THE COMMONWEALTH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16742, 24 December 1914, Page 8

THE COMMONWEALTH.

OFT FOR SYDNEY'S MEN. By Telegraph—Pres* Association—Copyright. . SYDNEY, December 23. Mr Peace, Minister of Defence, has received from Mr Deane, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, a cheque for £IOO, as a present to the crew of the Sydney, in recognition of their luck and pluck in capturing the Ernden. .' Arrangements have been made for sehdigg cheap week-end cables to the troops in Egypt. * A meeting of French citizens formed ( a French-Australian League, for the j purpose of assisting French Red Cross work or dependents of French or other aUiecV soldiers. THE ZAMBESI CASE. LEAVE TO APPEAL. SYDNEY, December 23. Leave ha’s been granted to the iwuers and charterers .of the Zambesi to appeal to the Privy Council. GERMAN SHIPS CONDEMNED. (Received December 23, 11 p.m.) PERTH, December 23. Mr Justice Burnside, in giving reserved decision respecting the Germ,an steamers Nemnunster and Thuringen, seized at Rottnest Island, said that the awuers contended that the vessels were, exempt from confiscation under the Hague Convention because they were seized on entering the port of Fre- . mantle. The-Judge hold 1 that the Rottnest coast was not Fremantle port, and condemned the ships. He granted . ' leave to appeal to the Privy Council. THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. REINFORCEMENTS AND THE DISTRICT QUOTA SYSTEM. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, December 23. Speaking to a reporter to-day the Hon J. Aden said tho quota system in regard to the reinforcements was unsatisfactory, since it demanded a certain number. of men from the various Srovinces without taking cognisance of be fact that adequate response was ‘.more difficult'in'some cases » than in others. A' very large number of men wore clamouring to get away, and he had to go into the question of men who had been enrolled and passed and then told to wait until called on. Many of. these were extremely anxious to getj away and lie had to consider the posi-l - tion. As the quota system had proved unsatisfactory it was probable that j there would be a rearrangement of the | system. _ | The Minister added that the rein-j i'forcements who had gone were well,' ' though lie could not' disclose their ''whereabouts. They had lost two horses, but that was the sum total of their misfortunes. I. • • : •* MESSAGES TO EGYPT. The Telegraph Office advises that plain language cable messages for members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt may be accepted from this morning (December 24), at a charge of llid a word. The word “soldier” must be written in the instructions to identify the class of message. STATEMENT BY MR. ALLEN. V [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, December 23. The Hon James Allen informed a reporter this evening that he considered there was now nothing to' prevent lotters being addressed direct to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force jn Egypt He added that letters so addressed would be forwarded despite the fact that there has been no cancellation of official intimation that such correspondence’, had to be addressed to the General Post Office, Wellington, by which it was then forwarded on to its destination. The attention of Mr Allen was directed to a' cablegram from Melbourne in which it was stated that arrangements bad been made for sending cheap weekend cablegrams to the Australian troops in Egypt, and in reply to a question whether such a reduction could not be made for similar New Zealand cablegrams he stated that the PostmasterGeneral had had the matter in hand for- the past few days and was trying to make some arrangement with the cable companies whereby facilities could be granted to New Zealand on the lines obtained in Australia. Mr Allen stated " that he did not know what bad been > accomplished.

TRADE WITH ENEMY. A GERMAN IN COURT. [Per Press Association.] WELL ING TON. December. 23. A German named Henrick Wilhcln Magnus Duerkop, partner in a firm o merchants in business'in Auckland un der the stylo Duerkop and Alnckay | was charged at the Magistrate's Coun to-day on five informations with at tempting to trade with the cnenij (Germany). Four of these information! were laid under the Regulation, ol Trade Act, 1014, and the fifth undei the Trade with the Enemy Act-, 1914 The hearing was adjourned till I>e comber 30, ..when application will be made for a further remand until January 8. Duerkop is at present a prisoner oi War on Somes Island, .and in the event of his release on parole bail was fixed at £IOO. WAR RI-KS. [Per Paess Association.] WELLINGTON, December 23. The Department of Agriculture. Industries and Commerce has received advice from the High Commissioner that Lloyd’s war risk insurance lias been reduced to £1 4s during the outward voyage, from England and during the return voyage from New Zealand. PORT OF LONDON. IPep Press Association.] , WELLINGTON, December 23. The following cablegram was received yesterday afternoon by the local branch of a big warehouse firm in Manchester: “ London traffic suspended. Shipping via Liverpool.” This is interpreted in some quarters to moan that the port of- London has been,closed to shipping. No official confirmation has yet been received of the report. AMUSEMENTS. QUEEN’S THEATRE. At the Queen’s Theatre yesterday t.bo programme was shown for_ the last time. To-day ‘‘The New York Girl” will he the principal film in the new programme,, which will also include “Tho Crinio. of Cain,” “The Greater Love,” “Oh. That Jack of Diamonds” and tho “ Gaumont Gazette.” To-morrow the Queen’s Theatre will be open from 2.30 to 5.30 and (3.30 to 10.30 p.m. GRAND THEATRE. A new sot of films will bo introduced at the Grand Theatre to-day, including “Tho Isle of Abandoned Hope,” “Toll of the Desert,” “ The Estrangement.” “Bloomer Photographer,” “The Midnight- Wedding" and war films. To-morrow the Grand Theatre will be open from, 2.30 to 5.30 and 6.30 to 10.30 p.m., when the same films will be shown'. ' GLOBE THEATRE. A new set of films will bo exhibited at the Globe Theatre to-day. They will include “A Million in Jewels,” “An Enemy’s Aid.” “Across the French Sura,” “On the Lazy lane,” “ The Spring Lock ” and a war special. On Christmas Day the pictures will be shown from 2.30 to 5.30 and 6.30 to 10.30 p.m. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. “ Tess of the Storm Country” and the pictures supporting it were shown at His Majesty’s Theatre again last night and will be repeated this evening. To-morrow night a Christmas programme. including “Tess of the Storm Country ” will be shown. . FULLER’S PICTURES. “ The Woman with Red Hair ’ and its supporting films were shown again last night at the Colosseum. This evening and to-morrow evening the % same pictures will be exhibited. SYDENHAM PICTURES. There was a large attendance at the Empire Theatre last night, when the current programme was screened for the last time. To-night tlic following i new series will he shown: —"The Moman with the Red Hair ” (star detective drama). “ A Visit to Spain and the Gulf of Rosa” (scenic), “A Dog’s' Good Deed” (drama), “Mr Bunny in Disguise” (comedy), “Bully Bov ” and ■ “Those Country Kids” (comedies). On Christmas Night tho; programme! will include films entitled “ God’s Inn by the Sea” and “Love Yc one Another.” “ THE SILENCE OF DEAN MAITLAND.” Mr Charles M’Mahon promises an interesting picture season at the , Theatre Royal. Ho will open with “The Silence of's)ean Maitland.” This; photo-play, which is a powerful picture j dramatisation of a popular novel, was | secured by him exclusively for New . Zealand from the Fraser Film Company, Sydney. It. is described as “ a veritable triumph in dramatic condensation and in photography, and a play in picture form that has never been excelled for interest and for mechanical perfection.” According to the Welling- j ton and Auckland papers, it quite sus- 1 ta-ined this criticism on its production ! in Wellington and Auckland. Follow- j ing this feature film “The Lights o’ London” will be produced on New Year’s Night in picture form. This particular dramatisation was personally supervised by the author, Mr G. R. Sims, in London. A special series of sterling pictures has been secured in support of both these “star ” films. The box plan is now open' at the Dresden. FLORENCE YOUNG COMPANY. The Florence Young Company will' give their opening performance on Sat-1 urday at the Opera House, when “ Tho I Climax,” a three-act musical comedy, 1 will be presented in the Dominion for I tho first time. The company includes ] the well-known and favourite operatic , singer Miss Florence Young, who was for many years associated with the | J. C. Williamson operatic companies and she is supported by Mr Reginald Rob- I erts, Claude Bautock and Edward I Sherras, all frequent visitors to New i Zealand. ’These clever artists are uot! only decidedly musical and artistic, but I they are also gifted with bright and j breezy humour. Tho Njew Zealand j tour is undei' the direction of Messrs Stephenson and Liuley, and the season in Christchurch is limited to five nights. Reserved seats may be secured ' at the Dresden, and day sales at Toy Cave.