GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 63, 14 March 1916, Page 6

GENERAL CABLE NEWS.

STRANGE LIBEL CASE. AMERICAN CHARGED WITH OBTAINING SECRTS FROM LORD I FRENCH. THE CASE SETTLED. ! A SUB-EDITOR’S COSTLY MISTAKE. LONDON, March 11. In the Chief Justice’s Court, when a libel case, George Gordon Moore v. E. Hulton 'and Co. was mentioned, Mr. Duke, for the plaintiff, said his client was an American who periodically visited London. Defendants owned a number of provincial newspapers. The libel, which did not originate with them, consisted of accusing the plaintiff of obtaining military se- ■ crets at the British front, returning to America and using his position to work mischief against the Allies. Mr. Duke added that plaintiff made the acquaintance of Lord French some ye'ars ago ,and the acquaintance ripened into friendship. Later plaintiff was Invited to visit the front. The libels referred to the fact of Lord French Fand Mr. Moore being joint tenants of a house at Lancaster Gate, London, and also contained an insolent suggestion that Mr. Moore went to Long [lsland to confer wdth Count Bern,storff, when, 'as a matter of fact, he was the guest of Roosevelt. The defence Was an absolute with- ■ drawal of the charges, with the full- • est apologies for every imputation.

Lord French testified that he had known Moore for many years. IWhen either was in London he resided in a joint house at Lancaster Gate. Moore visited him at the front in 1914. He emphatically denied that there was the shadow of foundation for the suggestion that he was acquainted with military secrets. The defence pleaded that a regrettable mistake had been made.- The libel bad been inadvertently published in the “Manchester Evening Chronicle/' Because there was insufficient news the sub-editor had hastily lifted the article from another paper. The case was settled, but the terms. agreed upon were undisclosed.

SUICIDE OF CIVILISED EUROPE. PAPAL VOICE RAISED AGAINST THE WAR. FERVENT APPEAL TO CATHOLIC FAMILIES. LONDON, March 11. The Pope, writing to Cardinal Basil Pompili, says: Throwing ourselves among the belligerents as a father between sons at strife we entreated them in the name of God, Who is Love Infinite, to renounce the purpose of mutual destruction. Our paternal counsels have been hitherto unheeded, but we must raise our voice against the war, which seems the suicide of civilised Europe. We trust Catholic families will join in fervent prayer land Christian mortification. We especially appeal to the mothers, wives, daughters and sisters of the combatants to lay at the Heavenly Throne an offering of voluntary sacrifices which mav turn aside the most just anger of God.

MINING AND ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. * LONDON, March 12. Sir Douglas Haig reports: —We exploded three mines eastward of Verielles with satisfactory results. Artillery on both sides was active about Albert, Hulluch, and Ypres. PARIS, March 12. A communique says: We carried out a destructive bombardment on tranches in the Steenstracte and Bixschoote districts. GERMANS SUCCESSFUL AT ABLAIN.

LONDON, March 11. A German wireless says: \V e took Ablain wood ridges. LATEST OFFICIAL REPORT. FRENCH HOLD THE FORT. LONDON, March 12. North of the Aisne there has been very active artillery lighting in the region, of Bois de Butte. • On the left bank of the Meuse fairly intense bombardment is going on in the region of Bethincourt. On the right bank a small! German grenade attack near Peter Hill was easily re- ■ pulsed. The bombardment continues violently east of Fort, Douaumont and in the region of Vaux, where the enemy has made no fresh attempt to reach the plateau around the fort. At M oevre, last evening - , after aritillery preparations, th<j Germans captured a small trench adjoining the Etain road, north of Eix.

£OUTH AFRICANS IN EGYPT.

THEIR FIRST ENGAGEMENT.

THE ENEMY ROUTED,

(Reed. 11.40 a.m.)

ALEXANDRIA, March 12

The South Africans’ first fight in Egypt was on February 26th, at Agagia. After four days’ march, westward of Mersamatru, aircraft reported considerable enemy forces under Turco-German officers. The South Africans had to face fierce shelling all the way, attacking ridges with but little cover. Men were dropping right find left but none wavered, but violently advanced in short rushes and drove out the enemy precipitately.

RUSSIANS REPULSE ENEMY ATTACK.

HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED

PETROGRAD, March 12,

A communique says: In the region of the Upper Strypa, east of Koslofer, we repulsed an enemy attack in force, inflicting heavy losses. .

NEARING TREBIZOND.

RUSSIANS , MAKING HEADWAY,

LONDON, March 11

The Daily Chronicle’s Petrograd correspondent says the Russians aro 2 miles from Trebizond. The fleet continues to shcM Turkish troops ■ on the coast, also transport trains and camel convoys. The German Consul at Trebizond has fled.

THE CAMPAIGN IN PERSIA. GERMANS EVACUATING ISPAHAN. PETROGRAD, March 11. The Germans are evacuating Ispahan. The occupation of Kemanshah deeply impressed the' tribes, who unanimously submitted to the Russians, negotiating the' surrender of German conspirators.

AUXILIARY STEAMER SUNK. FOURTEEN LIVES LOST. LONDON, March 12. The merchant fleet auxiliary steamer Fauvette was mined off the east coast and sank. The casualties are two officers and 12 men. GERMANS CHANGE THEIR TUNE. I PARIS, March 11. Jean Erbette, in the Echo de Paris, points out that, a month ago Germany declared in a brutal, irrevocable fashion that submarines would sink all armed merchantmen without warning. The Germans then expected to break the French line, and were willing to risk war wdth America with a light ■heart. Now that the battle of Verdun has proved a fiasco there has come a great change, the German Ambassador asking that Britain should modify aor methods of maritime warfare.

BRAVE NEW ZEALANDERS.

AWARDED D.C. MEDALS,

SOME GALLANT DEEDS,

LONDON, March 12.

The deeds for which Distinguished Conduct medals have recently been granted have been gazetted. The New Zealanders were:—

Sergeant-Major Boate and Sergeant F. Mitchell, for great bravery and resource in holding# the right flank at a weak point requiring great vigilance. ■ Sergeant-Major B. Ricketts, for great bravery and resource in setting a fine example.

Sergeant J. Campbell and Sergeant L. S. Graham, for great bravery and resource and marked devotion to duty. Second - Lieutenants Robin and Gordon Harper, for conspicuous bravery during a charge. Sergeant B. N. Tavernier, for great bravery and skill as a guide and marked devotion to dangerous duties. Corporal P. Watson, for conspicuous gallantry in. twice crossing a heavily fire-swept zone and carrying ammunition, and also for bringing in a wounded man under licavy fire. Corporal Spencer, for great bravery a,nd skill in repairing a trc-lich leading to men under heavy fire. Trooper L. Armstrong, for conspicu- ! ous gallantry in a charge. Trooper Winter, for conspicuous gallantly in rescuing on two occasions wounded men and carrying them on h»s back to a dressing station. Private Parganihi, for conspicuous gallantry during an attack. Although unarmed, lie seized an armed Turk and compelled him to surrender. Sapper Dignan, for conspicuous gallantry in laying a telephone wire in daylight under a heavy fire; and, later, when the line was broken, he carried an important dispatch under