LATE WAR NEWS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 1198, 13 December 1917, Page 8

LATE WAR NEWS.

THE HALIFAX DISASTER.

CRUISER'S NARROW ESCAPE. CASUALTIES AMONGST CREW. By Ct^le. — Press Association. — Covyright. Av.xtva.lian and N.Z Oa'-lr Association (Rec. Dee. 13, 12.15) HALIFAX. Dec. 12. are seven (lend aboard the Canadian cruiser Niobe. Five other members of the crew who were afloat in a boat were drowned. The Niobe broke from her moorings, but was secured before she sustained any damage.

I The Niobe is » cruiser of 11,000 tons displacement, completed in 1809. She carries 1(1 six-inch and 12 twelve-inch guns, with two torpedo tubes. Her complement is Coo.]

BRITAIN'S WAR BILL.

ESTIMATE GREATLY EXCEEDED. Ueuter's Telegrams. (Pec. Dec. 13, 12.:i5) LONDON, Dec. 12. In the House of Commons, Mr A. Bonar Law (Chancellor of the Exchequer), moving the credit vote of £550.000,000, estimated that the fitOOifIOO.OOO voted on October 30 would cover expenditure until Jannary 0. The new vote will bring the total for the year to £2.1)50,000.

The average daily expenditure for the (;" d.-ivs preceding December 1 v. ns fP,001,000, exceeding the Budpet estimate by £1,383,000 daily.

[Great Britain's total war expenditure is now CO 212.000.000. The amounts voted in successive vonrs have been:—lol4-15, £3> ! ,2,(SO'M)OO; 191.", 10. £1.420.000.(100; 1910-17, £2 010,000.000: 1917-10 (including the present vote), ?2 15.000.000.]