WAR NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11752, 5 February 1918, Page 6

WAR NEWS.

ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. (Aitslra)iaii-N.Jf'- Cable Association.) LONDON, Sunday. P.rilish oilicial: There is JiostiK- artillery activity north of St. Quentin, at Epelty, and in ihe Ypres region. GENERALISSIMO URGED. LONDON. Sunday. The "Observer's" military correspondent states that the; British General Klaif and the higher command recognise the value of the Versailles Council, with which they are working harmoniously. M. Clement-en u and the majority of tlu> French strategists favour the appointment o! a Generali.-sniio lor the west front hut: there has not yet heiiii an oilicial proposal for such an appointment It is understood that America supports the French opinion, hut is tinlikely to definitely decide on I lie matter without further experience. It is generally agreed that there are prohibitive political reasons against an inter-Allied commander.

THE RUSSIAN SITUATION. LONDON, Sunday. The Bolshevik newspapers in Pel rograd claim a big success against the ( ''ossaeks. Tiny say that General Kaknlin is practically deserted. CI I INKS 10 CAPTURE RO-I.SiIEYTK TROOPS. WASHINGTON, Sunday. Oilicial cables from Peking state that, the Chinese have captured two thousand Bolshevik troops mar liarbin. The Chinese occupy the cit\ and also control the Entente supplies at Vladivostock. INTERNAL DfFFKRENCNS. LONDON, Sunday. The "Daily Chronicle's" Petrograd correspondent savs that the All Russian Conference of Soviets concluded on Friday. Members were greatly exhiliarated by the news of the strikes in Germany, claiming that they heralded a revolution in Middle Europe. The Bolsheviks are certain to retain power for three months, till the next conference. \ The heterogenous, anti-Government ■Bloc, consists of fewer than sixty. Two-thirds of (lie. remaining eight hundred are Bolsheviks and Social Revolutionaries. 1 here are many internal differences among, the For instance, the Peirogrnd doJegnfeM ui n roc-cut (."Ulcus meeting urged the virtual ac-t-opl-ahlo of (Germany's terms, while the Moscow delegates demanded a continuation of the war until reasonable terms were, obtained. Tlio party, how over, voted .solid!y at., the conference. •As the result of the Soviets un oaithing hidden stocks of lood, starvation has been staved olf, and the situation has now improved. The bread ration has been increased.

STRIKES IN GERMANY. COPENHAGEN, Sunday. A smuggled copy of a suppressed pamphlet (signed by the leaders of the German independent Socialists show that they instigated the strikes because the Government's collusion with the Pan-Germans was endangering the peace Negotiations with Russia, and because (he authorities had closed the Reichstag, which was the only place where their dangerous annexation policy could be attacked. Ihe pamphlet proceeds: "Our press is and our comrades imprisoned. Working class men and women no time to lose. A new and iiiglitlu! disaster threatens us, despite the sufferings and sorrow's already endured, ()„|y a peace with-

on! anne\;; I ii>n - i-:i ii save us. _ The iuue will ciiic when you will raise your voiVcv r.ii- h ,i peai >•. (Jerinail people, by j 1-. iw< rl'ul deitiousl.rnlions, must manil'i'si their <lolerm inal ion to end Ihe war. The arrest of Ditlmini, a member of the I'eiehsia'.;, and one oj ihe signatories r.i 111" 11:11111>I)I<'I. has pro--fouudly irritated the Socialists. Merlin newspapers show that thousands 111 men and women IVein one (|iiarter of t.iie cily surged into Ihe siieels, overturning Ihe i rains and creeling barricades. They broke the police col'dou. Tile p<ifh e lired, wounding tliirtcen severely, and many slightly.

Similar demonstrations and encounl.crs are reported in oilier working class -lihui'hs. The military romnnuider ordered the workers t> resitme on .Mouda\, or they would be militarily punished.

( INTRA DICTORV R Kl'< UM'S. (Au-. X ,Z. Cable. Assn. and Renter.) L( )NI)( )\ , Sil 111.'.1 V . .Messag s IVom Berlin stale thai ill' -Hikes ,-ip. subsiding, and that Ibe men are i esnmi-iig work at Hamburg, Dan/.ig and Kiel. Onl\ minor <I!-1 nrbanees were reported on Friday, and ,street traflic in Berlin n;i-; nil in! -rrupiod. On ill: oilier hand, |e!o"„ranis from l 'ie Hague asseri I iial I !••• i inn in Berlin is unchanged. A bug. number of lud]iendei,t Soeiai:si were -anvd-'d siuiul I ni"'ous!y with Dittman. I Ihe workpeople in Cologne, Dnsseldorf ami (.'olserrkirk, and in the 'nal mines al Dortmund and lloehuin, I I a i e joined the strikers. PA I.KSTIMO CA.MIWICN. ' WASHINGTON, Sunday. Oilicial reports state thai |h<> British forces in Pales!ine have renewed lb. l otlmsive. They are advancing tut nly milts from Jerusalem, in a northward direction, and exl -nding tli.vr line to Antioch, The British a'v apparcni ly start iiig an encircling movement, aiai-ust .lericbo. SUBMARINES IfIOLD IN CHECK (Renter's Telegrams.) LONDON, Sunday. Sir Eric. Geddes (First Lord of the Admiralty), interviewed by the Associated Press correspondent, said (hal-t-he submarines were being held in cheek. He thought that we were now sinking them as fast as Germany could build them. lie could mot foresee any changes, except- for the better, but we must have more ships to turn the enemy failures into a positive Allied victory, because the destruction of merchant, ships fjtill exceeded the construction, "hut the {'nMiiifJO >va« increasing by leaps and bounds; There was no present, intlicaiioli that the Germans were wil iutf.'H'-'ijig' submarines for couei'inration against American transports. All the evidence pointed to as many operating as ever, and that the decrease in the losses of ships- was due to (he steady improvement in the Allies' anti-sub-marine methods. The sinkings of fiubmarwies was steadily increasing.

CIITXESE TROOPS. (Australian—N.Z. Cable Association) WASHINGTON, Sunday. 'lhe Cliine.se depend on the Japanese shipping and convoying them to the war zone, via- Canada. Half a million troops are now readv. THE FOOD PROBLEM. (Australian—N.Z. Cable Association) LONDON. Sunday. 'I hero is an increased supply of

week-end nu>at, and larger distribi (ions air expected from Monday, J)I'T( 'II Sill PPING STOPPED. {Austraiian-N.Z. Cable Association A.YISTKRDAM, Sunday. Tin- Government has stopped Dun shipping departing for Tear that ill Germans will soi/,c those sailing t America, pending a settlement ul' tli outstanding questions between f.Io land and Germany. \ " '

I A TALI- STORY Australian N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON', Sunday. The ( ologne newspapers publish dc tails nl an alleged Anglo-Americai plot. Il is slated that- a. Committee wa I'ormed in Washington, with a Jinn f of 'Jod,<loo,(till) marks, under S'enato Stone and Lords Norl lielid'e am lic;i11 iu;., u> organise a revolution ii Germany, Austria, Turkey ami Bui garia, liy establishing hranehe.s ii neutral countries, and sending lieu trals iulii.Germany to incite muni tiouers to strikes and sabotage. TIIK l„\Tli AIR RAIDS Australian N.Z. {.'able Association.J LONDON, Sunday. The Press Bureau reports that in Monday's air raid the casualties in all districts totalled 58 killed an id 173 injured, whereof thirty were killed and 01 injured in one "shelter," Four local residents are still missing. The total casualties in raid were tern killed and feu injured. AVIATORS I.M PR ISO MOD. Australian N.Z. Cabin Association.) LONDON, Sunday. Tlic ".Daily Mail" says that. <'aptaiii Scholtxe and tSuh-Lieutenani, Wookley, British aviators, have, been court-ma d ialled in Germany and .sentenced to ton years' penal servitude on it charge of dropping hostile proclamations in Germany^ GROWING- INDIGNATION. LONDON, Sunday. There is growing indignation over the feculences imposed on Scholt/c and Wookley. The crew of a Gotha I)roughfc down in Essex on January 2Hth were buried without military honours, but British flying officers attended the funeral somi-ofliciaily. LABOUR TROUBLES. 0,,. u r n, v rr' "" f y ■-1 9 1 I* * ; : l * ■ l Australian- -N.Z. ('able Association.) LON DON', Sunday. The "Daily Mail,'' in a special article on the labour postion, says that tlio hesl observers brieve thai most of the anxiety existing to-day regarding the British workers Is without foundation. The restlessness is largely superficial, due to the long and continuous overstrain, the over-in-creasing prices, and the hardships. Strikes may be expected, but are likely fo extend or to he prolonged unless mis-handled. Highly pur cent of the unionists arc fsupporting the wagimg of the war until victory is achieved. Bolshevism and pacificism have made little impression on British unions. BELGIUM'S MAHTYRDOM. j (A.—.N.Z Cable Assn. and Router.) | COPENHAGEN, Sunday. j The Belgian Socialists have appealed to their Swedish comrades, point- , wig out that <>.-> per cent of the sled used in the German war material ; originates in Sweden, without which ' the Kaiser would be unable to prolong Belgium's martyrdom. 1