1915-06-02 — Page 2

STIELATIONS

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2xD, 1916.

EVER READY ENTERTAINMENT

THE VICTOR-VICTROLA

RECITALS GIVEN DAILY.

EXCLUSIVE AGENTS:

MOUTRIE'S

BEFORE LEAVING FOR

66

ON

HOLIDAY

ORDER THE

**co1-3

PORMIDABLE OBSTACLES.

COTTON CONTRABAND.

A BLOCKADE STOPS ALL

ARTICLES".

The Press Bureau last month issued a letter on the subject of cotton as contra- band which Sir John Simon has sent to the secretary of the Conference of Che mists and Engineers. The Attorney General suggests that the conference is under some misapprehensior. either as to the steps which are in fact being taken under the Order in Council of March 17 concerning the blockade of German ports, and adds: To imagine that since that date anything can be gained, so far as

Germany is concerned, by calling it con- traband is in effect to suppose that a blockade is rendered more effective if you add that specified contraband articles will. not be allowed to break the blockade,

"A blockade stops all articles, whether they are contraband or not, and therefore the addition would not have any prac tical consequences whatever. What is true of Germany is of course, equally true of Austria."

**HOME OF THE FREE-LAND." stopping the entrance of cotton into

would most probably have been off Constan- not know the enemys numbers, but he is EXPEDITION TO THE

tinople by now. But the Turkish army, entrenched everywhere, and the lessons of DARDANELLES.

directed by highly-trained German officers, Flanders have brought it clearly home what and having the advantage of their science the cost of assaulting entrenched positions ALLIES GREAT TASK.

and technical skill, is a very different suemy, means. Everything will depend on the One must give the Germans their due meed number of guns available for shore work, [FROM E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETT.].

of praise for the manner in which they have and the numbers of infantry. atlapted the defences to meet the immense great army is required to ensure success. EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, April 12.

hower of ships' guns and for having built up The occupation of the Gallipoli Peninsula The days of the Turk in Europe are nu a kind of secondary defence out of ABY - would probably enable the Straits to be bered, but no one will deny that he is dying terial available which is now proving far cleared for the ships to pass, because, as I hard and game. It came as a disagreeable more formidable than the old forts mounting have already said, the northern shore

commands the southern, and the enemy shock to many to read on the morning of the heaviest guns, a March 19 that two British battleships and The Fleet has three main obstacles to over- artillery on the Asiatic side could thus be kept at a distance. London Daily Telegraph. one French had been sunk in the Dardanelles come, and to achieve decisive results th whilst several others had been hit and assistance of a very large expeditionary force, damaged. The blow was all the more sudden supplied with powerful artillery, both field because the public had been led to believe and howitzer, is essential, First and foremost from previous official and unofficial report are the mine fields, which are constantly that all was going well.

being renewed, and the doating mines, which We were told that the outer forts had beere carried down by the four-knot current. completely destroyed, and that the work It is now generally accepted that it was mine-sweeping had made excellent progres mines of this description which sank the This news was given in perfect good faith, and Bouvet, the Irresistiole, and the Ocean. was also quite true, but we built up on it too great a structure of hope, few realising the The second obstacle which must be over- immense difficuties the Fleet has had to face, come is formed by the concealed, batteries obstacles which do not really commence until of heavy howitzers and direct-fire guns the Narrows are approached. The combined which have been placed in position since advance of the Allied. Pleat up the Dthe first attack on the outer forts.

John Contes... danelles on March 18 was not an attempt to morable batteries of field guns.

It is generally known that Jolin Coates, pass the Narrows. It was merely intended as light howitzers, which are shifted from a great demonstration against the forts, point to point under perfect cover, and which the well-known English tenor, has writton a order that the destroyers and sweepers might open up on the ships from the most unex-new, patriotic ballad, "The Rally Call," but clear the minefield under cover of the guts pected positions present the third obstacle. the romantic story of how he came to do so of this ships,

All these defences have an important bearing has still to be told. This work was carried out in the most on each other. For instance, field guns and gallant manner, and was perfectly successful, light howitzers can do little or no damage, to but, unfortunately, the further advance had a battleship cloured for action except to those to be abandoned, owing to the sudden and in her control tops. Several ships have thus unexpected disasters to three vessels inflicted suffered. Eut they can inflict very serious by drifting mines. Yet the price paid cannot damage on trawlers nid destroyers engaged be considered too high when one remembers in the task of sweeping the Straits, the issues at stake, and the vast beating they may have on the future of the war. The Turks-has-siaugs believed the Dardandles to be improgunule, and this belief had been accepted as the truth by most lay minds antii the Navy started to put the issue to the test. Then for some unknown reason

The and

HOW AN EMPIRE SONG WAS WRITTEN.

Home-land, sex-land, Home of the free land, Faithful thy children, wherever they be;"

One in thy motherhood, One in our brotherhood! One in devotion. undying to thee!

It appears that at the end of July Mr.. Coates went to the Wagner Festival at Bay- reuth, where Parsifal" was being performed. During the long interval between the second and third acts he went out to dinner.

PERFERVID PATRIOTISM,

But he did not diue; he forgot to dine, the air was so charged with electricity, human The work has often had to be checked on electricity. War with Russia had just been account of the severity of this fire. The de declared, mobilisation papers were out, the stroyers and trawlers go up the Dardanelles waiters in the restaurant were already get under the protection of battleship unding ready to march way, and the streets They are were filled with men, women, and children commence their operations.

tremendous all delirious with excitement. immediately subjected to a fire from the enemy's light guns, which the battleship in ary armament of charge finds it almost impossible to pick up a They can only aim at the flashes of the guns when these are visible, or else by the inap, after an acroplane reconnaissance has located a battery. Some guns and bat teries are temporarily silenced, but on the following day they are shifted to a fresh position and the task of locating them has to commence all over again.

THE AMERICAN, NOTE TO

GERMANY.M

LAS TELEGRAPHED TO THE FORTION.

OFFICE IN TOKYO,]

An official telegram from Washington. -to-the-Foreign Office at Tokyo gives the

following as the principal points

1. Germany has often infringed the rights of America on the high seas; and especially in the sinking of the Lusitaria more than a hundred American lives invo.... been lost. At this critical moment, clear and full understanding between Germany and America should be established.

II. The Government of the United

HOM there came a quite unjustifiable wave of are so carefully, concealed that the second: But what impressed Mr. Coates more timun States is shocked by, the sinking of the

HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS

TO BE SENT TO YOU, AND 50

:

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE FAR EAST.

ALL THE NEWS OF THE WEEK FULLY RECORDED, INCLUDING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE FLOCAL MARKETS.

PAGES!

24

ASAHI

THE DAI NIPPON BREWERY

ASAN

24 PAGES!!

BEER

BEER

COMPA

& CO. TOKIO

JAPAN.

OBTAINABLE EVERYWHERE,

SOLE AGENTS ;, MITSU BUSSAN KAISHA,

HONGKONG.

24 PAGES!!!

DRINK

ALLSOPP'S

BRITISH PILSENER

BEER.

SOLE AGENTS

CALDBECK,

optimism, which swept over, the country until the eyes of the public were opened by

the events of March 15.

CHANGED CONDITIONS.

target.

In the old days of sailing ships the Dar- danelles were a most formidable obstacle which no admiral would have faced with confidence. But then the guns of hoth forts and ships had only a very short range, and the chief difficulty was to find a favourable

Thus the task of clearing the fixed mine wind which would carry the old three,

rendered extremely difficult. The deckers past the Narrows up into the Sea of field Marmor. They could have got through had Germans have also mounted many heavy they been able to keep in the centre of the guns inland, where it is extremely difficult to channel and make their way against the locate them, and some of these are powerful foar knot current which comes swirling enough to inflict very serious damage on Anything made of stone or down. But unless the wind was dead aft battleships. they had to tack from side to side, thus concrete which is visible will be speedily coming within close range of the forts, whose smothered by the direct fire of naval guns, fire it was almost impossible to keep down and by indirect fire, assisted by accurate

"spotting" from an aeroplane. by broadsides.

"If it was almost impossible to overcome these obstacles in the early days of the nine- teenth century the difficulties and dangers of the passage have been increased tenfold now by long-range weapons, torpedoes and mines. Nevertheless, the Navy is of opinion that the Narrows can be forced, in spite of these chi stacles, and this opinion has been strength ened id confirmed by the great trial of March 18. It might mean the loss of ships, but if the occasion justified the sacrifice the Flect would not hesitate to make the attempt But, unless there were a powerful army ready to occupy the Gallipoli Peninsula the nomment the Fleet passed into the Sea of Marmora, or maile its way to Constantinople, the Straits would immediately be closed behind it, awl, supposing the Turks, hacked up by German officers and German intrigues, cleviled to continue the war, it would hayo to fight its way out, and again clear the mineteld. It has long been an accepted axiona of Baval warfare that ships are of no use against forts, or that they fight at such a disadvantage tint it is not worth while employing them for such a purpose.

REMARKABLE RESISTANCE.

This axion must now be modified, after the experience which the Fleet has gained in the present operations against the Darda nelles. Any fort built of stone or concrete, however strong, can be put out of action by direct, fire from guns, if only a clear view of it can be obtained, or provided aeroplanes are available to spot" for the gunner jo signal back results, and correct the tiro. Yet nothing has amazed the gunners out here more than the resisting power of these old forts round the Dardanelles.

"

STRENGTH OF EARTHWORKS.

The

In this sense the old axiom that ships are of no use against forts is quite inaccurate, but the enemy has discovered that, even the heaviest shells can do but a minimum of damage to a well-constructer emplacement of earth thrown up in front of a gun. great shells from the ships throw up an enormous amount of smoke and earth, but It can, in fact, the actual damage is small.. generally be made good during the night, or when the weather is too thick to allow of shooting. A battleship has to score a direct hit on the gun itself before gune mounted in this simple manner can fairly be said to be The difficulty of scoring out of action. direct hits is enormous, especially when the fire is indirect and has to be corrected by aeroplanes, which are themselves constantly exposed to heavy shrapnel fire which it is impossible to keep under

anything else was the perfervid patriotism Falabo, by which an American was those Gernuans infused into their singing of drowned, the German acroplance attacks

Deutschland über Alles."

We have nothing quite like that in Eng which more than two Americans were upon the Cushing and Gulf Light in land," he said, "and I do think we mistranskilled, the sinking of the Lusitant and late that national song. It does not mean other cases of similar nature.

Germany over all, but "Germany above III. In view of the German votes of everything. I admire them for the senti: justice which have often been declared ment. They fancy we Englishmen are not imbued with the same feeling. We are, but it is impossible to believe that the above. we do not carry it on our sleeve as they do.ntioned acts, which are clearly contrary to international law, have been committed We don't express it."

Siegfried Wagner, the son of the grent with the approval of the German Govern States carnestly hopes that the German composer, was anxious that Mr Coatesment. The Government of the United should stay with him at Bayreuth, for at that time war had not been declared. Mr. Government will dispel the unfavourable impression which it has given upon the Coates decided, however, to return to Eng world and that it will recognise the land, but a fierce yearning to visit in liberties of the high seas. that might become to his native land wint

Deutschland über Alles" was to the Ger-V. The American Government received mans took possession of him. The idea never the German note saying that Germany had declared a blockade of the seas in the

left him.

Homeland, blest land: Clustering West land. “Everybody can sing such lines as those Carson, Redmond, the Suffragettes, Tories, Liberals, Socialist, or strikers.

"I wanted to take in the whole lot hewar zone in reparation for the enemy's aid, England, Britain, the Empire, were blockade of the seas, but an answer was not quite comprehensive enough, Homeland, given at the time that it could not after all, expresses exactly what I felt-we recognise the infringements of the rights of American ships and passengers, and all have a share in that.

that the German Government would be held for such acts whether they are dou with intent or accidently. The American Government cannot believe that Germany entertains doubts as to American rights.

V. The American Government clearly. understand that it is practically difficult for submarines to examine, or search, or capture mereliant-ships, or to give time to the passengers and erew; but in the cases above cited eyen a warning for torpedoing was not given. At any rate,

WHAT SIR EDWARD KLGAR SAID: ...” After all, you know, there is something in being little enough to be patriotic; and why should not an Englishman be prejudiced in favour of his own country

But it's very funny, continued Mr. Coates, how I came to write the music. have been identified with Elgar's work, and we are great friends. I went to him and asked him if he would set it.

"But I was very anxious that Sir Edward should not give me the slip. I'd like it to go something like this, I said, to remind one of men marching all the time. With that I hammed a refrain.

If the ground on the European and Asiatic sides of the Straits were flat the task would Good heavens, Arch Chanter, he replied be comparatively easy, becaues the enemy's (for that is his name for me), I've had scores guns could be kept out of range by the long of patriotic ballads sent to me since the war range Gin. of the ships. Unfortunately it is broke out. It's not so easy to fit them to just the reverse. The Gallipoli Peninsula iselady as some folk inngine., a jumble of hills, valleys, small rivers, low lying ridges, and purs, which assume no regular formation, and which seen to have been especially designed by Nature to assist the defence of the Straits. In parts the country is thickly wooded, in others the trees are sparse, and there are patches of low-lying ground which have been cultivated. The ascent from the shore is steep and fairly high, and the ships must clear this initial obstacle, before they can reach their mark.

CONCEALED BATTERIES, A Amongst this hilly country there are in numerable positions where guns can be con- cealed, in valleys, behind hills, or amongst treca. When a gun or buttery has been located by an aeroplane it is often necessary to fire right over the top of several ridges of hills, and the smoke of the bursting projectiles. cannot be seen, even from the control tops when The shore of the Strait is lower,

For instance, those at Seddül Bahr and Kai Kale, at the northern and southern critrances to the Dardanelles, were subjected to a terrible bombaxdiment by the combined Fleets on Feb. 10, bots at long and short range. They were so completely smothered with fire that no one believed a stone or a gun could be left standing. Their fire was;

silenced.

MACGREGOR&C.in fict, completely put ashore to examine is commanded along almost its whole length

15, QUEE'S ROAD CENTRAL.

[15

thon, the material damage was found to be comparatively small, although they ware mere shambles

Many of the guns were still intact, and WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANTS. Sin. was actually found loaded. The work of destruction had to be completed by the landing parties, and the forts are now heaps of unoccupied ruins, with their guns lying about at all angles. In like manner the forts at Chanak, on the Asiatic side of the Narrows, and at Kilid Bahr, on the Europene, together with the batteries known us Nos, 7 and 8 lewer down the Straits, were silenced temporarily on March 18, because FRENCH LESSONS they were so completely smothered by a tremendous volume of fire that the gamers were driven from the guns to the cover of their bomb-proof shelters but in view of experience gained on Feb. 25 the Fleet does not claim to have knocked out many guns in them, and after the suster to tre Trestatible wad Urian some of the gaps were manned again, and concentrated a tremendous fire on these unfortunate ships during the work of removing the crews to destroyers. LIKE OIL ON THE WATERS. GERMANS VALUABLE ALD,

by the European. The hills are not so dash with the water, and it is therefore easier to locate batteries on that side."

But even with this small assistance it has

"Why, man exclaimed Sir Edward you've got a tune of your own. Sing it out. What's wrong with that?

"I gang it out, and, strange to say, on the next day, whilst travelling to rehearsal by the Underground the relody came to me uli

of a sudden

GERMAN CONFESSION.

MISGALCULATIONS AND MISTAKES..

it is clear that the submarine attacks upon merchantmen are impossible without vio lating the sacred laws of instice and humanity

I. The Americans have the right to make trips on the high seas by either neutral or belligerent ships, and it is the American Government's duty to protect this right. At times the German Einbarss gave warning to the American people through the newspapers, but the America nouncement. Nothing would be said here Government has made no public-na- as to such an irregular method; hat the

escaped by a warning, responsibility of unlawful acts cannot be

VII. The American Government, which

ment well knows, fair and noble prin always upholds, as the German Govern ciples, can not believe that the command-

WAR BREVITIES.

And that was how I came to write there of the German submarines have dared standing the orders of theirmaval song, which I shall sing for the first time in such unlawful acts without misunder London with orchestral accompaniment at the Red Cross entertainment at the Royal authorities. The American Government, Albert Hall on Saturday, April 17,-Pall therefore, carnestly hopes that the German Government will redeem the Mutt Gazette.

damages to the sufferers, and that it will take steps to stop the recur rences of such acts, disavowing the acts of the commanders of the submarines VIII. In view of the existing, friend ship between Germany and America, and especially in consideration of the treaty of 1628, the American Government and people expect stronger assurances than been found impossible to silence the enemy's

before But, as opology and the pay The German newspaper Der Tag, which ment of damages are not sufficient to dis gaus. Amongst the hills and broken ground. they conceal them with ease and security, and they are also, apparently, able to move guns during the first month of the war shcuted pel the neutrals fear of great perfils they are not enough for the expinuation with much greater facility on the south side.Herr Gott, sind diese Tage schon ”

The more the task of forcing the Straits is (O Lord, how delightful these days are), of the submarine attacks.nud

has arrived now at a totally different IX. The American Government expects examined, the more stupendous proportions

state of mind and declared recently :- the German Government to understand does it assume. We do not know what num- ber of troops the Turks have on the Peninsula Bo many of our calculations have that it would not hesitate in any work and on the Asiatic side, but it must not be deceived us. We expected that British or acts necessary to the prasiction of the forgotten that they live had ample time and India would rise when the first shot was rights of America and American people. ample warning to bring up any reinforce fired in Europe, but in reality thousands ments which are available from the needs of of Indians came to fight with the British We anticipated that the the other theatres of war. They are entrench against us. e up to their necks, and have placed whole British Empire would be torn to barbed wire round every position. The Fleet pieces, but the Colonies appear to be

The price of the quartern (41b. 3-loaf was has done, and is doing, everything possible ofoser than ever united with the Mother to assure success, in the face of obstacles auch Country. We expected a triumphant again advanced a halfpenny in London as no Fleet has taken en before. The tale of rebellion in South Africa, yet it turned last month. The general price was sid gallant deeds is a long and glorious one.

out nothing but a failure. We expected but it varied slightly according to the But the facts must be Tacel, They are

trouble in Ireland, but instead, she sent district, briefly these. It inust also be borne in mind that the No feet can advance even close to the her best soldiers against us. We antici Like the quieting influence of oil Turks were not relying on their heavy guns Narrows, touch less through them, until the pated that the party of peace at any poured on the angry waters in a storm, alone to defend the Straits They knew that mine field has been cleared fire enemy's price would be dominant in England, Little's Oriental Balm calms and soothes their minefield was to a great extent intact, heavy concealed guns and light mobile artil- but it melted away in the ardour to figh the tortured nerves, stops the excruciat and that the Fleet would have great difficulty lery render this task impossible, even under against Germany We reckoned that ing pains and bids Sciatica release its in getting through without heavy loss the covering fire of the battleships, for the England was degenerate and incapable

A mammoth traction engine, the large Nevertheless, all those works which actually reason I have already explained. In addi- of placing any weight in the scale, yet hold on the sufferer. LITTLE'S ORIENTAL BALM has been the overlook the Dardanelles, and are situated tion, there is every known reason to believe she seems to be our principal enemy. standard, the universal remedy for right on the shores of the Straits, can speed that the Turks have placed a large number The same has been the case with France seen in London, passed down Charing Seiation for years and years. It has ly be placed out of Betion by the guns of of torpedo tubes along both shores. There and Russia. We thought that France was Cross-road recently driven by suldiers in ships, or else smothered with such a volume fore, the only way the Straits can be opened depraved and divided and we find that thaki. To the fannel of the engine was thousands of cures to its credit. The of fire that the gunners will be forced to is from the land side. To accomplish this a they are formidable opponents. We attached a large iron cross labelled, For most difficult case, is immediately take shelter in the bomb-proofs. But such very large Expeditionary Force is required, believed that the Rusian people were faultur cians, have been almost relieved and promptly cured. If you works as these only come within the cats and also a very large number of teld too discontented ght for et govern

position of a rapid collapse of Russia, mous last month, informed Lord Chark snifer the agonics of Sciatica, send now gory of obsolete défences. They are no howitzers, with which to deal with the con-ment, and we noour plans on the sup Mr. Robertson in the House of Con to the nearest Chemist of Medicing longer the real obstacles which must be over cealed batteries

The guns of the battleships can cover a but, instead, ale mobilised her millions Beresford that the amount of German pro Vendor and get a bottle of this remark toms before the passage can be forced

The Turkish soldier fights very well behind landing, and their fire will be able to assist quickly and well and her people are full perty in the United Kingdom was abon £84,600,000 He could assure Lor fable remedy

nu hdvangsanland un to a certain point, but of enthusiasm and their power is crush entrenchments, but he is a very bad gonner.

mall to Charles-that-

would leagin arourabl and possesses absolutely no knowledge of the once the army is on shore it must do the sealing Those who

lons have laid for such future disposal as might sərt science of war. Had the defence of the Straits work of taking the enemy's positions in

upon themselves a heavy responsibilty oper been left in his hands slime the Allied Flest reverse by its own unaided efforts. We do

G. MOUSSION,

18, MORRISON HILL HO

[381

VISITORS TO CANTON

Purchas

* FROM HONGKONG TO CANTON BY THE PEARL RIVER,"

CAPTAIN O. V. LLOYD. With Illustrations, Maps and Plans

PRICE

Hongkong:

Canton':

Mei

KELLY & WALSH, LO Braves &. 60. Messrs. AFWERSON & 10.

1602

Sold at 18. 4d, per bottle.

Agents for Hongkong:- Meere AS WATION & CO. Dr.

1414-4

mistakes and misca

In the Capetown House of Assemba recently the Committee of Ways att Means adopted the resolution imposing a special tax of half a million sterling of the profits of the gold mines.

CLU

Ecreas yesterd 29. T

Kent

and I Tuon

Po Mit

Linte and H

Yuen a

Min a

Enll

and H Taen

Po Min

BI

In

wers brothe Pairs

Hatter 86, 6

more

indica improv

reachi

Hanco

always he fre tersly iu.com could

The

"never:

to whe

conseg

never superi

GERI

the

H

Som

New

Germa

nastid

observ

It much

have in ple

if non

scarcit We net private placed

more ways that n

benzol

inform

northe

tons o

am

Wired tramca

easily

amat

almost

answer

coppe

are

which need?

Army

Brazi

mulite

must forts

timest

the Hary Facto

to

other

Gove

shut

facto

quan

prses

PA

veni

benz