THE BLOCKADE BEGINS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 145, 22 February 1915, Page 5

THE BLOCKADE BEGINS

SUBMARINE SINKS BRITISH STEAMER. LONDON, Feb. 20." The steamer Cambank was sunk off Holyhead. Three were kilivc! in the engine-room and on« drowned. The Cambank w r as coppov-laden from Hnelva to Liverpool. She took up a pilot and was gathering speed when she saw a periscope two hundred yards away. She "received no warning. Hot engines were reversed while firming, and she was hit by the torpedo amidships. The Norwegian coal steamer Lyoerke, bound from Leith, wa3 mined and sunk. The crew were saved. GERMAN PUBLIC'S CONFIDENCE LONDON, Feb. 19. The Times says the Germans are confident that the submarine blockade will lead directly to a decisive iesult and end the war in Germany's favour. Public confidence is simply fantastic. It expected every merchantman bound for England to be stopped within three weeks. The newspapers have worked the people into a state of tension hitherto unknown.—(Times-Sydney Sun Special Service.) ENEMY REPULSED.—ALLIES PROGRESS. Paris reports that an attack on the Allies' trenches east of Ypres was repulsed. Rheims has been again bombarded. lln the Champagne reigon, at Sonaiin, Pertih.es, and Beausexvur, the enemy oh the nights of the 18th and 19th made five successful attempts to regain the trenches lost the previous day. The struggle continued on Friday, when the Allies made fresh progress. In the Argonne some sudden German moves failed. The Allies destroyed a hostile blockhouse and occupied the site. In the Vosges the Allies established themselves en the heights, notwithstanding violent efforts by the enemy. A HOT PIECE OF WORK. LONDON, Feb 20. The "Chronicle's" Dunkirk correspondent says that the middle regiment on Monday evacuated unsuitable trenches, after mining. The fusedid not explode. The Germans loceupied the trenches and enfiladed other British trenches. The British attacked, and had to cover 400 metres. They routed the enemy, inflicting great losses. SUCCESS AT YPRES. LOST TRENCHES RECOVERED. (Rec. 10 a.m.) PARIS, Feb. 20. A communique states: We recovered lost trenches at Ypres. Several hundred Germans were killed. Our losses were slight. SHIRKERS PUNISHED. TWELVE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. (Rec. 10 a.m.) CAPETOWN. Feb. 20. A court-martial sentenced sixty three burghers to a year's imprisonment for not responding to a .summons to fight the Germans. BELGRADE BOMBARDED. LONDON, Feb. 20. It is reported that the heaviest bombardment of Belgrade sine the bombardment \ot Belgrade since the bomthe Austrians. Houses have been destroped and many people killed. Thj Servians replied by bombarding Semlin. They jalap forced a monitor

GERMANS' ENORMOUS POWER. ABOL T T TO ATTACK 700-ltlLli FRONT. RUSSIANS ON THE DEFENSIVE. Association —Copyright. LONDON, Fob. 20. The Morning Post's Fctrogrnd eor-r-3?.pottlont says the Germans arc pro poring to attack along the whole of a Huge front of 700 miles. They have developed enormous power. The attempt is eloquent of long years of preparation. The correspondent states that the Germans' strength in some parts of the line is ten to one. The Czar's armies will continue slaying the greatest possible number of the enemy in the cheapest way, patiently waiting for the time when ;iu advance upon the Germans at home can be made profitably. CALLING FOR THE OLD MEN. PARIS, Fob. 20. Official: Germany has called up the men of 50 and 52 years of age. GERMAN ATROCITIES. FREQUENTLY DUE TO NERVOUSNESS. LONDON, Feb. 19. The Belgian official commission furnishes further reports on the violation of the rules of war, and says the Germans so often repeated that the civil population was intending to rise to assassinate them that they ended by believing it. They lived in a state of nervous apprehension away from the fighting line. The least noise made them jump. The bursting of a bicycle tyre provoked the inevitable cry, "The Belgians are firing upon us." with sinister consequences—pillage, murder, rapine, and incendiarism. (TimesSyclny Sun Special Service). THE ATROCITIES IN BFLG.CUM. STORMY DEBATE 11Y SOCIALISTS. LONDON, Feb. 20. It transpires that a secret session rf the International Socialists' Conference in London was extremely stormy. French and Belgian delegates moved a resolution holding Germany responsible for the Belgian atrocities. Mr. Ramsey Macdonald and Mr. Keir Hardie opposed this, insisting that The atrocities were not scientifically proved. A PATHETIC APPEAL. BELGIUM'S AWFUL CONDITION. (Ree. 9.25 a.m.") SYDNEY, This Kay. The Belgian Commission cables a long appeal to Australia and New Zealand for continuous and supreme efforts on behalf of seven million starving Belgians. The sum of £1,250,00 sterling must be provided every month. In Brussels alone there arc two hundred thousand people daily waiting in the snow for bread, in tears. In Liege • there are thirty thousand old men, women and children and cripples, who wait for the halfpound of bread. A little soup is given, which enables babies and children to be kept alive for want of milk. The Commission expresses a fear that the amazing self-restraint of the people and their suppressed and inevitable i hatred will collapse under the impelling anguish of a forced hunger strike, which has become desperately tragic under the armed futility of the invader. Belgians have to suffer the inevitable consequences and are shot like ravenous dogs. Will Australia and New Zealand stand by calmly and await such an end to a noble sacrifice? Only stupendous organised efforts can avert a catastrophe. Four good-sized cargoes of cereals must be shipped to Belgium weekly, or the Belgian nation, to the world's eternal shame, will perish. The Commission undertakes to carry cargoes for relief and supplies of free wheat. The money chiefly required is £75,000 to fill a 5000-ton ship with cargo that will keep Belgium from starvation for two days. Will Australia and New Zealand give the £75,000 or its equivalent in food. This monthly effort must not only be superhuman but continuous.

A REMARKABLE FEAT. A VICTORIA CROSS HERO. LONDON. Feb. 20. Lance-Corporal O'Leary, who lias been awarded the Victoria Cross, is a crack shot, and was formerly of the mounted police in Canada. He led the assault at La Bassee. When ]SO treifch dropped to the ground and pickyards away, he easily outstripped his companions and nearing the German trench droped to the ground and picked off the whole five of a machine-gun crew before they could slew the gun. Then he rushed to the second barricade and shot three more. His comrades completed the rout, and the brickfield was captured in half an hour. Had the Germans been able to use the machine-gun the whole of the company might have been wiped out. O'Leary brought in thrci prisoners.