LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5349, 4 February 1916, Page 5

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.

LEGAL TUSSLE OVER APPAM.

TREATED AS BRITISH SHIP

MOEWE IDENTITY A MYSTERY

(Received this day at 9.3 b n.ni.l Washington, This, Day.

The Neutrality Board lefirms that the German Embassy admits the Appam in a war prize and not a German auxiliary cruiser. The question now to be settled is whether the RrussoAmeriean Treaty of 1828. whereby Germany and America, agreed to admit each others prizes to their jwirts. over-rides articles twenty-one arid twenty-three of the Hagiie Convention, whereon the British Ambassador relies. For tlio moment the (Initial States is treating the Appam as a British ship which put into an American port flying a German flag, in charge of a man who says ho belongs to the German naw.

The identity <\ r the Moewe is still undisclosed, A member of the crow states that be read the name of Ponga

i upon the armed disguised mercliantI man which attacked British ships. MOEWE FROM BULGARIAN PORT. THEORY Of"TaSSENGERS. APPAM CEASELESSLY GUARDED (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) London, This Day. Official: Mr Spaing Rice has demanded the Appam’s release. * The “Daily Telegraph’s” New York correspondent states that all night the Appam was ceaselessly guarded arid nobody was allowed to go ashore. Lieut. Berg and the prize crew of twenty-two are still in control over 409 prisoners. Lieut. Berg warned newspaper men “not to corile near my men as they might shoot.” Reporters occasionally went alongside in boats and received scrappy and confusing stories. Passengers mostly scoffed at the idea that the Moewe is from Kiel and hint-eel that she came from a Bulgarian port equipped by the Bulgars and Turks. Passengers believe that the chief reason why the Appam was brought across tlie Atlantic was to add to the embarrassments of Washington and to give the idea that Britain’s control of the seas is incomplete.

TAKE WEEKS TO DECIDE

DISCUSSION BY LAWYERS.

(Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) Washington, This Day. It is possible that it will be weeks before the ownership and status of the Appam are decided. The lawyers are actively discussing the position. The British Consul is arranging for the crew and passengers to return to England. Many are without money. The authorities have sent coal and food aboard.

WHY SHE WAS NOT SUNK

gIrMAN PRISONERS ABOARD

(Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) London, This Day. The “Westminster Gazette” says it is evident tluat the presence on board of twenty German prisoners from the Cameroons is the reason why the Appam was not sent to the bottom. Thus there lias been no change in the German policy since the Lusitania incident, but the Germans are not callous enough to consign their own people to the cruel fate prepared for other nationalities.

ADVANCE ON THE TIGRIS

TURKS’ TRENCHES FLOODED

GAIN BY THE BRITISH

(Received this day at 8.20 a.m.) London, This Day.

Mr Chandler (war correspondent) reports that a rise in tlie river has inundated the Turkish portion of Kutelamara* and tlie enemy lias evacuated the entire length of the trenches on our north-west front, falling back two thousand yards. General Townshend’s reconnoitring patrol has advanced twelve bundled yards and occupied twenty-two rows of deep trenches with miles of communications honeycombing tlie whole position. General Townshend has wirelessed dailv to force the advance up the 1 ljjris. THE LUSITANIA OUTRAGE. IL LEG A LITY ADM ITTED. (Received this <Lay at 9.30 a.m.) London, This Day. Tlie “Exchange” correspondent at Washington says Count Bemstorff will admit- to-day the illegality of th** sinking of the Lusitania and give an order for indemnity. DAMAGE BY ZEPPELINS. HOVERED OVER INLAND TOWNS. INCENDIARY BOMBS USED. • Received this day «t 9.30 a.m.) London, This Day. Zeppelins hovered over Derbyshire town on Monday from eight until midnight and occasionally dropped bombs. There were some casualties Another Zeppelin over Staffordshire town dropped nineteen incendiary bombs in half an hour. Two dropped near picture theatres and a third near a theatre. Another set fir** to a brewery and the bomb wrecked a mission room.

A Zeppelin was over Leicestershire town from eight to ten-thirty, dropping four bombs and killing and injuring several, besides damaging a number of houses. The “Daily Chronicle” states that in a small area in Staffordshire twenty-six people were killed and ten injured. There were two separate visits here and the whole district re. verberated with explosions. As the result - of one explosion thirteen people. were killed. One bomb made h hole m the road seven feet deep and ten feet wide. A family of five was killed in one house which was minced to a heap of bricks and mortar. All the tenements in this street are now windowless. A number of people stato that the Zeppelins were flying very low. The “Chronicle” also states incendiary bombs fell on the roof til a theatre in Staffordshire and rolled into the street. The audience huddled together in the darkness until the danger had passed and sang the National Anthem. A lady lecturess in «. Parish Hall was killed, also two women in the audience. A bomb wrecked a billiard room, killing a player. Mis opponent. was not injnrei 1. Three Zeppi tins crossed the Norfolk coast »it a leisurely speed and dropped twenty bombs, which wrecked a farmhouse, but. there was no casualty. A small town in Lincolnshire was damaged Houiihs fell on a Derbyshire town, killing three men. Other missiles fell harmlessly in open country. The War Office states flint in Alotiday’s raid thirty-three men, twenty women and six children were killed; and fifty-one men. forty-eight women and two children were injured. One church, and a congregational chape] were badly damaged: a parish room was wricked and fourteen houses <le molished, while a great number wore

damaged less Some qf the less serious damage included railway property in two places. Only two factories, neither of military importance, and a brewery were badly damaged. Two or three other factories were slightly affected. The total number of bombs discovered was three hundred, many falling in rural districts harmlessly.

TRADING IN ENEMY GOODS.

IMPORTATIONS CEASED

Auckland. This Day. The statement was recently made that enemy goods were reaching the Dominion through neutral countries. Mr Massey says that so far as the Customs Department ciuld learn and l it had very wide powers of inquiry, importations of goods from enemy countries had entirely ceased. Regarding an enquiry why the legislation of last session which imposed an additional duty of fifty per cent, on all enemy goods has not been brought into operation, Mr Massey explained that this ta riff prohibition was designed to prevent importation after the war of goods from conutries with which the Empire is now at war. It does not operate now because the importation of enemy goods is totally prohibited, and any attempt to introduce articles of enemy origin would constitute a criminal offence, punishable by severe penalties. The British Consuls in riei. tra! countries had been instructed to watch the movement of enemy goods and their reports to the British Government are communicated to the Dominion.