OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCHES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 131, 30 November 1914, Page 7

OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCHES

THE ONLY SURE FOUNDATION OF PEACE. (TIMES AND SfDNKI SUM SERVICES.) (Received November 30, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 29th November. Twenty-eight influential laymen, representing various churches, have issued an open letter, urging the churches to rally the missionary societies. At the time when the world is at war i^lieir paramount necessity as Christians is to ex tend and establish a world-wide Kingdom of God, which is tho only euie foundation of peace. LOSS OF THE BULWARK LOADING AMMUNITION AT THE TIME. . LONDON, 28th November. The battleship Bulwark was loading ammunition from barges at the time the explosion occurred. Thirty of the Bulwark's bodies have been recovered. Most of them are not identifiable. ENEMY OFF HAVRE DESTROYERS, NOT SUBMARINES. LONDON, 28th November. Three German destroyers appeared off Havre on Tuesday, held up the Malachite, gave the crew ten minutes to take to the boats, and sank her. The Primo was sunk in the same fashion. [A previous report stated that the two steamers were sunk by a submarine. ] IN THE BALTIC RECENT DISASTER TO GERMAN DESTROYERS. LONDON, 28th November. The special correspondent of the Morning Post, writing from Petrograd, explains tho recent disaster to the Geri man destroyers at Kiel. The Germans had been cruising in the Baltic, near Swedish waters. Admiral yon Essen (commanding the Baltic fleet) painted several of the Russian cruisers and destroyers in German colours, and con* [ trived during foggy weather to join [ tb,e German ships. Ho was not detected till he opened fire, and sank a German cruiser and badly damaged another, while the Russian destroyers attacked the smaller craft. The Russian vessels were not touched. [It was reported shortly after the Heli' goland Bight engagement that a number of German torpedo craft had returned to Kiel in a damaged condition, and that others were understood to have been sunk. It was reported later that the vessels . had attacked one another by mistake. About the same time the German light cruiser Magdeburg was wrecked in the Baltic and was shelled by Russian vessels.! REPORTED LOSS OF GERMAN WARSHIPS A BATTLESHIP AND A CRUISER. PARIS, 28th November. Le Matin publishes an unconfirmed report that the German cruiser Hertha was sunk at Libau, and that the battleship Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was mined and sunk in the Baltic. [The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was a battleship of 10,474 tons, carrying four 9.4-inch, eighteen 5.9-inch, twelve 3.4inch, twelve 1.7-inch, and eight machine guns. Her speed was eighteen knots. The Kaiser Friedrich class, to which the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse belonged, were completed in 1898-1901. They originally carried eighteen 5.9-inch guns, but all underwent complete reconstruction six or seven years ago, and were rearmed. The cla^s is not regarded as having any fighting value. The complement numbers 622 officers and men. The Hertha is an old protected cruiser, completed in 1898, and about to go off the active list in the course of a year or two. She bequeaths her name to a big battle-cruiser now building. The old Hertha was of 5660 tons and nineteen knots, and carried two 8.2-inch, six 6-inch, and twenty-two small guns. Her complement was 465, and she cost about £500,000.] ALLEGED MINELAYING NORWEGIAN AND DANISH SAILORS ARRESTED. LONDON, 29th November. A Norwegian trawler has been brought to Fleetwood, and also the crew of a Danish trawler. Both were captured for alleged mine-laying. CRUISERS IN THE PACIFIC STILL IN CHILEAN WATERS. LONDON, 28th November. The German cruisers in the Pacific do not appear to have left Chilean waters. ARE THEY OFF ALASKA? OTTAWA, 28th-*November. Seattle reports state that arriving steamers indicate that the German cruisers are off the Aleutian Islands (west

of the peninsula of Alaska). The navy Yard discredits the report, as the danger of capture to the Germans would be great, owing to Japan's naval activity. NORWEGIAN SHIP SEIZED. LONDON, 28th November. The Norwegian ship Helicon, which has arrived in Caleta Colosa (in Chili), reports that she was seized by German cruisers on 23rd October and towed to Juan Fernandez. Her cargo was taken and the hull and rigging damaged. AMERICAN SHIP FIRED ON SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ON r DEMAND. WASHINGTON, 28th November. It is* reported at Panama that the British cruiser Berwick fired on the American steamer St. Helens. The State Department at Washington has no information on the matter, but points out that nelitrals must heave-to when required to on the high seas. WASHED-UP MINE EXPLODES. ROME, 28th November. A mine which was washed up at Bari exploded and killed four workmen. BRITAIN'S FINANCES COMMENT OF FINANCIAL PRESS. ' LONDON,' 28th November. The financial papers, commenting on I Mr. Lloyd George's statement that the Bank of England discounted £120,000/ 000 worth of bills under the Government's special- arrangement, consider that the amount was not ovei -large, considering the fact that £5O0,0tX),O0O was out' standing. PARIS BOURSE TO REOPEN. PARIS, 28th November. The Bourse will reopen on 7th December for cash transactions. GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF BELGIUM YON DER GOLT'S SUCCESSOR. (deceived November 30, 9 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, 29th .November. < General Yon Bissiog has succeeded General Yon der Goltz as GovernorGeneral of Belgium. The latter is now attached to the Sultan and is at the Turkish headquarters. (TIMES AND SYDNEY SON SIRVICRS.) UNABLE TO GET HORSES GERMAN CAVALRY IS NO MORE. (Received November 30, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 29th November. The newspaper Echo de Paris declares that owing to inability to secure horses the German cavalry has ceased to exist, (PttfeSS ASSOCIATION.) KAISER & CROWN PRINCE INSPECTION OF TROOPS. LONDON, "27th November. A Stuttgart telegram describes a visit of the Kaiser and the Crown Prince to the Wurtemburg lines. The Kaiser shook hands with the captain, and congratulated him. Then he walked along the lines, looking closely at each man. The Crown Prince greeted all in a friendly manner. Both were looking well. The Kaiser said : "It goes slowly, but surely." "MY IMPERIAL HOMAGE TO YOUR VALOUR." PARIS, 28th November. ■ A French captain who was in hospital at Metz, writing to the journal La Patrie, narrates that the Kaiser visited the French wounded, and said : " I give my Imperial homage to your valour. Notwithstanding the cruel circumstances at the present time, I do not despair of one day seeing Germany and France united in the ties of sincere friendship." MONEY AND METALS TO BE GOT BY ANY MEANS. (Recehed^ November 30, 9 a.m.) PARIS, 29th November. A German officer informed a French manufacturer whose factory was denuded, that he had a special mission to seize copper, lead, leather, and other .materials, and to get money by all possible means. The officer commandeered a large quantity of valuable old furniture, which was sold by auction in Gor* many. RAID ON AEROPLANE CONVOY BY FRENCH CAVALRY AND INFANTRY. PARIS, 29th November. Official. — Details of the destruction of German aeroplanes and motor-cars between Soissons and 'Compiegne on 9th September show that a troop of cavalry charged a convoy and a machine gun and annihilated them. Two other troops dashed up afoot and killed the machine gun crew, smashed the engines and fired three wagon-loads of petrol. A lieutenant and three men attacked the German commander. Tho latter killed the men and wounded the lieutenant, who killed his German adversary. Only ten Frenchmen returned from the exploit. COLDSTREAMS' GALLANTRY KEEP LINES INTACT FOR FOUR WEEKS. LONDON, 28th November. Earl Cayan, commanding the Fourth Guards Brigade, in an Army Order, pays a tribute to the ColdstreaniB 1 gallantry in keeping their lines intact for four weeks, though their trenches were dug in a hill full of natural springs, the water being constantly above the knees, and a gale swept away every particle of cover. When the Germans threw their hand grenades, the Coldstreatns picked them up before they exploded and hurled them back at the enemy. SURRENDER OF NEW GUINEA AUSTRALIA DISSATISFIED WITH TERMS. MELBOURNE, 29th November. Senator Pearce (Fedefcal Defence Mm. ister) is dissatisfied with the terms of the surrender of German New Guinea, particularly with the provision for paying to the surrendered officials three months salary. Ho has communicated with the Imperial authorities on the subject. ■