WAR NEWS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 September 1915, Page 2

WAR NEWS.

MISCELLANEOUS. SOUTH WALES MINERS, MEN’S FRESH DEMANDS. t L i LONDON, September 4. y The South Wales Conciliation Board 1 endorsed the week’s settlements - and agreements. r The men then demanded 121 per i cent, advance on their wages, an<T the - owners offered 5 per cent. t Viscount St. Alwyn arbitrates. » L MUNITIONS PROBLEM. SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS. . LONDON, September 4. The skilled munition workers problem continues urgent and it is feared that the supply will be insufficient when th© new factories open unless the trade union restrictions are relaxed, especially as to the number of machines per man.

GERMAN PATROL. CROSSED FRENCH FRONTIER. BEFORE WAR WAS DECLARED. ROME, September 5. The “Elsaesser Kinder” at Colmar publishes the .-.lory of a German soldier who participated in a cavalry patro into French territory on August 2, 1914, A service order instructed the lieutenant commanding the patrol to break the French frontier towards Belfort. This was done, and they trav ersed several kilometres of French territory without meeting a single French soldier. Therefore it is well established that Germany was guilty of the first violation of frontiers at a time when the French’ troops were withdrawn.

GERMAN CASUALTIES. LISTS RAPIDLY INCREASING. PARIS, September 4Official. —The German official casualties have greatly increased latterly, and reached on June Ist 43,972, and on July 15th 52,041. Germany is now making a return of men from 46 to 50 years of age, and there are indications that they are employed with a difficult question of effectives. After twelve months of war and the prodigality of human life, the only men at her disposal, according to the Journal de Geneva, are the 1917 class, less those who volunteered. MYSTERIOUS STEAMER. GERMAN WAR-LIKE MATERIAL. Received this day at 9.15 a.in. BRISBANE, This Day. News has been brought by the Tasman that a mysterious steamer was brought to Batavia under convoy of Dutch destroyers. It is alleged that a large quantity of arms and various parts of submarines were discovered aboard the vessel, which is being strictly watched. The Tasman also states that the Dutch authorities discovered German intrigues with the native, population. MESSAGE FOR THE BELGIANS. DEPUTY SENTENCED. HAVRE, September 4. The Germans sentenced Verhaeghen, a Belgian deputy, to two years’ imprisonment for sending a letter to his daughter containing a message for the Belgian Government, WAR CENSUS. RUSH FOR CARDS. SYDNEY, September 5. War census cards have been issued and there has been a great rush to the Post Office lo secure them. A provision has been added requiring those reaching the age of eighteen after the closing day of the census to fill in the cards and return them within fourteen days of reaching such age.

“ACT THE MAN AND ENLIST.”

EAGLEHAWK SOLDIER’S APPEAL. Lance-Corporal J. Truesdale (a

brother of Mr. 0. Truesdale, of Waiuta), writing 'from “Bullet Yille, Shrapnel. Street, Bug-Out Town,’’ 13/7/1915, to his mother, who resides

at Eaglehawk, Victoria, says:—“l would like a feed of some sort. The Turks throw us plenty of iron rations (shells), but we don’t care much for then] ; they take away our appetite. Young Rushton and Gellon were alongside of me when they fell ; can’t say any more. This place is much like Bendigo at Easter time, with fireworks and rockets and flares all the time. Shells going through the air in the nights are just like pieces of hot iron. You can see them quite plain. I had a lot of friends when I left, but out of sight out of mind. If they would act like men and enlist it would help us poor beggars a bit. We are not made of iron, so must break down sooner or later. The wprk we are doing fs frightfully hard, but thank God we can stand it. The officers are very good ; could not expect better. Never fear; mother, I will come back some day. I am here to do my bit, and am doing it, too." In a letter later to his sister, dated 23/6/15, he says : —“Just a piece- of cigarette box, with a bill stuck on the back, our own make. Nothing doing here at present. Going for a swim in the sea. Enemy only a mile from where we swim, but we don’t trouble about them. 6/7/15.—1 am at present in the thick of it. Yesterday a shell burst amongst us, I was buried, but the old frame is as good as ever; the other poor chaps were