to make officers afloat or at the Admiralty play for safety. The Admiralty had chartered about a fifth of the mercantile marine.

We were supplying across the sea an array almost as large as Napoleon’s Grand Array, and vastly more complex. Ho was unable to hold out hopes for the immediate reduction in the tonnage the Admiralty required. There wore 44(55 British arrivals and 3000 sailings in the last three months. And only nineteen wore sunk by above water craft. Between 1703 nndlS.l4 we lost 10,87.1 merchantmen. Even after Trafalgar we lost 500 ships yearly. It was realty marvellous how few losses there had been. Steam andtelegraph had enormous ly increased the efficiency of a superior Power.

GERMAN THREAT TO SINK AT SIGHT. DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT. (Reed. 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Feb 16. In the House of Commons, Mr Churchill, said the great strain of distant convoy work in the early months of the war was not diminished. It included the great convoy of 60 Australian ships and forty Canadian, and the regular flow of Indian convoys of 40 or 50 vessels. Now we were to be subjected to a kind of warfare, never before practised by civilised states. Submarines were to sink merchantmen at sight, without search or parley; but it must now be supposed that it was because such form of attack was extra, ordinarily good, as no defence could be made. He warned the public that losses might be incurred, but no vital injury would be done if traders acted in the came spirit, as the gallant captain of the Laertes. All losses could be covered by Government insurance. Germany cannot be allowed to adopt a system of open piracy and murder while she herself is protected with bulwarks and international instruments which she has utterly repudiated and defied, and which we, much to our detriment, have respected The House chuckled when Mr Churchill recalled the laws of ancient Rome, which did not provide for the crime of parricide, but judges were equal to the emergency. Some members were puzzled, and Mr Asquith turned to Mr Hobhouse and erplained- that they sewed up the parricide in a sack with a deg and a viper, and pitched him into | the Tiber. Mr Churchill concluded by saying that British sea power would increasingly dominate the German, situation and in defau't of other favourable causes would alone decide the issue of war. ANOTHER GERMAN NOTE. NOTHING WILL SAVE NEUTRALS. (Reed. 8.30 a.m.) STOCKHOLM, Feb. 16. Newspapers have announced that Scandinavian Governments have received a secret note from Germany notifying that neutral signs painted on the sides will not save vessels. The note further warns neutrals that minelaying will be greatly increased after February IS. GERMANY'S WAR ZONE. NEUTRALS CONJOINT PROTEST. (Reed. 8.40 a.m.) HAGUE, Feb 16. A Note has been presented to Germany protesting against the declaration o fthe war zone, and pointing out that neutrals’ vessels were entitled to insist upon examination before any hostile action was taken, Holland has also notified Britain of her objections to the use of neutral flags. GALLANT BUT UNFORTUNATE. LONDON, Feb 16 Second Lieut. Gore-Brown, of the Field Artillery, and Lieut. Gillespie, of the Gordon Highlanders, who were taken prisoners, jumped off the wall of a fortress fifty feet high. Brown’s leg was broken, but Gillespie was not hurt. He regarded his friend, but both were recaptured.—(Times and Sydney Sun Special Cables.)

A FATAL DELAY. GERMAN AEROPLANE LOST. (Reed. 8.40 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, Feb IC. The vessel guiding German rorpedoers in the mine zone was mine and sunk at Rorkum Island. A lifeboat at Schienncnnik Island answered distress signals and found a German waterplane stranded on a sandbank. The crew of a lifeboat refused to promise that they should not be interned, and the airmen decided to wait for a chance of rescue by a torpedo boat, and clung for five hours in a rising storm to their machine. They were then again compelled to signal the lifeboat, but she was too late to rescue them.

GERMAN LEVIES FOR ARMY EQUIPMENT. (Reed. 8.40 a.m.) AMSTRDAM, Feb 16. Upon the suggestion of the Army ami Navy Staffs, collections made towards German armies in France, Belgium and Poland and the purchase of equipment for the new Emden Regiments were collected in Rheims. BRITISH PRISONERS. LEAVE GERMANY. MOSTLY MAIMED AND BLIND. (Reed. 8.40 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, Feb IC. Dutch members of the Red Cross Society, at Olden-Zaal, presented tobacco, fruit, and refreshment to 110 liberatel Britishers, mostly maimed and blind. German ambulance men accompanied them across Dutch territory. INCAPACITATED EXCHANGED. FIRST BATCH LEAVE ENGLAND. (Reed. 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, Feb 16. The first batch of 60 incapacitated Germans left Victoria Station yesterday, practically each having lost a limb. THE EMDEN ESCAPEES, RECEIVE IRON CROSSES. (Reed. 8.40 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, pel). 16. The Emdens landing party who escaped in the schooner Ayesha have received Iron Crosse's. A CANNY RUSSIAN. ALLIES MARKETS CLOSED TO GERMANY FOR EVR. (Reed. 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, Feb 16. In discussing the economic aspects of the war the Russian Minister for Finance in an interview with the Paris “Matin,” said: “Wo must not be obliged some day after the war is ended to pay a sort of indemnity to Germany by leaving open t© them means of recouping themselves at our expense in our markets. Germany having demolished factories in Belgium, Poland, and in Northern France perhaps thinks to force ns to buy her goods that we cannot manufacture for ourselves. Let her be quite sure that, our markets will be closed to her for ever. With reference to the German statement that the British bombarded the undefended town of Swakopmund, the Commandant at Simonstown states that cn the date in question German forces from Swakopmund raided the British settlement in Wolfich Bay, employing dynamite in the attack. A British auxiliary cruser then proceeded tc Swakopmund and fired shells at the outer crane cn the pier. BRAVO TERRIERS EXCELLENT WORK AND EXCELLENT SPIRIT* LONDON, Feb 16 The locruiiing of Territorials is brisk, 80 per cent having volunteered for foreign service. Several units are engaged in the fighting line and many others have replaced the regulars garrlsscning Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, and India —duty of paramount importance, Netv battalions are undergoing extensive training. They include many profelsaiona’ls —doctors’, architects, and engineers—who are giving up assured incomes in order to strengthen Eng. land's first line of defence against a possible raid.—(Times and Sydney Sun Special Cables.) SNIPERS SNIPED. BRITISH SHARPSHOOTERS TOO GOOD FOR GERMANS. LONDON, Feb 16 The Press Bureau “Eye Witness” says that the activity of the enemy’s snipers has diminished owing to the marksmanship of our sharpshooters. A Britisher recently accounted, jfc.v six snipers single-handed. GERMANY’S FOOD AND GRAIN, COPENHAGEN, Feb. 16. The Politckon states that Germany M food and grain statistics have been wrongly cimpiled. The errors surprised the Government. It may be necessary for the whole population to get food at public eating houses.

! THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS REPORTED. i ■’■’ress Association—Copyright. PETROGRAD, Feb. 16 Official —We progressed on the Up- | per San, capturing a thousand Austri- | ans, five machine guns and a gun. The Germans were repulsed on the ' heights between Beskid and Wychoff j passes with great losses. They were j also dislodged from a portion of the | fortified heights between Tukhla and I Wychoff. i RUSSIAN TREASURY BILLS 1 LONDON, Feb. 16 i The Russian. Treasury Bills have been largely over-subscribed. I

THE BLOCKADE THE GREAT HUMORIST LONDON, Feb 1G Count Bernstoff presented a Note stating that Germany is ready to con-s.'-cler the abandonment of attacks cn British merchant men if Britain will not interfere with the conveyance of foodstuffs to civilians in Germany. WAITING FOR THE EIGHTEENTH LONDON, Feb 16 Copenhagen reports that northern Europe is awaiting the 18th with anxiety. There are 150 Scandinavian and 62 Danish steamers coming from overseas with foodstuffs, urgently needed in Scandinavia and Denmark. It is anticipated that the British breakfast tables will suffice rfom the German blockade—Times and Sydney Sun. GERMAN ADMIRALTY ISSUES A WARNING. GERMAN PUBLIC NEED NOT EXPECT MUCH. COPENHAGEN, Feb. 16 The German Admiralty, in a communique, warns the public not to expect a sudden coup on the 18th inst. The date was given only as a warning to neutrals of stronger war measures.

TURKEY AND GREECE. RELATIONSHIPS SEVERED M. PA NAS LEAVES CONSTANTINOPLE. (Reed. 8.30 a.m.) ATHENS, Feb 16. Owing to difficulties in the fulfilment of the Porte’s satisfaction to Greece. M. Panas has quitted Constantinople. SOCIALIST CONFERENCE. SOME FAR-REACHING RESOLUTIONS. (Reed 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, Peb. 16. Mr Keir Mardie presided at a conference of English, French, Belgian and Russian Socialists in London. A. resolution was carried that German victory would mean the defeat and destruction of democracy and liberty in Europe. It was also resolved to resist any attempt to transform this defensive war into a war of conquest. An Allies’ victory must aim at popular liberty, unity and the independent autonomy of nations, and a peaceful federation of the world’s working classes. After the war all must unite to suppress militarism, and to enforce international arbitration. The conference also demanded liberation of and compensation to Belgium; the States of Poland to be settled in accordance with the wishes of its people. Also that either autonomy or complete independence be given to Alsace and Lorraine; that Balkan population annexed by force should have the right to freely dispose of itself as it wished.