European War

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 73, 15 August 1914, Page 7

European War

TROOP SHIPS INSPECTED. ItY CABINET MINISTERS.. By Telegraph. Press Assieiation. Wellington, August 14. An official visit of inspection was paid to tlio troopships, Monowai. and Moeraki, tliis morning by the Prime Ministor, accompanied by Messrs Allen, Hell, General Codley, and liis stall' officers. The party went Hist to the Monowai. on which'is the bulk of the force. The •men were drawn up on deck in full .marching order, and were thoroughly inspected. They are certainly a very fine lot of young men. and very keen on .the work ahead of them. The main body of tin. force is drawn from the sth (Wellington) infantry regiment, wihich is complete in every detail, including a band. There is a strong ambulance section, and details of all the other sections necessary to an army in the field. The equipment has obviously been very caTefully attended to. The troops on flie Monowai are under Ijieut-Colonel Turner, ath Regiment. Colonel Logan, commander of the force, and the headquarters staff are on board the \I .eraki, which also has a large iiumbe: c' troops, mostly engineers. Both ships have doctors and three nurses. The accommodation for the men is necessarily limited, and bunks have been erected in every conceivable part of both ships. All the dining saloons, social halls, smoking rooms, and even the upper portions oT the hold are fitted with sleeping accomodation. The men, 'are very cheerful and look forward to an interesting experience. ' HOW FARMERS CAN HELP. Wellington, August 14. | The Premier has issued an appeal to fanners to grow as much cereal produce | as possible, and W 'do all in their power I to provide against the world-wide short- I age of bread-stuffs that is only too likely to be experienced. Mr Masscv points out that the food supply may become the determining factor in the great struggle. Fanners who endeavour to help their country bv providing this class of produce may find that in serving the Empire's interests they have also served their own. HELP FOR UNEMPLOYED. Wellington, August 14. With a view to assisting persons f thrown out of employment, or who ' have lost their positions through the war, the Department of Labor is inviting representatives of employers and the local authorities in the chief centres of 4he Dominion to form employment committees. Persons who are thus out of work and employers Who have vacancies are requested to notify the nearest office of the Labor Department. WANGANUI MEN LEAVE. Wanganui, August 14. A second contingent of Territorials over forty strong, left by the mid-day tram for Palmerston. Thev were fare-welled by large crowds and much ! enthusiasm was shown. __________ i SOLDIERS AND LIQUOR. Christchiirch, August 14. The Canterbury committee of inodcr- . ates has telegraphed to Mr Masscv regretting his decision to proceed with the elections ai, the present juncture and requesting the Government' to proTide member of the expeditionary' j force with an oppi rtunitv to record their votes on the licensing issue-, otherwise the defenders of the Empire may be disfranchised and possibly an altei-,it ; o!i made in the condition of the country during their absence, without their approval. I | GISBOIOiE'S GIFT TO BRISTOL. I Gisborne, August 14. > Shippers of meat by the 'Uimmaka, which is now due at Home, have cabled authorising the Bristol and Dominions' Producers' Association to distribut" meat valued at £547 to the families of Bristol men on active service. ! The Gisbr-rne mounted contingent of j the expeditionary force, consisting of fifty men, leave to-night by iae RippJe I for Napier. ' i NOIIMANBY CONTRIBUTIONS. A meeting at Normanby last night in connection with the Patriotic. Fun.!, presided over bj Mr J. Cocker, was' marked by considerable enthusiasm. The Rev. Mr Butler delivered a stirring address, and 'Messrs Robson and Bui" gin also spoke on the need for organised assistance. A strong committee of ladies was formed for the purpose of providing clothing, etc.. comprising Mesdames Thompson, Hadler. McKoy, Riddle and Mitchell, and Misses Rowland White. Messrs Forbes. Riddle.. Preston, Tlopcroft, Cain and Stewart were appointed a c.ommiittee to collect and receive subscriptions, Mr Stewart t<- act as secretary and treasurer. Subscription lists were opened in the room. and amonu the donations were: —E. Cain £l!>, Jno. Crocker flfl. .T. Forbes £lO. G. Tnkster £lO. W. Rowe £lO, R. L. Gardner £l. W. Burgnn £l. T. Griffiths £l. the total subscript inns in the room amounting to £fil 18s fid. The ' ladies' fund contributions amounted to £lO 10s 6d. l' TJTH NATIONAL RESF.RVE. ESTABLISHMENT TN TAUANAKT. ! Major F. T. Bellringer received authority la 4 night to form a national reserve in Taranaki. It is proposed to I enrol- in the n-serve men of from 24 years to SO, and to enlist applicants over SO years of ag" as honorary members. Arrangements will be made to ' start drilling at once. Applications . should be .made to Major Bellringer, ; who will furnish further information | ] A NAVAL TERROR. | Mr Winston Churchill, First 1., r.l of ! the AuimittUv. has made a statement which chrn-es Germanv with a llavranl breach of "the The Hague. Convention of IVH7 regarding the use of mines at ~ sea. C.iinianv was one of the nations | 111.... ..greed 'to forbid the iiidi-crimin- j ate hiving of automatic contact mines j which might be perilous to merchant | shipping long after the mine-layer had , ceased to control the destructive plant. Some days ago the message mentioned at I his stage of the war the Germans I would not risk anything like a decisive j battle with the British Navy, but would ] prefer to lurk within their fortified liar- > liors and to rely on mines and subinar- , ine-j to harass the attacking fleet. By I present evidence, the Kaiser's big ships '. j are in places of safety, and mines have i j been set near the coast. The German j j plan «ccms to be based on an assump- . lion that a distribution of mines in the North Sea must do much »iiore d

f age to Britain's warships and merchant i vessels than to Germany's, but Britain probably has a plan for sweeping up the mini's. Mr Chun-hill has .said that "Britain'-.! arrangements provided for i-i'ducing such occurrences U> a 111:1anuini." Some time ago experiments were tried with trawlers for Ihe "catching of mines" and there is reai-ou to bclicv* that tile liritish experts have evolved a niethoclof counteracting tin- German.-," breach of the Hague Convention. The war. so far, lias proved that rules, framed in times of peace, and solemnly signed, may have scant respect, or even contemptuous flouting, by n country which seeks to win, h\ hook or b'v crook. or liv foul means n hen foiled i'n fair tactics. FLEETS i\ VIIE IIALTIO. A report -:om St. Petersburg states that a German squadron of Hi vessels passed twice Cvhvcen Meiuel u:id Lilian, and then disappeared northwards. Meme! is a Prussian town, situated on the, Baltic coast, elc.se. to the German and Russian frontier. Lilian, which lies about 70 miles northward up the coast, is an important Russian naval arsenal, with two docks able, to take any ship afloat. J That German warships are' in the vicinity of the Russian coast is confirmed by another cable which reports that 14 German warships passed through the, i Great Belt, and steamed northwards of Sveaborg, in the Gu.f of Finland. Sveaborg is a strong fortress, guarding Hclsingfore, the capital of Finland. Helsmgfors is situated on the.north bank of the. Gulf of Finland opposite the great Russian naval station of Reval. . from which it is distant about 60 miles. The Germans are reported to I have laid mines in the Kattegat, beItween Denmark and Sweden, with the intention of closing tJhe entrance to the Baltic from the North Sea. Tho Russian fleet, which no doubt is the object , of the German squadron, cannot be regarded as seriously threatened so lone I «s it remains within the Gulf of Finlancf | which is strongly fortified on both coasts. NOTES. A movement is on foot to form a citizens' defence. force in New Plymouth,, subject to the consent of the Defence Department, Sergeant-Major Mahoney is leaving iSew Plymouth on Monday morning to I take up. the duties o£ Provost-Sergeant to the Mounted Rifle Brigade. ■ An entertainment in aid of .the New i | Plymouth Patriotic Fund has been ar- 1 | ranged by Mrs P. J. Nathan, assisted i t i).v_ Miss Beryl Hirst (pianisfe) and Cap- < ti.iu Stevens. It is to take the form of a recital of Tennyson s superb* poom. i "Enoch Arden," arranged to music and J performed for the first time in New Zealand. Needless to say, the public i may confidently expect a rave treat, * and the Good Temp.ar Hall should be ' packed on Saturday next, 22nd inst., vjhen the performance takes place. The tickets, which are 2s and 3s, tan be obtained at the Daily News office. The Maketawa Dairy Company vestculay unanimously decided to <«ive a box of butter per week to the New Zealand Government so long as the , war las.s, and more if necessary, remarked one supplier. The Jnglewood Bacon Factory directors have donated ,100 hams to the war fund. Discussing the effect of the war, Mr J. Brown, chairman of the MakcLwa . Dairy Company, yesterday stated that whatever happened people iimrst live in the Dominion. Many would be out of work, and they, with their wives and families, would have to be fed. Tin Government shou.d therefore see that every able-bodied man was made to work, instead of standing at'street corners discussing the war. Idle men caused more trouble than enough. At a meeting of the General Laborers' Union last night, it was unanimously resolved to vote the sum of £25 to the Patriotic Fund. Tue National Anthem was enthusiastically sung at the conclusion. I About a dozen members of the New .Plymouth Borough Council's staff, who were present at the meeting, announced that they would donate 5 per cent, of their wages to the fund as long \ as the crisis lasted.

I • Mr J'l. Xop.-, lias presented Major Malone with a handsome charger. I Taranaki auctioneers are selling gift j cattle, 'Me., in aid of patriotic funds , free of commission, ct., it being understood that all purchases are for cash. I The suggestion made by the Daily News that the New Plymouth schools should co-operate in buying a charger for the use of the major coaii.liiandiiig tile company is being acted upon. Xiie Avenue lload Card Club has arranged to hold a euchre party and dance at die Cood Temp.ur Hall on Thursday evening next and to donate the proceeds to the patriotic war fund. Mrs Wood lnk> undertaken to . supply the orchestral music free of charge, and ••. strong ladies' committee will atieiid to the catering. For the rest, the club will do all In its power to make the entertainment a record success. Mr \V. H. Pi'oome has expressed his willingness lo make any uniforms required and to assist the Defence Department in any way. His offer has been forwarded by Captain McDonnell to the headquarters of the district. .Subscriptions towards the purchase of a horse for presentation to the Patriotic Fund by the Wiliora Uoif. Club (may be left at Mr J. S. S. Medley's office. Mis* Vickers, of the Central School staff, has donated a horse to the Patriotic Fund, besides taking her share in the fund being raised among lie teachers and scholars of the school. Surgeon-Captain Home has written to Superintendent iiellringer, of the New Plymouth hire Brigade., as follows: 'While thanking vou and the members of th- Fire Brigade for the gift to me (I ;i horse, uiioii making enquiries J Ihiil lha. it' wi.nld not be of much use i, ,„.. on active service as it would be ,-, i, combatant officer. I therefore .„g....5t that it be given to Major Brunt, of K.iwera, who is appointed next in jni /ii uid to Colonel Malone in the T-iriuaki detachment. At the same ' ,'•'.,.,■ I wish to further express to each ! >• ember of the brigade my keen appre- ,.■ t ;<".i of kind ibought towards me !■,.(,[,. «o praclieallv manifest in the. ~'■',," The brigade ha.-, adopted Dr. | Ileum's suggestion, anil th« horse will ibe forwarded to Ha wen..