1917-01-17 — Page 7

INFANTRY LULL ON THE

SOMME.

PRESSURE OF BRITISH ARTILLERY.

NEW POSITIONS MADE GOOD. [BY THE TIMES SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

BRITISK HEADQUARTERS, Dec. 11. For a month now warfare on the Somme has been stationary, for it was on November 13th and 14th that the victory of Beaumont-Hamel was won, and, except for the thrust a few days later which was a necessary corollary of that victory, there bus sincs then been no movement measurable on the map on any part of the fine. He would be a rash man who would predict that there may not be great movement at any moment, but the stagnation has been so long maintained and so complete that it would seem natural to say that the first Battle of the Sommo had ended, and that, whatever may come hereafter, will belong to the second battin

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17TH, 1917.

RECONSTRUCTION OF

INDUSTRY.

CAPITAL AND LABOUR.

PROPOSED CENTRAL BOARD.

Two important steps towards indus trial reconstruction after the war were announced last month. A meeting was held at the Hotel Cecil of loading repro sentatives of employers and trade unions, at which the Right Hon. Frederick Hutk Jackson presided and a committee of the iron, steel, engineering,hipbuilding, and allied industries on the position of those industries after the war published their report.

At the meeting at which Mr. Ruth Jackson presided the following resolu- tions were unanimously adopted :- (1)That the cordial and whole-hearted

co-operation

PENSIONS TO DISABLED

SOLDIERS,

Mr.

£20,000,000 A YEAR.

In the House of Commons recently Hayes Fisher announced that already there were 50,000 widows and 100,000 orphane to be looked after.

"There are over 70,000 disabled men 4 the present time," Mr. Hayes Fisher added,

Mr. H. W. Forster, showing how the work of the Pensions Issue Office had been spooded up, quoted the following figures: In September 22,000 men were draw ing temporary allowances pending the fixing of their pensions, By October that number had been reduced to 11,000 and by November had dropped to 3,000, and was now still lower.. (Cheera) During October 10,678 discharges were of employers and notified, but only 11 of them were with employed will be the must imout their pension or allowance within portant element in the success work of their discharge. (Choors) of

scheme any

for dealing

Mr. Hogge, who is one of the autho with the reinstatement of the men ritics on this subject, said there were of the Forees and munition workers 50,000 men in receipt of no pension who in civil employment, and the gen were looking to the Government to do oral redistribution of labour after something for them. the war, and for handling any sub-

ME. HENDERSON'S PROMISE. sequent problem of unemployment

Mr. Henderson expressed the opinion or labour dislocation. That no machinery now in existence that before the war was over disability can adequately deal with the reine £10,000,000 or £16,0,000 a year, and pensions alone would cost something statement in civil employment of

might perhaps rise to £20,000,000. Be the present forces. (3)-That powers should be obtained plying to certain criticisms, he said:

We have been something like two years too late in laying our plans."'

"You always are," murmured a mem- bet

Yet there has been no point at which the battle has truly ceased, for the guns have never been silent, gither by night or day. It is our artillery that speaks much more than the enemy's; and, however | (2.)- stationary the infantry may be, the pres sure of our guns and our airmon-the pressure, in fact, of a superior forca op- posed to him-has never relaxed. In that sense the same battle still goes on and, in spite of mud, the Germans know only too well that the threat of infantry at tack is always present.

It has been trying month for our men in the front line; mom trying at firat, however, than it is now, or in likely to be again. When the ground reached its worst condition we were in many places in trenches nover very deep, and battered to bits by our own guns, un drained, and without protection either of parapets or shelters. The time of en- forced inaction has beon turned to good account, and nowhere are tho conditions Row as bad as they were for a short

space; and if they are still severe enough, there is consolation in the knowledge that the Germans are suffering more than We

HARDSHIPS ỘP THE ENEMY,

In theory the Germans ought to have the beat of it, because while they have)- been beaten backwards, withdrawing after each dofcat on to new ground and shortoning their lines of communication, we have steadily advanced over a country

almost every yard of which has been saared and battered by war, always with longthening lines behind.

Whatever

theoretical advantage the enemy ought | to have, however, it has been outweighed a hundredfold by the superior weight of our artillery. Wo know from the cor zoborative evidence of innumerable pris- oners that the German front-line tronchos have been no better than ours. The men

hiding in them have had, on the front as a whole, to submit-and still submit- to much worse fire, both of guns and trench mortars, than our men are called upon to stand; and the character of our fire behind, the front lines is such as to make it extremely difficult to get up either provisions or such necessarie as materials for duck-boarding or revetting. the trenches. Owing to the excellence of our organization there bag never been a time throughout the battle, in spite of our lengthening distances, when the men in our front line have not been vastly! the better served and more regularly rationed.

from Parliament to set up without delays Central Statutory Board to regulate and supervise (a) the reinstatement in civil employment of the present forces; (b) the weltle- ment in normal employment of civilian workers now in Govern ment or controlled establishments: (c) any general redistribution of labour arising out of the war. Ap- propriate transfers of existing powers and duties will have to be made by the various Government Departments to the Central Statu- tory Board, so that complete au- thority shall be vested in the new Board. (4.)-That not less than two-thirds of the members of this Central Statutory Board should be representatives of employers and employed in equal numbers, such members being ap pointed by the Crown from associa tions of employers and from the trade unions of the United King dam

respectively, the remaining members of the Board to include representatives of Government De- partments, etc.

(6.)That where a trade union, by er

rangement with employers' associa tions, is capable of placing its mert bors in employment, it should bo competent for the Central Board, if it deems it to be in the national interest, to delegate to the trade union in question the responsibility of dealing with the reinstatement of its own members.

+

"I want a decree which will allow pensions based on the earnings of the man and the position he occupied socially when he came forward to join the Army voluntarily or was taken compulsory," Mr. Henderson exclaimed to the sound of approving cheers. The cases of men admitted into the Army though suffering from tuberculosis and later discharged were referred to in terms of greatest sympathy. "I think I could prove cases where men have been passed into the Army without the doctors ever examin- ing them," he declared. If the State took these men for the Army it was bound to meet its obligations. Some of these things have eaten into my soul," he ex- claimed, and he promised the House that the whole plan would be so strengthened that it did a great deal more for the soldier than many members thought pos sible.

EMPIRE AND THE WAR.

LORD SELBORNE'S PLEA At a meeting to promote Imperial unity, held at the Queen's Hall lost month, grast satisfaction was expressed at the establishment by Mr, Lloyd George of a National Government.

The meeting had been arranged by the Imperial Mission, and a resolution was passed urging upon the Government that the Oversea Dominions should be ade quately represented at any conference to discuss the terms of peace, and that after peace is signed stopa should immediately be taken to secure that the voice of the Dominions should be heard on matters affecting the Empire as a whole,

Lord Desborough, who presided, said we were surprised by the war, but we ought to take every step to see that we were not surprised by peace. When peace came one of the most important matters which would concern statesmen as the absolute necessity of drawing still closer together the bonds which now happily united the Empire

WEATHER REPORT.

· En dhà 16th at 11,45,-No returns from Japanom stations. Prejusė kas desresand allekály to moderately at all stations reporting : it is highest over the Eastern Bes and relatively low over the south part of the China Ses.

Fresh monsoon will prevail along the south. east sonst of China and over the north part of the Chim Boa.

Hongkong rainhill for 24 home ending st 10 am, to-day, 0.90 inch Total since let January, 0.34 inch, against an average of 0.4% inca.

The forecast for the 24 house ending at noum to-day in sa Zollows. ----.

Dazaner

FOREGANT

JE. &.N.Z. winds, Bunghong to Gap Book{frosh; fine.

N.Evinda, Forcons Channel SocalCount of China between)'The mouse as

strong,

Hongkong and Lencionien ( Na 1. South Coast of Chim, between į The name se

Howghong mand Huduma... {

Station.

19. L

COAST METEOROLOGICAL

REGISTER.

.

16TH JA&VANT, AM.

w!

Nagneski mas Kagoshima 10 Ochim smi Naha minemas Bomía I Tama Chidoo

a

Lord Selborne, who moved the resolu- tion, said that wo were approaching the critical period of the war, and it was more than likely that next year would be the decisive year. The question at stake was whether there was to be any faith CHINA in treaties, whether small nations were there was to be any attempt to regulats to have the right to live, and whether the relation of nations by a code which would be respected. If once the nations of the world would unite to enforce the obligation of any treaty to which they had put their signatures then they would have made a great step towards the aboli- tion of the hideous catastrophe of war. We had, he continued, a new Government at the heart of the Empire. (Cheers.) Our people here and our sister nations in the Dominions had given the King's Government all through the war such

Vladivostock. ŐK, support as no people over gave their Meme TO Governmente before, and that support Hakodate en would be given with its fullest measure Takdow to the new Government. All that was och asked from it was that it should govern and apply the whole of its strength to the resolute and effective prosecution of the war. The people of this island and the peoples of the Dominions wanted the Clovernments to treat them with complete confidence-never to minimise a disaster or magnify a success; that from that time they should commune as leaders of the people with the people whom they led, s reminding the people of the responsibility which rested upon them for the future hangin, of liberty in the world and nerving them afrosh to the greatness of their taak.

Speaking of Imperial unity Lord Sharp Peak ***

Benton is so ENEMY FEARS OF ATTACK. Belbourne asked if it was not possible to form a constitution for the Empire as a whole, by which the self-governing nations. within it would be able to regulate in Tainm common their foreign policy and their defence. If the Empire had been organized for these purposes three years ago there would never have been

We had had a very world-wide war, narrow escape this time. think it was realized how narrow. Wel had been saved by the heroism of our Hothom. Allies and our own troops. He believed that the first battle of Ypres would on8 day be known as one of the decisive Tours. battles of the world.

If that wonderful One St. Jacin little old Army had not held its own against overwhelming odds we might

Dagupan an have seen Germany set up as dictator of

Mandla the old world because the was and we Logupi were not organized. A third point was Tholebua a that while the self-governing nations of Dale the Empire had recognised the call of Surigao liberty as one man, it was quite true Laban that, being in the struggle, many were making why they had not a word to in the foreign policy which ended in the war.

ELABORATE BARBED WIRE

"BEDS."

German guns were much busier yester day and to-day, for the frost has now lasted three days and the hard ground seems to make the enemy nervous of attack (wrote The Times special corres- (6.)-That local boards should be estabpondent on December 2nd). He divines lished wherever necessary to assist that we mean him to have no reat, and the Central Board Such local every time the weather becomes suitable hoards to have the same proper for operations he begins to fire on the tionate representation as is providoff-chance of breaking up any attack ed for the Central Board.. (7.)All expenses properly incurred by

that may be pending,

the Central and local boards should be paid out of moneys provided by Parliament

FOR INDUSTRIAL PEACE,

NEW SCHEME TO BAIEK OUTPUT.

new

The task of stalking and catching these night working parties between the trenches is one of the chief pastimes of misty nights. Our men creep right close up to the Germans with hand bombs and taken in these night figlite in the mist. scatter them. Many prisoners have been

Other evidence of the Germans' anxiety to keep our men at arms' length is manilers in their feverish activity just now to wire themselves in" in their

positions.

Frosty nights are especially suitable for the work of wire Jaying. White mist rises from the ground, and, under the double cover of The report on the position of the this and the darkness, German working iron, steel, engineering, shipbuilding, parties creep out into No Man's Land to lay out beds of barbed wire. Some In many places we know that our guts and allied industries after the war is

are as much as 50ft. deep and 7ft. high. have blotted out the communication to be presented shortly to a meeting of Our trench mortars and guns may play trenches through which supplies should representatives of those industries in

havoc with these beds during the day, Scotland. come to the German lines and have made

The report is, in a sense, an outcome but Frits is full of patience and returns their repair impossible. Prisoners and documents which capture tell us how of the visit of Mr. Hughes, Prime Minist night to replace them. everything has to be brought up over theter of Australia, to Glasgow last April. open by night and how often, under our During that visit he addressed a confer ence of Scottish industrial, commercial, barrage, things of immediate urgency labour, and agricultural associations fail to arrive.

As a result of this conference, repro no longer talk about a sentatives of about 300 firms in the iron, **Line can trench being here, but only a space steel, and allied industries met hollowed out in the earth, about 9 or 12 August and passed a resolution in favour feet wide at the top. Everything is of bringing these industries together in Battered down by gunfire. In our trench a strong central organization to deal there are no dugouts, only holes, in with post-war questions in a compre which we sit or lie down. One cannot sleep hensive and Imperial manner."

u them, and one is always cold."

A committee was appointed to consider The above was written by a man who what should be the nature, scope, and says that the 14 days which he had spont object of the organization, It included upon the Sontime were worse than the representatives of some of the largest three months in Champagne. It is only firms in the steel and kindred trades in a saople of scores of similar pictures. Scotland, and its first act was to coopt Many of the letters speak of lack of food Mr. W. Weir, Director of Munitions in

Scotland. Irum the failure of ration parties to get up. Many more tell of German officers skulking, and playing sick on various Orders fall into our hands which toll of desertion and of the savage methods taken to repress it.

trival excuses.

CO-OPERATION WITH LABOVE

in

In its report the committee points out that increased production will be the greatest factor in national prosperity after the war, and that it can be attained only by a a more cordial co-operation be tween employers and workpeople; by efficient equipment and organization on the one hand, and on the other, by the abolition of all restrictions and practices limiting output. To secure mutual con fidence some form of payment by results, with basis rates, will be needed; and the workmen should have some security that increased earnings following increased

A WAR INDICATOR,

J

A German correspondent in Belgium writes to the Kreat Zeitung that there

is no need here to read either the news- papers or the General Staff communiquca in order to know whether the French, British, or Russians have achieved auccess against us. That can be read in the faces of the Belgians. Their attitude becomes bolder, their, speech freer, their gestures more lively. Since the beginning of the great offensive in the West and East the hopes of Belgians have revived, and there are wide circles here in which preparations are already being made to receive the Allies.”

question whether some method of making associations of employers and employes responsible for their members should be adopted.

tee auggests, should be a national ad- The central organization, the commit-

mittee says:-

Shanghai

Tadb

potopasi

Ket

this

Canton DOGO Hongkong...

Book w Gup He did not MROKO

Pakho |

30.16 23

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30 19 30.12 £5

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3010

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78.20.12

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180.04

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39,88 79 80 asu

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T. V. Czaxron, Dirsolar-

1. Trepikatuan, in the shada, în dagros Fahrenheit.

8. Hums, in peesntage of mbarakłon, the handláy of néz miasted with moisture being

109.

1. Banoma, rośneed to 13 degrees Fahren- Mr. Massey (Prime Minister of Nehat, on the level of the men in inches, tostar Zealand) said that wherever he went and hundendara. opinion was in favour of a closer union of the Empire. The time was not far listant when the population of the Dominions would be at least equal t that of the United Kingdom, and it would be a splendid thing if the present opportunity were taken to take the young, self-governing nations of the Empire inte partnership and give them a voice in Imperial affairs. With regard to the resolution passed by the meeting, he said | that the Dominions had already been nromised that they should have a voice in the peace negotiations, when they came along.

4 Draserien av Winz, do two points.

5. Fescuer Wup, socording to Beaufort Scale & BRATH OF WHarman, b blue sky, a detached cloud, a drissling mia, ffog, z glasny, h hall, lighting, overcast, p passing abswart, gaqual, sain, snow, t thunder, v visibillig, w daw (wo ji 7. RAI in inches, beatha and handrad-

HONGKONG

METEOROLOGICAL

REGISTER

Hongkong Olmervatory, January 18th

WAR NEWS.

ROUMANIA TO BE TREATED "LIKE BELGIUM."

General Tülff, who has been appointed Governor-General of the portions of Roumania occupied by the enemy, has Austrian and Bulgarian Vice Governors Barometer under him. The German Headquarters Temperat have instructed him to use Roumanian Family lant in the same way as Belgium and Wind Direction Poland have been used, taking into account the needs of the Roumanian po Weather pin pulation and the needs of the Central | Kam.......................... Powers, which are "illegally cut off" from the high seas by England."

́SAVED BY THE "TITANIC.”

Fizes

Previous On Dale On Date

Day at

at 3 p.m. 6 mAM,

st

1 pm.

30.21

2023

30.15

60

43

76

52

ESE

East

Fast

4

•

1

Highati open-air Temperature in lõkk........... 82 Lewest open-air Temperature on 18th

HONGKONG TIDE TABLE

53

Proms 17th to 22:3 January.

Hian Wazur,

Low. WATER,

*

F'kong

H'kong,

Tima.

One must not build too much upon these things. We have grown accustomed to them in the last three months of this battle. But one thing we can at least with certainly deduce, namely, that if our men suffer hardships in the present dismal weather, as assuredly they do, the enemy is sufforing even more.

Among the thousands of letters which have fallen into our hands written to production will not be made a groundvisory Council of Industry, consisting of At the outset, there a body of elected representatives of em

Five or six hundred of the 721 people men at the front by their people at home, for rate-cutting the feeling of rebellion against the war, fore, any organization of the industries players and a body of elected representa-

It is an old moreover, has grown and continues to should be prepared to co-operate with tives of employées who might moet saved from the Arabia owe their lives

The joint meet-to the Titanic disaster. grow constantly more bitter. The long-labour., Subject to these general consid separately or jointly,

ings should be presided over by a Minis-reflection, but one, writes a seafaring cor- erations, the following are indicated as Ing for peace gets more and more acute, the objects of any central organization:ter of Industry. In suggesting the ap- respondent in The Chronicle, easily cap- Of late, especially, the outery on the To direct the attention of the Govern-pointment of such a Minister the com-able of proof. Up till the time the subject of the dragging into the fighting ment and its Departments, for their in-

Titanic was lost, the recognised life- renkes of men physically unfit increases formation and guidance, to matters re-

"The appointment of an individual saving equipment of every steamer con- is vehemence. In the latest batch of quiring consideration and action in the retaining a connection with either the sisted of a certain number-usually hope correspondence one writer speaks of a interests of the industries concerned, and employers or the employer' side of in- lessly inadequate of boats swung from man being taken "whose arm, you know, to initiate and review legislative pro-dustry is undesirable, as is the appoint davits of a type which had come down is totally stiff." Another cites men of posals on commercial, industrial, and political or a legal qualification. It is ocean navigation.

ment of an individual having only a unchanged from the earliest days of

The Titanic went Wed. 46 and 47 years of age. Another says economic matters.

suggested that while a Minister of In-. down in clear weather and smooth water, despairingly that "everything with legs' To deal with questions affecting is being taken to be a soldier.

the labour conditions and internal dustry should not be a permanent oficial, and yet, it spite of these favourable con- T. LO IN Again I say that we must not build too organization and disabilities of the in retiral be dependent on a change of Gor effort to get them over the side. It was.

neither should his appointment nor ditions, boat after boat was lost in the much upon these things. But sometimes, dustries concerned, with a view to secur

emment,!! also, it seems to us out here that you ating increased efficiency from an imperial

councils, the report states, home are too much distracted with in- and national point of view. cidental things and attach too little im Iportance to the change which has been The report sets out many examples of areas. Finally, the committee recoming at both ends, but the tale was on mends that a further committee should this occasion told in figures which com wrought in the spirit of the German the questions which might have to be be set up to put these general principles maaded attention. Designers were forced Amay and of the German poople in the dealt with, among them being the ques into effect, and that it should proceed to give attention to the lifeboat gear, five and a-half months since the battle tion of means of giving workpeople step by step in consultation and conjunc and the fact that the Arabin cleared 121 of the Bomme began. Nothing that hap-continuing interest in the prosperity of tion with representatives in other dis souls in rough water in twenty minutes 23 mm 10 13 nens in the war can be more important the industry, which employs them, and the trieta of the industries concerned. is a magnificent testimony to the success

(Continued of foot of next Column.)

of their efforts.

than that.

chocks, and the difficulty of equal lower

To educate and inform public opinion. be desirable for the large might the old tale of twisted falls, jammed

Times.

***H

Bigaht.

IMPRESS ON YOUR MIND

that in

"Primo"

Beer

Shero la a food valus an wall a boroziga enjoyzserat, for tlume runrona sine

1– Prime beor in base thai la aliaga võidorna. | În quality; novor vazios.

K-II is a product of the most sarefully melnobud and highest ingredienta kwatsonionisl, mời, the renait of amary yours' umpertines.

The hop have a 'nerve secthing valus, The mall not only has food value, buh ing af all foods, one of the most griskly and ondly tersed ly digestion info nourishment,

Oblakembla frets all Wine Moveheartu. H. BUTTONJEE & SON, 18, QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL,

HONGKONG.

?

SA

A STUBBORN FOE.

To conquer

obstinatio Enemy. “ requires persistency and porseverance. It is the same with Rheumatisin, the dread foo of mankind, which ranks fore most in stubbornnesa. To eradicate it from the system, you must use the right wowpon. LITTLE'S ORIENTAL BALM is the only remedy that can overpower it. It has cured halplan, crippled sufferers. who have been dindargod from the hom pital as incurable.

Mr. W. Williams, Totterdown, Bristol, writes: For 3

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arme,

Sold at 15, d. par bottle,

THE

Agents for Hongbong:----- Monara, A. B. Wasson & Uo, Len.

PENINSULAR

ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION CO.

ИМАМ

#43

КОН STRAITS, GHYRON, AUSTRALIA, BOMBAY, HEITT, MEDITERRANEAN PORTE

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PERSUGH BILLS OF Ladino Insumo FOR BATAVIA, ANerican, CommZWEEKAR AND SOUTH Árnica Pez10.

TH

Us Homeward Kail Semper, marrying His Majesty's Maili, will ba_dorpsbel= ed from this port es wash, taking Pamangers and Cargo for the abava Porin. Famangam

commodation is the connecting rommel seured before departure from Hongkong.

Silk and Valmbla and Tea and Cargo for Italy, Finase and London (under arrangemani) will be conveyed by thía Siesmar proseeding vis Bembey to Marsoils and Londen,

•

Parools will be received at the Offee waif! S 2. the day before sailing. The oakionim nasl vačno of all paskages are required.

For further partieslars,” sailing datos, abo.. Topply to

2. V. D. PAKE,

Superintendant,

CHILDREN OF FAR OATHAY.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL FOVEL OF

· ABSORBING INTEREST,

By CHAS, J. HALCOMBE,

Formerly of the Imperial Chinese Cus toms Service, Author of "The Mystin flowery Land," eta.

THE

HE VOLUME, which consists of 402 Pages, and includes a Sketeb Plag of historical interest showing the dispost tion of the Forcen at the battle of Kwek lia, is dedicated to Sir BoBERT HANY, G.O.M.G., sad Dr. A. Ram S

Ita description of Chinese Bacisi Customs and Superstitions, combined with the insight it given into political conditions in China, makes "ÜKILDREN OF FAR CATHAY" an excellent volums for presentation to friends at Home.

PRICE

$3.50.

To be obtained from Memre Kelly & WALSH, LTD, Mours. BREWER & Co., or from the Printers and Publishers, the

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