THE WORLD WAR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 June 1924, Page 8 (Supplement)

THE WORLD WAR.

„ . 1914-1918. NEW ZEALAND INVOLVED. The decade which has elapsed since the “Timaru Herald” published its jubilee supplement on June 11, 1914, proved to be the most momentous period in the history of New Zealand—of the British Empire—of the whole world in fact. Within a month of the publication of that supplement broke out the Great World War, which was felt in every continent and in every ocean. New Zealand felt the thrill of a call to arms, and feels still the shock o.f the conflict that ensued. That call had an immediate and memorable effect upon the public life of this Dominion. The provincialism which had characterised the several districts into which the Dominion was divided for administrative purposes was entirely laid aside. The whole population became united as it had never been united before. Many public questions had agitated the wnole or a great portion of the people, but there were internal questions, which produced division, not unity; twosided controversies, sucn as No License, Bible in School, etc. It is true that the Boar War had, before that time, provided an exciting external question, which aroused general enthusiasm, but in nothing .u.tce the degree that marked the opening of the Great War, ten years ago. This event thrust aside as entirely negligible all internal controversaries. Party politics were forgotten, and their leaders combined to form a National Government, with a single policy; “New Zealand must do its duty to the Mother Country and to the world, by taking arms against international bad faith, unprovoked aggression; against an effort of Imperialism and “Kultur” to crush Democracy and “culture.” It is impossible to say much about that great disturbance of the life and prosperity of the world, and of New Zealand as part of it. We must content ourselves with giving a few and imperfect reminders of how the war started, and how New Zealand played an honourable part in it, with special reference to South Canterbury’s share in it.

THE FIRST SPARK. How the war began, and where and when, are questions answered by the contemporary records. Why it started is a question which involves the history of the Greater and Lesser Powers of Europe for many years prior to 1914, during which international jealousies developed, out of which sprang a war spirit which overcame the love of peace. In consequence the greater part of Europe came to resemble a mass of oily waste, ready to exhibit the phenomenon of spontaneous combustion throughout, and needing, but a spark to cause it to burst into flame. The spark was thrown into the mass on June 28, 1914, at the Servian town of Serajevo, by the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, by a Servian youth. In consequence of this outrage the Austrian Government made demands on Servia which the Servian Government could not accede to. Austria threatened to use force. Russia interfered on behalf of Servia; Germany opposed Russia in support of Austria; France proposed to help Russia, her ally-; Germany therefore threatened France. A month was spent in negotiations to induce Austria to abate her demands, Britain especially acting as peacemaker, but in vain. Austria made war on Servia, and Russia on Germany. Germany attacked France, and in order to do so more effectually aßked Belgium to permit her army to cross that country unmolested. Belgium refused the right-ofway asked for. Germany invaded Belgium,, and Britain declared war against the invader in defence of Belgium’s neutrality. The spark at Serajevo became a European conflagration, and finally, within a few years, all the nations in the world became more or less involved in it as the following list will show:—

DECLARATIONS OF WAR. 1914. July 28—Austria against Servia. Aug. I—Germany against Russia. Aug. 3— Germany against France. Aug. 4—Britain against Germany. Aug. 7—Montenegro against Austria-Hungary. Aug. 10—France against Austria-Hungary. Aug. 12—Britain against Austria-Hungary. Aug. 23—Japan against Germany. Aug. 25—Austria against Japan. Nov. 4—Russia against Turkey.

Nov. 4—France against Turkey. Nov. s—Britain against Turkey.

1915. May 23—Italy against Austria. Aug. 20—Italy against Turkey. Oct. 14—Bulgaria against Servia. Oct. 15—Britain against Bulgaria Oct. 16—France against Bulgaria. Oct. 10—Italy against Bulgaria.

1916. Mar. 10—Germany against Portugal. Aug. 27—Italy against Germany. Aug 27.—Roumania against Austro-Hungary. Aug. 28—Germany against Roumania. Aug. 30—Turkey against Roumania. 1917. April 6—U.S.A. against Germany. April 7—Cuba against Germany. June 30—Greece against Germany and Austria. July 22—Siam against Germany and Austria. Aug. 14-r-China against Germany and Austria. Dec. 7—U.S.A. against Austria. 1918. Aug.l3—Russian Bolshevists against the Allies. Tne following nations broke off diplomatic relations with Germany in 1917:—Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Hayti, Costa Rica, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, San Domingo.

THE WAR BEGINS. The war began with patrol skirmishes between Austria and Servia on July 28, but very little had been done before the Western nations were also at war. On July 31 Germany presented disagreeable ultimatums to Russia and to France, and immediately commenced operations against France. Belgium, foreseeing danger, had strengthened her frontier, and, refusing free right-of-way to the Germans, gallantly resisted invasion—so gallantly that France and Britain came to her assistance before the enemy got through her country, and much of the war in the west was fought on Belgian soil. Brussels, the capital, was surrendered early to save it from destruction, but many other fine cities were laid waste by the Germans, who also treated the inhabitants with the greatest brutality because they obstructed their progress.

BRITAIN MAKES READY. A cable message of the end of July said: “Almost the whole of the white civilised world is arming simultaneously. If France and Germany mobilise, Britain must make instant preparations to back her Allies.” Having played the role of mediator in vain, and seeing that a great war was imminent, Britain made preparations for it. On July 30 the Home Fleet, just returned from manoeuvres at sea, left Portsmouth, amid great cheering ashore, for an undisclosed destination, fully prepared for war service. Its destination was inferred later from the information that the German Grand Fleet was “bottled up in the Kiel Canal.” The coastal defences were strengthened and manifold other precautionary steps taken. Admiral Jellicoe, who is now Governor-General of this Dominion, was appointed Admiral-in-Chief. A London newspaper, in announcing the appointment said of him:—“He is silent, alert, vigorous, and decisive; a splendid administrator; cool and determined; a man of judgment, with nothing spectacular in his ideas of warfare. His motto is ‘Strike; Strike hard, and Strike again.’ ” Britain’s mobilisation order produced a rush of recruits, and within a week a hundred thousand men had been enlisted for service. The Regular Army furnished the earlier overseas forces. The first despatched to France was announced to have arrived there, completely equipped for a campaign, on August 20—“ a triumph of organisation.” (Possibly it had really arrived before that date, as the movements of troops were kept very quiet.) NEW ZEALAND OFFERS HELP. A cable message from Ottawa, of August 1, stated that Canada had offered to send 30,000 troops if Britain needed them. Mr. Massey, the Dominion Prime Minister, said he would ask Parliament (then in session) to follow Canada’s example. He at once did so, and Parliament, unanimously and with cheers, agreed to send aid to the Mother Country, a decision which was endorsed by patriotic meetings all over the country. On August 5, the Governor-General, Lord Liverpool, received a brief message from the king: “War broken out with Germany.” On

the following day, inquiry having alreadv been made as to what New Zealand could do, Mr Massey sent Home an offer to despatch a Headquarters Staff and two Brigades, one of infantry and one of mounted men, to be followed from time to time by reinforcements to maintain the force at full strength. The offer was accepted The reinforcements afterwards accumulated in Egypt and in England to such an extent that a second, separate, force of Mounted Rifles was formed from them, and reinforcements were sent for this force also. Various internal precautionary steps were taken. Censors were appointed; Garrison Artillery were ordered to the forts; the Defence Department took charge of the four chief harbours; New Zealand’s gun-boats, Psyche and Philomel, and the naval forces, were transferred to Imperial control, and naval reservists were called up; all coastal and harbour lights were extinguished, and all vessels entering ports from overseas were required to stop for examination and search before reaching the anchorage, The first shot fired by New Zealand in the war sent a shell across the bows of a sailer entering Lyttelton, as a warning to stop. Generally the Dominion was placed on a war footing. Guards were posted at railway bridges, and many restrictions were placed upon peace-time privileges. Patriotic meetings were held in all cities and towns, at which resolutions were passed approving of the attitude and of the action taken by the Home and Dominion Governments, in defence of Right against Might.

NEW ZEALAND’S LONE HAND TASK. When the Dominion’s offer of troops had been accepted, a request followed that a force be sent to capture and occupy German Samoa. A special force of about 1400 me nwas raised and despatched on Aug. 15, eleven days after declaration of war, and the occupation was effected on the' 29th. • Reinforcements and reliefs were sent from time to time till October, 1918, when the tiny army of occupation was reduced to about 200. THE “MAIN BODY.” There was no difficulty in obtaining men for the Brigades offered to Britain, which when completed for embarkation numbered 7761 of all ranks. It was an important part of the offer that this force, which was known as the “Main Body,” should be maintained at full strength by the sending of reinforcements at regular intervals, in percentages of the numbers in actual service. In order to be certain of the maintenance of numbers, against possible early losses, the “First Reinforcement” accompanied the Main Body, making the total of the first embarkation 800. Subsequent reinforcements averaging about 2000, were sent every four weeks. From first to last no less than 43 reinforcements were sent to each of the main bodies. Chiefly in consequence of complaints of the unfairness of the system of voluntary recruiting a Compulsory Service Act was passed and came into force on August 1, 1916. After that date each reinforcement was made up of volunteers as far as possible, and deficiencies were supplied by ballots among fit men, at first of single men, but in October, 1917, married men were included in the ballots. Besides the reinforcements a reserve of 10 per cent, was retained in the Dominion. Numerous changes were made in the organisation of the New Zealand force at the war fronts. At one time it furnished a Camel Corps, and mounted men left their horses and acted as infantrymen. Special units sent were an Engineering Tunnelling Company (905), a Wireless Troop (178), a Flying Corps (192,) and 550 Nurses. The force also included 2227 Maoris and 450.Rarotongans. CALL ON SOUTH CANTERBURY. For mobilisation purposes the Dominion was divided into a number of Military Districts, and when the Minister of Defence, Sir James Allen, issued mobilisation orders, South Canterbury was called upon to provide for the Main Body and the First Reinforcement, 250 Infantry and 160 Mounted Rifles. It was ordered that the selection of the men should be made from:— (1) Those serving as Territorials; (2) reserves of the Territorial force; (3) civilians who had had war service; aged 20 to 35.

There was prompt enlistment. The medical examination of recruits began at the Drill-shed on August 10, and was continued day after day, the examiners being Majors Gabites and Loughnan and Capt. Dryden. Among the early enrolments at Timaru were seventy “Ex-Contingen-

ters”—men who had seen service in the South African war. A camp was established at Christchurch, and within a week of the cabling of New Zealand’s offer many hundreds of men were assembled and undergoing preliminary training there. The first party of local recruits left Timaru on the 14th, a great crowd assembling at the Drill-shed to see the men depart and cheer them away. The men were addressed by the Ven. Archdeacon Jacob and by the Mayor, Mr. E. R. Guinness. Similar crowds, addresses and cheering marked the send-off of the many succeeding parties throughout the war. Each party was also grouped to be photographed, and a large proportion of the men were photographed individually. It was a “boom” period for the camera men. Main camps were later provided at Trentham and at Featherston, and later drafts as they were raised were sent direct to these camps, though usually some preliminary drilling took place in Timaru before they left. The first party remained in camp at Christchurch till September 23, and then left for Egypt, via Wellington in the steamers Athenic and Tahiti, taking with them 60 horses. South Canterbury supplied a number of horses, by gift or by purchase with funds subscribed for the purpose. South Island and North Island transports assembled at Wellington, and were detained there for some days by repor.s that German raiders were operating in the South Pacific. An escort of warships arrived—one British and one Japanese—and ten troopships and horse transports, conveying 8500 men and 3750 horses, left Wellington on October 16. Calls were made at Hobart and Albany. The Australian main body in a number of steamers joined at the latter port, and the Commonwealth cruisers, Melbourne and Sydney, with the Japanese ship, thenceforth convoyed the troops to Colombo, Suez and Alexandria. On the way from Colombo the Sydney turned aside and smashed the German raider Emden, which had done a lot of mischief among merchant shipping. The troops and horses were landed at Alexandria on December 3', and thence travelled to a stationary camp at Zeitoun, four miles south of Cairo, for intensive training. New Zealanders and Australians became closely associated in this camp, and the initials of “Australian and New Zealand Auxiliary Corps” formed the new and now everlasting word “Anzac.” A large detachment of British recruits arrived at the same camp shortly after the Anzacs settled down. Both “Anzacs” and “Tommies” were destined to act against the Turks. War had been declared against Turkey by Britain on November 5. ANZACS’ FIRST FIGHT. The Anzacs were called to active service and fired their first shots in fir, besides the British recruits, on February 2, 1915, in repelling Turkish attacks on the Suez Canal. The number of the enemy was estimated at 20,000. There were few casualties among New Zealanders, but the enemy lost heavily. The defenders, after driving off the enemy, buried over 500 of their dead. GALLIPOLI. Save for a brush with Sennussi on the west- . ern frontier of Egypt, the Anzacs remained in camp at Zeitoun until April, 1915, when they left to take part in the disastrous yet glorious campaign on the. Gallipoli peninsula. This lasted till December, and cost the New Zealand force over 8000 casualties. On the evacuation of Gallipoli our men returned to Egypt to recuperate. The newer reinforcements arrived and arriving were sent to England for training, while some of the seasoned men were sent direct to France via Marseilles.

It is impossible to give here even a sketch of the deeds of the New Zealanders on Gallipoli, or in their other fields of war experience—in France, in Belgium, in the Sinai Peninsula and Palestine. It must suffice to say that everywhere they gained the highest praise for their courage, steadiness, initiative, and good conduct.

NEW ZEALAND WOMEN’S FINE WORK. While the Government and the military authorities were busy preparing and despatching troops, the women of this district were busy, and led by the'Mayoress, Mrs. E. R. Guinness, snowed great capacity for organisation and cooperation, in the making of “comforts” for the troops about to leave and sending them to those who were overseas. Drapers’ stocks of knitting wools and needles were depleted by the demands of home industry in the production of socks, scarves, balaclavas and other knitted warm wear, and tons of woollen materials were

cut out by experts and sewn in homes into shirts, etc. Part of the waste metal on the battlefields of France and Belgium consisted of twinner petrol and kerosene tins used for packing perishable “comforts.” As the festive season approached—the troops made it as festive as possible wherever they were—the packages including Christmas cakes and puddings. The womanhood of New Zealand furnished greater gifts than these, for the war fronts and the hospital ships, in hundreds of nurses, who gained the highest encomiums for their kill, assiduity and kindness in the performance of duty, and for their coolness and courage and patience in the face of danger, difficulty and miserable conditions.

“War Funds” -were started all over the country to be in readiness to assist distressed soldiers on their return home. Women, young and old, rendered valuable assistance in the collection of money for these funds, by personal canvass and by public entertainments known as Queen Carnivals. END OF THE.GREAT CONFLICT. An Armistice, ending the war, was signed by Germany on November 11, 1918. This step had become inevitable. Her allies had all “thrown up the sponge” before that date (Russia had fallen out of the Entente by revolution in 1917). Austria had made peace with Servia in May, 1918; Bulgaria surrendered on Sep. tember 29, Turkey on October 30, Austria on November 30. Germany was torn by internal factions. Her Navy revolted on November 7, the Kaiser abdicated on the 9th. Junker-Im-perialism was dethroned and a socialist Government assumed control. Representatives of this Government met delegates of the Allies and surrendered everything—the navy, most of the mercantile fleet, all war material, and all colonies. The great nation which had sQUght to convince Europe by force that Might in Right, and that Treaties are but ‘scraps of paper,” was humbled to the dust. GREAT REJOICINGS. Th fact that the Armistice had been signed was promptly cabled to New Zealand, and the news was received with great joy. It had indeed been anticipated for some days, and preparations were made for grand demonstrations when the news should arrive: Processions were organised in all centres, speeches prepared, and arrangements made for treats for children. Timaru had witnessed striking patriotic displays in connection with the South African war and with this war, which served as apprenticeships. On those occasions, however, the news to rejoice over had come unexpectedly, and demonstrations had to be hastily arranged. A few days’ notice of the end of the greatest war ever known enabled the exultation of the people in the victory of the Allies and the cessation of slaughter, to be expressed by the greatest display of public rejoicing ever seen in the cities and towns of this country. Timaru’s celebration of Peace was such as must be long remembered by those who took part in it. The rejoicing, however, was not hilarious. It was too strongly mingled with grief for the lost and with sympathy for those who had been bereaved. It was also affected to a considerable degree by the presence in the town of an epidemic of pneumonic-influenza, which had already caused many deaths, including those of some hundreds of troops at sea, and before it disappeared had a death-toll in the Dominion of about 5000, a shocking addition to the death-roll of the war. AFTER THE WAR. Mention has been made of collections . of funds for the relief of distress among soldiers after their return. The total of the mnd collected in South Canterbury was £51.030. To this has been added interest on portions of the fund invested £10,973, making the total available £62,503. A central War Relief Committee was set up, with assistant Committees in district towns, to administer the fund, and so far about £43,000 has been expended in assisting returned men or bereaved dependents, beyond the provision made by the Government through a special Repatriation Department. This provision entailed a heavy financial burden on the country, but it was cheerfully undertaken. Pensions were granted to wounded men, to those suffering from illness due to war sendee, and to widows and dependents; land was purchased for the settlement of returned men. and loans made for the purchase of small businesses for suitable men. Hospitals and convalescent homes were established tor invalid soldiers.

A Returned Soldiers’ Association for the Dominion was formed, with branches in most towns, for the purpose of assisting war comrades in need, of seeing fair play for them on the side of the public, and as a means of preserving as much as possible the comradeship born of common war service. All over the Dominion the people who stayed at home set about erecting memorials to the fallen, and these are to be seen in practically all towns and villages and at cross-roads in rural districts, obelisks or tablets in public places, bearing the names of men of the locality who had given their lives for the Right. The larger towns have been slower to cany out their proposals for such memorials. Timaru is one of these. An approved design has been for some time in hand, but only recently has a site , for a handsome column been decided on. A sum of about £4OOO has been collected towards the*cost of the memorial, and a contract has just been let. SOME STATISTICS* The total number of men received in camp in the Dominion was 124,161.. Of these 91,141 volunteered and 32,000 were called up by ballot out of 135,154 gazetted as liable to serve. There was some “wastage” in camp by deaths, .dismissals and desertions, leaving 102,438 -troops available (2928 officers and 99,510 of other ranks). Of these 92,860 sailed for seats of war, leaving 9378 in camp in New Zealand at the close of the war. About one-fourth of the men mobilised had had Territorial service, and many thousands had taken part in the South African war. The casualties among the New Zealand troops were very heavy. The numbers officially given in 1919 were:—Dead 16,302, missing 84, prisoners 356, wounded 41,642. The casualties on Gallipoli totalled over 8000, or more than half the New Zealanders landed there. The battles of the Somme caused 7450 casualties, MessineshOOO, Passchendaele nearly 4000, the German offensive of March and April, 1918, nearly 6000, the British offensive of August-November which broke the German force, over 10,000. Nearly 15,000 men were in hospital and 1500 were convalescents, on Armistice Day. For the conveyance of troops and horses to Egypt and the Western front the New Zealand Government from first to last chartered. 30 steamers for longer or shorter terms, and 21 other steamers carried troops at per capita rates. The first embarkation included 3754 horses, and afterwards, from time to time, eleven transport trips carried 6363 more, a total of 10,117. Three-fourths of the horses were troop horses, the remainder draughts, light and heavy. The fleet surrendered by Germany comprised 6 battle-cruisers, 10 battle-ships, 8 light cruisers, 50 destroyers, and 150 submarines. The German Fleet had done little as a fighting force, but the submarines and solitary raiders did an immense amount of damage among merchant shipping by direct attack and by sowing mines in the tracks of shipping. Two steamers were sunk off the coast of New Zealand by enemy mines, LANDMARKS OF THE WAR. 1914. June 28—ArcM %e Francis Ferdinand assassinated at Serajevo. July 28—Austria declares war on Servia, and Germany on Russia. Aug. 2—French territory invaded by Germans. Aug 15—Fall of Liege. Aug. 16—British force in France. Aug. 24—Allied retreat from Mons. Aug. 28—Naval fight off Heligoland. Aug. 29—Samoa surrendered to New Zealand force. Sept. 1-30—Germans stopped at the Marne. Germans driven beyond the Aisne. Sept. 29—Australia occupies German New Guinea. Oct. 16—N.Z. Main Body leaves Wellington. Dec. 24—First air raid on England. Aug.-Dee.—Russia invades East Prussia; alternate victories and defeats; last movement this year a retirement 1915. Jan. 31 — s.s. Tokomaru torpedoed at Havre. Feb. 2—British and Anzacs repel Turks at Suez Canal. Feb. 17.—Germans begin submarine blockade of England. April 22 —Poison gas first used by the enemy. April 25 —Landing at Gallipoli begum

]\lay 7—Lusitania torpedoed, 1000 lives lost, including many Americans. j u ly g—Germans in West Africa surrender to General Botha. Aug. s—German drive in Poland. Warsaw taken. Aug. 6—Landing of British troops on Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. Successful operations followed. Sept. 2—Transport Southam torpedoed in Aegean Sea. Sept. 28—British advance in Mesopotamia. Oct. s—Allies at Salonika. Oct. 13—Nurse Cavell shot at Brussels. Oct. 23—Transport Marquette, with field hospital aboard, torpedoed in Aegean Sea. Dec. 15—Sir Douglas ±iaig appointed Comman-der-in-Chief in France. 1916. Feb. B—German Cameroons taken. April 15—Anzacs land in France. April 29—Fall of Kut, Mesopotamia. May io—House of Commons pass Compulsory Service Bill. May 31—Naval Battle of Jutland. June s—Lord Kitchener drowned. July I—Battle of Somme begins. Aug. I—N.Z. Compulsory Service Bill passed. Sept. 15—First use of “tanks”inwar. Nov.29—Sir David Beatty in command of Grand Fleet. Dec. 10—Mr. Lloyd George Prime Minister., Dec. 12—German peace offer., Unanimously rejected by Allies Dec. 30. Dec, 21—British advance in Sinai Peninsula. 1917. Jan. 31—Germany announces “unrestricted” submarine campaign. Feb. 2—U.S.A. breaks off relations with Germany. Feb. 24—British recapture Kut. March 11 —British take Bagdad. March 12—Russian revolution; abdication of Czar. March 27—British defeat 20,000 Turks at Gaza. April 6—U.S.A. declares war against Germany. May 18—U.S.A, adopts conscription. June 26—American troops arrived in France. June 3—s.s. Wairuna captured by German raider at the Kermadecs. July—Kerensky, Prime Minister of Russia. Sept. 16—Russia proclaimed a Republic. Sept. 18—s.s. Port Kembla sunk by German mine off the coast of Nelson. Sept. 24-26—Italian front on Issazo collapses. Nov. 7—Lenin effects coup d-etat. Nov. 21—British break Hindenburg line at Cambrai. Dec. I—British clear East Africa of enemy, Dec. 6—Russian armistice with Germany. Dec. B—Jerusalem surrendered to British. 1918. Jan. 7—Allied advance in Italy. Jan. B—President Wilson’s “fourteen points” announced. Feb. 21—British occupy Jericho, March 3—Bolshevick Government of Russia accepts Germany’s terms of peace. March s—Preliminary peace between Roumania and Central Powers. March 28—General Foch to command Allied Armies. April s—Allied force lands at Vladivostok. April 23—British block Zeebrugge. Ostend May 7. June 26—s.s.Wimmera sunk by mine near North Cape, N.Z. June 29—Announced that over a million American troops have sailed for France. July 21—French drive Germans across the Marne. Aug. 8-10—Allied drive near Amiens, 14 miles in three days. Sept. 19-30—Continuous British successes in Palestine, 25,000 prisoners taken. Sept, 29—Bulgaria surrenders. Sept. 29—Hindenburg line smashed by British. Oct, s—Germany offers peace terms. Declined. Oct. 23—Germany asks for conference. Agreed to. Nov. I—r-Turkey surrenders. Nov. 4—Allies draw up armistice conditions. Nov. 7—Revolt of German Navy. Nov. 9—Kaiser abdicates. Nov. 10—Socialist Government formed in Berlin. Nov. 11— GERMANY SURRENDERS. 1919. May 7—Draft of Peace. Treaty presented to Germany.

June 28—Germany signs Peace Treaty. Nov. 19—Metz entered by French troops. Nov. 20 —First batch of German submarines handed over. Nov. 21—German High Seas Fleet surrendered. Dec. s—British troops enter Cologne and 14th cross the Rhine to occupy a bridgehead. 1920. Jan. 18—Peace Conference in Paris. June 28—Peace Treaty signed by Socialist German Government. STILL AT WAR. The peace between Germany and the Allies by no means ended war. A few days after the signing of the Peace Treaty Mr Bonar Law told the House of Commons that twenty-three different wars were still in progress. The following is a list of the wars he referred to:— 1— Jugo-Slavs against Italians, 2 Allies against Hungarians. 3 Germans against Letts. 4 Poles against Ukrainians. 4—Poles against Ruthenians. 6 Poles against Germans. 7 Poles against Bolsheviki. 8— Poles against Lithuanians. 9 Poles against Szecho-Slovaks. 10— Austrians against Jugo-Slavs. 11— Finns against Bolsheviki.| 12— Allies against Bolsheviki. 13— Kolchak against Bolsheviki. 14— Japanese against Koreans. 15— Afghans against British. 16— Egyptians against British. 17— Greeks against Turks. 18— Roumanians against Bolsheviki. 19— Bulgar Reds against Bulgar Royalists. 20— Letts against Bolsheviki. 21— Esthonians against Bolsheviki. 22 Villa against Carranza. 23 United States against Villa.