RIOTOUS CANADIANS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1919, Page 5

RIOTOUS CANADIANS

FIGHTING AT RHYL CAMP. STORES WRECKED, BEER SEIZED, WILD, FIRING. Received March 9, 5.5 p.m. London, March 7. A riot occurred at the Canadian camp at Rhyl concerning pay and demobilisation, .ft began on Tuesday night, the ringleader crying: "Come on, Bolsheviks." Thousands of pounds of damage was caused and quantities of food and clothes destroyed. The rioters attempted to march out of camp, but were stopped by machine-guns. An officer aeroplaned to camp to-day and addressed the men, promising that their grievances should be removed. He said that four transports would shortly be available.

Some of the rioters captured a brewer's dray and became intoxicated, A number of arrests were made. Later details show that twenty thousand Canadians took part in the camp disturbances, chiefly owing to dissatisfaction at the recent, arrivals returning to Canada before the men who fought in France. The rioters overpowered and disarmed the guards, wrecked the storerooms, and then found tho liquor stores. They then went on to fresh excesses. A number of girls were attached to the camp. The rioters forced an entry into their sleeping huts and found the girls in bed. They cowered before the intruders, who seized the girls' clothes and dressed themselves up in them. No physical harm was done to the girls. The disturbances continued until night, when the rioters, dog-tired, wcrt to bed. Rioting was resumed on Wednesday afternoon, when the camp was reduced to ruin. Beer was handed round m fire buckets, the drunken men parading in the women's clothes. They raided the ammunition stores and attacked the officers' quarters. There was wild and indiscriminate firing, a number being killed. Many rioters were wounded by the fire of their own comrades. The cavalry were called out, but were not allowed to use their arms. The riots ended at night, when the rioters were exhausted. It is estimated that the damage bv the Canadian riots is £50,000. There were twelve deaths.—Times Service

London, March 8. The rioters at Rhyl included numbers of Russians serving as Canadians. One Russian carried a red flag and fired a rifle, killing a soldier who was writing a letter. Non-rioters fired individual shots. The Russian flag-bearer was the first to fall.-Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Received March 9, 5.5 p.m. London, March 7. _ The Liverpool Express states that the rioters wrecked and plundered the camp, seized ammunition, and fusiladed the officers' quarters. The riot was quelled by machine-guns, after two days. It is variously estimated that from five to twenty-seven were killed, and from twenty-five to seventy-three wounded. The grievances related to pay and demobilisation.