DUTCH POWER AND INTENTION

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 84, 7 April 1916, Page 5

DUTCH POWER AND INTENTION

FEAR OF BRITAIN AND GERMANY. GERMAN SUBMARINE SUNK. ROUMANIA THREATENED BY BULGARIA. SIX DIVISIONS AGAINST DOBRUCJA. | GGOD NEWS FROM BAGDAD. FOOD RIOTS IN GERMAN TOWNS. THE AMERICAN-GERMAN CRISIS. NO DEFINITE ACTION YET TAKEN. "'" •', ONLY TO SEEK FURTHER INFORMATION. '"•- * • ''Reed. 9.10 a.m.). •• • " ■ WASHINGTON, April C. Despite Press criticism the Administration refuses to take any definite action in the submarine controversy with Germany, except to seek for further information. *» The Press is also criticising Villa's escape from his American pursuers in Mexico, and point out that invasion now is simply futile. GERMAN CORRUPT PRACTICE IN AMERICA. FALSE PASSPORT ISSUED TO SPY. (Reed. 9.10 a.m.). 1 , WASHINGTON, April 6. Herr Luderitz, German Consul at Baltimore, is accused of issuing a false passport to von Der Goltz to enable him to act as a spy in England. BRITISH ADVANCE IN MESOPOTAMIA. A STEP NEARER TO BAGDAD. rtfei" (Reed. 3.10 a.m.). Official: The British have captured Felahie in Mesopotamia. QUESTIONS OF AFTER WAR CONDITIONS. KOT DISCUSSED. AT THE LATE CONFERENCE. THE AGENDA LARGELY EXTENDED. (Reed. 9.10 a.m.). LONDON, April 6. The Times' Paris correspondent states that in deference to the British Government it is presumed the French have waived discussion on tariff questions, though convinced that tariffs must be discussed sooner or later. The agenda now includes: improvement of blockade, defensive measures against German dumping schemes, mutual aid regarding raw materials, tonnage, industrial plant and finance.

CHEERING NEW FROM MESOPOTAMIA. PUBLIC ANXIETY GREATLY RELIEVED. THE MAIN TURKISH POSITION YET UNCONQUERED. REGRETTABLE PRESS RECRIMINATIONS. (Reed. 9.10 a.m.). LONDON, April 6. "Newspapers give prominence to news from Kut el Amara. The report of General Lake's success being coincident with the publication of General -""gxon's absence. Recent news from General Townshend has caused incre fftig public anxiety, and General Lake's success gives both the longsutfSrihg force at Kut and the long-suffering public at Home a ray of hope, though the main Turkish position remains to be attacked. General Lake has apparently been harassed by inundations from the Armenian highlands, but they have nbt made operations impossible as. many military experts feared. Ummelhannah j on the left bank of the Tigris, constitutes the first line of the enemy's formidable position. There is no room for manoeuvring, having a front of only a mile and a-half. We tried to force this bottleneck on the 21st January, but General Aylmer was unable to hold the ground he had won. The Morning Post attacks the Government, alleging that, acting on General Ninon's advice, it overruled the Indian Office, and directed General Townshend to dash for Bagdad, though General Townshend protested that his force was inadequate. It was probably Mr. Churchill's restless brain that was responsible for the motive to divert the Turks from Gallipoli and thus retreive the ghastly blunder at the Dardanelles. DUTCH CONSTERNATION STILL A MYSTERY. SUGGESTIONS BY FORMER MINISTER OF "WAR. HOLLAND MAY HAVE POWER AND INTENTION. TO PREVENT MENACE OF GERMANY'S OPEN FLANK. (Reed. 9.10 a.m.). AMSTERDAM, April 6. Mr. Colyn, formerly Dutch Minister for War, rejects the possibility of any .intention by Britain to land new armies on the Dutch coast, such an asgagtlption is incompatible with Britain's assurance that the neutrality 0 f Mitand will be respected. The question, however is, what Germany may tnink. If Germany judges our defensive capacity inadequate and ;s apprehensive of British invasion through Holland, it would not be strange if we were approached from the German side with proposals to which 7:e cannot submit, because compliance would mean abandonment of neutrality towards the Allies. "While waiting for an attitude that might be adopted towards Britain something positive shculd be done with regard to Germany. He suggests the strengthening of the Dutch forces to make it clear to Germany that Holland has'"the power and intention to prevent any menace to Germany's open flank.

ANOTHER ZEPPELIN RAID LAST NIGHT. * ONLY MADE A TEN MINUTES' VISIT. ATTENTION FROM GUNS WAS TOO PRESSING. (Reed. 9:0 a.m.). V LONDON, April 6. In a clear sky, last night, searchlights soon located a Zeppelin, and heavy gunfire immediately directed against it, apparently with good aim. The Zeppelin vainly endeavoured to elude the searchlights, and finally departed eastward. The visit was only of ten minutes duration. A few bombs fell on the outskirts of a town. FOOD RIOTS IN GERMAN OCCUPIED TOWNS. GERMAN HEADQUARTERS CAN GIVE NO HELP. A PITCHED BATTLE BETWEEN MOB AND PATROLS. MANY PEOPLE KILLED OR INJURED. (Reed. 9.0 a.m.). PETROGRAD, April 6. Serious food riots have occurred in a number of Russian towns occupied by Germans. At Vikomir a mob plundered shops without success, they then marched to German Headquarters clamouring for food. They were informed ther e was no help for the population. A street battle then took place between the mob and patrols, which resulted in many people being killed and injured. ANOTHER GERMAN SUBMARINE SUNK OFFICERS AND CREW TAKEN PRISONERS. (Reed. 9.0 a.m.). PARIS, April 6. Official: An Ar/jglo-FtrJmch flotilla sank a German submarine, the officers and crew were made prisoners. ROUMANIAN TERRITORY THREATENED BY BULGARIA. SIX DIVISIONS CONCENTRATING AGAINST DOBRUDJA. ROUMANIAN PREMIER TAKING NECESSARY MEASURES. (Reed, f i 0 a.m.). BUCHAREST, April 6. It is stated that six Bulgarian r'ivisions are concentrating to attack Dcbrudja. Bratiano has taken all necessary measures.

GERMANY SCATHINGLY DENOUNCED. AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. PARIS, April 6. The American Chamber of Commerce cabled President Wilson that Germans 7 , in defiance of the opinions of mankind and in violation of every principle of humanity, like an assassin in the night, has treacherously, and without not'ice again struck down unarmed merchant and passenger ships, sending scores of helpless men, women and children to their doom. On behalf of humanity'we demand that the intolerable situation shall cease. On behalf of our murdered and mained fellow-citizens who were aboard the Englishman and Sussex, we protest against the continuance of diplomatic relations with a j Government whose blood of madness, ferocity, and lawlessness has brought itself the execration of the whole I civilised world. I GERMAN NAVAL SQUADRON. TO ENTER GULF OF RIGA. STOCKHOLM, April 5. Two large German squadrons of cruisers and torpedoers were seen going north. It is believed they are attempting to force an entrance to < the Gulf of Riga, which is now free I A violent cannonade was heard. "^

VICTIMS OF THE PIRATES. THREE MORE VESSELS TORPEDOED. LONDON, April 5. A German submarine torpedoed and sank the Clan Campbell in the Mediterranean, witnoui warning. * The crew were saved. An Austrian submarine sunk the John Pritchard in the Mediterranean. A submarine bombed and torpedoed the Norwegian sailer Elishelena in the North Sea, but she did not sink, and the crew were saved. THE MUDDLING CROWN PRINCE. THE GERMAN POSITION BAD. LONDON, April" 5.

Coclnel Repington says that Verdun is the chief theatre of the fighting on the western front. Here the main masses of the German artillery are posted at Septsarges and Beaumont. The northern flank positons are Avocourt and Malancourt, and the west at Vaux, while the east is being utilised to aid the northern attack. The German position on the Woevre plain is bad. Since the great Vaux attack failed, the Crown Prince has resorted to his favourite method of disconnected partial attacks as in the Argonne, where he once attacked with twentysix battalions belonging to twenty-one different regiments. Similar attacks were delivered at Verdun, the enemy using divisions one by one. In the Argonne the Crown Prince received all he needed. He was hoping to connect his name with victory. Now the entire German line ha s been drained to prevent his failure. But for his birth he would have been relieved of his command long since.— (Times and Sydeny Sun Services).

FOR BRAVE NON-COMS. A SPECIAL MILITARY MEDAL. LONDON, April 5. Royal warrant institutes a military medal for bravery for non-commis-sioned men. FRENCH PROGRESS. NORTH-WEST OP VERDUN. THREE ENEMY 'PLANES DOWNED PARIS, April 5. An official communique states that \the French made progress in the communication trenches north of Caillette Wood. Our scouting aeroplanes in', the Verdun district brought down a doublemotored aeroplane near Haubfourneaux pond. Another enemy machine fell near Tilly Wood, and a third dived vertically to the ground. A French air sqaudron dropped 14 bombs on Natillois railway station, and five on the Damvillers bivouacs. MERELY A PRECAUTION. HAGUE, April 5. After a secret sitting of the Second Chamber the Government announced that the suspension of officers' furlough Avas a precaution in view of strict maintenance of neutrality, not a sequel to any political complications. CONTRABAND OF WAR. LONDON, April 5. In the House of Commons, replying to a question, Lord Robert Cecil (Foreign Under-Secretary) stated that as the war progressed it became clear that the list of contraband must be extended. It was proposed to add a large number of articles immediately.

I CABINET MEETING. j LONDON, April 6. ! The newspapers attach importance to to-day's Cabinet meeting, which is the first full meeting for months, owing to Mr. Asquith's absence. j The "Daily Mail," in an alarmist article, suggests the meeting may I bring the compulsion issue to a crisis, as a majority of the members of the House of Commons favour general compulsion. Mr. Asquith has already declared he will resign office when general compulsion is introduced. Much depends on Mr. Bonar Law, who is threatened with a revolt of a powerful Unionist section. It adds: If Mr. Bonar Law takes a firm stand Mr. Asquith must accept, or see the Unionist members of the Cabinet resign. The "'Daily Chronicle" says the position is rendered difficult by reckless newspapers and politicians seeking to bring dwno the Government by hook or by crook; but, happily, a moderate element of the Unionist Party may save the situation. ' The "Daily News" says the tariff reformers express dissatisfaction with the Budget being coupled with compulsion. It may result in a very difficult situation for the Government to deal with. The "Daily Telegraph" says the Budget is a financial mistake at the expense of the direct taxpayer. The Government had not the moral courage to distribute taxation by Customs duties, fearing a split upon preferential tariffs.

THE ROAD TO BAGDAD. ENEMY POSITION CARRIED. LONDON, April 5. The High Commissioner reports: General Lake reports that at 5 o'clock this morning the Tigris corps attacked and carried tTie enemy's entrenched positon at Um El Hanali. The operations are proceeding satisfactorily. I

GENERAL NIXON'S DESPATCH. LONDON, April 5. General Nixon's despatch from Mesopotamia narrates that General Gorringe for several weeks in April and May was clearing Persian Arabistan, enabling the oil fields to resume operations. Meanwhile, General Townshend was collecting many long, narrow boats, balled bellums, covered with iron plates. The troops were trained in punting and guns were mounted on rafts and barges. Preparations were completed by the end of May, when the Turks were entrenched north of Gurnah on islands standing out of the inundations. The flotilla of bellums advanced to the attack on May 31st, the infantry carrying the positions with the bayonet after poling the belurns over a mile through thick reeds and landing waist deep in water. Describing Townshend's first advance, General Nixon says the Turkish position was seven miles north of Kut-el-Amara. A formidable boom blocked the Tigris, and entrenchments linked up the gaps between the river and the marshes. The defences were well designed. Behind were miles of communication trenches, providing covered outlets to the Tigris, where langing stages facilitated the transfer of the Turks to and from the ships. Townshend's victory on September 25th was due to a feint attack, south of the river, followed by the construction of a bridge whereby the troops were conveyed to the northern side under cover of the night. The attack concluded with a most gallant bayonet attack, the enemy only being saved from complete destruction by the coming of night.

OPINIONS OF EXPERTS. LONDON, April 6. Experts attach the greatest importance to the victory at Um-el? Hannah. The enemy's main advanced portion was of great strength, naturally and artificially, situated en the north bank extending from the Tigris to Suwaicha marshes, thus barring the approach to Kut-el-Amara twenty miles away. THE SPELTER QUESTION. LONDON, April 5. The spelter question is emphasised by news from the most reliable authority that the spelter works in Belgium are working four days a week, under German control. A stock of sixty-three thousand tons has been accumulated there; also that the Germans, in order to secure a supply or" ore after the war, are buying large quantities from Spain. A COUNCIL OF WAR. HELD ON SPECIAL TRAIN. LONDON, Auril 5. Mr. Asauith, M. Ribot and M. Briand held a council of war aboard a special train.