COMBATTING SUBMARINES.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 30 January 1917, Page 5

COMBATTING SUBMARINES.

BLOCKADING CONTINENTAL COAST. A GORDON OF MINES AND PATROLS. A TRANSPORT TORPEDOES). APPALLING CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL EUROPE. V?i9 »*\ ■ i - AUSTRIANS FORCED BACK IN ROUMANIA

PLIGHT OF GERMANY

HUSHING TO DESTRUCTION. RAIDS FOE FOOD SUGGESTED. LONDON, Jan. 17. A Letter which lias reached London from Cologne states that the economic situation in Germany is growing desperate. The downhill pace is increasing, and fresh deterioration is visible weekly. The people privately confess thaf Germany is faced with the prospect of giving up the struggle unless raids are made on Denmark and Holland for food. There are no cases of starvation. Babies under two get sufficient milk, except in munition areas, where the milk is made into glycerine. Many babies and invalids have been taken to Switzerland and Holland. The rich arc not suffering. The poor complain, bitterly. Recently there have been numerous disputes between the town and country authorities, but the Germanic docility is still wonderful. The leather famine is serious. Military effects and boots arc most difficult to obtain. {Sometimes great fights occur outside boot shops. The bread recently improved, but now ■old, sodden potato bread is sold. Chocolate costs £1 a pound. Oysters from Ostend are a great luxury. 'railways arc disorganised owing to the shortage of coal, due to the labour difficulties. Women workers dress in neat knickerbockers. Russian and French prisoners are constructing new railways and buildings. The diet of the soldiers has decreased. Men from the Somme, which is known ns "the grave,” complain about not getting enough oily substances. Military bands are everywhere, but the military spirit is dead. 14 Xu the cities I have visited, the letter concludes, "the only comfort the people get is the belief that the prices and scarcity of food are worse in Britain, France and Russia than in Germany. 77

BERLIN SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR LACK OF COAL.

Received 9.30. PARIS, Jan. 29 The Petit Parisian's Zurich correspondent states that twenty-three Berlin schools have been closed owing to the lack of coal.

BRITAIN’S MAN AND WOMAN POWER.

DISTINCTION OF SEX DEPLORED. Received 8.45. LONDON, Jan. 29. i34r Chamberlain’s decision not to mblte a simultaneous appeal to men and women has chagrined many women’s societies. He proposes'that a committee of prominent women should be appointed to enrol and draft women into duties suitable to their training and ability without the interference of men. Lady Frances Balfour urges that it is impossible to separate civilians into sexes in regard to national service. Mr Chamberlain’s introduction of sex makes an artificial difference w T hich. is bound to render the scheme inefficient. The whole of the people should be included immediately on the same basis. Mrs Mary McArthur claims that women should receive a minimum living wage and 16/- weekly extra when living away from home, as Mr Chamberlain promises to the men. This would mean a revolution in women’s wages.

A MARVEL OF SURGERY

BULLET EXTRACTED FROM HEART. Received 9.10. PARIS, Jan. 29. Surgeon-Major Buvergey, the famous surgeon, has performed a marvellous operation in which he extracted a bullet from a man’s heart where it liad been lodged for six months. Tho man has been entirely cured.

THE KAISER’S BIRTHDAY

A FERVENT GERMAN PRAYER. "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. 7 7 Received 9.20. NEW YORK, Jan, 29. The United Press’ Berlin correspondent reports that at the cathedral service on the Kaiser's birthday, in the reading the Lord’ Prayer, emphasis was laid on "Give us this day our daily bread. 7 7 Court Chaplain Dryander, in a sermon, said "What we have before us is a decisive battle, requiring the greatest sacrifice. We neither willed nor wanted this war. The Kaiser extended the hand of peace, but with unprecedented frivolity and insults our enemies slapped his hand. To such enemies there is only one voncc —the crash of cannon. God cannot permit Germans to go down. 77 * The service was attended by Royalty, and the highest nobles, officials and diplomats. The Emperor of Germany is 58 years of age.

ENEMY’S FOOD SHORTAGE

STARVATION APPROACHING. LONDON, Jan 29. The Morning Post’s B'udapest correspondent says the latest feature of t-he food crisis is the growing desperation of women who are unable to provide their children with the bare ncc essaries of life. Many are absolutely without coal, petroleum, wood or milk. Prices in many cases have risen from SOO to 1000 per cent., while the stock of rice in the country is fifty waggonleads. Beef is costing 10/ per kilogramme, fat 7/9 per kilogramme, and butter 10/8. New vegetables cannot be expected before July. Unless a miracle happens, famine in its worst form is inevitable. The fixing of maximum prices resulted in holding up stocks and has thus far caused greater scarcity. Some relief is being afforded by pig slaughtering. T-he richer Budapest families bought up thousands of small pigs in the spring, and had them fed in the country, thus receiving considerable supplies of pork and fat. This wholesale slaughter is going on because the Government prohibits the use of maize for fodder. It is possible to restrict the feeding of a few. thousand in a besieged city, but 120 millions are not easily managed. Hundreds of thousands of Socialists and other disaffected elements mustbe reckoned with, while millions of women, bereaved and poverty-stricken are possessed of a single thought—how to feed their children. It is impossible to reason with them on political or patriotic grounds. The next few months will reveal the strength of millions of' uninstructed desperate women, who have given their sons and husbands to the war, but now find they can endure the misery no longer. AMSTERDAM, Jan 29. An official statement by the Imperial German Food Office declares iliac despite a favourable corn crop, Germany’s position is worse than in 1910 owing to the failure of potatoes. A system of economy must be carried out immediately if it is to be possible for the nation to hold out til next harvest. Imports from neutral countries are also a decreasing quantity. Foodstuffs are very scarce. This difficulty has arisen owing to (he opposition and resistance of large sections of the population to the ordinances and restrictions issued.

THE WAY OF THE HUN,

Received 5.45. WASHINGTON, Jan. 29. The Belgian Minister states that Germany has seized tools, machines, and raw materials worth many million pounds, and have thus created the idleness which has forced 120,000 into absolute slavery.

ON THE SEA

LOSS CF THE LAXTRENTIC .SUNK OFF IRISH COAST. 121 OFFICERS AND MEN. HAYED. LONDON, Jan. 28. The Admiralty announces that the auxiliary cruiser “Laur.entic was sunk off the Irish coast, either submarined or mined late on Thursday. Twelve officers and 109 men wore saved. LONDON, Jan 29. Captain Norton, in command of the Laurcutic. was saved. Captain Norton was in charge of H.M.S. Hogue when she was torpedoed early in the war. (The Laureutic was a vessel of .14,892 tons, built in 1908. She was driven by a combination of turbines and reciprocating engines, and had a speed of 171 knots).

BRITAIN AND GERMANY AT SEA.

DEADLIEST STRUGGLE IN HISTORY IMPENDING. Received 8.45. NEW YORK, Jan 29. The New York Times states that well-informed circles in London consider that an intense, if unadvertised, activity of the Admiralty supports the belief of an impending trial of strength between Great Britain and Germany undersea. Britain, if she fully armed her merchantmen, would have the strength of about 40u0 against Germany’s 10ft submarines. Britain is scientifically using to the fullest her shipbuilding facilities. The deadliest sea struggle in history seemed likely to be staged in the near future.

COMBATING SUBMARINES.

BLOCKADING CONTINENTAL COAST. Received 11.35. LONDON, Jan 29. Berlin is greatly perturbed at Admiral Jellicoe’s new mine fields in the North Sea. The Tageblatt states the British ■have established a blockade in the Heligoland Bight, involving portions of the Dutch and Danish coasts. The measures include mine-fields and patrols directed against the entrance and departure of submarines. A Norwegian message describes the foundering of a large German submarine. The crew, excepting an officer, were rescued by a trawler. SUBMARINE SINKINGS. Received 10.30. LONDON, Jam 29. Sinkings; British steamer Javington 1 1739 tons), Norwegian Myrdal (2031 tons), Danish Sector (IIS2 tons).

A GERMAN CLAIM

TRANSPORT FULL OF TROOPS PUNK. BERLIN Jan. 29. Ofacial. — One of our submarines sank in ten minutes on January 25, an armed enemy treusport full of troops, steer-, ing eastward, 250 miles oast of Malta. The transport was accompanied by a French torpedo boat.

CLOSING THE NORTH SEA.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28. The American Embassy at London cables that Britain .has enlarged the North Sea area which is dangerous to shipping. American officials say it is designed to prevent egress from German ports, Heligoland or Kiel. It bars shipping from most of the area of the Dogger Banks except a narrow coastal .strip. The announcement 5s regarded as most important. Telegrams from Scandinavia show that Britain is laying a minefield off the coast of Jutland.

A VALUABLE INVENTION.

COPENHAGEN, .Tan. 28 Jansen, a Danish engineer, has invented a torpedo shock absorber. Tt consists of an armoured belt placed around warships or merchantmen. The belt contains thin plates combined with Bellvillc springs. There is an air vacuum between the plates, which, with the elasticity of the springs, causes an upward explosion instead of a forward explosion into the sides of the ships. Prominent financiers have formed a syndicate to experiment.

82 DANISH SHIPS TORPEDOED.

COPENHAGEN, Jan 28. Eighty-two Danish vessels have been torpedoed. They were worth seventy million kroner. There is great anxiety regarding Germany’s new submarine threats.

german submarine lost.

CHRISTIANIA, Jan 23. A motor boat landed 34 of the crew of a German submarine which found ered off the Norwegian coast.

ON THE WESTERN FRONT

SUCCESSFUL COUP DE MAIN. LONDON, Jan 28. A French communique states: “We weiv completely successful in a coup-de-main between Les Esparges and France-de-Calonne. W r e found numerous bodies in the trenches, and secured much booty.”

BRITISH TAKE GERMAN TRENCHES.

LONDON, Jan. 28 A German official report states: ‘‘The British penetrated a small section of our trenches south-west of Le Translov.

GROUND FROZEN HARD,

Received 10.30. LONDON, Jan. 20. The ground is frozen deeply on the West front, enabling the transport of heavy guns, which have been held up during the mud period.

FRENCH REPORT,

Received 10.30. LONDON Jan. 20. A French communique states that the German attacks on Hartmans-Weiler-kopf were easily repulsed. Our aeroplanes bombed the railway station at Athics.

FURTHER SUCCESSFUL RAIDS

LONDON, Jan. 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: At daybreak \ve again entered the enemy trenches north-cast of Neuville St Vaast and inflicted casualties. Wo conducted a successful raid northeast of Festubort. W e stopped an enemy attempt eastward of Fanquissart.

SWITZERLAND’S DANGER

OMINOUS INCIDENTS. SWISS FRONTIER GARRISONED. LONDON, Jan. 28. The “Central News’ ” Zurich correspondent says: The Rothschilds of Fans have withdrawn eight millions sterling from the Swiss banks in view of the possibility of a German invasion. The Government’s assurance that it intends to defend territory stopped a general withdrawal of French capital. The banks agreed to transfer their securities to Geneva.

Swiss troops are lining the frontier between Schaffhausen and Basle, which has hitherto not been garrisoned.

THE SPRING CAMPAIGN

WHAT WILL GERMANY DO? PARIS, Jan. 28. The "Matin’’ considers it improbable that Germany will carry out a spring offensive. Rather, she is preparing a vigorous defensive on all fronts, deriving full benefit from intense efforts to manufacture shells without risking soldiers.

FRENCH MUNITIONS DISASTER.

LONDON, Jan. 28. A great gelatine explosion occurred at Paris. Many lives were lost. NOISE HEARD THROUGHOUT PARIS. PARIS, Jan. 28. The explosion at the melinite factory at Massy Paliscau was heard throughout Paris. There were many casualties. PARIS, Jan. 20. Tire fire at Massy Paliscau spread rapidly, and reached deposits of explosives. Owing to the intensity of the explosion, first reports of the explosion were exaggerated. They are now believed to be under twenty. Received 9.10. PARIS, Jan. 29. One person was killed and three wounded in the Massy Palasneau explosion.

IN MESOPOTAMIA.

BURTHER BRITISH SUCCESSES. LONDON, Jan. 29. Mesopotamia official. —On the night of the 25th-2(3th the enemy renewed his attempts but failed to recover the ground lost the previous day. We retook the trenches lost on the 25th and found 400 corpses. Our casualties were 200.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

SYDNEY, Jan 29

The “Sun” says Mr. Lloyd George’s interview has altered Mr. Hughes views and intentions. There is now good authority for stating that Mr. Hughes expects to sail for London early in February.

NEWSPAPER PRICES RAISED

CAPETOWN, Jan 29. Johannesburg newspapers are raising their prices to twopence. Other South African newspapers will shortly follow suit owing to the increases cost of paper.

IHE ROUMANIAN CAMPAIGN.

RUSSIAN DEFENCE UNBROKEN. ™ LONDON, Ja„. o<) p lhC . lln)CS ” ( -' o, ', ros , ) ondent at the Roumanian headquarters, tele.,,-., , - the 24th lust., says men icached. The enemy ’s efforts dmmg fortnight have been checked with great losses. The line of the TrotusSercth proved impregnable. Many Gorman divisions have been withdrawn. Only four or five remain. Others have been replaced by Turks and Austrians. The roughest weather prevents operations on a large scale. German prisoncis state that they are unprepared for a o inter campaign, and many are freezing. Leading Roumanian generals state that re-organisation has already advanced. Several divisions are ready for the field, while th e army will be reeqquippcd and during jhe coming two months’ enforced rest.

AUSTRIANS PUSHED BACK,

LONDON, Jan. 2S. Austrian official.— West of Oliputnow, superior enemy forces penetrated our first line. We withdrew to the next ‘height to Ihe rearward.

RUSSIAN SUCCESS,

Received 9.10. LONDON, Jan. 29. Wireless Russian official: W e attacked with the bayonet south-west of Potutory, and south of Rizeshauy taking the first lino. We repelled raging Turkish counter-attacks, and exploded six Turkish mines in the galleries, demolished the trenches, and withdrew. The lurks twice attacked, but wore driven back. AVc prisonored 2030 in Saturday’s battle north-west of. Jakobens.

THE BALKAN CAMPAIGN.

WINTER HARDSHIPS. Received 11.35. SALONIKA, Jan 29. The severe winter in Macedonia is causing the Bulgarians great hardships. Deserters state the conditions are intolerable. A heavy snowfall is hindering the transport of supplies to soldiers, who are practically starving, and many are prepared to desert.

PEACE OVERTURES

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY WANTS PEACE. ON ALMOST ANY TERMS. STOCKHOLM Jan. 28. Dimitri Jaiitcheovotsky, the Russian publicist, has boon released after thirty months’ imprisonment in Austria. He states that there is a universal desire tor peace on almost any terms. Aus-tria-Hungary—particularly among the Slavs and Magyars—has no fooling of bitterness against the Entente. The Emperor and Empress and court arc endeavouring to secure independence from Germany. The food supply is relatively good in the north, but actual hunger prevails in the south of Hungary. lu southern Slav states, desertions owing to underfeeding have increased threefold during the last six months.

SIR JOSEPH WARD’S VIEWS

LONDON, Jan. 29 Sir Joseph Ward, speaking at a Brotherhood meeting at the Browning Hall, said the only way that the peace of the world could be perpetuated after tin- war was by the right-thinking people of the Great PoWers binding themselves together and saying to any Power attempting to enter on a destructive course, that they would combine to fight the Power to death.

PRINCE HOHENLOHE’S VIEWS

ZURICH, Jan. 28. Pdinde Alexander Hoheriloluu who has been residing in Switzerland since (lip beginning of the war, in an article in the “Nouvclle Gazette,” says the Germans arc cherishing dangerous illusions concerning the effects produce? on neutral countries by peace offers. Neutrals refuse to accept the German theory that the Entente is responsible for the continuance of the war. They reproach Germany with proposing peace in an unacceptable form and withholding terms. PRINCE GALiTZIN’S VIEWS. ONLY VICTORIOUS PEACE POSSIBLE. Received 11.35. NEW YORK, Jan 29. The New York World’s Petrograd representative interviewed Prince Nicholas Goiitzin, who said the Entente would not agree to Wilson’s phase of peace without victory. It was only a peace based on the victory of the Allies that would be in accord with the principles of humanity. England, France! and Russia wore making superhuman sacrifices to defend themselves and save the small nations, which had been traitorously attacked. Tee Allies would never consent to anything less than a victorious peace.

RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.

THE RIGA FRONT. CONFLICTING REPORTS. LONDON, Jan. 28. A Russian official message states: —• ‘‘We repulsed two, attacks west of Rig'a, the enemy fleeing in disorder.” ’A German communique states: “Russian attacks broke down with heavy losses on both banks of the Aa.

FIGHTING IN BUKOWINA

RUSSIANS FORCE POSITIONS. GERMANS ADMIT RETIREMENT. LONDON. .Tan. 2s. A Russian official message states;— We attacked on both sides of the Kirapolung'-Vakobeni Road, in Bukowina, and after stubborn fighting broke through fortified positions on a front of two miles. A German message states: — Russian pressure compelled us to move nearer the east bank of the Goldene Biskitzo River, north of Dorna Watra.

GREECE

GRECIAN GENERAL DISMISSED. Received 11.35. PARIS. Jan 20. A telegram from Athens states the Minister for Foreign Affairs intimated his dismissal cf General Collaris, the commander of the First Army Corps during the events of first and second of December.

RUSSIA'S FOOD SHORTAGE

LONDON. Jan 29. The “Times” Petr.ograd correspondent. in a special article dealing with the scarcity of food, after narrating the sufferings of the poorer .people, who are compelled to wait in queues for -hours in intense cold, says: Necessities, with the exception of tea. have risen from two to ten times on pcac-.-prices. There are. now four meatless days. The regulations of several departments overlap, and elaborate procedure results in endless quarrelling and delay before supplies are obtainable. Admitting the inadequacy of railways to cope with military and food transport, it is no wonder that the people are most angry at the Government’s inefficiency.

LABOUR CONFERENCE

IMPORTANT .RESOLUTIONS LONDON. Jan 2S. At the Labour Oonference a committee was appointed to investigate charges against Mr. Henderson regarding the Clyde deportations. Mr. Henderson said Mr. Lloyd George had not replied to the Conference's telegram. A resolution was carried by 1.123000 against 1,107,000 providing for the election of sixteen representatives on the National Executive of affiliated organisations, restricted to the nomination of one candidate unless the membership exceeds 50,000. The change strikes a blow at pacifist independent Labourites. It also reduces the Socialist representation. sections will possibly withdraw.

INTENSE COLD IN BRITAIN

LONDON, Jan 29. There is intense cold throughout Britain, and deep snowdrifts in Ireland. ' Many districts are suffering from a lack of coal, owing to it taking three eeks to deliver goods, in consequence ot the shortage of labour at the mines and on the railways. Many people with empty coal-cellars borrowed small quantities from more fortunate neighbours.

BRITISH FOOD PROBLEM

LONDON, .Inn. 29. Mr Anderson, speaking at Leicester, at a meeting to protest against- high prices, said tie was not giving away a secret by saying that the population ot the country would soon be put on the ration system.

NEUTRAL CONFERENCE

COPENHAGEN, Jan. 2S. Sweden has invited Holland to a conference to discuss their interests during the war and their attitude dating peace n ego tin 1 ions.

INCIDENTS OF THE WAR.

DENATURALISING ALIENS. Received 5.50. LONDON. .lan 29. The Daily Mail states that Sir George Cave has decided to submit to the House of Commons a ißul to Denaturalise all nncesir. able aliens, who thus revert to their tea] nationality.