General War News

Southland Times, Issue 17662, 21 February 1916, Page 2

General War News

European Theatre WESTERN FRONT. GERMAN OBJECTIVE ON EITHER PLANK CALAIS AND VERDUN. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright) . PARIS, February 18. M. Marcel Hutin writes in the Echo cle Paris that the British have already regained severaLsection of the 600 yards of captured trenches south-east of Ypres. The British have been expecting a German attempt to break through to Calais for some time, as the Germans have been largely reinforcing their line and bringing up thousands of tons of munitions. Seeing that only a few sheds and trenches were captured, while heavy German losses were incurred by their offensive, the movement is virtually equivalent to a failure. M. Hutin adds that it is reported that the Crown Prince has been promoted to be Commander-in-Chief of the armies in the Argonne, Lorraine, and Alsace, and is contemplating another attempt to capture Verdun. THE MOEWITS EXPLOIT BRITISH PATROLS BLUFFED RETURNED APPAM PASS UNGERS, j TELL VXVXD STORY. LONDON, February IS. One hundred of the Appam’s passengers have arrived here. Mr Billingsham, a gold miner, who kept a dairy, states that the Clan McTavisli fired seven shots and the Moewe fired four shots in their running battle on January IS. The German commander, says Mr Billingsham, sent a message to Captain Merewether, of the Appam, stating that all passengers who would give their word of honour not tp take up arms against Germany during the war would be conveyed to their destination. Capt. Merewether recommended everybody to sign this undertaking, as there was no alternative. On January 30 Mr Billingsham wrote in his diary; “Our coal cannot last much longer, and we have only five days’ more provisions. It seems strange that we have been roaming about the Atlantic for two weeks, without a British ship coming to assistance. "Lieutenant Berg (commander of the Moewe) told us the Moewe got out of the Kiel Canal in a fog on New Yepr’s Day. She passed some British warships, who signalled and asked if she bad seen any Germans. The Moewe replied “No,” and wished the British a Happy New’ Year. Throughout the Moewe communicated with' them as though she were an ordinary British trader. “There has been a rumour,” continued Mr Billingsham, “that the passengers on the Appam met in the lounge and decided to take over the ship and wipe out the .German crew, but I did not hear of it. When the Germans ordered the Appam to stop, the German prisoners from the Cameroons, realising that they were about to be released, smashed the doors of the cabins where they were confined. We had to give up our firearms, knive’s, and telescopes. Our captor even took away the golf sticks from one man and a sjambok from another.” A Liverpool passenger states; “The Germans launched two boats filled with men armed with revolvers and other-fire-arms. When the German boarded the Appam they ordered the ship’s officers from the bridge, but said they would not sink the ship. We saw the. Clan MeTavish sink bow first; and some of her crew reached us in small boats, including some injured Lascars. Our rations wore very low. For breakfast we had kippered herrings and a piece of bread: for lunch three biscuits and a piece of cheese; and for dinner, curry, and rice. The drinking water was very short." Lieutenant Howell, of the Royal Navy, who had been at the Cameroons, noticed tha.t the Moewe was well provisioned. The German officers boasted that after leaving the Kiel Canal they passed 10 British ships. room supplies ALLIES FOOL PURCHASES MELBOURNE, February 19. Referring to wheat shipments for the Imperial authorities, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Hazelthorne) announces that in reply to the offer of a further 150,000 tons he has been notified that the Allies have decided to co-ordin-ate in the purchase of food supplies, and have formed an Allied International Food Purchase Commission, which is purchasing wheat in single cargoes as it is offered, paying full London price for Australian wheat. WOMAN SPY’S SENTENCE LONDON, February IS. Mr Herbert Samuel informed the House of Commons that the British woman spy recently sentenced to death in the Old Bailey had had her sentence commuted to servitude (? for life). * LABOUR AND THE WAR. > LONDON, February IS. Sir Thomas Mackenzie presided at the Hon, B. R. Wise’s lecture at the School of Economics on the subject of Industrial Organisation.” The lecturer said that although the workmen’s right to combine for trade purposes was recognised, anomalies existed. Traders and companies were permitted to do things which the law forbade unions. Y’et the latter were empowered to take collective action, for example, to strike without incurring collective liability. Power without authority was likely to increase the danger to the State and was also a weakness to the workers themselves. The most pressing industrial problem to-day was to turn trade unions from mere weapons of attack into a constructive instrument with a view to rebuilding our industrial society. Australia had given the lead by bodly declaring that an industry unable to pay a living wage'ought not'to be permitted to continue. Tariff revision would become urgent after the war. Nothing would unite the Empire more.