GENERAL ITEMS.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2524, 21 December 1914, Page 3

GENERAL ITEMS.

NEWS FROM ALL QUARTERS

New York, December 18

Three New Zealand Marist priests (Dean Regnault and Father Holley, and Dr Kennedy), who have arrived at Sam Francisco from the front, state that a French army captain, who is also a priest, calls to his men Absolution -when they are about to charge the enemy. It is nothing, they say, to see High Mass celebrated in the trenches during a lull in the fighting. The celebrants are soldiers who doff thoir warlike accoutrements and don priestly garb. Immediately Mass is ended 'the priests discard their robes and buckle on their fighting uniforms. Athens, December 18. Details of the bombardment on the Gulf of Sams by a British squadron on Sunday last'show .that tho Turkish barracks was completely destroyed and the fortifications ' seriously damaged. The Turks, panic-stricken, lied far inland. New York, December 18. A message from Tokio states that a British cruiser has captured the> Enidcn's fugitives aboard tho Ayesha, Amsterdam, December 20. A Berlin wireless message states that the harbourmaster at Rangoon telegraphs that ail officer and 43 of the crew of the Emden's landing party were taken aboard a collier. Mr Gardner,- a member of the House of Representatives and leader "f the agitation for a larger American Navy, giving evidence "before, the House of Represenbatives Committee, said that many American ships wore actually in "cold storage," and were useless without considerable repairs. The navy was short of 1.8,0011 men and a shortage of 40,000 was anticipated. Instead of 47' battleships, America had only 27, whilo instead of 1-S7' destroyers she had only 68. London, December 19. The Franco-British advance lo Rotilers has been confirmed. French and British outposts bold Roulcrs. The Colonial Office's summary of operations' iv tho 'Gorman Cameroons show.-; that the whole of the northern railway, _ running northward from Boiiadori, is in our bands. London. December IP. Count Tisza, in a speech in Parliament, intimated that Hungary woidd separately defend, herself if the AusIriaus permitted an invasion. He emphasised that Hungary was an independent State, although in union i with Austria. The independence movement is spreading, and is assuming an official character. This explains the German effort, lo expel the Russians from the Carpathians. It- is estimated that the lot' js by looting in Northern Orangia amount to £200,000. Many storekeepers have been ruined as a result of the rebels' depredations. Van Den Linden was sentenced to two years', imprisonment for attempting to organise a rebellion in South Africa. Lloyds' bombardment risks from i Harwich northwards is 40s per cent., j from Harwich to Dover 20s, on tho • south coast 10s, and on the westcoast OS. A Belgian aviator bombed a German supply convoy near Ostend and destroyed three motor lorries. The newspaper Matin ("Paris) re- ■ produces stamps prepared in Berlin j indicating that Switzerland would become part of the Gorman Empire. Tho Kaiser continues in a state of [great nervous depression. The Kaiserin is opposing 'his return to the front. Tho Press Bureau supplies inlorest-

LAST NIGHT'S WAR NEWS

ing particulars of record ship-con-struction at the Cammell and Aird's yard. The light cruiser Caroline was laid down in January last, launched on September 21, and delivered complete on December 17, after satisfactory trials.

Amsterdam, December 19. Germany's frenzied joy over alleged victory has been partly solved by the arrival of German newspapers. People pause to ask why there are no names of battlefields in the lists of captures. It is evidont the people fixed on the communique's vague reference to certain decisive operations without troubling about fufuro details. Groundless ecstacy had its reaction in profound depression over tho Falkland Islands naval battle and the Servian victory at Belgrade. Rome, December 19. Advices from Budapcsth state that the Emperor Francis Josef has ordered General Potovekh to be courfrmartialled.

Pefcrograd, December 19. During the recent fighting 3000 Hussars of the Prussian Guards were ambushed. Only fifty escaped. Melbourne, December 19. Mr Pearce states that all firms contracting for the Defence Department will be required to sign a declaration that no one connected with the business is an enemy subject, and that the goods supplied are not manufactured by an enemy country.

(Received December 21, 9.2,3 a.m.) Amsterdam, December 20. The Frankfurter Zeitung publishes a letter from a German-American, who says that impartial people in America are powerless to influence public opinion. "America will have nothing to do with you," he adds. The writer contrasts the American occupation of Vera Cruz, in the Mexican revolt, where she had less business to be than Germany in Belgium.

(Received December 21, 9.35 a.m.) Johannesburg, December 20. Captain Fourio has been shot. His brother's sentence was commuted to rive years' imprisonment. (Received December 21, 11.40 a.m.) London, December 20. Ihe Sofia correspondent of the Chronicle interviewed Premier Radoslavoif, who declared that Bulgaria would remain absolutely neutral thereby greatly defending' tho Allies, especially Servia, in return for which sho expected the Entente to restore the boundaries lost by tho 1912 treaty.

Colonel Goethals explains that be was mistaken about the alleged British infringement of the Panama Canal neutrality. The wireless messages were despatched to British ships when they were outside territorial waters.

Sydney, December 21. Advices bave been received of the death in Egypt of Roy Gartside Collen, a member of tho New South Wales expeditionary force, whoso next of kin is his wife, who is resident in New Zealand.

"Eye Witness" states that prisoners' admissions show that many of the landwehr are sick of the war/and resent the officers' harshness.