TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 146, 21 June 1915, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

—.—> The Wanganui River 13 reported to be in heavy Hood. " One thousand five hundred houses wore burned in a fire that "broke out accidentally at Pera, Constantinople. Both the Italian and the Austrian fleete have been active in the Adriatic. Towns on both coasts have been bombarded. The official definition of Mr. Lloyd GeoTge's new office of Minister for Munitions, gives him very wide powers indeed. Mr Justice Cooper received a pair of white gloves at the Supreme Court in Gisborne to-day, there being no criminal cases. ' The Hon. Jas. Allen states the belief that the coming Parliamentary session will not last longer, than six or eight weeks. A married farmer named John H. Mcc was killed at Becks, in the Otago Central district, by the capsizing of a motor-car. It is Teported that Krupp's army of 115,000. men are engaged especially in the manufacture of big guns of very long range. Mrs Margaret Reid, aged 47 years, was found dead in bed. at her home in Hepburn Street, Freeman's Bay, on Sunday afternoon. A Belgian and his wife, and a Frenchman, who -were, convicted of Ihaving sent signals to the Germans at Herseek, were sentenced to death. Public opinion in Sweden is growing more angry every day over the torpedoing of Swedish vessels by the German undersea pirates. The Russians have forced the iAustrians who invaded Bessarabia to retreat, the Russians capturing a large quantity of supplies and ammunition. In the King Country, "where heavy falls .at snow have occurred, trains were delayed on Saturday night .by & land-slide near Taumarunui. The magnificent surprise provided for the Germans by the British at 'La Bassee and Ypres quite spoiled an attack which the-enemy were contemplating , . The British Government is in favour of the present Parliament being extended for one year, end of there being ~ik> municipal ejections in November. */

It is reported from Athens that the Servians have occupied Durazzo. the capital of Albania, and that Esead Pasha, the Turkish head of the insurgents, has fled. An officer writing >i.o the "Times" •from the Dardanelles gives an interesting account of a- visit he -paid to the Australasian ttrenehes on the Gallipoli Peninsula. » s It is stated by the Britieh Admiralty that U29, the notorious submarine which aank the Oesey, Aboukir, Hogue, and other vessels, was sunk by a British wamship. As a result- <?f fighting in East Africa during >larch, April and May, the Germans were driven back 'from British territory in a demoralised and disorganised - condition. (Five thousand pounds' worth of pictures, .of celebrated painters were .stolen_•■;_ from a gallery in England. The pictures were '; the property of a French dea.ler who is away at the war. A man riding at Taruheru, in the Giflborne district, was struck in the cheat by a stray poa-rifle bullet, believed to have- come from where some youths were practising shooting with a pearifle. Tolmino, the key to the- leonzo Valley, is gradually becoming for the Italians wiiat Przemysl was for the Rus-_ B-una. The early capture of the town' is indespenoible to the Italian plan, of advance. "Fully 75 per cent of .the people of America are in favour of going to war on the Allies' side," declared a New Zealander who arrived at Christchurch the other d«v. after a sojourn in and U.S.A. In a letter from an officer of -the -B Battalion of the 1/ondon Territorials" an' . inspiriting account is given of the work of the battalion in the advance at Boia Grenier. near Festhubert, at the begirt 4 ing of last moffith. The suppliers of the Kaupokonui Cαoperative Dairy Factory-, who have agreed to contribute to the war fund a-half per cent of the value of the milk supply, have already contributed over £tXH) on that basis. - • The French advunco on both siiles of the River Fecht in Alsace has 'been -continued with success. The French have taken more prisoners, and have 'captured., machine-guns, and a large quantity of rilles and ammunition. On a email Greek vessel with forged pikers, captured by a Freiitm destroyer off Crete, were fourfd a.iminber of Turkish officers bearing presents from Ever Pasha, to the a fanatical tribe .'m 'the Italian territory of Tripoli. ""'... According to a Madrid newspaper Rai;ouli, t]ie infamous Moorish bandit; after being given free conduct through Spanish territory by the Spanish uiithorities, was fired on by Spanish troops. Several subalterns have been court-martialled over the affair.

In the note to Germany regarding the sinking of the wheat ship William Trye, the United States Government refuses to admit that any American vessel carrying contraband may be destroyed by the Germans, providing compensation is paid by Germany.

A report in the "iNew York Herald" states that German agents in the United States are continuing to buy ammunition largely, and it is presumed that it is reaching dts destination. The first shipment was sent to South America, and thence to Holland and Xtenmarlc. _

The iprice of meat in Australia is not ■likely to fall for some months, says the report of the Commission investigating the matter. A New Zealand pastoralist visiting Sydney suggests that the import duty should be taken off, and then i< ew Zealand coiild supply as xuucli as wae needed.

A-lthough the publication* of- Berlin Exchange quotations is forbidden under a severe penalty, thci Paris "Matin " is said to have obtained a reliable comparison of prices. Prussian tlireo and ahai'f per cents, ■which, in Aiigust, 1914,. were quoted at £S5 10/, arc now' £SSfc. Imperial four per cents, which Vere £'JO, aTe now £54. Austrian four and a-linlf per cents have fal'on from X!.» 5 10/ to £44.

Children and infants are fon;l of Bycroft's ideal milk arrowroot biscuits, atid thrive on tlicm. Scores of testimonials. Ask for ■ Bvcrofi'sj all <p©cers.—(Ad.J