A BLOODY HECATOMB.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 91, 15 April 1916, Page 5

A BLOODY HECATOMB.

I CERMAN EXCUSE FOR SLACKENING. « ; ¥ f TOO WEAK TO CAPTURE ¥EHOUH. TURKS DEFEATED IN HIESOPOTAISA. CRI¥EN BACK THREE MILES. A KAISER EXHCRTATSON. I WILL SIGN TREATY II VERDUN. AMERICA AND SUBMARINE ATROCITIES. THE GERMAN CLOVEN HOOF IN JAPAN. :! ; HUNNIBH DISCORD-MONGERS AT WORK. JAPAN'S UNDOUBTABLE ASSURANCES. OF FRIENDSHIP WITH BRITAIN. (Reed. 8.15 a.m.,).. ; i- ;;' , TOKIO, April 14. A discussion has been running in certain .newspapers concerning the value and durability of the Anglo-Japanese .alliance. Some correspondents state that -the Japanese are pressing China to complain of the unfriendliness of British residents in China. Baron Ishii, Minister of Foreign Affairs, interviewed, said it was superfluous to make .protestations that Japan's loyalty &o the Allies was real; Japan resents the bare insinuation of disloyalty towards a friend in trouble. Discussion over conditions of treaties was permissible during peace, but not when an ally was engaged with a relentless enemy. Japan was bound to England by the closest bonds of mutual friendship and mutual gratitude, despite the enemy's efforts to sow discord. The war was going to bring the world closer together. Baron Takahaski, leader of the Opposition, interviewed, said the loyalty of Japan to the Anglo-Japanese alliance is .fixed as a great national principle. Any change of Cabinet did not .alter this phase of foreign policy one hair's breadth. / ' Nakano, President of the Tokio Chamber of Commerce, say s the competition in China must not be allowed to endanger the Anglo-Japanese political relations. . ~ . T-. THE JTURK§DEFEATED IN IEESOPOTAMDA,

JIN IMPORTANT BRITISH VICTORSL THE'TURKS DRIVEN BACK THREE MILES. (Reed. 8.15 a.m.). LONDON, April 14. The British ihave defeated. the Turks in Mesopotamia, on the Tigris. The Turks were (driven back three miles. t TVrAXnVTTTM FOOD PRICES ADOPTED IN FRANCE. THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTS THE PRINCIPLE. (Reed. 8.15 a.m.). . PARIS, April 14. The Senate has adopted the principle of Government fixing the maximum selling prices of necessaries of life. LONDON, April 14. General Lake reports that the troops south of the Tigris, on the 12th, forced back the euemV's lines over a distance of 11 to Seniles. After crossing the mandated belt, intersected with deep cuts filled with water from the marshes, and driven by a northwest gale into the enemy's trenches at Sannlyat, the enemy took refuge In a near position and were heavily punished. AMERICA AND SUBMARINE ATROCITIES. \ PRESIDENT WILSON SENDING EVIDENCE TO BERLIN. NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTINUING MURDERS. GERMAN-AMERICAN THREATENED CRISIS. EXTREME GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION. PRESIDENT WILSON CANCELS ALL ENGAGEMENTS. UNDOUBTED PROOFS OF GERMANY'S GUILT. THE PRESS DERIDES THE TEUTONIC CONFESSION. (Reed. 8.15 a.m.). WASHINGTON, April 14. President Wilson and the State Department have agreed to despatch evidence of submarine atrocities to Berlin, with what is described as a flickle request for satisfaction. The Pres s says that Wilson is simply giving another excuse to Germany to delay negotiations while continuing to murder Americans.

In view of the gravity of the situation President Wilson has cancelled engagements." Government authorities consider that Germany's admissions strengthen the American case. They are awaiting affidavits from London and Paris. New York papers deride the Note. The New York "World" calls it Germany's confession. We must sever relation' with a power which has obliterated the only basis upon which diplomatic relations can be conducted. Paris, denying the German communique to the United States, declares that a Greek officer aboard the Sussex states that nothing can deastroy the proofs. We can show thirteen fragments of the torpedo and can publish the name of the submarine's commander. We know the full route of the submarine prior to the outrage. The evidence is corroborated by the crew. Mr. Bonar Law, interviewed by the American Press, said the British Government did not desire to say what action America should take when her citizens were barbarously murdered, but the hope of the world lay in making-outrages against civilisation impossible. There was a general decline in stocks on a rumour that Count B'ernstorff would his passports within a fortnight.

A BLOODY HECATOMB AT VERDUN. THE GERMAN EXCUSE FOR SLACKENING. THE TRUTH IS IN DECIMATED UNITS. FRENCH DEFENSIVE IMPROVING, GERMAN OFFENSIVE DECLINING. GERMANY TOO WEAK TO CAPTURE VERDUN. (Heed. 3.45 a.m.). PARIS, April 14. A semi-official comment on the German explanation that bad visibility caused the slackening of the Verdun attack, says the excuse is far too srmple. The truth is that the resumption of the offensive on the 9th, 10th and 11th caused the Germans such considerable losses that they must reconstruct their decimated units, and fill the huge gaps in their ranks. The only results of the offensive were a bloody hecatomb. The occupation of 500 metres of trenches at the foot of Mort Homme, contrasted with 5 kilometres on a .nine kilometre front gained on the twenty-first to the twenty-fourth Pe'bruary, which is the only other offensive on the same scale, was obviously clue to French defensive power increasing and the Germans' offensive declining, also that the French material is constantly improving. Common sense justifies the belief that th e capture of Verdun is be3-ond the .enemy's strength.

DOING A BIT OF SPYING. DAILY MAIL CORRESPONDENT ARRESTED. ACTING FOR BILLING THE AIRMAN. LONDON, April 13. Middleton, a "Daily Mail" correspondent, has been remanded in custody for .a 'week. He was formerly in the Royal Naval Air Service. He came to Dover yesterday and invited two officers to lunch, saying that he had come to do a bit of spying on behalf of Mr. Pemberton Billing, whom the "Daily Mail" is running. Police appeared at the middle of the lunch and Middleton was arrested. THE DISSENSION-SOWING IN HOLLAND. A CLEARING-UP ASSURANCE FROM FRANCE. PARIS CONFERENCE DID NOT DISCUSS HOLLAND. NO INTENTION TO VIOLATE DUTCH NEUTRALITY. (Reed. 8.15 a.m.). j THE HAGUE, April 14. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the French Minister in Holland, on.behalf of France, has given an assurance that neither France or the Allies even contemplated, either directly or indirectly, attacking the neutrality of Holland, or the inviolability of its territory. The Minister added: The Paris Conference did not consider matters relating to Holland at 'all. THE KAISER'S EXHORTATION TO HIS TROOPS. A TREATY WILL BE SIGNED AT VERDUN. PROPHECY THAT MAY COME NEAR TRUTH. FAINT GERMAN ATTACK COMPLETELY REPULSED. (Reed. 10.5 a.m.). i- ' '■•■ ; ' : '•. PARIS, April 14. : The Kaiser, has issued the following exhortation to his 'troops:-—"The treaty of 1871 was signed in Paris. Go forward my beloved 1 Soldiers! This time it is the end, the treaty will be signed in Verdun." " A communique states it is relatively calm at'Verdun. A small. German attack, south of Douaumont, was - completely repulsed. TURKS PETITION THE SULTAN FOR PEACE. THE GERMANS FEAR A TURKISH REVOLT. " A GERMAN-ROUMANIAN AGREEMENT. ROUMANIA W T ILL NOT JOIN GERMANY. A FAIRLY SAFE ROUMANIAN PROMISE.

AMSTERDAM, April 14. German advices from Constantinople state that two heavy Austrian batteries have arrived at Constantinople, replacing the Germans. Turks, clamouring for peace, petitioned the Sultan. There was also a similar petition from Anatolia. The Germans, fearing a revolt, ordered their naval officers to remain aboard in readiness for emergencies. The "Berliner Tagehlatt" declares that the agreement between Germany and Roumania i s most important. It shows that Roumania will not attack Austro-Germany unless the Allies progress either eastward or westward of Salonika, or other Balkan countries join' the Allies. The newspaper adds that Roumania does not intend to join Germany. Only necessitous circumstances will force Roumania to enter a commercial agreement with Austro-Germany.

SHAKESPEAREAN TERCENTENARY. CELEBRATIONS IN ENGLAND. LASTING A WHOLE WEEK. (Reed. 8.15 am.). LONDON, April 14. Preparations are completed for celebrating the tercentenary of Shakespeare in Anglo-Saxon centres through-' out the world. They will commence in Britain on the 13th with a service in the Abbey and the preaching of a Shakespeare sermon and a meeting at the Mansion House. On Monday an all Avar performance from Julius Ceasar will be \ given at Drury Lane; Tuesday, schools will celebrate the poet: Wednesday to Friday will be devoted to a pilgrimage to Stratford, and the celebrations will terminate with a meeting at the London University. Mr. Birrell's address at the Authors' Club will be given on the Bth.

The war has rendered it impossible to find funds for the erection of a Shakespeare memorial theatre, near the British Museum, for which 70,000 people have subscribed. The site has been given over to training huts for soldiers. NO AUSTRALIANS AT - VERDUN. LONDON, April 12. Mn Warner Allen authoritatively denies that the Australian artillery :s lighting at Verdun. ~ ' \, , ;

GERMAN SUBMARINES BUSY. SIX VESSELS TORPEDOED. LONDON, April 14. The Danish steamer Dorthea Avas mined and sunk in th e North Sea. A Russian barquentine which was torpedoed was towed to Plymouth. The British steamer Angus was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. Part of the crew landed.

The British steamer Robert Adamson was torpedoed. The crew was saved. The barque Inverlynon was torpedoed. 3 One boat's crew was picked up. The French steamer Vega was torpedoed off Barcelona. The crew were rescued. The submarine commander declared that had the vessel been British he would have sunk it without warning. SUBMARINES' HUGE HAUL. LONDON, April 14. The statement is made that 43 British, 10 Allied and 13 neutral vessels have been lost since March Ist. A total tonnage of 2,201,823 has been sunk to date, leaving 36 million tons afloat, excluding enemy ships, and the American lake shipping. Half the British total of 20 million tons has been requisitioned by the Government.

FIGHTING IN CHINA. MANY CASUALTIES RESULT. (Reed. 170.5 a.m.). HONK KONG, April 14. During fighting in Canton on Wednesday evening the revolutionaries in attempting to land troops- were resisted, and there were a number of casualties on both sides. RISE IN MARINE INSURANCE. RATES HEAVILY INCREASED. (Reed. 11.45 a.m.). LONDON, April 14. All marine insurance rates have been largely increased over those ruling in March. The Australian rate, via the Cape, is now 80/-, and from London to the Mediterranean, east of Sicily is 120/-. A GERMAN REPORT. LONDON, April 14. A Berlin wireless message says the weather conditions are adverse to observations generally, and hindered the fighting for the greater part of yesterday. A French gas attack north-east of Compeigne was resultless.

GERMAN CAPTURES AT VERDUN. GREATLY MAGNIFIED. LONDON, April 14. The Germans claim that they captured 35,876 unwounded prisoners at Verdun between February 21 and April 10. Experts point out that this number exiceecfa the }total| Ffrench dead, wounded and prisoners. The latter did not exceed 17,000. GERMANS DRIVEN BACK. DISPERSED BY RUSSIAN ARTILLERY. April 14. A communique says: After a violent bombardment, the enemy debouched at Mokriba in ,strong columns. Artillery dispersed the Germans Avho fell back en to their trenches. IN THE CAUCASUS. TURKS REPULSED. . PETROGRAD, 9prii 14. A communique says: The Turks, on the Caucasus front, failed in attempts to recapture important sectors, from whence they were recently expelled. The enemy sprayed the troops ('with po/isonoufs liquid. I —■ THE WITTENBERG HORROR.

GERMANY'S OBVIOUS GUILT. LONDON, April 13. Sir E. Grey, speaking in the House of, Commons, said the German authorities refused to allow the United States Embassy to visit during the outbreak of disease, among British prisoners, alleging that there was a danger of infection. The Embassy officials had paid three visits since October. Their reports would be published shortly. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. PARIS, April 13. A communique'says:— Our artillery wrecked trenches west of Parvillies, between the Somme and the Oise. ; We exploded four mines at Fille Morte, Haute Ohevanehee, and Vauquois, and occupied the southern tips of two craters. There has been violent and continuous bombardment of Hill 304, Esnes, and Morthomme, and moderate artillery fire east of the Meuse. THE WESTERN FIGHT. BOMBARDMENT CONTINUES. FABIri, April 14. A communique says: The bombardment of Hill 304 and the Mort HommoCumieres front, continues. Our long-range gunfire started a fire at Noveant-Sur Moselle station.

IN FLANDERS. ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED., LONDON, April 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—The enemy on Tuesday night, after heavy bombardment (vvliish included a large proportion of lachrymatory shells), raided trenches ROor La Bolsslla. We drove him out. OnjWednesday night the enemy thrice attacked trenches north-cast cf Carney. The attacks reached the trenches, but were driven bac<. GERMANS ON THE YBEB FRONT; GUNS AND MEN AUKTVINTn. AMSTERDAM, April 14. German troops and guns continue to arrive on the Yser front, ; v ,,...■„,., a .;,. ■?. :-._ .% :;*.; ffl.

MISSING AIRMEN. AFTER HOLSTEIN RAID. HOW THEY WERE CAPTURED. ENGINE REFUSES TO WORK. LONDON, April 13. Letters from airmen missing in the raid on the Holstein coast on March 25th show that the seaplanes had already completed their work over the airsheds and we're steering homeward in a heavy snowstorm. Lieut. Reid saw Lieutenant Hay struggling in the water beside his machine. He planed down and hauled Lieutenant Hay aboard with great difficulty owing to the heavy sea and the fact that .they were numbed by the cold. All the time they were under fire. Then Lieutenant Reid 's machine refused to leave the water. An enemy warship came up, and the aviators surrendered.

CHINA'S UNREST. (Times and Sydney Sun Cables). LONDON, April 14. In the House of Commons, Lord Robert Cecil stated that the Chinese unrest was not diminishing, and that it was impossible . to predict the outcome, as the situation was changing daily. So far there was no indication of danger to foreign lives and property. POOR RICH MAN'S DEATH. LONDON, April 13. Obituary.—Lord Clauricarde. He inherited £250,000, but lived in shabby chambers in Piccadilly. The Congested Districts Board purchased his estates in 1915 for £238,000. AFTER WAR TRADE. IMPORTANT COMMITTEES SET UP. LONDON, April 13. . Mr. Asquith announced that Cabinet has appointed a committee to deal with after the war reconstruction generally, including "trade. Sub-commit-tees were dealing with particular aspects. The most important sub-com-mittees were now in communication with the Dominions. He also stated that he hoped to anounce next week the results of an examination into recruiting figures and the numbers obtainable by general compulsion.

COCOA AND COFFEE. supply pjjN T >ri>ra- shgijt:- | LONDON, April 34. j The Times correspondent at O'open-l hagen says the (rdrnum : papers state! 'hut the amount uf cocoa and coffee is' sufficient for si-v. weeks only. As Scandinavia has prohibited export?., the German pcop!-i wi.l get only onetMrd of the mc diaries and victual? Not cnly will Or: a .1 civilians be hv.ngry, but the soldiers in the trenches, from whom there are now i-umorcis complaints. A STUDY IN CONTRASTS. LONDON, April 14. The "Times," in an article, contrasts Germany's execration df our inhumanity and her whimpers about the infamy of the blockade, with Bismarck's policy of starving Paris in 1871. The paper reproduces instances of Bismarck's Prussian witicism over the sufferings of babies in Paris.