Australia

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 224, 1 March 1915, Page 5

Australia

OUR MEN IN EGYPT. A FIXE FIGHTIXC UNIT. Melbourne, February "27. Mr Brim cables: "After ten weeks' training the first Australasian division emefrges one of the finest fighting units a 'soldier could wish to see. The same applies to the Light Horse of the second division, consisting of combined Australian and Xew Zealand troops. This is named the Xew Zealand-Australian division. The training is now approaching an advanced stage. The force deserves all the pride with which Australasia will follow its progress."

THE BELGIAN APPEAL. THE DESTITUTE ARE WARDS OF THE WORLD. Received 1, 12,35' a.m. Sydney, March 1. The Belgian Commission cables regrets at the failure of the Hegotiationr, for fixing accommodation between beliigernts, whereby the Financ.! Commission's work has not altered the facta that Belgium's seven million must he fed. It does not propose to lay down the burden because there is no remedy actually in view'. From various sources the Commission has delivered three million pounds worth of food, and will have Another £1,400,000 worth en route, yet will have only enough to laßt for a month. It' should be borne in mind that money and food are not interchangeable in Belgium. At the present moment the whole population is on a daily ration, and though the commission were in possession of millions of money they couldn't buy one more atom of food than is given to the most destitute. Til.. Commission will cease !.■> send food the instant that the Germans fail to abide bv their agreement not to requisition foodstuffs-. Belgium's destitute are' the wards of ,the world, and there is no solution of the misery and hunger save by charity. Having failed to secure the Government's help, tliev appeal to the individual mercy of tho people in cv/'ry land.

THE SINGAPORE MUTINY. Sydney, February 2C. A passenger by the Mongolia from Singapore reports that the regiment which revolted was composed of Malay troops, and was really a police force armed with rifles to maintain order on the rubber plantations. The cause of dissatisfaction was that the men alleged that they had not received plantation fees, also because their white officers volunteered for service in France without consulting the rank and file, who are unwilling to go.

GERMAN ATROCITIES UNDOUBTED. Sydney, February 20. Kev. J. Wilson, recently connected with the Methodist Church in New Zealand, has returned from a trip to •France undertaken to ascertain the truth of the German atrocities. He concludes that the reports ar.e not only justified but facts are understated.

CARGO ON INTERNED SHIPS. Sydney, February 20. Mr ,T. T. Martin, of Wright, Stephenson and Co., of Dunedlfl, gave to a meeting of consignees having cargo aboard German vessels sheltering at Java, datails of his visit there as representative of the New Zealand consignees of the curgo on the steamer Wismar. He stated that he had appointed the Rotterdam Trading Company with full power of attorney to, where necessary, ship the cargo to New Zealand or sell to the best advantage. In the course of hi a remarks, he said the Dutch courts acted very slowly, whilst among the solicitors was great diversion of opinion. There was no authority on shipping matters. There was a good chance of disposing of a good deal of the cargoes to Chinese traders at full value. A good opening existed for trade between Java and Australasia, and merchants were