WAR NEWS BY MAIL.

West Coast Times, 20 June 1916, Page 4

WAR NEWS BY MAIL.

Sipah Salan succeeded Firman Finna as Prime Minister of Persia early in ■March. He is said to have pronounced Russian .sympathies, 'The Germans claim to have taken 480 officers and 20,042 unwounded men up to the 10th of March in the Verdun offensive; 189 guns and 23,2 machine guns are also claimed. On March 12th, at Dmazzo, in tho presence of German and Austrian.representatives, Prince William of Wicd, former Mprot of Albania, was reinstated in that office. According to Indian, papers to hand when the Scnussi Arabs first attacked the western frontier of Egypt om troops were forced to hastily abandon, Tiidi Barrani and teollonm, frontier posts. They also mention that the trouble is due to the Tripolitan Arabs, whose appetite, whetted by successes against the Italians, made them only too ready to listen, to Nuri Boy, brother of the notorious Kfivcr Pasha', and invade Egypt. These papers ten of the return to India of the sth and 6th Gurkhas and the loth Sikhs, ana comment on the fact that these are the first regiments to return to India since the war began. The Gurkhas wore under General Cox on Gallipoli and wo know a lot' about them, Tim loth Bikh s wore the first Indian regiments to march through the streets of Marseilles. After participating in the. battle of Neuve Cliapelle, tho second fight at Yores, and the famous clash at Festuhert, they left France and pro- , ccedcd to Egypt, where they spent two months guarding the Canal. At a -moments notice—on November 21st—they wont to the western frontier and loose a leading part in the engagements with the Arabs. ’They were the only regular troops with the western force. Some time ago the British Government gave the largest order for capper that has ever been hooked. It was for no,less than 135,600,000 llis., and is hung filled by A merieau companies. The French Government followed suit in March, playing an order for 25,000,000 lbs. at Is; 2d per lb. 1 That the American factores are getting into, full giving . is evidenced by the official details of exports published by tho Government at Washington. In "January, £6,000.,000 worth of war material' loft tlio United States. In February, tho value of the munitions exported had increased to £9,600,000. No wonder powder factories in the States and elsewhere are declaring, great dividends. Before tho war pow. ,dor cost Is 4d per lb. During 1915; it rose to 3s 2d, and it is now 3s 9d, and is .still rising rapidly. Last November and .December 44,000,000 lbs ■wore exported from 'America.