GENERAL NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 14 February 1916, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS.

ENEMY DESIGNS ON EGYPT: SVItIAX (O.M.MANDKIfS VIEWS. LONDON. I'Vh. 11. Tin* Saloniea correspondent oj’ ‘The Time-’ >avs; “It is reixirted on excellent. authority that Dicmal I* isha enjoys absolute independence in tlie Syrian I'oinnr’ml. nnl'V-' (le-man-ruled officers elsewhere. Djemal has categorically refused to move against Egypt until a minimum of ‘Jo,OOO flermtn sol-

diet's ami a huge and Wel'-found Turkish iirniy are nv.idable lor ihe oxpdilion. He Irankly refuses to tako on. such terrible hardships as iho list expedition encountered. He says thai, ihe Germans should share the trials and still'eriiigs ol an o||'en-ive ni.)vonnni." IN MESOPOTAMIA. ARAL TKK.ACIIFRY IM'.NISi I K,|). LONDON. Keh. J I. The War Of lice stale.-,; ,\ detachment while making a ii'coi.n lissance along Ihe hraiielles of the Tigris (<iiei>uni i reil ilu Turks, hut Arab, who hti hertn had l.ecn Iricndly attacked nil le the detachment was reuniting. The llrihsh had ''lf.'l casualties and the enemy had over ."'Oil killed. A punitive oo.uiun. Mil i' sent, MirprVed ihe Ar.ihs and iiosl roved four villages. INDIA'S LOYALTY. TIIK, KINO'S AI'IMM'X I ATI ON.

j LONDON. Keh. IJ. The Kiie.',, replying to an addro-s from Indian officer---, said: "I will he glad l:i receive in person the Indian officer- who have iai, lii'uily horne lhe-r share in the coidl.ct and have upheld the honor of the Indians in tin* worldw .de war. I welcome yv.iir presence as a symbol ol the 'unity of ihe Kmpire iind selling the *oal on the heroic ellons of the sacrificing hid.an s iu the war with ;il'. the other force- from oversea- and Homo. lam deeply toirhed , hv the ih chiral on of loyalty, andgratoilu| for your generous recognition of ! hrotherly leoling for your lellow-sub-jects of the Kmpire. India has heen consecrated, a I resii by the blood of her sons, shed far from home in a quarrel which, while the might of ilie Kmpire protects Inilia's shores, die- not conic near the lives and lortuiies of your kiih and kin. The liherties of the whole Kmpire have heeii put into the scale, and, please (o'd, hid.a w.ll enjoy these in an increasin<j; measure as she advances the path of so;ial improvement and political expi'i ieiice." AUSTRIA'S 'INDUSTRIAL PLIGHT. LONDON. Keh. 11. ypeikiipj; at the Industrial Club in 'Vienna on the outlook after the war, fieri- Rieill, an olfuer in the ALnisiry of CoiiuiK rce, said that Austria's commercial situation for the first si x mouths after the war won d he >\- tremely dangerous, owing to the veritable la'niine m riw maierial-. On y two count lies, .If rita in and America, would be able to rosiiute industrial product ion imiuediaiely. Although Au-i ro-( voruian industries were intact, they la. kid raw niatet-ials. and unless Austria w is preliared to prohibit importations Britain and America niigbl take all Ihe pruf'rs. "The siiu-jt. on," Hi rr K edl urged, "rei|tiiieil priimpt orgi nisat ion iu industrial inleiosts. .Peace might come M.Oliei- lb 111 espieled. It e aild cllli' tivcr-nighi •"

AMERICAS ATTITUDE. \\.\l\ SFI'RKTAKY'S .R-KSI WASHINGTON. I'"eb..li'. Mr LiiKlley Harrison War Soer>'t-ary i n-'ifiiH'i! because I'resideu, Wilson j-e-. I'uKcd t.» :itli>|>r. the proposal It. establish :i sufficiently siniiiii army In defend ihe l : niliml Slates. President Wilson declares iliai Im believes that- tho present proora mme is iill I.lm i is require. I. Me complains bitterly ol tin- iiiisiiiiders:.iiidiii!i "i the I'liiied Staios' position | iironylioiil tinworld. Ho is (tot- afraid of tin- verdict of history, which will show that ho took I.ho course in not allowing the world's <(iitinv| to become -V inoriea's (|iiarrol. Ho warns tho country that iho Irouhh' lias merely hoen held at arm's length., and there is n<i knortiny; when tlioy minlit a; tually ho-involved ; hence the neees.-.it'v for preparedness. IN OFRMAN EAST AFRICA. LONDON, Feb. !?'. Uciioral Sir 11. L. Sm it h-Dornen i rt'lin was in command of tho South African Forces in Oortnan Fast Allien") is suH'erinn from severe inlluoir/.a and a relapse. FRENCH JOURNALISTS' VISIT. LONDON, Feb. I'J.

A partv el French nro\ illcial f ill nia 1i,5t..4, i,5t..4, r«-|ji ; .-si-nl vis'iiii" i.l 1* - lie i" ;uiil mnnit'ou :j t <-'.s. J{t. 'Hon. H. L. Samuel dlo„:o Siyit|.sr,v), en hdialf of the Cuv.TiMiifnl . :il •i hai>(|tiet ;i|. I In- Savoy Hotel. said lie hoped the gnosis would return eonvineei) that ihe Hntish el'i'orl w:i s no! unworthy to rnnk with tin" miirhiv and f-tipronio simple Franco herself was m:i k in vr. SIR RIDER HAGGARD'S MINION. KARL OK.KY'S M KSSAN F. LONDON, l'"e ; i. r..\ Keforo So- Ruler HaLVJia id '■ w !io intends to vi-il I lie oversea dominions the settlement of soldiers') siuled he received a t in from l'".:irl Grey ■ fx-Govoinor-(.'enoral of Canada), who sniil. "I ;iin Mirry that certain newspaper eriti.'s ohjoct to your mission. If the Kmpiro is to eontinuo there must he interiniirrat inn hetween Filmland's doininions. Tlie settlement, of vacant, dominion lands with Hilton* will <-'> nt rihute !o the s!ien:_'lh and safely of the Kmpiro." OERMANY AND CHINA. I HARK AFTKR 'III K WAR. PKKIN. Fob. I'J. A German merchant, ha-- secured an after-war contract for arms and niuniI ions amounting to 7,(KM) UDO tads. ON THE WEST FRONT. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S RFI'OKT. LONDON, Fob. i;t-

The Hrif'sh Headquarters reports that there have Keen futile aerial atl.acks;» Ttu» eiiemv hroko our trenches tivrir PilekeiU. hut were, drivrn •out with lores' In I it. Two infantry attacks ahout lln> I'iVkeni road ivim'o also repul.scd. ■ln an underground It f4J.it. near the Conimine (anal I h<'. eneniv u ore dri\en hack, «iiir njuiers ficin«j their charge. KM.) I'IMSO.NKKS TAKK.N. \VKIvUN(;TO\. Feh. 1 I. The lliuli <'omnii-soiiier reports a-* follnw.s, dated '..ondon, February I■l.'.''. p.m.): French fire damaged I lie I'nrl'-re.ss til' l v asehen<laello ami exploded a munitions depot-. As Ihe result id' actions on Tuesday and Wednesday we reclaimed the greater portion of the trench- r-e----111 :i iit 111 -_r iu 'he hands <if the < .leinv. counter.;ii Lacks t'aiiiuir to eject- ns. In Champ-urne. in the course of ri u attack with e;'ei;ades at the Unite d» Me-nil, we tool.- in prisoners. The ll'ieh C'oinii:: -sioner repnrls as follow*, dated l,!)iiden. February I'J (•".'JO n.m.l: After fnriher artillery action | h.e l'Veiudi gained possession of •''HO met ret; of one">v trenches at the Pulfede Vlesnil. The e"cmy ; u-an ineffectual counter-at tack lost GO prisoners. SN'CREASEO REVENUE. '.ONDON. Kel>. 11.

The 'Spectator' urouoscs a. general. IfVI valorem thrill' of 10 dim- cont. with :i rebate of 1 wr cent, t-o bona, fide Imperial products. To increase the revenue it. was necessary also to iiHToa.se tho tnxat'ou, wli'di. inci-oaso must touch p.V classes. It is essential to sot more .ships frcp to carry munition for the troops.

MR ASHMEAD HARTLETT. FIRST LFA'TLILFJN SYILNEY. "SYDNKY, Feb. |,'{. . Mr Ashinead Rarlletl. in his opening lecture iusiilied the withdrawal of (he ! I'.rilish 'from Oallipoh. The Kriti.sh could have held out, against, the Turks. and ho believed they could have cut across the pen insula, bill, could, not ' stand the chance of half a million Bulgar.s fading on to.) of our isolated forces.

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES. NAMKS OF NF.W XL A LAN DKRS. SVDNK.V. Keh. IT Cas.it,ill v list' IU contained Un. l followine New Zc-.ilanders : Die.'l of illnes.s. Privale ,1 . 11. Kichniond. 111.-' Privates L. F. McKay, li. (i. (.'entil D. Krowu. L. K. MeCardie. 1). (Jriggs. Corpora! 11. Shalders (all adinilted to hospital at (dieziieh). Private N, 11. Luiii-dcu (admitted to hospital at. lleiio])olis). Privaies AV. A. Kt-iiser and H. H. Illation (adinilt.>d to ■hospital at, Cairo), Private H. White (ret ti rned to duty).