THE DOOMED CRUISERS

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 198, 25 September 1914, Page 7

THE DOOMED CRUISERS

HOW THEY MET THEIR FATE TWRILUNG STORIES OF BRITAIN'S HEAVY LOSS JEMDEN SHELLS MADRAS ALLIES STIli HARASS THE ENEMY, GERMAN (OTISER AND BOATS SUNK

ZEALAND EXPEDITIONARY FORCE NOT TO LEAVE AT PRESENT. / > : i ~ Little change is reported along the Allies' front, hut it is reported that ;had the condition of the roads permitted the transport of heavy gma, the Germans would probahly have been retiring. . An interesting cable announces the disposition of the forty-two Ger--1 Man army corps, and it is said that twenty-two of them are operating in the eastern theatre against the Russians... The siege of Przemysl by the Bnssians is developing satisfactorily, and elsewhere they have also gained successes. » r ' The German cruiser-Emden, which has been, doing so much damage to British shipping, is reported to have shelled Madras, without, however,doing very serious damage. Advice to the Prime Minister announces the destruction, in the ' ' Baltic, of a German cruiser and two torpedo boats, caught in the act of " laying mines. Further stirring accounts are to hand of the sinking in the North Sea of the British' cruisers, by tjerman submarines. Interesting details are also available of the fierce fighting in which the Crown Prince's army was harried and, finally, driven back. His Excellency the Governor has received advice that the New ' v Zealand Expeditionary Force is not to sail for some little time.

By Cable. — Press Association. — Copyright.

JU. EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. HOT TO LEAVE JUST YET* jMrERIAL <3O V BRNMBN T' S v „.. ■' JLpS'iciSfL v "'V ;;' ■ * . Pre** Association. . "WELLINGTON, ,September 25. v Excellency the Governor received from the Imperial GoTernnvvsrit early this morning that the \New Zealand Expeditionary Force will not sail fox some little time. ..The Governor is anxious, for obvious reasons, to take the people into his confidence on this matter at the . earliest possible moment, hut would earnestly sequest them not to make this a subject of comment; as the delay is solely caused by the exigencies of the Service when such extensive operations are ©vfiffywhere in progress. This applies, as well, to other Expeditionary Forces of the overseas Dominions. THE LOST CRUISERS. ©TJNNER TELLS HIS STORY. ; 6SAPHIC DESCRirTIGN OF ' ' ATTACK. (Received September 25, i) a.ni.) LONDON, September 24. Albert J. Dougherty, the .chief 1 gunner rof t-he Orcssy, states:-— ■ •" We were steaming slowly in line, ? somewhere off the coast of Holland, - f " and 100 yards, approximately, sepr aerated each vessel. Suddenly I heard agreat crash, and the middle ship, the Aboukir, heeled over, going dbwii rapidly. We closed up with ■X -ate-sinking ship, when a second crash came, and the Hogue began to settle; As we drew near them, someone shouted to me, "Look out! There's a submarine on the port beam.'' I saw it about 400 yards away, with the periscope above the waves. I took careful aim with a 12-pounder, but the shot went over her, about twi) yards. This gave me the range, and I fired again and hit her. periscope. She disappeared, and then came up again, showing her conning tower. I fired a third time, \ »nd smashed in the. top of her conning tower, and after that I shot at a trawler a thousand yards away, which was evidently a German disguised, arid directing the submarines' operations. The shot set her afire, but her ultimate fate is still unknown. By this time we were struck by one torpedo, b it the dm.age was not vital. Then I saw a second sub- . ; marine to starboard, and I made a desperate effort to get her, but ; ifkiied. Her torpedo got home in our engine-room, and the Creasy began to turn over. I believe Captain Johnson went down with the ship. One torpedo passed under our stern. The enemy was actually discharging torpedoes while the water wa9 thick with drowning men. I - aaw five submarines, but only one of them was hit."

GREAT { LUMP TORN oufl "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF," THOU SAND. HOMES IN MOURNING (Received September 25., 10.30 a.m.')' LONDON, September 24. . A member of the Aboukir's watch states:— ; H - - # .' :/ "The explosion shook the whole ship and tore a great lump out of her side, and many men on the. upper decks were killed outright. The vessel heelqd over until her rail was immersed, andthe order was : given, ' Every man for himself.' Long before the and the Hogue reached the spot the Aboukir had disappeared.- ' -'The Germans certainly took usi by surprise, and they made the most >f their opportunity. Most of the victims belong to Chatham, where about a thousand homes are faced with mourning.," , • , SUBMARINES FLY DUTCH FLAG. ' DARING DASH DESCRIBED. NO T'iFFOKT TO' SAVE LIFE. (Received September 25, 0.5 a.m.) LONDON, September 24. The "Daily Chronicle's" Harwich correspondent says that the parent ship of.the submarine flotilla Hew the Dutch Hag,.and made no effort to save life. • "- ' ' ,--■■■■■•/• • - ' ■ It is reporjted that flotilla left the Baltic |ast week, came through the Kiel Canal, and dashed to Borkum, from where the raid was made. Two torpedoes struck the Aboukir, and most of her crew were killed while they were: asleep. IMie officers and crews of all the ships> behaved admirably. | Borkum is an island in v the North Sea, belonging to Prussia, at the moiith of the River ..Eras,. 26.'miles north-west of Em den. .The .island is six miles long by two miles .broad.] JOY IN BERLIN. ONLY A FORETASTE. GERMAN VERSION OF ATTACK. (Received September 25, 10..'50 a.m.) ROME, September 24. News from Berlin states tliat the sink-, ing of the cruisers caused great- enthusiasm. It is declared that the disaster is only a' foretaste of what Britain may expect, when she faces the German Navy. AMSTERDAM, September 24. A. message ''from" Berlin states that only one ■submarine, the U9, 'attacked the cruisers;, and she returned undamaged. ' None of t-lje wounded sailors landed-' in Holland ,are, seriously injured.

ALL IN TEN MINUTES. SINKING OF THE CRUISERS. RESCUED ALMOST EXHAUSTED. LONDON, September 23. The captain of a trawler says he was quite t close when the Aboukir was sunk. She went down in four minutes, the in ten, and the Cressy in three minutes. He saved 350 men. Captain Nicholson is among the men saved. The captain of the Dutch steamer Titan, now at Rotterdam, states that he was thirty miles off the coast, when he saw three English cruisers on the horizon. He noticed one disappear, and looked again and saw heavy smoke ibursting' from 1 another cruiser. The rescued men were nearly ex- ' hausted by their long immersion. Some were clinging to wreeltage, and others Ito floating tables. He got out two boats land rescued 114, including Commander f Sells, who collapsed from sheer exhaustion, but soon revived. A midshipman in the Aboukir jumped overboard, and the Hogue rescued him. He again, jumped overboard, when the Hogue was struck, and the Cressy picked him up. Finally, he was flung into the water and clung to wreckage till the "Titan picked him up.

.Five hundred and five survivors were, rescued, and . have reached port, of -whom thirty-eight are wounded, but not seriously. ; f A chief petty, officer in the Aboukir said he believed a torpedo struck the

[jAbo.ukir-, amidships., He, saw i no peri[scojie. ; .; the Cressy's ;and the [Hogue'B boats were searching for sur'.yivors an'hour later, he saw two -GrerI man, submarines fire torpedoes. ; The [Hogue sank in half an hour. An hour [afterwards four torpedoes' struck the Or'essy. The submarines were in strong force.' . ■'■• ; Mm FOIITY-EIGHT SAVED. ABOUKIR' S AWFUL DEATH BOLL. TIMES V; ON: THE ; DISASTER. LONDON; September 23. , | : Nearly four hundred of'the cruisers? ; survivors have landed at Harwichs.« : ■Only 48 >df the' 843 men oil the Aboukir were .saved; .-/...- The ■waiship-':v'l^w<Bsto£t?jbTougbt-vt}ie' : majority of the- survivors.,...•.-., :> . • ■• -Survivors report that they. 1 saw -two: German submarines dive. •Twenty officers are, among the rescued; ' .•■■;■•■■.. 'The cruisers had twenty-eight cadets ''aboard. They were called up for midshipmen's duties on the outbreak of ivar.,.: -:\" : ..• ..•..••• ■ i • . Mi V The '".Tames,;?' in a., leader on, the NWftil r ?Sea;:Josses,-says- we, must expect more-occurrences of this character, and must make up our minds to accept them with' equanimity. The wonder really is that we have not lost' more /•ships in this manner. The avowed ■German policy... is to endeavour to Weaken our naval strength by means of mines and submarines; nevertheless the general' outlook' cbhtinues to inspire us with the utmost confidence.' The trawler Kilmarnock struck a mine. Six of the crew were killed. SHELLING OF MAtfRASI ' THE EMDEN'S ACTIVITY. . NO SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE. ■ : <Receiveil September 25 9.5 a-.m.) CALCUTTA, September 24. Reuter states that the German cruiser Emden has shelled Madras, but that.no serious damage was done.''.■[Madras, the capital of the province of that name in British India, is on the Bay of Bengal (Goromandel Coast). It is situated "on the open coast, and exposed to the heavy swell 'of the sea. ,o,reat breakwaters have been, constructed to make the harbour more secure; and engineering works arc still in progress. Tkoycity. contains a number of handsome edifices. The estab-. iish.ing themselves in Madras in 1J53.9, and it soon became their chief station ( on, the CorOniandel coast. In 1.74(i it was taken by the French, who held it' until J749, when the place was restored to the [.English.. In the latter year Sao,Thome, [.established by .tire Portuguese as early ,as v iuo4, was annexed. In J758-59 the place was unsuccessfully besieged by the French.] , , AUSTRALIA'S LOSS. HER SUBMARINE, i - COMMENT FROM GERMANY. I ■ ■ . (Rceived September 25, 10.:J0 a.m.) ROTTERDAM, September 24. The "Morgen Post," Berlin, remarks on the.loss of the Aus.tral.ian. submarine. The journal says that evidently the German fleet in the Pacilic is not | i«Jlc. m ' GERMAN NAVAL DISASTER. CRUISER AND TORPEDO BOATS !"■" SUNK. LAYING MINES IN THE BALTIC. "WELLINGTON, September 24. J The following message was received 'by. the Prime Minister from the. High ! Commissioner late this evening:Reliable: Paris reports that while a German cruiser and two torpedo boats were laying mines in the, Baltic, they were all sunk by the Russian armoured cruiser Bayan. ■ ■ ' | (The Bayan is an armoured cruiser of | 7887 tons, completed in 1910. She has a speed of 21 knots, and carries two 8inch, eight 6-inch, twenty 12-poUn<iers, four 6-pounders, and six machine-guns. Her complement is 578 officers and men.]

HARRYING THE CROWN PRINCE. FURIOUS FIGHTING AT A CHATEAU. HOW THE GERMANS WERE DRIVEN BACK. (Received September 25, 9.50 a.m.) PARIS, September 24. Details of the harrying of the Crown Prince's army state that the Chateau Mondement, the shattered headquarters of his staff, was taken and re-take?i four times, and was subjected to a tornado of shells and rifle fire. The Crown Prince V army : corps occupied a front from Perc Champenoise to a point eastward of, Ep.ernay, and his advance troops were on the Se/.anneEpernay Road. . The Turcos, notwithstanding a withering fire, struggled up to the German position, and the Germans, fighting stubbornly, retreated. No sooner were the French within the chateau than they came under the German shell lire while the German infantry drew closer. An annihilating gun fire drove the blacks out, but they re-formed in sheltered ground aiid began a counter-charge. With a yell the Turcos re-took the chateau.

The enemy, on the next day and larger numbers, crept Dp under a superbly-gauged gun fire. Gradually the French yielded, and the Germans again held the key-to the battlefield. Then the whole story was repeated. The Turcos clashed in under a "murderous fire from the chateau, and the supports from the line regiments followed. The Germans retired, and with this final break- the centre of ihe enemy's whole line wavered. ' Th'e French swept forward and the Germans stumbled through tile swamps, abandoning 42 field pieces, before order was restored by the subsequent withdrawal further eastward. GERMANS CANNOT RETREAT. bad roads hinder transport. driven to attack like blind men: • (Received September 25, '9.3 a.m.) PARIS, September 24. It is officially stated that the situation at the front is unchanged. The *oJhVcrs believe-that the Germans would retreated before now, but for.the conditions of the roads rendering impossible the transport of heavy cannon. The Germans arc fighting like desperate men. The officers are sacrificing their forces without reason and are driving them again and again to the charge as if,they were bliiid men. FIFTY THOUSAND WOUNbED. GERMANS PASS THROUGH LIEGE. SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF HORSES. (Received September,2s, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 24. A telegram, from Maestricht states that fifty thousand, wounded passed through Liege in the. last few days, en route to Germany. ANTWERP, September 24. The Germans in East Flanders have requisitioned- twenty thousand horses. It is estimated that the Germans have lost two-thirds of their horses since the beginning of the war. Ah epidemic of glanders has broken out. GERMANY MUST SUFFOCATE. SEA TRAFFIC CUT OFF. FEVERISH BUILDING OF ZEPPELINS. . i - ■. . "Times'' and "Syflncu Sun" Service*. , (Received September 25, 8 a.m.) LONDON, September 24. "The Times," in a leader, says:— "Our Allies and the enemy are.suffering infinitely more economically than ourselves, but. the slow and inexorable pressure produce/! by the suppression of her sea .traffic must suffocate .Germany." ■-.•■• : ■ " ' : It -is reported that .the Germans are building Zeppelins in < feverish haste, and jhese, with the mysterious big guns, will be greater than anything yet con-, structed. For miles, in the region of Nancy, the German shells ploughed holes .'5 feet in diameter, and so close together that no human being could have escaped. SIEGE OF PRZEMYSL. A SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT. GERMANS ELSEWHERE ON DEFENSIVE'.;. ■ • • • (Received September 25, 9.5 a.m.) . PETROGRAD, September 24. The operations around Przemysl are being successfully. developed. The Russians have captured an armoured, tram with quick-firers southward of I'rzemysl. . ~ . . The Germans in north-west Polaud are almost quiescent, and are strongly fortifying the O/.enstoehow-Kalisch line, also the positions further north; and they are acting entirely on the defensive. \ ; SOLDIERS IN PETTICOATS. NEW GERMAN RUSE. RUSSIANS SHOT DOWN. A new German ruse was adopted in Galicia. The Russians, on approaching a village, met women, whojwere holding sup their hands imploringly. The Russians, off their guard, hastened forward,

ouly to be withered by fire from Maxims hidden in the trees and on the roofs of houses. The supposed "women" proved to be Germans wearing petticoats, THE GERMAN ARMY. DISPOSITION OF CORPS. TWENTY-TWO IN THE EAST. "Times" and "Sydney, Sun" Services. (Received September 25, 8 a.m.) PETROGRAD, September 24. It is estimated that eight German Army Corps are operating against General Rennenkampf. Six are stationed at Ptfsen and the Yistula fortresses, and .eight in the region of Breslau, or with the Austrians, thus out of a total of 42 corps, 22 are operating on the eastern front, 18 in the west, and two upon service in the• interior. - ... - ... THE RHEIMS OUTRAGE. WHAT THE GERMANS SAY. CATHEDRAL NOT COMPLETELY. GUTTED. - LONDON, September 23. The official German version says that sitfee the -20 th; ' wh«n; hoisted on the spire of the Cathedral, which' was respected by the German artilleiryy- the Germans discovered /that the French were rising the spire as, an 'observation.' post. It' tfeereforey necessary to remove 'the post, which- was done by field artillery. Heavy artillery was not allowed to firdy and the boi!ir ecased^immediiately. .the rpost was removed. TKe 'Prencli alone are to blame in that "they misused white flag.. j ■ Count von Bern'storff, German Ambassador at ..Washington, says the destruction of Rheims Cathedral could not be helped. If France and Britain were 'fortunate enough "to invade Germany they would, do likewise. The famous tapestries in the nave of Rheims Cathedral were removed before the destruction of the building. An eyewitness describes the Rheims Cathedral as not .completely gutted. It would be possible, to restore the main features of the outline. ■ Prince Henry of- Prussia stayed * atf last week. -As a "guarantee of hts safety, four -hostages passed the. night in adjoining:' rooms. ■ After the first bombardment, the German staff explained that it was due to the envoys who had been ;sent the previous evening not returning, the Germans having concluded/that they were detained as prisoners. THE NEWS IN BERLIN. RECEIVED WITH ENTHUSIASM. "Times" and "Sydney Sun" Services. (Received September 25, 8 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, September 24. Reports of the destruction of the Rheims Cathedral were received in Berlin with intense enthusiasm; CONDITION OF CATHEDRAL. BOMBARDMENT OF TOWN • RENEWED. " (Received September 25, lO'.'iO a.m.) * PARIS, September 24. The facade of the Rheims' Cathedral, with three doprs, two towers, and the rose window, are intact. The bombardment Of the town lias been renewed. _ ZEPPELIN SHEDS ATTACKED. DARING BRITISH - RAID. YOUNG LIEUTENANT'S ENTER-.." . PRISE.- : WELLINGTON, September 24. The following cablegram from the High Commissioner was. received by the Prjm.e .Minister this evening:— ...... LONDON, September-2i>.' Official: The Admiralty reports that' yesterday . British aeroplanes from the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying PjQfp? delivered an attack on the \Zeppelin sheds a£ ; Dusseldorf. ■ ' ' '*• The conditions of the flight jvere rendered, dittitiult by the misty weather. Lieutenant Collet, approaching to within four hundred feet, dropped three bombs on the Zeppelin Sheds.; The tent of the damage done to the sheds unknown. Lieutenant Collet's machine was struck by a projectile, but all the machines returned safely to the point of .-departure. In the event, of further bombs being dropped into Antwerp or other Belgian towns by German airmen,/measures of reprisal will iiqw be adopted, if desired, to almost any extent. • ; ; "NOT MUCH LONGER." | AWFUL GERMAN LOOSES. ~ • i STAMPEDE FROM BELGIUM. PARIS, September 2:5. Wounded soldiers from" the battlefield state that the Germans ;have lost so enormously that they caniiot resist much longer. When they wer6 repulsed at Craonne on Sunday night tliey abandoned over 1000 wounded. J LONDON, September 2.'5. Mr Martin Donohoe, who is with the Belgian Army, states that the Germans stampeded out of Termoride, S.aingejles, and Lebbeke, southwards, believing that the Anglo-French Army had arrived. The mistake arose owing to the Belgians using French and British fieldguns. The 'German staff'was about to dine at -Lebbeke;-on- Sunday when an officer arrived with fragments of slielWr

j After a hurried consultation the regiment was ordered to retreat, and the' staff rode helter-skelter to Brussels. . THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. GERMAN PLANS CHANGED. AUSTRIANS SUFFER SEVERELY. PETROGRAD, September 23. There is no doubt that the German plans have been radically changed. While maintaining the defensive in the west, the Germans are concentrating large forces to attack the - Russians. There are nearly 600,000 men in Bast Prussia, and the numbers are increasing daily. The Germans refuse to take ths battle into Russia- after their failure to turn . General Renn'enkampf's left, and have returned from Suwalki, Marianopol, and other points. . Nearly half a million abandoned Austrian rifles have been captured,-, also many entire batteries. ' The "Novoe Vremya" says that up 1 to the 14th inst. the Russians had cap.tured seven Austrian flags, 637; guns, 44 quick-firers,*- and • 64,000 prisoners, including 535 officers. Petrograd advices state that the Austrians, finding.that\abuee of the white flag "is have adopted a new -treachery. WJhen'fchreatened by bayonets, they erj-7 out to the Russians, ' ' Brothers, don't kill us!'' and then ■«pen 4 fire with - maehine'guns. MONTENE6RQ?S PLANS. ATTACK ON CATTARO. ;; APPROACH TO I SERAJ E VO. ROME, September 23. The Montenegrins are mounting guns ok Mcunt Lovchen eapahle of ;d?smaiitling the Cattaro Forts,! and bombarding the Austrian warships. .. " ' The Prime Minister received the following message; from the : High Commissioner this evening LONDON, September 24. : Ttofe Montenegrins are within nine miles of Serajevo. ■ ' FIGHTING IN AFRICA. GENERAL BOTHA TAKES ' CD3VSMAND. i ATTACK 1N -THE EAST REPULSED. V CAPE TOWN, September 23. General Botka talces supreme command of the operations against; : German SoutK-West Africa. A... ; The.' 1 Rand Mail'' describes General ißotiia's appointiiient as an answer to General Beyers, and his "splenetip and sanctimonious satellites." ■ : A September 23. j A German force attacked a post twenty miles from the border in the Voi district. It was repulsed, after sharp., fighting,- lasting an hour, leaving eight dead. PEGASUS IN ACTION. WHITE FLAGS AT DAR ES-SALAAM LONDON, September 23. A bluejacket in the describing the operations at Dar-es-Saiaam (German West Africa), say's:—We-gave' Dar-es-Salaam a broadside, and, iii five minutes white flags were' everywlieije. 1 The Germans blew up . the wireless sta : tion sank a gunboat across . the mouth of the harbour. We captured three- German :mail boats in port. Headds that the Pegasus had been searching for the Konisberg. ISLAND STEAMERS HELD. CAPTURE BY GERMANS. CREWS AS PRISONERS OF WAR. SYDNEY, September 24. • The steameij. Moresby brings news that the Burns IMiilp steamer, Induna is held by the Germans as a prize at Jor hiet, in the Marshall Islands. The captaiw and : cre«-, .also. Hayes, 4 ,the Com-, , pany's. agent, are safe, and being heldas prisoners of war.; The firm'si s othpr islrind- steani'ersaresafe. j:; Tlie GerrtifeSi&vtcaptured; 'a Japanese steamer, and trapped a number of .other vessels in islaiid ports before any but themselves W£r,e. aware. of the declaratioii of war. % jv, . ? ; ■> ■ [The Moresby is an island trading steamer (Captain W. McLeod) of 1763 tons. She is an old steamer, having been : built in England in 1881.] FIGHT ON A STEAMER. OUTCOME p? RACE RIVALRY. FIFTY-THREE KILLED. . "PARIS/; September 23. The Matin'' 'publishes a New York message, stating that an affray, the out-: come of-.racc rivalry, occurred on the German steamer Blucher, on the way: j from Hamburg to Buenos Ayres. Three sailors and fifty, passengers were killed. . [The Blucher is a large steel twinscrew steamer of 12,350 tons, built at Hamburg in 1901 ' for the Hamburg-. Amerika Company.] CULTURE AND THE BAYONET, PRUSSIAN MILITARY CASTE. SHOULD MIGHT BE RIGHT.? LONDON, September 23. Lord Roseberv, speaking at Micjlosaid: ' ' 'We are fighting against the Prussian.'military caste, whose pol-icy-of aggression is mi-German. If the pri pciple " that might is right,' which 'treats treaties as scraps of paper, is

- allowed to- become the -principle of ' i Europe,' the world will get very near •lainnation. Louvain, Malines, and Senlis all attest that German eulture which is spread:by the bayonet." ' COTTON OR CEREALS. EGYPT AND CANADA. - LAT?'GELY INCREASED WHEAT AREAS. CAIRO, .September 23. •. -'-Tlje 'Minit&ry, of cided to reduce the cotton area by , 1,000,000 acres, and devote it to cereals. . • OTTAWA, September 23. Ontario farmers are preparing an exceptionally large area for autumn wheat. % It is anticipated that there - will be a 50 per cent. increase in the yield if the conditions are-good.

TREMENDOUS FIGHTING. BATTLE OF THE AISNE. GRAPHIC OFFICIAL DESCRIP- ; TION. Prtaa Astteiation. WELLING TON, 1 September 24. The Prime Minister has received the following telegram-from the High Com- "s," missioner:— r LONDON, September 22. - >" Official: The following -descriptive ac•eount from general headquarters, dated September 18, supplements {,;ithe continuous account published pii September,' ' '18,.-.of-the movements of';the' 1 Britishforce, and the FxencJh" armies'in immediate touch' with it. It covers the period, from- September .34 to September IS, inclusive. . - . . ' v- -. On the 14th those ofrour troops whieti had, - 'on the previous day, crossed the Aisnc, after driving in the, German rearon that evening found portions - of the 'enemy's forces in prepared defensive positions on the plateau on the. right bank, and could do little more than.secure a footing north of the river., This, however, they maintained, in spite', \- of-two counter-attacks delivered at dusk - "\ and 10 p.m., in which the fighting was severe. During the 14th strong reinforcements of our troops were passed to . .". the north bank, the troops crossing by -' ferry, by pontoon bridges, and the remains of permanent bridges. Close cooperation with the French forces, was maintained, and the general made was, good,' although" opposition was strenuous, and the state of the roads after the heavy ram made- the movements slow. One division alone failed to seeure the ground expected. The Fi rst Army Corps, after repulsing repeated attacks, captured 600 prisoners and twelve guns.'The-caviiiy "also took a number of prisoners. Many of the ,- Germans belong to the reserve ami Landwehr formations,- which- fact ap- .-'• pears to indicate that the. enemy has been compelled' to 'draw on 'the " older classes, of soldiers to fill the gaps in the ' ranks. . ' "• ■ HEAVY RAIN AND BOMBARD- ' ". , MENT. ' . . ' 'There was.heavy rain -throughout'the night of the Hth'and 15th. , During the 15th the situation of the "British forcesunderwent no essential change, but it , became more evident that the defensive preparations made by the enemy were more extensive than was at first apparent. In order to counteract these, measures were taken by us to economise the troops and to secure protection from- * hostile artillery fire, which was very - fierce. Our men continued to improve their entrenchments. The Germans bom- - . , barded our lines nearly all day, using heaw guns brought from before Mau-, beuge.. All their counter-attacks failed, - although in some cases they wore repeated" six times. One made on the - Fourth (Guards) Brigade was repulsed ' ' with heavy slaughter. An attempt to advance slightly made-by part,of our line was unsuccessful as regards gain ground, but led to a withdrawal of part of the enemy's infantry and artillery. A further counter-attack made during the night was beaten off. Rain came to- f wards evening, and continued intermitteutlv until the evening of the 16Qu Besides adding to the discomfort of the soldiers holding the .open : tranches in the'firing line, the wet weather, hampered the motor transport service, which - * was also hindered by broken bridges. % On, the 17th there was little change m ; the situation. The efforts made by the , enemv were less active than on the pr,evious" day, though'' their bombardment continued throughout the morning anil ; evening. Our artillery fire drove the defenders off one of the salients of their ' - position, but they returned in the evening.' Forty prisoners, were;taken by the ThirfJ Dlvision. ;! '■"■ '•'" "" '.O-n ;,-the 17th the i>bsitiu i n still re-niaineji-unchanged in essentials. The /German, heavy artillery fire; 'Avas more active! than on the/previous,' ; day. The only' infantry attacks made by the enemy were on the extreme right of our position, and were yepuised with „ heavy loss, chiefly by our.field artil- '•"•'•■....■, ',".. ,' , GERMANS 'ELABORATE kj J. ■■■>. ENTRENCHMENTS., In order to convey some idea of the nature of the fighting along the greater part,, of .our front, it should be said that the Germans have been, driven baek from the forward slopes on the north of the river, and their infantry are holding strong lines of trencJjes amongst and along the edges of numerous woods-.which crown those slopes. These trenches are elaborately con- , : structed and cleverly concealed. In many "cases there are wire, entanglements and length's of rabbit fencing, both in the woods and open, carefully aligned so that they, can be swept by rifle fire < and machine-guns, which are invisible from outside of the valley. The ground in'front of the infantry 'trerjches .is, as a rule, under cross-fire fiironi; artillery placed on neighbouring : features, and under high angle fire

y v - ■———' - ■ •. ■ ■•• ■ -from pieces placed well back behind the woods on top of the plateau. A feature of this action is the use made by the enemy of numerous heavyhowitzers, which are able to direct a "-' long range of fire all over the valley, ? and right across it. Upon these they place great reliance. Where our men ■ are holding forward ridges of .'. high ground on the north side, they are now strongly entrenched. They are ' well fed, and, in spite of the wet weather of the past week, cheerful and confident. The bombardment on both sides has "been very heavy, on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday particularly, and continues. In spite of the general din caused by the " reports of~an immense number of heavy guns in action along our front, on Wed- - nesday the arrival of French forces acting against the German right flank was at once announced on the last of our. front some miles away, by the continuous roar of their quick-firing artil- ' lery with which their attack opened. So far as the British are concerned, '. the greater part of this week - has been passed in bombardment and then gaining ground. One valley has already during this battle been captured and re- - captured twice by each side. At the time jf jarriting it remains in the hands of the Germans. The fighting has been at close quarters, and of a desperate nature. The Streets of the village are filled with dead ■ .of both sides. " SPIRIT OF THE FRENCHMEN. As an example of the spirit which is , inspiring our allies, the following traus- , lationof an "Ordre du Jour" (order of : . the day), published on September 9, after the battle of Montmirail, >y the Commander of the French Fifth Army, * is given:—"Soldiers! Upon the memor- '" «bie fields on Montmirail and yau•champs, on Champaubert, which atcenturyago witnessed the victories of our ancestors over. Blucher 's Prussians, your '". -vigorous offensive has'"triumphed over the resistance of Germans. We have held on to his flanks, his centre is broken, / and the enemy is now retreating toTvards % east and v north by" forced ' ; The most renowned' army of . - Old Prussia, the contingents'of "West- , phalia, of Hanover, of Brandenburg, have retired in haste before you. This ' ,is the first success,' and is no morethan " ; a prelude. The enemy is shaken, but > not yet decisively beaten. You have '-' .still to undergo severe hardships, to ,'i :make long marches, to fight hard battles. the image of our country, soiled by ;' barbarians, always remain before your ", -eyes. Never was it more necessary to " .sacrifice all for her. Saluting the heroes _who have fallen in the fighting of the '"last few days, my thoughts turn to- ,* --wards you, the victors in the next battle. Forward soldiers for France!" ■""'* REALITIES OF WAR. : GERMAN SOLDIER'S STORY. ATROCITIES AND BRUTAL CONDUCT.; Germans .are . formidable, continues ; -the dispatch, well-trained, long-prepar- ,- -ed, and" brave, and their soldiers are '"'■ carrying on the contest with skill and , rvalour. Nevertheless, they are fighting to win, anyhow, regardless of all ;' - rules of fair play. There is evidence - ~that they do not hesitate at anything .- .in order to gain a victory. A large ', number of the tales of ..their misbeJiaviour are exaggerations. Some of the stringent precautionsi .they have; taken, to guard themselves against the' inhabitants of areas traversed are pos-sibly-justifiable measures in war, but it has been definitely established that ~ they committed atrocities, on many pcand have been guilty of brutal • ■ panctact. So .many letters and statements of our own wounded soldiers have been published in our newspapers that the following epistle from a German soldier of the 74th Infantry, to his wife, will 1 be interesting:— "l have just been living through days that defy imagination. I should never have thought men >could stand it. Not a second has passed but my life has been in danger, yet not a hair of my head has been hurt. /7j[& was horrible, it was ghastly, but I . , have, been saved for you, and for our happiness. I take heart again, although I am still terribly unnerved. On. s September 5 the e,nemy were reported ' to be taking up a position near St. Pri?, near Paris. Our corps, which had made an astonishingly rapid > advance, ' of" course attacked the steep slopes ' v which led up to the heights, which were "" lield in considerable force. With our Aureak detachments of the 74th and 91st we reached the crest and came under a terrible artillery fire, that mowed us down. However, we entered .- St. Prix. Hardly had we done so than we were met with shell'fire, and a violent fusilade from the enemy's infantry. Our colonel was .badly--wound?.. -. «d —he is the third we have had.v Four"teen men were killed round me.. We got jaway on a hill without being hit. On the v and 9th September wfe were'constantly under shell and 01 shrapnel fire, suffering terrible losses. I was in a house which was hit several times. Our-heavy artillery was being used for; the siege of Maubeuge. We wanted if badly, aa the enemy had theirs in force, and kept up a furious bombardment. I For four days I was under artillery fire.! • It is like hell—but a thousand times worse. - i i j i THE GERMAN RETREAT. "On the night of the 9th the order was given to retreat, as it would :have been madness to attempt to -hold our position with our few men. The First *nd Third. Armies had' not been able to.-attack with us, as we advanced too rapidly. Our morale was absolutely broken. In spite of unheard-of sacriv fices, we had achieved nothing. I, cannot understand how our army, ~ after fighting three great battles, and being terrijbly weakened, was sent against ""the position which the enemy had prepared for three weeks, but naturally I know- nothing of the intentions of our chiefs. They say that nothing has been lost.' "We retired towards Cormontreuil and Bheims by forced marches night. We hear three armies are going to get into line and entrench and,rest,, and then start afresh on our victorious march on Paris. It was not a defeat,,but only a strategic retreat. " first* battalion, which fought with unparal-, leled bravery, is reduced from .1200 to 109 men." During the counter-attack by the German 53rd Regiment on portions qfe the Northampton and Queen's Regi- ." ments on the 17th, a force of 40 of the enemy were allowed to approach right up to the trenches occupied by a platoon of the former regiment, owing to the fact that they had held up their hands and made gestures interpreted as signs that they wished to stop. When they were actually on the parapet they opened a fire on our men at point-blank range. Unluckily for the enemy; flafck-; ". ing them, and only 400 yards away, thei;e happened to be a machine gun '. , manned by a detachment of the is Queen's. This at once opened fire, cut-'-f-'i ting a lane through their mass, which %}ttll Back.to their qwu trenches with

great loss.. Shortly afterwards they were driven further back with additional loss by a battalion of Guards, which had.come up in support. DUEL IN THE AIR. BRITISH OFFICER'S ACHIEVEMENT. GERMANS AND THE ZEPPELINS. On August 28, during a battle fought along the Oise between Le Fere and Guise, a French commander desired to make an air reconnaisance. It was found, however, that no observers were available. Wishing to help our allies as much as possible a British officer attached to this particular French Army volunteered to go up with the pilot to observe. He had never been in an aeroplane before, but he made an ascent and produced a valuable reconnaissance report. Incidentally he had a duel in the air at an altitude of 6000 feet with the observer of a German Taube monoplane, which had approached. He fired several shots, and drove off the hostile aeroplane. His action was much appreciated by the French. In view of the many statements made! in the Press as to the use of Zeppelins against us, it is interesting to note that the Royal Flying Corps, who have been out on reconnaisance' duty every day since their arrival in France, have never seen a Zeppelin, though airships of the non-rigid type have been seen on two occasions. Near the Marne, late in the evening, two such were observed oyer the German forces, and aeroplanes were dispatched agaiiist them,- but in the darkness our pilots were uncertain of the airships 7 did not attack .them. Afterwards it was made clear that they could not have been French. A week later an officer, reconnoitring on the flank, saw an airship over the German forces, arid opposite the French. It had no distinguishing mark, and it was assumed to have t> e " longed to the latter, thoughf it is now known it must have been, a German craft. v The order is that the Royal Flying Corps are to attack Zeppelins at once,- and there is some disappointment at the absence of these targets. SPLENDID BEHAVIOUR. GENERAL FRENCH'S PRAISE. DELIGHTED WITH BRITISH TROOPS. The following special order has been issued tothe troops:— ; " Once more I have to express my deep appreciation of the splendid behaviour of officers and men o'f the Army under my command throughout the groat battle of th'e Aisne, -which . has been in progress since the evening of the 12tli. The battle of the Marne, which lasted from the .morning f of tie- 6th : 't6f.the' -evemhg'vi .the iOtli, had hardly ended in the precipitate flight of the enemy, when we were brought face to face with a position of, extraordinary strength, carefully enirenched and prepared for defence by, an army and a staff which are thorough adepts at such •work. Throughout the 13th and 14th that position was; most gallantly attacked by the British, and the pas- - sage of the Aisne effected. This, is the third day the troops have been gallantly holding the position they lave. . gained against most desperate counter attacks and a hail of heavy artilv lery. I am unable to find adequate " words to express the. admiration I feel for their magnificent conduct. ; The French, armies on our right are ; ; making good progress. I sure we have only to hold on with tenacity to the ground we haye won for a very short time longer, when the j Allies will be again in full pursuit - V! of a/beaten enemy. The self-sacrific-ing devotion and splendid spirit of the British Army in France will carry 1 all before it.—(Signed) French,, Field-Marshal." OFFICIAL FAREWELL WELLINGTON TROOPS. v FORTY THOUSAND PRESENT. \ . * RAIN "SPOILS FUNCTION. . Press Association. Wellington, September 24. Wellington's official farewell to the provincial section of the main Expeditionary Force and the artillery brigade took place this afternoon at Newtown Park. Large crowds • Tvatched the inarch of the troops to the park, and when at about 2.30 the Governor addressed the men there #ere between 35,000 and 40,000 people. present. The morning had been overcast and rain threatened at midday, but then the sun came ollt brightly and everything pointed to a continuation of fine weather. Before the ceremony was concluded, however, drizzling rain began, and the huge crowd, as well as the troops, got rather damp as they made their respective ways homeward or to quarters for the night. The proceedings in the streets and at the park were marked by much enthusiasm. Territorials, Cadets, and Boy Scouts assisted in maintaining a clear road for the troops, who afforded an inspiring spectacle as they marched past, headed by their own band and with several city bands assisting at various points. At 2.30 p.m.", when his Excellency the Governor arrived; the whole 1 of the assembled troops came to the Royal Salute and the bands played the National Anthem. His Excellency was accompanied by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, the leader Of the Opposition, and the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke). Others present included' members of both Houses of the Legislature. His Excellency then inspected the force, after which he delivered a stirring speech, in which he bade the troops good-bye. Speeches were also delivered by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, the Leader of the Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward), and the Mayor. The whole gathering then sang the well-known hymn, '' 0 God, Our Help in Ages Pakt," the crowd joining in heartily, and prayers followed, after which the troops marched past his Excellency in column of route, emerging from the park with various bands distributed throughout the column at regular intervals. The streets were lined by thousands of citizens en route, and the troops were vigorously cheered as they passed by. Near Government Buildings the parade was dismissed and Wellington had said its official good-bye to the soldiers. ADDRESS BY THE GOVERNOR. WELLINGTON September 24. After inspecting the troops his Excellency the Governor addressed the gatli-

ering as follows:—"Major-General Sir Alexander Godley, officers, non-commis-sioned officers, and men of this Contingent: This, great assembly which you see around you to-day has come to wish you God-speed. Time was not so very long ago when the sight of a troopship in a New Zealand harbour denoted the arrival of troops from the Old Country. To-day the story is reversed. England is wanting all her sons,to-day, and this young Dominion is sending home to the Mother Country'her best. It has been a great pleasure, nay, I will say anhonour, to inspect the men here to-day, and I do not think anybody will fear as to the future. You are indeed the very pick of the manhood of this Dominion, and I know you will give" a good account of yourselves whatever you are called upon to do. There is a tinge of sadness in my heart to-day, and it is because I alone of all the reserve of officers in this Dominion am unable to allow my name to be called in the roll of my old regiment. I can assure you all here, whether you be on parade or whether you be spectators, that I shall do my-.best to serve your interest to the j best of my power as long as I am in the Dominion. Gentlemen, no Government has ever faced war with a light heart, but if ever a Government had a righteous cause, it is the Empire we have, the honour to belong to. It has been often repeated since the war began that we would be soon signing peace, but peace will not be declared until we have made a right end to this war. We have been forced into it by an unrighteous foe desirous to rule the world, and we have determined that, as we have put our hands to the plough, we shall not look backwards." PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH. The Prime Minister, Mr Massey, said: —"This is not a time for words, but for wise counsel, for calm deliberation, and a strong determination to do what we believe to be right. Not for the first time in recent years has the Empire seen fit to call upon the younger nations for men who can ride and shoot. History tells us that in ancient days it was the custom to send round the fiery cross to assemble the Highland clans in battles. v The Empire has sent out the equivalent, the electric spark, to every corner of the world, and the response has been magnificent and unprecedented. From every corner of the world the sons of the dominions are rushing to assist the old Mother, perhaps a little grey, but still strong "and active. New Zealand is sending of its best, and in all probability within a very few months New Zealand will have 10,000 representatives at the scene of operations, and I want to tell you, as a citizen of New Zealand, and as one who has seen the men in the three centres during the last few weeks, I am very proud of those' who are going away, on account of their physique and soldierly, bearing, and their to serve their 'country and Empire. THE BRITISH NATION. This war has "done aWay with many ideas that existed during the last few years. One was that the British Empire is decadent. •:- Who will,say . that now? It has been demonstrated that the Empire is stronger and greater than ever it has been during its. past history, and with the younger, nations of the Empire growing in populations and importance, the Empire is bound to.become greater j in years to come. What is the-position? j We see the different dominions of the Empire, the dependencies'of the Empire, all bound, together to-day by ties perhaps as light as air but stronger than steel, the ties of sentiment, and I am quite certain of this, great as the Empire is to-day, it is nothing to what it will be half a century from now. I want to give you a few woeds of advice. In the case - of many of you, yoar mothe.vs are still left when you go to the other; side of the world. Never do anything of which your mothers would- not approve. If you take that advice in the spirit in which it is given you will never have reason to regret it. Just one other word, and it is this: Citizen soldiers, let me advise you to stand fast to the [honour of the Empire, stand fast for the glory of the flag, stand fast foe the credit of your Empire, stand fast for the traditions of the Imperial race to which you belong. And now I can only hope that the Providence that has watched over and guided the destinies of the Empire will watch over you, protect your footsteps, and in His own good time bring you back to your own land and to the friends you are leaving behind." SIR JOSEPH WARD SPEAKS. Sir Joseph Ward said:— "I want to say that I, too, am .very proud to have the opportunity of being., here to-day to join in the multitude of people, not only here but in all parts of the Dominion, in giving you a preliminary but an earnest farewell. It is only a little over seven weeks since this unparalleled war in, ,the world's history began. During that time there have been deeds done by the British that have added to the brightness of the pages of British history and have, added to the glory of the British Empire as we know it from the reading of history. It must be a source of immense gratification to the men who are going from this distant portion of the British Dominions to realise that they, individually and collectively, are going for all time to be attached to that history which to-day we are all so proud of. Talk about the suggestion of the decadence ,of the British Empire! Read only one or two of the incidents that have taken place during the last week or two, and any idea of that kind that may have existed in the minds of anyone ought to be dissipated for ever. We read of ten successive British soldiers going individually to their doom to blow up one bridge, to prevent the enemy from gaining a superior position. The last of the ten, who lit the fuse, blew up the bridge and blew himself away too, I believe to a throne of glory in the other world. When we know of acts of that kind, which are repeated every day, we realise that the men here who will go forth to do battle for the Empire are descendants of the great old stock which made the British admired the world over for courage and for generosity, and also for. determination to win when fighting for a rightous cause. CONFIDENCE OF ALL. '' May I say one personal word to General Godley, who has only been a short time with us. He has won the confidence . of all classes in the community in the Dominion. He has shown himself to be a great soldier, a great organiser, a great diplomat, a man full of tact, and a man of ingenuous and unpretentious actions. We in this portion of the Empire are not only proud of him, but we recognise that the men who are going away tinder him are equally proud of the fact that they serve under a soldier who has the respect and esteem and the goodwill of the masses of a young and democratic country such as this is. In conclusion, I would say to you, we may be only fighting in defence of a bit of shattered bunting, but we are fighting in defence of. what that means to the

humblest of the people in all the British territory. It means the suppression of that German imperialiasm which aimed at dominating the civilised world. For that reason the men going forward are willing to fight and die in defence of the honour of the Empire, and there "are men who are ready to follow them. God speed you and protect you in whatever undertakings you may be engaged, and may He bring you back safely to this country. That is my earnest wish, and that of every section of the community.'' (Cheers.) MINISTER OF DEFENCE. j The Minister of Defence, the Hon. [James Allen, said: "Just one word. Our opportunity has come, the opportunity of New Zealanders to show what they think of belonging to the Empire and to show what they can do in the interests of the Empire. I know that you will do your duty, men. We have given you of the best of our officers. Officers, we have given you of the''.best of our men. We trust them to your care. We believe that you will lead them as good officers should lead them, that where "daring is necessary you will be daring. We believe you will succeed. We believe that you will help the Empire. We wish you to come out with honour and glory, and we hope to see you all back here well and sound, come back to us with ' untarnished names and with honour, with glory, and that those who come after you will read with pride of 4he days you are about to enter into. Au revoir, a pleasant voyage to you all, hard work on the voyage, success in the field, and a happy return." V , Th 6 Mayor of Wellington, Mr J. P. Luke, having given some words of encouragement on behalf of the citizens of New the vast assemblage sang the hymn, '' Oh God, our Help in Ages Past.'' Captain-Chaplain Chapman then read the Forty-sixth Psalm,' Major-Chaplain W. Shirer engaged in prayer, and the Bishop of Wellington pronounced a benediction. VICTORIA LEAGUE. SPECIAL WAR FUND. The following additional donations have been received by the Victoria League towards its Special War Fund: £ s. d. Already acknowledged ... 177 12 0 Mr H. Acton-Adams .. ... 1 10 Mr H. Hugonin (Motueka) 10 0 Collected by Miss Thurston . 0 11 6 Anon. (Culverdeh) .».'«■ 1 0. 0 Miss Maunder . v .. .. 0 5 0 Miss Kitty Bullen ' .. .. 0 2 0 The following gifts of warm clothing for the Victoria League case, to be sent to a Black Country town, have been received:—Mr R. D. Thomas, four knitted vests, boots, and baby clothes; Mrs Hallenstein, four "knitted vests; Mrs Nicholls, four knitted jackets; Mrs F. Bullen, rug, j coat, knitted coat and cap; Mrs C. Price, two large knitted vests, skirt and coat; Mrs Macbeth, sen., six knit- j ted vests, six scarves, two pairs socks, { and hood; Mrs W. H. Bond, complete suit, for boy of nine; Mrs Elworthy, complete outfit for girl of ten, and red blanket;' Mrs R. Macdonald, two-vests and two baby nightdresses;. Miss Cecilia Macdonald, boy's jersey and knickers; Mrs Melville Jameson, complete outfit for boy of twelve; Miss Elworthy,. one complete outfit.; for girl of i eleven; Mrs J. Deans, one complete out- j fit for girl of ten; Mrs W. D. Stewart, one complete outfit for girl of ten; Mrs I. H. Hall,, two knitted scarves, flannel and tweed; six girls,from Miss Bowen's workroom '(Misses Goodwin, Wardman, Whiteman, Foley, Rushbridge, and Bruere), fifteen Admiralty serge dresses complete and fifteen knitted caps, Miss Maunder 5/- for etceteras; ' Mrs W. Thomas, large bundle of clothing; Miss G. Thomson, outfit for woman; Mrs Woodley (Timaru), lady's knitted jacket and scarf; Miss Kitty Bullen, two flannel petticoats; Miss Ailsa Bullen, two flannel petticoats; Mrs Carey Hill's| helpers, sixteen girls' outfits. ASHBURTON. DONATIONS TO THE WAR FUND. The following are the latest additions to the various war funds contributed by residents, in the Ashburton' County: — PATRIOTIC FUND. The Ashburton Patriotic Fund now totals £4469 6/9, the additional donors being H. Bonifant £l, and C. Hill £2. BRITAIN AND BELGIUM RELIEF FUND. The latest donations to the Britain and Belgium Relief Fund are as follow: ■ . " £ s. d. R. Mugford (sale of pig) .. 3 0 0 Mrs Wotten (sale of gander) 10 0 A. M'Kenzie (sale of sheep) 7 9 7 D. T. C. M'llroy .. .. .. 22 0 Mrs J. Bonifant, sen. .. .. 3 0 0 Dr H. Hunter ~-., ./ 10 0 0 Longbeach Employees (Patriotic concert and dance) .. 35 9 *0 Total !'. .... .. £749 5 1 In addition, Mr R. H. Stoddart gave five fat sheep. At a meeting of the Ashburton Committee of the Britain and Belgium Relief Fund, Mr J. B. Christian was appointed honorary secretary and Mr H. F. Nicoll treasurer. The call for clothes and other contributions by the Ashburton Ladies'] Committee of the Britain and Belgium Relief Fund has met with a very hearty response from all parts of the county. Four more cases of clothes have been dispatched, and next Tuesday ,has been appointed the last day on which contributions will be received. The thanks of the committee are due tq„ Messrs Strange and Co. for the gift of four packing cases and to Messrs Chapman and Davis and Mr R. Tucker for other assistance. The following additional contributions to the Blanket Fund have been received: —Mesdames W. J. Moore and Dixon (Allenton), each two pairs; Mesdames E. F. Nicoll, L. A. Nicoll, and Hardwick, each one pair. Mrs Peter Stewart has donated six pairs of handknitted socks. PRINCE OF WALES FUND. The following are the latest contributions to the Prince of Wales Fund:— £ s.'d. Previously acknowledged .. 23 7 0 Mrs Robert Bell .... .. 5 5 0 Miss Bruce Bell- ....... 3 0 0 Total .. .... ..£3l 12 0 FOOD FOR BRITAIN AND BELGIUM FUND. YESTERDAY'S DONATIONS. The following donations were received yesterday: —: ■ £ s. d. Sale of setting, of eggs, per J. B. Merrett, Mrs Joyce (Sumner) >* >% >± 0 .10 6

J. H. Shaw (Ghristchurch) 0 14 0 Master B. Wilson (Halkett), sale of calf 0 1 0 Stewart Bros. (Sheffield), proceeds five sheep . .. 4 0 0 WOMEN'S COMMITTEE. Gifts of parcels of clothing were received yesterday at the depot of the Women's Committee from the following donors:—s4 Mackworth Street (Woolston), Mrs J. Ballantyne, "Pitty," Mrs G. Simpson, "Sympathiser," Mrs A. N. Bennett, Mrs Helmore, "Sympathiser," Mrs A. E. Cook, Lower Eiccarton Sewing Committee, Mrs Lummis, Mr Boyle, Mrs A. Whyte, Mrs J. T. M'Harg, Miss Lindrum, Mrs Harcourt, Mrs T. C. Hement, Mrs Hodgson and family, Mrs R. Wright. Miss Lindrum has given one blanket to the Blanket Fund. BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. DONATION FROM GREYMOUTH. Mr C. J. Ward, Acting-Consul for Belgium at Cliristchurch, wishes to ackowledge with thanks the recieipt of £75, from Mr G. E. Perkins, treasurer of the Greymouth Committee. (Continued on page 10.)