1916-12-25 — Page 5

THE

WAR.

THE

U.S. INTERVENTION:

AMERICA'S NEED OF ENLIGHTENMENT.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, MONDAY, DECEMBER 25TH, 191D.

THE GREEK CRISIS:

·FRESH OUTBREAK OF PERSECUTION BY ROYALISTS.

HEROIO

BRITISH INDIA LINER SUNK.

ACHIEVEMENT

Franco-Belgian Front.

LATEST CABLES.

(THROUGH REĘTER'S, AGENCY.]

BRITISH FRONT. SUCCESSFUL HAIDS AND BOMBARDMENT.

LONDON, December 24th. General Sir Douglas Haig, in a com- muriqué, Buys-We successfully raided trenches last night to the south of Ypres, inflicting many losses..

There has been considerable reciprocal artillery firing between the Ancre and the

Bomme.

"At Loos wo effectively bombarded trenclics to the cast of Berles, and dis persed a largo party to the south of Pys,

FRENCH FRONT.

ENEMY EASILY REPULSED.

PARIS, December 23rd. communiqué says:-The enemy, after a violent bombardment, tried to approach our linen cast of Auberiya, Champagne, and was easly repulsed.

There has been fairly lively enemy artillery action at Hardaumont and

Chainbrottes.

NOTHING IMPORTANT:

Pants, December 24th.

A communiqué stater-There nothing important to report except

is

violent bombardment in the region Harduumont..

of

The Balkans.

LATEST CABLES. (THROUGH REUTER'S AGENOY.]

THE GREEK -CRISIS,

DISQUIETING REPORTS.

BYRA, December 30th. Arrests of Venezclists in Athens con tinue. The Military Party is gaining ground:

BY DESTROYER'S CREW.

KAVAKLI RAIDED. EFFECTIVE NAVAL

BOMBARDMENT.

SALONIKA, December 23rd.

An official communiqué states:-We successfully raided Kavakli, capturing prisoners,

THE PEACE SUGGESTIONS. RUMOURED THREATENING GERMAN NOTE.

*

AMSTERDAM, December 23rd.

It is rumoured in Dutch financial cirates that Germany sent a Note to the neutral nations threatening rathless sub marining in the event of peace not being attained.

JAPAN'S ATTITUDE.

Tox10, December 24th. The Japanese Foreign Minister, inter viewed by Reuter's correspondent," said that no peace was possible except on terms on which the Allies were whole heartedly agreed,

AMERICA NEEDS ENLIGHTEN- MENT.

LONDON, December 24th.

It is suggested in some quartors that America needs enlightenment as to the Allies aima.

The Dundee Advertiser urges that Mr. Winston Churchill be sent to the United States as a missionary of Empire

The Observer says that special repre-

The Navy effectively bombarded en sentation in the United States is neces- trenchments at Neokhori.

Bary.

The Near East;

LATEST CABLES. [THROUGH REUTER'S AGENOT.]

EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN.

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITIES.

LONDON, December 23rd. An official report fruin Egypt states: Our aircraft dropped a ton of high ex- plosives on an enemy concentration at Maghdabah, causing many casualtics. They also attacked Beersheba and Auja, and seriously damaged an important rail. way bridge at Telesharia, to the north of Beersheba.

POSITION IN MESOPOTAMIA.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR WELFARE

OF TROOPS.

LONDON, December 24th.

Lieut-Colonel Godfrey Collins tele-

graphed from Basra on the ard instant as follows:-All that human foresight, money and work can do is being done to-day for the welfare of the troops in Mesopotamia. The up-river trafic showe decided and continued progres Tho British troops have full winter rations and clothing and ample medical supplies. AIR RAIDS AND BOMBARDMENT.

LONDON, December 24th. An official message from Mesopotamia states:-Our aeroplanes twice raided the Turkish advanced base near Baghailahı.

Our artillery heavily bombarded hostile" trenches

Kut-el-Amara and

The newspapers are violently attack Bannaiyat. ing the Allies.

The removal of Gresk troops is proceed ing slowly.

The newspapers declare that the people of Thessaly are protesting against and interfering with the entraining of the. artillery.

The Allied Ministers are still afloat. REPORTS CONFIRMED.

LONDON, December 24th. A Ventzelist telegram from Salonika ates:-The persecution of the Vencze lista in Athens continues,

The Royalists are celebrating their boasted victory over the Allies.

University students have tortured Professors imprisoned as having demons- trated pro-Entente sympathies.

near

Naval Activities.

LATEST CABLES.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

** FRIGHTFULNESS.”

MORE VESSELS SUNK.

LONDON, December 24th.. The following steamers have been. |sunk:-Gerda - (Danish), Skiftet (Rus-

sian), and Modig (Norwegian).

The American steamer Kensen, badly damaged by a mine, has arrived at

Nantes.

LATER

The Norwegian steamer Avong, the Danish steamers Hroptatur and ans berg have been sunk, BRITISH INDIA STEAMER SUNK.

LATER.

been sunk.

General

LATEST CABLES.

All the streets in old Greece town The British India steamer Itonus has hitherto named after Venezelos are being officially changed to First December.”

The War Minister has conveyed the. King's congratulations to the troops for their exemplary behaviour and courage on the 1st of December, when, he claims, they saved the country from enemies hoping to overthrow the dynasty.

GERMAN CLAIMS.

AMSTERDAM, December 23rd.

A German communiqué, records minor incidents on the Western and Eastera Fronts, and claims the storming of several Haxian rearguard positions in Dobrudja and the occupation of Tulus on, the lower Danube.) Their prisoners are stated to have increased by over 1,600.

{THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCE.)

·BRITAIN'S STEAMSHIP

LOSSES.

GERMAN BLOCKADE WOULD

NEVER STARVEUS,

If Mr. Bryco is unable to go,

DESTROYER'S HEROIC CREW. RESCUES FROM BURNING OIL-TANKER.

Lennox, December 24th. A correspondent describes the hercism displayed in rescuing the crew of the oil-tanker Conch, which was torpedoed at- eleven o'clock on the night of 7th December;

A destroyer at three o'clock in the morning observed a huge confagration when travelling at a speed of eight-knota. She immediately proceeded at full specé to the spot, and her crew were horrified to see thirty men huddled forward on the deck of the burning vessel. There were three steamers about a quarter of a mile distant which for hours had been powor- leas to approach the lakes of fro from the oil welling from the sides of, the vessel.

There was a nasty son running and the Conch was lurching in all directions. Thrice the destroyer crossed the bows of the burning vessel throwing overboard rafts, life belts and bucys. Many of tho crew jumped into the sea and were saved. After two hours, and when all the life- saving apparatus was gone, the

why not Lord Rosebery. Why not both with most magnificent daringer,

together? Perhaps the best choice would bo Mr. Asquith,"

SOCIALIST MEETINGS · PRÓ- HIBITED BY POLICE. -

AMSTERDAM, December 23rd. The police have prohibited Socialist I meetings at Leipzig, at which a resolu tion was to have been proposed demand ing immediato announcement of the peace terms, as the Pence Noto sent out would not secure an early peace. LIMIT TO STATEMENT OF PEACE

TERMS

went alongside and took off nine men still. aboard.

Ten minutes later the Cench dis appeared.

"THE LADY IN THE CASE.

A MAJOR GENERAL'S POSITION.

LONDON, December 24th. In the House of Commons, Mr. Mac pherson, Under Secretary for War (referring to a case which had been before the Military Court of Inquiry and referred to in a cablo appearing on pago ✪ of the present issue) said dat Major General Sir John Steven Cowans, who had rendered most distinguished service in the present war, bad placed himself unreservedly in the hands of Lord Derby,

THE

KING'S CHRISTMAS

GREETINGS.

TO HIS SAILORS AND SOLDIERS.

The following message has been sent. by HM the King to his sailors and soldiers 2--

** I send you, my Bailors and soldiers, hearty good wishes for Christmas and the New Year. My grateful thoughts are over with you for victories gained, for hardships endured, and for your unfailing cheeriness.

Another Christmas has come round and we

are still at war. But the Em pire, confident in you, remains deter mined to win,'

"May God bless and protect you.?

GEORGE R.I To the sick and wounded His Majesty has addressed the following:-

At this Christmastide the Queen and I are thinking more than ever of the sick and wounded among my sailors

and soldiers.

From our hearts we wish them

to strength bear their sufferings, speedy restoration to health; a peaceful Christmas, and many happier years to

come,"

GEORGE R.I.

PROFIT FOR SMUGGLERS. ONE THOUSAND PER CENT. MADE

́ON FLOUR.

THE HEROIC DEAD. BRITISH HOLY PLACES ON FRENCH SOIE,

In a graveyard west of Vimy there are buried 1,320 French soldiers, and mora than 600 English. The earth is bare on most of the English graves; the Frenca ones are older, but all are cared for alike. by the Englishman now in charge of the place. We leave you our treaches and our dead," a French officer said to an | English one when our acny took" oven this part of the line, and both parts of the trust are discharged with a will.

What this means for the French ons feels when one sees the visits of French soldiers friends to their graves. The other day à French woman in deep mourning came here with a handful of white flowers to place upon what was probably hor son's grave, when there entered the cemetery one of the usual little bare-headed processions--an N.C.O, showing the way; then an English chap lain with his open bjook; then, on a stretcher, the body sewn up in a brown army blanket, a big Union Jack lying over it; then half a dozen privates. As they passed the Frenchwoman sho ross and fell in at the rear of the procession. Whon I next saw them the men wore standing round the new grave, the chap Iain was reading aloud dust to dust" and "ashes to ashes," and the women, a few yards away, was kneeling on the ground. The service over, and the rest turning away, she came close to the grave, dropped the white flowers in, and went hack to the other grave empty-handed.

IN THE FIRING LINE....... In the early months of the war i man was commonly buried close to the place where he fell Wherever hard fighting had been. in France or Belgium, the cya of the traveller along the roads is struck by many low crosses sticking out of the ground-in the fields, in cottage gardone, in corners of farmyards and orchards, even on roadside strips of grass. Where the ground has changed hands a good deal in the course of the war you may see, within a few hundred yards of each other, the gabled and caved cross of the

Ono knew, though the woman could not, how all this would be told to the deat Englishman's comrades, and one felt the truth of Bir Douglas Haig's saying that a kind of work which " does not directly contribute to the successful termination of the war" may still “have an extraor». dinary moral value to the troops in the field, as well as to the relatives and friends of the dead, at home:/ But for A correspondent writes to the Gazette the work of the Army's Graves Registra de Hollande from the eastern frontiertion Units this little seeno, and many other scenes equally binding, in their Despite fines and banishments smugglera degree, to the friendship of England and continue the chase after the gains to be

France could scarcely líave taken place. made out of their illicit trade, although ples of confiscated goods are stored at various points. The smuggler does not sare, even if customs officials seize one of his loads," once in a while. One succesful trip makes up for a couple of AMSTERDAM, December 23rd.

failures. Vegetable fat and margurine, which the smuggler buya hero for 45 to The Cologne Gazette states that the

55 conta a pound, are sold beyond the Quadruple Alliance will not go beyond

frontier for from Mk. 10 to 16, whilst the statement that the German proposals

Mk1 gladly paid for a litra of frying oil, which costs 50 to 80 conte give a suitable basis for the re-establish

bore. All kinds of flour yield 1,000 per cant. profit and more, not to speak of ment of a lasting peace. They must who, while not

hing to protect any rubber, elastic, brass, ofc. This is what Gormans, with "Hier roht in Gott and wait and sce whether President officer from the

consequences of any causes the smuggler to continue in the path once taken, despite disappointment Wilson can bring about a confidential action simply because of his high posi- and mizures. Men, women and children, discussion on this basis, if he tries to tion, felt that this was not a moment, but mostly women, lie in waiting on the bring it about. Publication of the terms after

himself bad just taken office, other side of the frontier. They even come from Dortmund. A few of these would be to play the British game.

when the best interests of the country women walk for 20 hours, merely to get hold of some fat, oil or four on the would be served by not continuing to Dutch frontier. Needless to say, the avail himself of Major General Cowans smuggler does not act from humane motives. Ho makes people pay hand services. The feeding and equipment of somely. He knows, moreover, that those the armies had been in Major General who receive goods from him are running a great risk themselves, because they pay Cowans hands eine the commencement more than the maximum prices, and are of the war, and a vast responsibility had not buying the goods through the Central

Purchasing Bureau, at Berlin, Smug

DUTCH PREPAREDNESS.

HOLLAND'S TURN ANY DAY.

THE HAGUE, December 24th, In the Second Chamber the War Minister said that since the outbreak

of the war the Government had always been met with a courage meriting thegling has become a manis and the elders felt that Holland's turu might come any

almost approbation and with unparal infect young people. Thus several heads of families had to appear in court a day day, and assured the House of the pro-leled success. Mr. Macpherson pointed or two ago in a frontier town, because paredness of the Dutch forces.

out that since July Major General their children had failed to put in an appearance at school for months at a Cowans had had full responsibility for stretch. These children had repeatedly the supplies to Mesopotamia, and read a frontior, either with or without bundles been beld up by the sentries on the letter from Lieut.-Colonel Godfrey of smuggling wares. They make a fair Colling on the subject of supplies to

profit for their parents.

Mesopotamis (given in another cable on this page).

SHACKLETON EXPEDITION.

RUSSIAN POLITICS.

PROVINCIAL CONGRESSES STOPPED BY POLICE,

Moscow, December 23rd, At Congresses of Delegates of Pro vincial Councils which had assembled to-day the police intervened and stop ped the proceedings.

·ROUMANIAN CEREALS.

GERMAN NEWSPAPER INTRIGUE.

AMSTERDAM, December 23rd, The German newspapers have intri gued in the grassest manner as to the

DUNEDIN, December 24th. The Aurora has sailed for the Ross Sea to the rescue of the Macintosh party. Lient, Shackleton is aboard.

THE PRICE OF THE "TIMES.*

FURTHER INCREASE PROBABLE.

LONDON, December 24th, The Times announces a probable further

GREAT FLIGHT OVER MUNICH SWOOP ON THE RAILWAY STATION.

ยน

a name painted white on a dark ground, and the ended wire wreath of the French, with its Requiescat or Mort pour la France," and the plain-lined cross of the English, white or light brown or just the anpainted wood, "In loving memory of one or more officers or men, Even now a good many of these isolated memorials are raised. The very position of some of them is eloquent.

Near. La Boisselle is a cross inexpertly made of two pieces of lath and lettered in pencil. In loving memory of 2nd Lieut. X Regiment, killed here July 1st, 1918." It stands scarcely ten feet in front of the line from which our army You fool, advanced on that morning. when you see it, the thrill of the first moments of the long battle of the Sommo the subaltern giving the word to his men, and himself springing first out of the trench, and falling almost at once, and the men pressing on.

In the autumn of 1914 the necessity for a continued organisation to undertake

the Commission of Graves Registration the supervision of graves was recognised, sad in March, 1016, the organisation of

and Inquiries, under Mr. Fabian Ware, who received a commission for the pur poses of the work, finally assumed its prosent shape.

Under the directorate aro the Graves Registration Unite in the different spheres of military activity. When an officer or man is killed at the front or All the Italian aviation camps ant dies of wounds his burial is at once re- anti-aircraft batteries had been notified | poried to the director as well as to the of the flight of Captain de Beauchamps, base. If killed in action he may still be The Times special correspondent at and were on the look-out for him (says | buried in the old way somewhere near the trench. If so, the chaplain or officer who Vicenza)

buries him reparts the position of the The particulars now available of one grave, and one of the officers of the of the greatest flights in the history of Graves Registration Units visits it

verifies the record, affixes, if necessary aviation are to the effect that the airman

a durable cross, with the date, the man's left the Haute Marne at 7.30 am. an Ariel machine of the Nieuport mudel, rank, regiment, and roginental in unfavourable weather conditions. His number upon it, clearly stamped on- aluminium tape, and enters these parts- route lay over Colmar and the Blackculars and the exact site of the grave in Fort. He kept at a great height, afit the register. But the army has been eluded the vigilance of the enemy. The quick to realise the desirability of bury- air currents were icy, sad at moments the ing its dead in the nearest of the 300 or enterprise seemed desperate.

more recognised cemeteries behind the Manich was reached at midday, and line where everything is done as tenderly the airman swooped down on the railway and reverently as if the dead man were station, on which he let fall six bombs | laid in an English churchyard by his from a height of a few hundred feet friends, IA ME He states that the effects of the explosions. A NOTED SCOTCH JOURNALIST.

were quité visible. Rising swiftly again, The death is announced of Dr. Charles he flow south-east, following the valley of the Int to Innsbruck. Reaching the Gilchrist Russell, editor of the Glasgow Lower Piave, be mistook it for the begin Herald from 1887 to 1906, and President ning of the Venetian lagoons, and at 245 landed in a field near San Dona di Prave

quantity of cereals captured in the Bou- manian campaign. It is believed that the bulk of the crops were previously increase in its price in view of the more destroyed and that the enthusiastic ex-stringent restrictions on the import of peciations of the invaders were damped paper and paper-making material. by the statement made by General Batorki. The Lokanzeiger states that the General never made the staterent attributed to him by a Hungarian news paper that the food booty captured was big enough to please the most pessimis

tic.

COLOURED LABOUR IN

BRITAIN.

HOME WORKERS' PROTEST,

LONDON, December 24th

A joint conference of representatives of miners, railwaymen, and transport LONDOR, December 24th.

workers has passed a résolution against Sir Norman Hill, ia an article ex- the movement to import coloured labour culates that the British steamship losace into Britain, and protesting against during the twenty-seven months of war extended use of Chinese and other was 11 per cent, of the total tonnage, or Asiaties on Admiralty transports and under a half per cent monthly. He merchantmen until the services of Bri concludes-"A ten shillings in a hundred tish and friendly allen seamen have been sterling blockada will never starve na " ntilised to the fullest extent.

OBITUARIES,

of the Institute of Journalists, 1897-93.

AN IRISH M.P, The death is announced of Mr. J. J. O'Kelly, Nationalist Member of Parlia- ment for North Roscommon,

GENERAL BIR H. B. TUSON. 7

LONDON, December 24th, The death of General Sir Henry Bras nell Taon, K.C.B., is annoured.

THE GIFT OF PRAKOZ Some of the cemeteries are great exten- sions of little village graveyards. Some were begun by special corps or divisions, which wished to bury their dead all toge- ther. In one you find a separate plot, each with its special entrance, for Gurkhas, Bikhs, and Punjabis, Under The aeroplane remained in perfect the great trees of another, where many condition during the entire fight, but of those who fell at Festubert are, some the motor an propeller were slightly their comrades, brick tombs of extraor

of our Indian soldiers have built, for damaged in the act of landing Captain dinary massiveness. At Villers aux Bois de Beauchamps maintained a spoed of the French buried 2,500 of those who were slightly over 60 miles an hour for the killed in winning the Vimy Ridge. On 477 miles covered, and reached a height each grave, at the foot of its wooden of between 12,000 and 13,000 feet. The cross, there is still stuck in the earth, velocity of the wind currents varied from nock downwards, the bottle in which the 18ft, per minuta në 3,300ft, to 72ft. per first hasty, record of the interment was placed. A tiny chapel at one end abel- minute at 10,000ft.

ters the Chriat brought from the ruined Calvary of Carency and a little coloured image of the Virgin riddled with German bullet holes.

The French airman recgived a great welcome in Venice. A

· [The late General entered the Army in 1854, and served in China in 1856-60, for He ales serred in Egypt, and the Soudan, which He held medal and two claspe and was several times mentioned in der Aargo of 400 tons of cocos recently

Central Sale arrived

German colony of Cameroons. Before the [Telegrams received on Saturday, and was the colony was Germany's chief on Sunday morning and published in an cocos producing colony, and from Cam- “ Eging" on Sunday, will be found on eroons and Togoland she derived some

thing like 4,000 tons a year. page 6.)

The Directorate at Winchester House, inquiry sent by a soldier's friends and will, if desired, take a photograph of grave and send it to them for nothing, thanks to the funds provided by the Bed

Cross