TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 46, 22 February 1918, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

i » . , The British forces are jiow on. the outskirts of Jericho. The new City Markets will to occui pied by the auctioneers on April 2. An earthqiuvKe destroyed Swatow, in. China, two thousand people being either killed or injured. During last week twelve largo and three small British merchantmen, were eunk by submarines. • A resolution affirming the necessity; for retaining Samoa was passed by the City Council last night. Many trainloads of German troops have passed Liege for the West front during the past few days. The Town Hall organ recitals were at-« tended by 20,320 people last year, as compared with 13,345 in 1913-14. Up to February 15, 7,070 aliens hadt registered in the Dominion, including 756 Germans and 1,126 Austriaris. A swordfish attacked Colonel Hazard's motor launch off Cape Brett, and left 9in of its "sword" impaledrin. the plank* ing. Foster's Hotel. "Wanganui, was dc stroyed by tire last evening, the occupants having some difficulty in. getting out. i The uy-election for the Southern; 'Maori seat resulted in the return of Mr. J. H. W. Uru. There ■werq three* candidates. A Vienna message alleges that Eonmania is making peace overtures, ami that Count Czernin will shortly go east to negotiate. The Bolsheviks liavej according ta( latest reports, decided to resist the Ger« man advance, and are preparing to de» fend Petrograd. The Admiralty declares that suddeu night raids on the Dover Straits cannot be prevented, and it ia satisfied with, thq measures taken. German and Austria profess that there is a call to them, to protect thej Fins, Poles, and ■Ukrainians from Bol« sherik aggression. French delegates to the inter-alliedf labour congress have received a mandate to favour returning the occupied colonies to their pre-war owners. The Germans claim to liave advanced 121 miles astride the Eiga-Petrograi railway, and also on wide sectors between Dvinsk and Lutsk. Percy Xorman. Henry •was acquitted! at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon of having counselled the performance of an illegal operation. It is asserted Tiy the Russian 'headquarters staff that if the German advance continues, the fate of Petrograd. will be decided wHffiin a fortnight. As a result of the Motuilu Court* martial. Colonel C. H. Turner, commandant of the jsland, lias ibeen dismissed from the New Zealand Forces^ The military situation in Palestine is very promising of developments, th'o British, troops having before them a, steady descent into the Jordan valley. ■ Germany has begun a propaganda against the use of poison, gas, apparently because the new -British gas is! 'worse than anything previously known. A group of gra/id dukes and duchesses has petitioned the ' Government to permit the ex-Czar and his family to take refuge ia France or England. . All the money in the State • tank' a* Hefeingfors has been etolen and sent to Russia for the purchase of arms and! provisions. Systematic looting j s in. progress. The . Bolsheviks threaten reprisals against British subjects in Russia unless the-Bolshevik representative in Britain is recognised and the Manehurian border is reopened.'. ' * • The balance of the suburban fooqfc stock being sacrificed by Pearson and Co., of Karangaliape Road, Newton, oanj only last for a few days longer.— : (A"d.)