WAR NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11752, 8 February 1918, Page 6

WAR NEWS.

ALLIED PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. LONDON', Wednesday. Air Ihniar Law. replying (~ Mr n. FL As(|iiiili, stated that the last meeting of lIu» Supremo War Council at \'crsaillcs decided that it. was impossible at present, without giving valuable information in the enemy to publish further .details regarding 't he enlargement ol' Ihe functions of° the Cotincn. _lt is understood Lliut the discussions dealt, almost, exclusively with the plan of campaign IV J.DIS.' GERMAN PI! KSS AN'IdlY. Australian N.X. {'able Association.) AMSTERDAM. Wednesday. The German press is angry and disappointed at (he result of" the \'ersaiiles conference, and say ii is evident that the Allies were v,v\ er ;m, determined on the war as they ii;v nnt\ . Versailles is a victory IV Ch'inenceau and Lloyd''George. Germany is not afraid of a.noihcr year or two of war, but (lie Entente must be punished for prolonging the world's agony.

THE WESTERN FROM'. Australian- N 7 < '=iL|o Vs-..,,.;.ii ;,•.„ ) LONDON, Wednesday. " British ollicial: The ememy nuded a post in the neighbourhood' „j' the Bapatime-Cambrai read. There is great hostile am lien activity southward of Marcoim-' and northward ot the Bapaume-Ca'uilirai road. There is increased enemv activity northward of Lens and north-east-ward of Ypros. Out aOl'Opliinos dropped over three tons of explosives during the day ou various targets, including amn'mintioai dumps, and fired mattv thonsands of machine gu„ ~( )lilK]; Tl|( , v also dropped over a toji and a half last night on a hostile aerodrome south-eastward of Cambrai and on the Alentn railway station. AMERICANS' FIRST OBJECTIVE. (Australian- -X.z. Oa ble A Ss(X , ali T. tt • OTTAWA . Wednesday. Ihe United Pi-ess' military corYespondent says that the American nrmys hist objective, will be the Sift^S. 1 " 0 Gt "'" M " s *"" THE RUSSIAN SITUATION.

(Austrahan-N.Z. Cable Association) BERNE, Wednesday. ihe 'Frankfurter Zeitung" indicates that a conference at Berlin is discussing: pence with Ukraine The "Frankfurter Zeitung" \ )(J( ]~ i. is becoming increasingly clear that Irotsky does not aim at peace, but ■, genera revolution, thus making peace with Lkra.ne increasingly notary tint tI.P ? Cr ?" 0r Ta 'fi oW ««"'"«nyH that the t onforenee IS also discussing of peace wnh Rut RUSSIAN DELEGATES IFWP BREST LITOVSK. . COPENHAGEN. Wednesday. 1 nivate merges state that "the - Bn,t i A LETTISH PROCLAMATION. LONDON, Wednesday A wireless Kussian message statesA Proclamation of the Lettish plenipofentmrios demands the nndivdoT oxistenee of the Lettish nati„

/denies the Austro-Geruian clitiin that tiie populations of I,l'tlottia Coitriand and Hi;'.a desired a separation from Russia. 'l'iie proclamation also demands the withdrawal of forces enabling the free expression of opinion. Russia litis agreed to withdraw her troops, declaring thai ihe Central Powers could not object if lltey believed that the papulation desired separation. ANOTHER POLISH VICTORY. Awstialiirn- N.Z. Cable Association.) PETROGRAD, Wednesday. The report of the occupation of the P.olshevik main headxpiarters at Mohilt ll' is followed by the announcement that •_'(),(HK) Polish legionaries, belonging to the Russian army, who joined the revolt against (ho Bolsheviks, siicce-'iied in occupying Ro-gai--li.'fl" si.xiy miles southward.

polls senium; NEWS TO GERMANY. LONDON, Wednesday. The "'Daily Chorniclo'y" Petrograd correspondent points out that Berlin has latterly been publishing (lie first ii<-",(ji of anything unfavourable to the Russian Government. Consequently there may be some I'luudation for the report which the German press is emphasising, namely, I hat (he revolting Polish legionaries have captured the Russian military headquarters, taking prisoners of Ensign Krylonko and his staff. A PEACE TREATY. LONDON, Wednesday. 'lhe "Daily Express" Amsterdam correspondent believes that Dr. KithliiiatKi and Count IVruin returned to Berlin with the terms of a complete peace treaty with Ukraine for the purpose of submitting it to the Kaiser It is understood that the treaty embraces political, military and economic matters, and provides for the exportation of vast quantities of Uknu'tian wheat to Germany. ■ THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. LONDON, Wednesday. . The "Daily Chronicle's" Petrograd correspondent says that the Bolsheviks are now up against the Russian orthodox church. Prior to October the revolutionaries and churches disregarded each other. The church then elected a patriarch named Tikhon, formerly Metropolitan of Moscow, replacing the ex-Czar as the church's nominal head. The Bolsheviws began a propaganda, ultimately aiming at the con plete extinction of the church. A: anti-religious agitation was started in villages on the pretext of counteracting the .amti-revoliitionary activities of tlie priests, and I ho' chord lands were declared common property. The Ministry of Public Wei fa m „ lew days ago annexed Alexandronevsky Lavra, in Petrograd one of the most important and wealthiest monasteries m Bussfa, and also converted all the buildings, except <bn church, into homes for the aged and infirm. This action resulted in free fights in ihe grounds between the monks and the Red Guards. The latter- rem.-t in in occupation of the monastery, whoso buildings and property' are the size of a small city. There are many religious protests. Processions are expected in Petrograd, and bloodshed is predicted. The Bolsheviks have issued a de'creo separating the church from the State and declaring complete freedom of conscience, forbidding religious teaching in schools, and declaring religious bodies incapable of owning property. The doings of the. four anarchist parties are attracting attention. The anarchists in Petrograd dress entirely in black, and are always armed. It is predicted that the anarchists will shortly assert themselves. A bomb exploded at the, Anarchist ( 'htb <>n Sunday, wounding elevem.

Mr Ransome, the newspaper correspondent, writes from Petrograd that sim immense anti-Bolshevik religious procession was held on Monday. The priests were clad in gold, green, silver and purple robes, each church being represented 'by a cluster of rich banners and a group of ikons. The Bolsheviks wisely kepi; the Red Guards off tho streets. Thus trouble wa.s avoided and the day passed quietly. The food difficulties in Petrograd are acute. Many trains bringing food have been helcf tip and looted by armed robbers. The peasants are disinclined to sell flour and produce,' and prices arc soaring. A chicken realises 2Js, a small hare 30s, potatoes 2s 6d a pound, butter is almost unobtainable at 24s a lb and sugar is lls a lb. Under these conditions it is not surprising that crime and typhus are spreading A SENSIBLE PROCLAMATION". Australian—N.Z. Cable Association.) WASH rXGTON, Wednesday. President Wilson has issued a proclamation extending the ..Knemy Alien Act to permit the authorities to soke the property of wealthy interned Germans, and thus prevent them continuing to trade with Germany. ' TRIAL OF BOW) PASHA. (Australian-N.Z Cable Association.) PARIS, Wednesday. Tho trial of 8010 Pasha has been resumed. The President announced that Casuallini, who has beeai imprisoned in Italy, admitted that he had remitted 2,150,000 francs from Kemi] Pasha. The examination of Porchere, who is accused of being Bolo's accomplice, then commenced. Porchere said that he was a damned fool but mot a traitor. Ho only received 200 francs for a Swiss journey, 8010, interrogated, said that he thought there was no harm in having relations with Sf.dik Pasha and Abbas everyone knew of "it.

THE FOOD PROBLEM. (Australian-N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON. Wednesday. Lord llhondda indemnifies against prosecution food hoarders who surrender supplies between February 11 and" 18th, pointing out that it is believed that many persons had become liable to prosecution by inadvertence. Lord llhondda, in addressing members of Parliament, expressed the view that the. food situation would be at its most difficult stage during the next two months, and asked members to give him all the help possible in their constituencies. s COMPULSORY RATIONING POSTPONED. LONDON, Wednesday. In the House of Commons, Mr Ciynes Secretary to the Food Controller, stated that compulsory rationing had boon postponed .till April or May next. LABOUR AND THE WAR. Australian—N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Wednesday. The Press Bureau states that Sir Auckland Cieddes (Director of National Services) invited al] the Trade Unions which participated in the January conference to meet him on Friday. AN G LIC A N CIIAPLAINS. | (Australian-N.Z. Cable Association.) * LONDON, Wednesday. | The Archbishop of Canterbury states that of the 2122 Church of England chaplains, 21 had been killed, i) 0 wounded, and 166 decorated. Three hundred and fifty were required yearly to meet the wastage. * I i A COAL POOL. \ , MELBOURNE, Thursday, j A conference ibetwoen the rcpre- j sentatives of tho State Government i and Shipping and Coal Boards is con-J sidoring the formation of a coal pool j controlled by a board consisting of a 1 with representatives of j the States, to control the supply and ] transport of coal. THE HELIGOLAND THRUST. (Australian —N.Z. Cable Association) { LONDON, Wednesday. , j Details are now available of tho thrust into Heligoland Bight by the .British .light forces on November J 7th. ' The objective was to epentrate tho minefield, bag all the available enemy .' light craft, and entice to sea the f lunger German ships. 1 At 7.30 in tho morning a procession of enemy mme-swecpers, light cruisers and destroyers was sighted ahead. The British force made full speed and opened fire. While the enemy, in a clour of smoko fled, our destroyers overhauled and sank an enemy minc-Mveepor, and then chased the enemy's light cruiser, which was heavily afire, but fell back upon encountering Hie concentrated tire of two supporting enemy cruisers. The British destroyers wore handled in the marrow mined waters with conspicuous skill, and effected their withdrawal without being hit or suffering casualties. Meanwhile, British light cruisers, amidst a rain of shells and torpedoes, made a, desperate attempt "to cut off the enemy. A running fight continued for two bourse over course extending thirty miles into the minefields, and towards Heligoland, which was only twentyeight miles south-eastward. Then an enemy buttle squadron came, up at full speed, whereupon our splinter-riddled little attacking force began a perilous retreat under a hail of big calibre shells. The German battle fleet, however, did not proceed very far. The British casualties were light.