GENERAL ITEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1916, Page 5

GENERAL ITEMS.

NOTES FROM THE TIMES, GERMANS ON RTG.A FRONT DEPRESSED. A COMPANY MUTINIES, Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, May 14.

Mr. Hamilton Fyfe, writing' from 1 Petrograd, says that there are many signs that the German troops are depressed. Their leader? have broken the. promises, to capture Riga and Dvinsk, thus ending the war. An unfinished letter that was found on a captured sergeant sitid: "We talk no more of taking Dvinsk, and are only holding our position. It was said in January that many more troops would be sent, but we have not seen them. The Russians are very strong, and their artillery is terrific. The low-spirited soldiers are not eager to rush into danger, and recently attempted to frequently leave the trenches, but were always driven back by shells. Eventually a company refused to advance. Its commanding officer cursed vainly, and shot with a revolver three or four men. The company then obeyed, but a hurricane of fire from the Russian batteries drove them back. The same night the officer was murdered by a bayonet stab. Ten men were then ballotted for to be executed, and the company was sent back. LETTERS BY SUBMARINES, THE IRTSH MERELY GERMAN DUPES.

The Times' Stockholm correspondent says: A Swedish traveller, just returned from Germany, says that at Munich parliamentarians discussed an impending revolt in the extreme west of

Ireland. Germany's communication with the rebels was maintained through Bergen. Asked how letters evaded censorship and passenger scrutiny the traveller replied: "Wherever submarines go there is no censored postal service." The Germans did not expect a successful revolt, which could not occur without the co-operation of German troops, whom it was as impossible to land in Ireland as in England, The rebels only suffer from an abortive insurrection, but that is not Germany's concern. Generally, the Germans have no sympathy with Ireland. ANOTHER NEUTRAL'S STORY. Another Swede declared that there was great excitement in Berlin. He left three days before the revolt, and it was believed that Britain, would be forced to divert 200,000 men to keep order. Berliners declared that the War Ministry was daily in wireless communication with Dublin.