WAR NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11752, 1 February 1918, Page 6

WAR NEWS.

Till'] WESTKKN FRON'i

(Australian—N.Z. Cable Association) LONDON, Wednesday. Hriiisli official: Hostile artillery is active in tin* Arms ami Yprc* region. Our aeroplanes yesterday dropped four hundred bombs on Roulers and I Monin, and the, aerodrome near Tournai, and fired several thousand rounds on the enemy troops. . Air lighting was continuous all day. We last night dropped 15-J tons of bombs on billots, railway stations tfcnd trains, and on two night-Hying aerodromes near Ghent and Tourai. All our machines returned.. ' 'ThE /ff'SSfAX SITUATION. j PK'i'IHVGHAI), Wednesday. < :\I. Troisky in two hours' speech |at the Soviets' Congress, said that 'the Allies were responsible tor Germany's heavy terms, which were i quite unacceptable. I He was going to Brest Litovsk with two convictions, fir-t, that Rusisia had hacked out ol' the Imperi-i----listic. war and would not return; soc!ond, Russia would not sign prate oil i the German terms. The debate was adjourned. It is evident that the Confercne will approve of M. Trotsky's report, and will allow the war to continue by employing guerilla methods by a volunteer army. TtROTSKY GIVEN A FREE- HAND. PETROGRAD, Wednesday. The Soviets' Congress on 'Monday approved of giving M. Trotsky a free hand. M. Trotsky said that Western Europe must not blame Russia if she were forced to conclude a separate peace. The Council of Commissaries have declared a State gold monopoly. Gold articles in the hands of private persons, banks, monasteries and goldsmiths are to pass to the State at a fixed rate. A PITCHED BATTLE. (Austrnlian-N.Z. Cable Association.') WASHINGTON, Wednesday. The Chicago "Daily News" correspondent at Harbin says that the preliminary session of the Constituent Assembly was held at Tomsk to disicuss Siberia's autonomy, and resulted iu .1 pi tclicd'"kttla ..between the Bolsheviks and other elements, twenty persops being killed. Eastern Siberia is menaced by Atistro-German prisoners, whereof, fifteen thousand are in the Amur province alone. Prisoners at Tomsk, Omsk and Irkutsk enjoy liberty, and may assist in the uprising against the Bolshey. iks. • . - REAL TERROR YET- TO COME. PETR.OGB.AI>, Wednesday. Lenin continually glories in the idea of civil war, saying that the real terror is yet to come. "We are un> abashed." he says, "by the cries of those who weep or shudder in tlio presence of a great struggle. We ro the first Government in the wo'-id that openlv declares for carryiing l a civil \v.ar.'« j, .j}*!, THE AIR RAID. LONDON, Wednesday. The bomb which did the most damage was dropped on a large estabII I ———» mill mi ——a— ■■'■ N I ■ j i

lishment used as a raid shelter in a district thickly populated. There is no exact estimate of the number of persons that KholLe/ed there. The number varies from .SO ! to IiXK). The staff stato thai Unbuilding was capable of holding 101)0, and was crowded. Firemen who assisted in removing the bodies declare that the brigade 1 removed twenty-live during the night. It is believed that thirteen others have since been removed. j The big brick building looks as if : it had been cut in half with a huge, i guillotine, the interior wiills-and floors them collapsing, j The police and fire brigade assort '• that it is impossible even yet to give a reliable setimate of the number of deaths, but it is certain that the majority are women and children. None of the survivors seem to be able to give a coherent account of the i terrible ensuing scene. ) it «as a scene of indescribable lior- ! ror, wheri'to .(ire gave the last touch. : The basement was raging inferno ' within a few minutes. j The brigades police, soldiers and i civilians did what men could do to ';!•«■•";ic tli.' survivors, but many were ji.jur.v.l and must have perished in . the flames. I The building was soon . (Inmo from top to bottom, and daybreak found it a smoking ruin. j About one hundred employers [ were working when the alarm was 'given. They assisted the sholterors t> the b'tsenu ut and tended these nee<lim.; attention during (he raid. Many of tiles;* cmoloyoe.s were a mom* the i casualties. Many had left the shelter j during a lull in the barrage, but. ! flecked back when the guns resumed, ! anneuneing thai the air attack had j b'en renewed. A bomb dronuod on ' the building almost immediately after r ■■ i j DEFENCE 01' LONDON. 1 (Austrab'nn ""'? "Z. \seorintinn.) | LONDON. Wednesday. I Tuesday night's raid proved f.l""-t London is growing increasingly d:m- , cult to apnroach. ' The Gothns att.omr>t°d to nierce the fierce barrage, but most of the gunfire was distant, showing that the enemy was worsted, being finallv forced to accept the inevitable and fly seaward. STRIKES IN GERMANY. (Australian—N.Z. Cable Association) NEW YORK, Wednesday. . There are 500,000' strikers in Beflin. ~ ■' •■ ' '■'.' •"' The Kiel shipyards and Westphalia n mines are idle. > ' Workers urged to revolt. {'Australian- N; 7. Cable A relation ) ZURICH, Wednesday. ; • Count von Hertling (German Chan-, cellor) conferred with the military commandant at Berlin. In view of the strikes it was decided to confine ,the troops to barracks, but the offiI cers have been instructed to act with discretion. j The Independent Socialists are issuing pamphlets broadcast, urging a general strike, and even inciting the workers to overthrow the Government, destroy the Bourgeoisie, and proclaim a Republic. 9 STRIKE LEADERS' DKAIAXDS. COPENHAGEN. Wednesday. The Berlin strike leaders have elect- . eel a committee of nine to negotiate with the Government. j Their demands include:— Peace. Equal suffrage. New arrangements for food supplies. The release of the arrested leaders, especially Dr. Liebkmecht. STRIKES SPREADING. LONDON, Wednesday. The "Daily Express" Amsterdam correspondent states that the strikes are spreading in the munition factories throughout Germany. There have been grave disturbances at the various centres, particularly at the big concerns working exclusively for the Government. At teust forty factories are idle. The authorities have issued a strong warning, but are powerless to stem the rapid spread of the strike.