NEWS SUMMARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15884, 3 April 1915, Page 6

NEWS SUMMARY.

Auckland: The railway traffic on Thursday was very heavy. Retailers report having done excellent business on Thursday night. All trains to Rotorua were crowded by excursionists on Thursday. The contributions to the Auckland Belgian Fund now amount to £48,519 19s Id. Heavy rain interfered with the holiday yesterday, and harbour trips were not' well patronised. Tho annual picnic of the employees of the Auckland Tramways Company had to be abandoned yesterday owing to the rain. T!i-« dangers existing in the careless handling of caustic soda were emphasised at an inquest into the death of a 14 months' old infant on Thursday. Evidence at the inquest concerning tho lift fatality in Hobson Buildings was concluded on Thursday, and the coroner's verdict will be announced on Wednesday. The New Zealand University Tournament commences to-day, when the visiting teams will be accorded a civic reception, and the lawn tennis championships will commence. The steamer Corinna will, on Monday, take 3517 boxes of butler and 521 crates of cheese to Wellington for transhipment to tho Rotorua, which leaves for London next week. During the 48 hours ending at midnight a total of 2.53 in of rain was registered by the Herald gauge. Practically the whole of this amount fell between 10 a.m. and noon yesterday. Two young men were drowned in tho Tamaki River early yesterday morning, owing to the upsetting of tho dinghy from which they -were fishing. A thirc man narrowly escaped death. New Zealand: It is stated that two new freezing works are to be established in North Canterbury. Details of the railway working account for the four weeks ended February 27 are announced. Particulars of the Government's shipments of frozen meat for tho Imperial Government have been given by the Prime Minister. The Customs revenue collected in Wellington for the past month, quarter, and year shows decreases as compared with the previous corresponding periods. The Prime Minister states that the Government may be called upon to return to New South Wales the same quantity of wheat that was recently supplied by that State to New Zealand. Donations to the New- Zealand Belgian Relief Fund are coming in at the rate of about £5000 per month. With the Government's addition of £10,000 a total of £15,000 a month is made up. Her Excellency the Countess of Liverpool is appealing to the women of New Zealand for extra comforts for the expeditionary force in Egypt, and Her Majesty the Queen has, through Her EsceUency, thanked New Zealanders for previous gifts to soldiers. The War: A doctor serving with the field artillery confirms the statement that the Germans use petrol bombs. Tho Australian Navy Office has issued a statement of the movements of the Australian fleet between July 3 and January 9.

The Swedish newspapers scarcely credit the Falaba and Aquila incidents. The Tidningen declares that it reveals a perfectly horrible desperation. Berlin was bedecked with flags in honour of the centenary of the birth of Bismarck. The Crown Prince's eon represented the Kaiser at the celebrations. Tho Admiralty has obtained conclusive proof that German agents are fomenting strikes in Britain, particularly in Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol and Birkenhead. A neutral correspondent writes that very little of the great defeat of the German Army at the Marne is known by the German people owing to the censorship. The Commonwealth Government has agreed to supplv , South Africa with preserved meat to the value of £124,000. A large quantity will also be sent to India. The New York Journal oppresses the v. hope that the brutes responsible for the 1 loss of life at the sinking of the Falaba will be caught and hanged. The Union forces occupy two important posts, giving access to the trading station of Aus, in German Scrath-west Africa. The Germans had previously withdrawn. It is reported from Copenhagen that Germany has dieady advanced Turkey £40,000,000. Von der Goltz is endeavouring to arrange for the loan of an additional £25,000,000 The Lubeck shipbuilding yards, on the Baltic coast of Germany, are concentrating on the construction of submarines, which a naval officer states show many improvements. Tho Canadian Minister for Defence has announced that it is the intention of the Government to keep upwards of 75,000 Canadians 'n the firing line thioughout the war, if necessary. A Simla message states that 10,000 tribesmen attacked Tochi, near Miranshah, in the north-west province of India. The force'was driven back, 200 being killed and 300 wounded. Lord Derby, with Lord Kitchener's permission, is forming a battalion of dockers at Liverpool, under military law for home service to cany on Government work in the docks. The Commonwealth Minister for Defence states that Australia is sending another infantry brigade of about 4500 to the front. Others will follow as soon as they are equipped. The steamer Crown of Castile has been sunk oft" the Scillies. The crew were rescued. Submarine U2B chased the Crown of Castile for an hour, and eventually sunk her by shell-fire. A message from Melbourne states that a further £20,000 has been cabled to the Belgian Relief Commission. This is the fourth instalment that has been sent since the fresh appeal was made. It is officially stated that a French light cruiser chased a submarine at Dieppe, and fired a number of shots at her periscope. She then passed above the submarine, and subsequently oil rose to the surface. The Board of Trade has appointed a committee, including Mr. Thomas Mackenzie, to consider questions arising in connection with any surplus of Australasian lamb and mutton purchased for the Imperial authorities. An airman carried out a successful attack on German submarines being constructed at Hoboken, near Antwerp, on April 1. Another airman observed 'two submarines lying alongside the mole at Ztebrugge and dropped four bombs with good results. The German submarine U2B torpedoed the steamer Flaminian off the Scillv Islands on Tuesday. The crew landed safely. Ten shots from a quick-firer were . fired at the Flaminian, which was eventu-ally-torpedoed, the crew having barelv *i | time to take to the boats. '