Page
THE WAR.
LIVELY FIGHTING AT VERDUN.
MANY ENEMY ATTACKS.
AIR RAIDS ON BRITAIN.
ALLIES ASKED TO EVACUATE SALONIKA,
SMYRNA FORTS SMASHED.
FRANCO-BELGIAN FRONT.
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
VIOLENT BOMBARDMENT AT AVOCOURT.
PARIS, April 2nd.
3.49 pm.
A communiqué states:-There is quiet, except a somewhat violent bombardment at Avocourt. There has been artillery activity in Wavre,
THE VERDUN
STRUGGLE.
WILL LAST LONG.
PARIS, April 2nd, 8:40 p.m.
The
THE BALKANS
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
STRONG ACTION BY GREECE"
ALLIES REQUESTED TO EVACUATE SALONIKA.
ATHENS, April 2nd. The Greek Government have requested
TAX HONGKONG DAILY PREEK, TUESDAY, APRIL 4TH, 1816,
LTHROUGH RECIER'S ADENOK.)
SMYRNA FORTS BLOWN TO ATOMS.
LONDON, April 3rd. The Times' correspondent at Salonika says that the fort, of Bt. George, in the sandjak of Smyrna, were blown to lupus during a three hours bombardment, by British warships. The Turks did not reply.
GENERAL.
(THEOUGH REUTER'S AGENOT.)
(THROUGH REDTER'S AGENCY.] "KING'S WAR GIFT. £100,000 FOR WAR PURPOSES.
LONDON, April 2nd. The keeper of the King's Privy Pure writes to Mr. Asquith as follows:
"I have rœuived the King's commands to inform you that his Majesty he given instructions for £100,000 to be plnood at the disposal of the Treasury. It is the King's wish that this sum, which he gives in consequence of the war, should be applied in whatever manner the Government deems best."
INDIA UNDER THE NEW VICEROY. LORD CHELMSFORD BEGINS WELL.
ZEPPELIN RAIDS.
HEAVY ADDITIONAL CASUALTIES.
DWELLING-HOUSES WRECKED.
LONDON, April 2nd. The total cualties of Friday's 'Zeppe
LONDON, April 3rd. hu raid is now given as 43 killed and 3.
The Pimes, is a lending article on ** India. injured. Two hundred explosive and in-under the new Viceroy," says that Lord. cudiary bombs were dropped. A shape three dwelling houses and two cottages were demolished, and four dwellings. 35 cottages and 2. benicar were partially wrecked, There was no military damage, Several seroplanas unscended to attack the
Chelmsford, who is now duo at Bombay to take up the henry burden of the Vice- raynity, Brings to his great task a know- ledge of prosent Indian conditions unusun
new Viceroys, and a mind ripened by administrative experience at Home and in
the Allies go evacuate the town of Salonika.raiders. Lient, Brand, of the Fly Australia. He will take over from a Vice.
and to remove ammunition and stores to. This is fortifie lines beyond the town,
Corps, went up to a height of 8,000 feet
at 9.43 p.ŋ, and saw a Zeppelin 3.000 feety who has succeeded in winning to an unusual degree the esteem of the peoples
JAPANESE
FLEET IN MEDITERRANEAN.
CRUISERS AND AIRORAFT.
(BY ARCHIBALD HURD-]
THE
It was reported many wocky ago that the Japanese Government had determined to
WAR NEWS.
1,166,300 RAID INSURANCES.
It was announced in the House of Lords. that up to November 1, 1918. 1.100.000 proposals had been accepted under the Government insurance against aircraft and bombardment. Seventy-five per cent, were for aircraft risks alone.
sond men-of-war into the Mediterranean in In addition, up to the week ending Fob- order to help maintain the safety of com.ruary 12, 65,800 rtificates of insurance against aircraft, and bombardment had booe munications between East and West. Now issued through the Post Office to owners of that the enemy knows all about the matter.nl property, the aums insured aggregat as indicated by a massage from Copening over £3,800,000, hagen, there is no reason why this drainatic dovelopment should not be discussed.
Our Ally bag, almost as great am interest in the free sea passage from Europe to the Far East as we have, with our anchors in Egypt, Aden, India, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere. The Mediter rauean is the life-line of our Empire, as it is the lifeline of Japan's profitable commerce with this part of the world.
According to the Jiji Shimpo, of Tokio, the ships selected for this duty are the armoured cruiser, Kasuga and Tokiwa, The and the protected cruiser Chitose Italien papers
have also brought that the big ships with them a great number of aircraft," As the Germans know, to their cost, aircraft can play snl part in putting down the latest phase of piracy on the bigh seas,
J
AN EFFECTIVE REJOINDER. This constitutes Japan's effective joinder to German efforts to sow discord between the wombers of the Grand Alliance. Several months ago two Japanese liners wore sunk in the Mediterranean, with the was callous disregard for human life The owlish enemies, no doubt, assumed thaa it was a long war for Japanese men-of-war to come to exact punishment and to prevent any recurrence of such outrages, and that in fact, they had nothing to fear, from these people in the Far East, whom they profess despise Shades of Frederick the Great that it should have come to this pass! But Japan has many scores to settle with Ger-
to
due to representations by the citizens, in above. He got over it and dropped several of India, There has been no modern Viceroy many, which always stood in the way of
view of air-raids. It is also proposed to notify Germany that any new bombing of Salonika will be considered as directed against GreecT..
ARTILLERY FIGHTING.
SALONIKA, April 2nd. Artillery fighting has been resumed at Ghergheli, ITALIAN FRONT.
(THROUGH RAUTEE'S AGENCY.]
barbs. He believes that three took effect,
SMUGGLING IN DENMARK,
MERCHANT'S DEAVY FINE.
M, Storm, a Danish merchant, of Hjor ring, had re-exported 240 bags of coffee to Germany. As ho has, only removed the coffee by signing for the Merchants Guild s declaration that he would not export the coffee to a country at war with Great Britain, hn has been sentenced to pay double the amount of the value of the
a fine of 1.000 kroner (abant £55), offer 41,918 leroner (about £2.314), and
1
A MONTH'S SHIPPING LOSSES. According to the estimates of the Liver- of pool Underwriters' Association, the cont the more important casualties to British and foreign steamers during January awonated to £3.441.500, of which £1,583.500 was attributed to the war, as compered with losses of £1.674.500 in January of last rear, of which £297,000 was due to the
war.
Sailing ship loss in January are esti- moted at £169,000, as against loses of £108,000 in January of last year, of which £30.000 was due to the war, There were no saling ship losses lost month caused by the
war.
DEFENCE AGAINST AIR-RAIDS.
At ten o'clock he got over the Zeppelinhose departure is so universally regretted this rising Power, attempting by every in- Kitchener, referring to the British Air
again and dropped two muro bombs over
by the Indian pubic as that of Lord Hard
the nose of the airship. His own aching inge. Lord Chemsford has already shown world-struggle comes to be written without defences of the areas entrusted to them. was hit may time by machine-gun bullets.that he has no intent on of being hound b This may have been the Zeppelin which procedout in the discharge of his duties. dropped the machine-gun, ofc., or the one In the ordinary course he would have gone which descended in the Thames estuary. straight Sima. At the Viceroy's desire, however, the Government will remain at Delhi this week in order that he may form
LONDON, April 2nd.
An official announcement states that two
idious and underhand method to interfere with its development.
When the detailed history of the present such restraint sa must be observed in face of the enemy, it will be discovered that the European nations which are fighting for froodon owe a debt of deep gratitude to the Japanese. The Government at Tokio might walt have argued that our quarrel was cond of their business; that they had no wish to become entangled in European troubles; that in any case the Treaty of Alliance was not intended to apply in any which happened outside the Far that they could render good service by maintaining an attitude of benevolent neu- rality. Had Japan made such a stand, we should have had no cause of complaint. Government, however, did The Mikado's nothing of the kind. From the fire offers of co-operation by land and sea were made in order to drive the Germana of the Pacific, and those offers were zonde good, Japanese officers and wea laid down their lives on behalf of the cause in which we are the German flag fly today.
In the House of Lords last month Lord Bervice; said special officers were to be appointed at all the provincial centres. whose duty it would be to organize the The construction of anti-aircraft guns wna. now having priority over other orduance. Lord French would have the assistance of Sir Percy Scott as his expert officer, und the new Garrison Artillery who had taken over the new guns for the defence of Lon- don were addition to the naval gunners. Lord Kitchener informed the House that while the authorities know of one Zeppelin which had been lost at sea after the recent a second had been placed eus of action.
WOMAN SPY.
airships approached the north-east coustutly visit the new capital The Viceroy which is a fact, of course; and, in short. raid, they had good reason to believe that
A semi-official message states that the Gorman occupation of the ruins of the vil- lage of Youx is tactically useless, as it is monaced in the rear by the fort of Vaux which is solidly held by the French,
last night. Only one crossed the coast. proposes thereafter to go to Calcutta-a struggle will last long. but Verdun will ROLD TURNING MOVEMENT. The other turned back. Up to the present wise and discrees step, as otherwise he would be out of touch with Bengal till the autumn. It is further announced that bo will tour Burns, which has received less than its rightful share of the attention of the Raj. The variations in routine suggest
remain with thy Alice, like Ypres, Arras, Boissong and Rheims.
A LIVELY DAY AROUND VERDUN.
MANY GERMAN ATTACKS.
PARIB, April 23rd. -
4.00 .m. The evening communiqué states:--- French artillery was particularly active between the Somme and the Oise, where flerman trenches were wrecked. The Ger mans made several attacks against a re douby in Avocourf Wood. All were repulsed.
There was very lively fighting all dev cast of the Mouse, where the Germans, after a heavy bombardment, launched four simultaneous attacks by troops over a Divï- sion strong between Douaumont Fort and Vaux village. South-east of the fort the Germaus pene:rated to Chillette Wood, but counter-attacks įmmodiately forced them to the northern extremity of the wood.'
Our line south of Vaux skirt the edge of the village, of which we have evacuated the last ruined houses,
FRENCH AEROPLANES ACTIVE
PARIS, April 3rd.
A communiqué says:-Au Avintik was brought down at Bois le Preire.
French machines dropped 28 bombe on the neighbouring Etain station and bivoutes and 22 bombs on the villages of Azennes and Brieulle-sur-Meuse. There were many fires,
Altogether six German machines were brought down.
THE BRITISH FRONT.
GRENADE FIGHTING.
LONDON, April 3rd.
12.40 KM.
A communiqué states:-Two hostile aeroplanes were driver down behind the German lines. One of our machines which was sent out yesterday is missing.
Last night at St. Elol we captured an officer and four men
Grenade fighting continues. There has boen mutual artillery activity, about. Sou chez, Angree, St. Eloi, Ypres and the Somme, Mining has been active on both sides a Hohenzollern.
FURTHER ITALIAN SUCCESSES.
ROMs, April 3rd.
A communiqué says:-Artillery actions continued at Stalsugana and Reverte The Italians, by a bold turning mayemont
it is known that 38 persons were killed and
100 injured.
Eight dwellings were demolished, and there was a serious feat a French polish ing shop.
DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED. Mr. H, Samuel informed Mr. Snowdon (Lab. Blackber), in the House of Com. mong last month, that a woman, apy was tried at the Central Criminal Court, found guilty, and was sentenced to death. An appeal to the Court of Criminal Ap- with the judges, the sentence had heon commuted to one of penal servitude for life.
The Press Bureau announce that Zeppe that Lord Chelmsford is beginning to work fighting. Nowhere in the Far East does peal was dismissed. After communication
on the Upper Rieur, seized three block-ling on Sunday night waited the Scottish houses and captured 31 prisoners.
cast and the northern and south-eastern counties of England.
They dropped bonebs.
Thero is continued activity along the Isonzo and in Carso, whero further trenches were captured.
were
Au Austrian biplane was brought down at Aqueleja and two aviators
$ captured. RUBBIAN FRONT.
(THROUGH REUTER'S 'AGENCY-} MINOR OPERATIONS. GERMAN ATTACKS LEAD TO SANGUINARY REPULSES.
Pernoonan, April 3rd.
A communiqué states that, generally, there have been minor operations. A Ger- man acroplane bombed the station at Zami- rie on the Minsk and Baranovitch` rail-
DUTCH PREPÄRATIONS.
INTERESTING NEWSPAPER
COMMENTS.
LONDON, April 2ad. Dutch newspapers, discussing the men- sures takon regarding the granting of no furloughs to the Navy or Army, agree that it is not due to the sinking of the Tubartin or other vessels. It is believed that the measures are rather to he ascribed to the feeling that the war is entering a new a phase, special. vigilance. Ore journal BURIEDS that the measures may be the outcome of
imposing
Holland uper
** GRUMPY.”
"Grumpy is by no means the horrid, Crusty old gentleman that he would some
tong have us believe. "Grampy" he may have been at times but he had once been a great criminal lawyer and it was second nature for him to soap and bite at people when everything did not ran along his own well-ordered, and extremely conservative lines, But there was a very warm heart under the veneer of frosty old age. He saved his household from dishonant, unravelled
The woman's activities were discovered
five days after her arrival in this country. and until her arrest her communications were constantly intercepted. ·
Mr. Saowdea: Was she a British sub- ject?
Mr. Samuel: No, sir,
RUSSIA'S GREAT RESERVES.
EXPERIENCE OF NAVAL WAR... inexcoodingly practical way. The
Let those facts be remembered at a mo Indian public, however, while they willment when, if the Japanese and Italian undoubtedly And Lord Chelmsford a just papers may be believed, this great country with its pressing interual problems, s and sympathetic rules, must not regard stretching out her hands across the world hin as the herald of changes which are
in order to assist in making secure the route between East and West for ships with their ont of the question while the present freights of defenceless men and women and innocout, children, Japan has ranged her- crisis Inst
elf definitely against the Attilos of the sea. The German Emperor used at one time to shout about the Yellow Peril; the
The Petrograd correspondent of The world has suce realised what is the real
Times writes: In previous messages I have peril which threatens civilisation, Japanese naval contingent has
Now, according to Italian papers, the sufficiently indiested the progress made in safely utilizing Russia's splendid manhood for arrived in the Mediterranean, and the the Army, notably in respect of the organi exponents of "Kultur" will wish they hadzation of reserve formations, & perhaps shown more restraint in
had at the supply of trained subalterns. I canuot policy of frightfulness, andt of the still greater improvement is noticeable in least spared Japanese passenger ships. In, give details, but to illustrate this statement staunchip, in war craft, and in guile, the I may mention that there are from 25.000 Germans are no match for Japarece segmen. to 30,000 additional subalterns annually The Japanese had already graduated in war from one of several sources of supply. It before the feet of the nouveau riche nation may safely be asserted that the Russian of Europe with the manners of the nou Army no longer suffers from any deficiens, veau riche-bad a navy of any account of young officers, I may also stato that if Thoy have a greater and more intimate ox- the supply of rifle, could keep pace with perience of war than any other geamen in
the supply of men we could to-morrow. the world. The Japanese have the mental place several additional million trained
men in the field. hind all their other sterling qualities lios a patriotizma beside which German patriot- is is a hothouse plant a tonder growth which is already shrivelling as the news- papers of the Gorman Empire and the riots in the streets reveal. I have visited many Japanese men-of-war from time to time, and have always realised that the delicate cour- tesy of officers and men is associated with a fighting edgo which it would be dangerous to turn against oneself, Now the Germans, the modern and bloodthirsty pirates, whose doods have sickened the civilised peoples of the world will have an opportunity of realising how these companions of ours is among the most experienced and most skilful ennen of the sgo-can deal with
way. The Gormans were bloodily repulsed firm resolutions passed at the Paris Cou-a mystery which was made doubly perplexity which makes for success in wer
in their attacks on the heights of Olyka,ference, east of Aentsk Thera has been some. nativity in the Caucasus, where the Russians seized several more villages and the Tebornokh basin,
NAVAL ACTIVITIES.
(FHROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.] BLUE FUNNEL BOAT SUNK.
LONDON, April 3rd.
The finer Achilles hag been sunk.
Sixty-three of the crew have been landed Four Chinsmen and an engineer are as sing.
The Achillea is one of the Blue Funnel feel of steamers. She was built at Greenock in 1909, and had a gross tonnage of 7,048.).
The Norwegian steamer Peter Haure, with a crew of fifteen, was sank last night while at anchor. The sole survivor was landed from the Kentish Knock lightship.
TORPEDOING OF THE
*** PORTUGAL.”
THRILL OF HORROR IN RUSSIA.
LONDON, April 2nd. The torpedoing of the Portugal wie caused a thrill of horror throughout Rus sia The vessel, which was painted white, with rod crowes painted round the side, was unmistakable Baroness Meyendorf, whi was head nursing cater, was a nurse in the Japanese war
MR. ASQUITH IN ROME.
ITALY'S DETERMINATION.
ROME, April 3rd. Signor Salandra gave
luncheon in honour of Mr. Asquith, at which mem- bera of the Cabinet, Members of Parliamen and Allied Diplomats were present,
Signor Salandra, in the course of a spooch, reiterated the determination of Italy not to down arms before victory was
secured,
Mr. Asquith, in reply, said that the development of Italian unity was followed with the greatest sympathy in Great Britain. He added: The present war cannot be won by fleets and armies alone, but by the well-balanced concentration of all the Allied resouros."!
$
In the evening Mr. Asquith left for the Italian front, receiving an ovation at the station
** AURORA” ARRIVES AT PORT CHALMERS,
WELLINGTON, N.Z., April 2nd.
A tug has picked up the Aurora, which is expected to reach port on the 3rd inst LANDON, April 3rd.
The Aurora has arrived at Port Chalmers All are well,
ing by a camellia, tied with a strand of lady's hair-nog without many snaps and bites-and eventually brought real joy to two very young bearta To do justice to such an exacting role must have taxed even the great Cyrry Maude himself, but the large nudies which weswobled at the Theatre Royal last evening had the privi. lege of witnessing the part played by one who had under-studied Cyril Maude in the role which made the labor famous and Compton Coults scored a great suc-
coss. He was "Grumpy" personified, act ed with remarkable skilt and effect, aud was often recalled. This Socisty play, which bad about two years run at the Hay market Theatre, is one for Grumpy himself, and Mr. Coutte never onco failed to maintain the role at its highest standard; as a result of which the production was a great success. All the other parts which support the main theme were very wol placed, and each member acted in a manner which never once detracted from the suc- cossful work of "Grumpy." The theatre was literally packed, among the present being H.E. the Governor, and Lady May.
BOY SCOUTS
ADMIRALTY KECOGNITION OF THEIR WORK,
When the war broke out the Boy Scouts near the cost were utilised by the Ad- miralty for coast watching The Admiralty found the services of these boys so useful that they have onlisted nearly 2,000 Scouts for the work, they have increased the rate paid for maintenance, and hayo just handed to the Boy Scon's Ameiation & choque for nearly £57,000 in payment of wages due up to dats-Morning Post
outlawry at sea
THE JAPANESE SHIPA,
Bo-
POSITION AT BERLIN,
ON THE BRINK OF COMPLETE, EQ2NOMIC
· BREAKDOWN.
The Westminster Gazette has received a message from Gothenburg to the effcot that recent narratives from three different quarters very similar in detail agree thas Berlin is on the brink of complete economic breakdown; the news of the fall of Erzerum has had a most serious effect AL a secret session of the Reichsang it was pro-
posed to ask the military authorities to inflict a tremendous blow; authorities to
calm the people; a week later only the cap. ture of 300 metres of French trenches was The Kasuga, Tokiwa, and Chitose. the achieved. Ten thousand men, women and three principal ships which are to repro children proceeded si'ently through the sent the Japanese Navy in the Mediterrants at night. After two such aimless ranean, merit attention:
processions the crowd no longer silent erted The Kusaga wag building in Italy for for bread, peace and victory. Great forces. Argentina in 1903 when the war in the For of mounted police were unable to prevej 45 East broke out and was purchased with her the mob from the Moabit quarter oing to sister, the Washin, by Japan, making a dramatic voyage to the Far Fast. She is the richer quarters. Bread was afterwards of 7,697 tons displacement, has a speed of distribu'ed but two days later the deperats 20 knots. a sin. amoured belt, and four people broke windows in order to be arrest- sin. gana ia pair in turrets, in associationed and fed; the patienes of the masses of with fourteen tin, quickfirers. She has five Berlin is at an end and anything may
happen. torpedo tubes,
The Tekiwa is an older, but larger ship, displacing 9,760 tons. She is British built, having been constructed at Elswick. Japanese anticipated the main teson of this She has a speed of 23 knots, is pro war, and attached great importance fo vided with a 7in armoured belt and has long-range, guns. an armywent similar to the Kamiga,
Such are the heavily-gunned shipa which, The Chitose has no side armour, but according to reports from Tokio, are about dock from 1.7in to 4.5in, thick. She was to assist, with the support of aircraft, in lead down at Philadelphia in 1898, and dis places 4,760 tons. Her guns include two sin. with ten 4.7in, quick-firers, and she has four torpedo tubes, all above water.
All three ships, it will be seen, canry the sin gun, discharging a gholl weighing 2101b., with sufficient energy at the muzzle to rame according to the length (40 or 4. calibres)7,319 to 10,220 tons a foot. The
putting down the new piracy in the Medi- terranean, Future developments will be. watched with interest. Never before have Japanese men-of-war cleared for action in European waters, and the Germans will no doubt have reason to regret that they in vited, by their methods of barbarism, this intervention on the part of the Japanese Daily Telegraph,