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The St. John's Daily Star '^Newfoundland VOLUME lIL ($3.00 per Annum); SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1917. (Price: One Cent.) No. 259. RUSSIA WILL MAKE EFFORT FOR 3 MONTHS ARMISTICE Elected Representatives will Endeavor Settle Peace Question. BRITISH AND FRENCH REINFORCEMENTS HAVE REACHED ITALIAN FRONT RUSSIANS WILL OFFER 3 MONTHS ARMISTICE Are Willing To Discuss Peace But Won't Accept Unjust Terms PETROGRAD HAS QUIETED DOWN AFTER RECENT DISTURBANCES DETROGRAD, Nov. 9.—We plan to offer an immediate armistice of three months during which elected representatives from all nations, and not diplomats, are to settle the question of peace, said Nicolai Lenine, in a speech before the Workmen's and Soldiers' Congress today. We offer these terms, Lenine added, but%we are willing to consider any proposals for peace, no matter from which side. We offer a just, but will not accept an unjust peace. The bullet-shattered Winter Palace was the only ocular sign of the remarkable transference of power that has taken place in Petrograd and drew tens of thousands among the populace to the vicinity of the structure today. Nowhere else, in the whole city, except perhaps at Smolny Institute, where the new Government has established its headquarters, which was the scene of unusual activity for the reason that the Soldiers' and Workmen's Congress hadJ assembled there, had the new revolution left its mark . Even the Winter Palace carried no marks of last night's battle, which a coat of paint and new window panes would not hide. Close inspection of the river front fusilade was prevented by jailor guards posted on the palace quay, but from the nearby palace bridge it could be plainly seen that. the heavy guns of the cruiser which bombarded the palace, shaking the town during several hours of the night, unaccountably had done virtually no damage. On the land side, howeveT, facing the circle from which rises the gigantic pillar of victory and which is flanked by acorns which fronts the Foreign Office/staff buildings there is plentiful evidence of the work done by machine guns and rifles. The red walls are specked with white discs marking hits. Scarcely a window pane is without its clean cut bullet hole. On the Nevsky Prospekt where yesterday there were machine guns and armored cars and infantry behind wooden barricades, today were to be seen only the usual throngs of the populace and there was no excitement among them. Among the street crowds there was an occasional bandaged sailor who had been wounded during the night's fights. In an apartment a mile beyond the palace a shell either from a gun of the fortress or the cruiser had gone through the roof apparently spent. It landed on the table in the living-room, and did not explode. Soldiers were assuming control of the various districts and the of rifles and clattering of machine guns with the occasional boom of cannon which had continued from early Arabs assist Allenby at Beersheba. General Djafer Pasha, commander of the armies of the New Arabian Kingdom, standing with it. Lamotte, of the French army, at Arab Headquarters. Djafer has united his forces with the British in clearing Palestine. HOW BRITAIN DEALS WITH LABOR PROB. British Mission to the United States Holds Conference With Manufacturers on Labor Difficulties fIEW YORK, Nov. 10.—The members of the special mission to U. S. from the British Ministry of Munitions at the conference here today with the manufacturers in oil, leather and rubber trades, told how Britain had treated the labor problem since the outbreak of war. The conference today is the first of a series to be held in this city with employers and employees in all lines of industry. Sir Stephenson Kent, head of the Mission, admitted that Britain blundered at the beginning of the war in sending so -many skilled workers to the front. The Employers Association, Trade Unions agreed to the Munitions Act. The unions agreed to abandon all restrictive operations for the period of the war so that employers can make use of any kind of labor in any kind of employment. The wages are fixed definitely. It was made illegal to strike or demand an increase in pay "uring the war. All labor disputes must be presented to the Minister of Munitions and it was made unlawful for one employer to entice men from another through promise of higher pay, thus preventing shifting. The profits of employers were definitely fixed. It was explained that if guns were the need of the moment then skilled labor was sent to the arsenals and ordnance factories. If ships were the chief need these same men went to the shipyards, but in no case, Sir Stephenson said, did the Government adopt any system of labor conscription to attempt to compel labor to work anywhere. The British considered it unwise and the Government relied upon the public opinion to put the munitions act through. He stated more than 20Q,000 skilled men made up munitions volunteers. He explained they travel from plant to plant and accept the wages of the district. An army of 1,000,000 men is also engaged in the work, Women, the commission declared, will return to their normal occupations, liow temporarily non-existent, after the war. A commission of production was created to study the cost of living. It investigates three times a year the cost of the necessities of life, and when it has found a big increase it orders that the laboring men receive a fixed sum to compensate them for the increase. The Government gives this money with the understanding that it is not to be considered a raise in wages but merely to offset the added cost of living. THRU. PALESTINE The Whole Turkish Army is in Retreat —British and French Naval Units Assist Operations.. Nov. 9.—The official announcement on operations in Palestine follows: General Allenby reports that on his right the enemy is retiring on Hebron and that our troops hampered his retreat, capturing prisoners and transport. Our mounted troops advancing through Jemameh and Huj, thirteen and nine miles respectively east of Gaza, reached the south bank of Wadi- Hesu, 11 miles north of the old Turkish position, establishing contact with our forces advancing from Gaza. These latter captured .the northern bank of Wadi-Hesu and Herbch, reaching trie railway and turning the position prepared by the enemy on the river. The Turkish coastal rail head at Beit Hanun has also been captured and the enemy is being pursued in the direction of Wadi Hesu. The whole Turkish army is in retreat towards the north. More than 40 guns have been captured. The Royal Navy assisted by the French navy have actively co-operated throughout the operation by bombing the enemy communications near the coast and affording other valuable assistance. Our airplanes are bombing the retreating Turks. GERMANS ARE IMPATIENT OVER SUBMARINE RESULTS. Demand to Know How Near England Is to Being Beaten. Copenhagen, Nov. 9.—Captain Persius, naval critic of The Berliner Tageblatt, notes a growing impatience among the Germans with the results of the submarine campaign registered in the swelling flood of letters demanding an answer to the question, "When shall we have England beaten?" He throws cold water on the optimists and warns them against accepting as reliable, the iigures on destroyed tonnage, including these apparently German and other statistical material. Captain Persius says with tjie 1917 harvest and imports of grain the food problem can scarcely become a motive for trie next six months at least, to make Great Britain inclined to conclude peace. He holds that the submarine question for the British will be not "Can we continue the war," but "Will it pay?" —-—» m » Closes Port Rio Janeiro, Nov. 9—The Government has' issued a decree ordering the closing of the port of Rio Janeiro. REFUTES GERMAN STATEMENTS Characterizes as Untrue German Official's riticisms of Sub marine Losses. LONDON, Nov. 10.—The following comment on the German Secretary of the Navy's criticism was given to the Associated Press today by the Admiralty:"It is quite untrue that Sir Eric Geddes excluded the Mediterranean Sea when he summarized the losses of British mercantile tonnage. The losses given were those that occurred in all seas and it was only in dealing with the number of enemy submarines that had been destroyed that the First Lord omitted the Mediterranean, owing to variety of nationalities operating there." "The suggestion that Sir Eric gave the British losses in nett tonnage, whereas the German calculations are in gross tonnage, is evidently false. Sir Eric Geddes figures deal with gross tonnage throughout. "It is untrue that the statement of losses of the British tonnage leaves out of account ships sailing on Government service. The only tonnage excluded is that of commissioned ships of the Royal Navy. "In regard to the Scandinavian convoy Sir Eric Geddes made it perfectly clear in his statement that #since April of this year more than four thousand five hundred vessels have been convoyed over this route. These figures, of course, do not include the escorting vessels, or what ihe German Imperial Secretary calls 'the entire guarding fleet of the patrol vessels.' "The figures that Sir Eric gave are irrefutable and are so satisfactory that it is natural Germany has to rely on sophistry to attempt to disprove or question them. The German Navy is certainly a young creation, while in the process of forming reflect no great credit on the chivalry and confidence of German seamen. "It is only to be added that no German war vessel larger than a destroyer has ever been 15 miles from Heligoland to the last of October, when two light cruisers attacked a Scandinavian convoy. On the contrary, the mileage steamed by British war vessels per month as given by Sir Eric Geddes, speaks loud enough to those desirous of hearing." DECLINES BATTLE Royal Navy is Awaiting German Fleet Which Declines to Give Battle. London, Nov. 10.—The Admiralty replying to the German Secretary of Navy's criticism of a recent speech in the Commons by Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, says: The world knows from the Cattegat events that the Royal Navy is waiting for the high seas fleet which still continues to decline battle. No German warship larger than a destroyer has shown itself to us 150 miles west of Heligoland from August, 1916, to October, 1917, when two light CTuisers attacked a Scandinavian convoy. Reference in the above despatch to Cattegat deals with the sinking by British warships of the German auxiliary cruiser Marie and ten other armed patrol boats, while that concerning the attack by two German light cruisers on the Scandinavian convoy evidently refers to the sinking of nine neutral ships and fwo British escorting torpedo boat destroyers in October in the North Sea. Was On Kristianiafjora New York, Nov. 10.—According to William G. Sheppard, returned news* paper man from Leon Tretzky, one of the leadtJFs of the_Revolutionary Committee moved from the steamship Kristianiafjord at Halifax last spring while the steamer was en route from New York to Bergen. Sheppard was on board the vessel. Trotzky was detained at Halifax for some time and had the Dominion Government held hir% for an indefinite time, Sheppard says, the history of Russia might have been different. ■ « To Aid of Italy Italian Military Zone, Nov. 9— Both British and French troops are going toward the front. ITALIANS STILL RETIRE ACCORDING TO PLAN Expect Stand Will Be Made By the British and French On Piave River CHAOTIC CONDITION IN feuSSIA; PROGRESS IN PAL ESTINE CONTINUES THE revolutionary element under Nikolai Lenine continues to hold the Russian capital, but with the attitude of the Russian soldiers on the various fronts regarding its assumption of pow er is still unknown. The Italian armies continue to retreat across tfie Venetian Plains toward the Piave River, where it is expected a stand may shortly be made, aided by strong reinforcements from the British and French armies and under the newly formed military command which is to work in conjunction with the permanent inter-allied conference of military officers. General Cadorna has been removed from supreme command and given a post on the conference, the other members of which will be the noted French commander General Foch and General Wilson, sub-chief of the British General Staff. General Diaz has been placed in chief command of the Italians. Reports from Russia still remain meagre, but these that are drifting through indicate that Lenine and his -fc*fe(V«HF&y-«elwcKn« -the congress of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates, are desirous of a cessation of hostilities for three months along all battlefronts in order that efforts may be concentrated upon to bring about peace. With the telegraph lines still in.the hands of the Bolsiviki faction, it is natural to presume that all communications emanating from Petrograd lean towards Lenine, his faction and their ambitions, but advices at hand from official and semi-official Russian quarters in Europe and the U. States tend to lessen the apparent gravity of the situaion and to indicate that order will be brought out of the prevailing chaos at no distant date. Contradictory rumors continue to circulate as to the whereabouts of Premier Kerensky, it being reported he is under arrest and being taken back to Petrograd for trial by courtmartial and also that he was continuing toward the front in an endeavor to strengthen the moral of the troops and put down ihe revolt. Various members of his Cabinet are still incarcerated in the fortress of St. Peter and Paul and it,js reported that General Korniloff is allo being taken thither for trial in connection with the previous revolt. Meanwhile it is stated Petrograd has returned to normal so far as the civilian population is concerned. Casualties during the bombardment of the Palace and as a result of street fighting were relatively small. There has been little activity on the Western Front in France and Belgium except in the nature of reciprocal bombardments. Small bombing operations in Palestine by the British forces who gained a notable victory over the Turks who are in retreat, with the British and French warships harassing them from the Mediterranean and airmen bombing their oiumns are reported. More than forty nuns were taken from UNKNOWN B:i*iju Ca;ifa?e Large Amount of Wai Material and Guns. London, Nov. 9.—The official statement issued by' the war office this evening concerning operations in Mesopotamia reads: The clearing of th battlefield at Terkrit, on the Tigris, northwest of Bagdad, is continuing. A large amount of war material has been found in addition to that reported, especially guns, small arms and ammunition. The total number of prisoners captured since the action at Dur on Nov. 2nd, is 319, including 17 officers. A large number of dead have been buried. ■ ■ Turkish Report. Constantinople, Nov. 10.—The official report issued today by the Turkish War Office was as follows: On the Sinai front, on our right, there was artillery firing. Infantry engagements are in progress on the centre and,left. PROMINENT MEN SPEAK AT MAYOR'S BANQUET Look With Confidence and Optimism to Future Conduct of The War BELIEVES ITALY WILL HOLD OUT EULOGISTIC REFERENCES TO U. S. £ONDON, Nov. 10—The clouds are lowering, to-day but behind and above them the sun is still shining said Bonar Law, Chancellor of the Exchequer, at the Lord Mayor's banquet here last night. Dealing with Russia, the Chancellor said: "We all rejoice at the prospect of the advent of liberty in the country, a liberty which we hoped, would have wisdom and justice as her companions and would leave prosperity and plenty in her train. The future of Russia today is a sealed book but we need not despair. The Russians are great people and no nation has done more o persevered to strain every nerve to drive the; jnvader from her soil. What happen, we-doa't know, buf in~*he meantime the advantage of the Russian strength is largely lost." "The enemy has secured cc tain mil itary advantages," he said "because the same unity of control did not exist among the allies as among the Central Powers, but in the future the whole front, from the British Channel to the Adriatic would be created as one front. "No one would understand the seriousness of the attack on Italy, but the Chancellor hoped and believed that the Italian army would be able to hold the enemy until help arrived." Earl Curzon, of the War Cabinet in offering a toast to the Allies, said that unless the spirit of German militarism and arrogance was destroyed, the great est disaster the world has seen would follow. He declared that the most notable event o fthe past year had been the entry of the United States into the war, and added: "Whatever can be accomplished by the resources of that vast continent, by the spirit and ardour of the'people, and by the cool, calm and inflexible resolve of President Wilson will be contributed."The speaker looked forward to a Rus sian resurgent erorganized and resolved. Sir Eric Geddes, speaking for the Navy, said: "The Naval Service has unshaken confidence that wheri the great day comes, jdg£n_yv'e succeed in forcing the enemylggive battle, it will find the RoJifNavy equal to the occasion." He said that submarine losses had been very heavy, and that although they had been steadily reduced, they were still heavy. The submarine campaign had not been defeated but was being held for the present, and in hi* opinion, it would be defeated. Earl Derby, Minister of War, cfeclar ed himself to be an optimist. He said he did not minimize the danger and dif faculties of the present moment, but that was all the more reason for keeping a cheerful countenance. The country had been in many tight places, but the Army and Navy can never fail. Their morale, he added, was never higher than now. (Continued on page 2) j Special to Housekeepers: j I WHITE and CREAM, AH full I I widths and dainty designs. J I Prices 15c, 17c, 20c, I 2gc, 30c, 55c yd. \ I SETS LACE CURTAINS, j White and Cream. All neat patterns. 1 70c, 90c, $1.20, 1.30, I I $2.00 up to $9MO set J CURTAIN SCRIM, j Plain and Fancy Border, j I 12c, 17c, 20c, 25c, up \ \ to 40c yard. | CASEMENT CUOTH, j VIEU.-ROSE, PALE/GREEN, | CHAnPAONE, a few left. I I 75c yard. \ j The DUTCH | $1.90, 2.20 set. \ Bowring Bros. Ltd. I
Object Description
Title | St. John's Daily Star, 1917-11-10 |
Place of Publication | St. John's (N.L.) |
Date | 1917-11-10 |
Description | The St. John's Daily Star was published daily except Sunday between 17 April 1915 - 23 July 1921. |
Subject | Canadian newspapers--Newfoundland and Labrador--St. John's--20th century |
Location | Canada--Newfoundland and Labrador--Avalon Peninsula--St. John's |
Time Period | 20th Century |
Type | Text |
Resource Type | Newspaper |
Format | image/jpeg; application/pdf |
Language | eng |
Collection | St. John's Daily Star |
Sponsor | Centre for Newfoundland Studies |
Source | Microfilm held in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies. |
Repository | Memorial University of Newfoundland. Libraries. Centre for Newfoundland Studies |
Rights | Public Domain |
Description
Title | St. John's daily star, 1917-11-10 |
Date | 1917-11-10 |
Description | The St. John's Daily Star was published daily except Sunday between 17 April 1915 - 23 July 1921. -- Not published: 30 May - 09 June 1918, 11-12 July 1919. In process: January-March 1918, September-December 1919, July 1921. |
Subject | Canadian newspapers--Newfoundland and Labrador--St. John's--20th century |
Location | Canada--Newfoundland and Labrador--Avalon Peninsula--St. John's |
Page | 1 |
Type | Text |
Resource Type | Newspaper |
Format | Image/tiff; Application/pdf |
Language | Eng |
Source | Microfilm held in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies. |
Rights | Public domain |
Transcript | The St. John's Daily Star '^Newfoundland VOLUME lIL ($3.00 per Annum); SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1917. (Price: One Cent.) No. 259. RUSSIA WILL MAKE EFFORT FOR 3 MONTHS ARMISTICE Elected Representatives will Endeavor Settle Peace Question. BRITISH AND FRENCH REINFORCEMENTS HAVE REACHED ITALIAN FRONT RUSSIANS WILL OFFER 3 MONTHS ARMISTICE Are Willing To Discuss Peace But Won't Accept Unjust Terms PETROGRAD HAS QUIETED DOWN AFTER RECENT DISTURBANCES DETROGRAD, Nov. 9.—We plan to offer an immediate armistice of three months during which elected representatives from all nations, and not diplomats, are to settle the question of peace, said Nicolai Lenine, in a speech before the Workmen's and Soldiers' Congress today. We offer these terms, Lenine added, but%we are willing to consider any proposals for peace, no matter from which side. We offer a just, but will not accept an unjust peace. The bullet-shattered Winter Palace was the only ocular sign of the remarkable transference of power that has taken place in Petrograd and drew tens of thousands among the populace to the vicinity of the structure today. Nowhere else, in the whole city, except perhaps at Smolny Institute, where the new Government has established its headquarters, which was the scene of unusual activity for the reason that the Soldiers' and Workmen's Congress hadJ assembled there, had the new revolution left its mark . Even the Winter Palace carried no marks of last night's battle, which a coat of paint and new window panes would not hide. Close inspection of the river front fusilade was prevented by jailor guards posted on the palace quay, but from the nearby palace bridge it could be plainly seen that. the heavy guns of the cruiser which bombarded the palace, shaking the town during several hours of the night, unaccountably had done virtually no damage. On the land side, howeveT, facing the circle from which rises the gigantic pillar of victory and which is flanked by acorns which fronts the Foreign Office/staff buildings there is plentiful evidence of the work done by machine guns and rifles. The red walls are specked with white discs marking hits. Scarcely a window pane is without its clean cut bullet hole. On the Nevsky Prospekt where yesterday there were machine guns and armored cars and infantry behind wooden barricades, today were to be seen only the usual throngs of the populace and there was no excitement among them. Among the street crowds there was an occasional bandaged sailor who had been wounded during the night's fights. In an apartment a mile beyond the palace a shell either from a gun of the fortress or the cruiser had gone through the roof apparently spent. It landed on the table in the living-room, and did not explode. Soldiers were assuming control of the various districts and the of rifles and clattering of machine guns with the occasional boom of cannon which had continued from early Arabs assist Allenby at Beersheba. General Djafer Pasha, commander of the armies of the New Arabian Kingdom, standing with it. Lamotte, of the French army, at Arab Headquarters. Djafer has united his forces with the British in clearing Palestine. HOW BRITAIN DEALS WITH LABOR PROB. British Mission to the United States Holds Conference With Manufacturers on Labor Difficulties fIEW YORK, Nov. 10.—The members of the special mission to U. S. from the British Ministry of Munitions at the conference here today with the manufacturers in oil, leather and rubber trades, told how Britain had treated the labor problem since the outbreak of war. The conference today is the first of a series to be held in this city with employers and employees in all lines of industry. Sir Stephenson Kent, head of the Mission, admitted that Britain blundered at the beginning of the war in sending so -many skilled workers to the front. The Employers Association, Trade Unions agreed to the Munitions Act. The unions agreed to abandon all restrictive operations for the period of the war so that employers can make use of any kind of labor in any kind of employment. The wages are fixed definitely. It was made illegal to strike or demand an increase in pay "uring the war. All labor disputes must be presented to the Minister of Munitions and it was made unlawful for one employer to entice men from another through promise of higher pay, thus preventing shifting. The profits of employers were definitely fixed. It was explained that if guns were the need of the moment then skilled labor was sent to the arsenals and ordnance factories. If ships were the chief need these same men went to the shipyards, but in no case, Sir Stephenson said, did the Government adopt any system of labor conscription to attempt to compel labor to work anywhere. The British considered it unwise and the Government relied upon the public opinion to put the munitions act through. He stated more than 20Q,000 skilled men made up munitions volunteers. He explained they travel from plant to plant and accept the wages of the district. An army of 1,000,000 men is also engaged in the work, Women, the commission declared, will return to their normal occupations, liow temporarily non-existent, after the war. A commission of production was created to study the cost of living. It investigates three times a year the cost of the necessities of life, and when it has found a big increase it orders that the laboring men receive a fixed sum to compensate them for the increase. The Government gives this money with the understanding that it is not to be considered a raise in wages but merely to offset the added cost of living. THRU. PALESTINE The Whole Turkish Army is in Retreat —British and French Naval Units Assist Operations.. Nov. 9.—The official announcement on operations in Palestine follows: General Allenby reports that on his right the enemy is retiring on Hebron and that our troops hampered his retreat, capturing prisoners and transport. Our mounted troops advancing through Jemameh and Huj, thirteen and nine miles respectively east of Gaza, reached the south bank of Wadi- Hesu, 11 miles north of the old Turkish position, establishing contact with our forces advancing from Gaza. These latter captured .the northern bank of Wadi-Hesu and Herbch, reaching trie railway and turning the position prepared by the enemy on the river. The Turkish coastal rail head at Beit Hanun has also been captured and the enemy is being pursued in the direction of Wadi Hesu. The whole Turkish army is in retreat towards the north. More than 40 guns have been captured. The Royal Navy assisted by the French navy have actively co-operated throughout the operation by bombing the enemy communications near the coast and affording other valuable assistance. Our airplanes are bombing the retreating Turks. GERMANS ARE IMPATIENT OVER SUBMARINE RESULTS. Demand to Know How Near England Is to Being Beaten. Copenhagen, Nov. 9.—Captain Persius, naval critic of The Berliner Tageblatt, notes a growing impatience among the Germans with the results of the submarine campaign registered in the swelling flood of letters demanding an answer to the question, "When shall we have England beaten?" He throws cold water on the optimists and warns them against accepting as reliable, the iigures on destroyed tonnage, including these apparently German and other statistical material. Captain Persius says with tjie 1917 harvest and imports of grain the food problem can scarcely become a motive for trie next six months at least, to make Great Britain inclined to conclude peace. He holds that the submarine question for the British will be not "Can we continue the war," but "Will it pay?" —-—» m » Closes Port Rio Janeiro, Nov. 9—The Government has' issued a decree ordering the closing of the port of Rio Janeiro. REFUTES GERMAN STATEMENTS Characterizes as Untrue German Official's riticisms of Sub marine Losses. LONDON, Nov. 10.—The following comment on the German Secretary of the Navy's criticism was given to the Associated Press today by the Admiralty:"It is quite untrue that Sir Eric Geddes excluded the Mediterranean Sea when he summarized the losses of British mercantile tonnage. The losses given were those that occurred in all seas and it was only in dealing with the number of enemy submarines that had been destroyed that the First Lord omitted the Mediterranean, owing to variety of nationalities operating there." "The suggestion that Sir Eric gave the British losses in nett tonnage, whereas the German calculations are in gross tonnage, is evidently false. Sir Eric Geddes figures deal with gross tonnage throughout. "It is untrue that the statement of losses of the British tonnage leaves out of account ships sailing on Government service. The only tonnage excluded is that of commissioned ships of the Royal Navy. "In regard to the Scandinavian convoy Sir Eric Geddes made it perfectly clear in his statement that #since April of this year more than four thousand five hundred vessels have been convoyed over this route. These figures, of course, do not include the escorting vessels, or what ihe German Imperial Secretary calls 'the entire guarding fleet of the patrol vessels.' "The figures that Sir Eric gave are irrefutable and are so satisfactory that it is natural Germany has to rely on sophistry to attempt to disprove or question them. The German Navy is certainly a young creation, while in the process of forming reflect no great credit on the chivalry and confidence of German seamen. "It is only to be added that no German war vessel larger than a destroyer has ever been 15 miles from Heligoland to the last of October, when two light cruisers attacked a Scandinavian convoy. On the contrary, the mileage steamed by British war vessels per month as given by Sir Eric Geddes, speaks loud enough to those desirous of hearing." DECLINES BATTLE Royal Navy is Awaiting German Fleet Which Declines to Give Battle. London, Nov. 10.—The Admiralty replying to the German Secretary of Navy's criticism of a recent speech in the Commons by Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, says: The world knows from the Cattegat events that the Royal Navy is waiting for the high seas fleet which still continues to decline battle. No German warship larger than a destroyer has shown itself to us 150 miles west of Heligoland from August, 1916, to October, 1917, when two light CTuisers attacked a Scandinavian convoy. Reference in the above despatch to Cattegat deals with the sinking by British warships of the German auxiliary cruiser Marie and ten other armed patrol boats, while that concerning the attack by two German light cruisers on the Scandinavian convoy evidently refers to the sinking of nine neutral ships and fwo British escorting torpedo boat destroyers in October in the North Sea. Was On Kristianiafjora New York, Nov. 10.—According to William G. Sheppard, returned news* paper man from Leon Tretzky, one of the leadtJFs of the_Revolutionary Committee moved from the steamship Kristianiafjord at Halifax last spring while the steamer was en route from New York to Bergen. Sheppard was on board the vessel. Trotzky was detained at Halifax for some time and had the Dominion Government held hir% for an indefinite time, Sheppard says, the history of Russia might have been different. ■ « To Aid of Italy Italian Military Zone, Nov. 9— Both British and French troops are going toward the front. ITALIANS STILL RETIRE ACCORDING TO PLAN Expect Stand Will Be Made By the British and French On Piave River CHAOTIC CONDITION IN feuSSIA; PROGRESS IN PAL ESTINE CONTINUES THE revolutionary element under Nikolai Lenine continues to hold the Russian capital, but with the attitude of the Russian soldiers on the various fronts regarding its assumption of pow er is still unknown. The Italian armies continue to retreat across tfie Venetian Plains toward the Piave River, where it is expected a stand may shortly be made, aided by strong reinforcements from the British and French armies and under the newly formed military command which is to work in conjunction with the permanent inter-allied conference of military officers. General Cadorna has been removed from supreme command and given a post on the conference, the other members of which will be the noted French commander General Foch and General Wilson, sub-chief of the British General Staff. General Diaz has been placed in chief command of the Italians. Reports from Russia still remain meagre, but these that are drifting through indicate that Lenine and his -fc*fe(V«HF&y-«elwcKn« -the congress of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates, are desirous of a cessation of hostilities for three months along all battlefronts in order that efforts may be concentrated upon to bring about peace. With the telegraph lines still in.the hands of the Bolsiviki faction, it is natural to presume that all communications emanating from Petrograd lean towards Lenine, his faction and their ambitions, but advices at hand from official and semi-official Russian quarters in Europe and the U. States tend to lessen the apparent gravity of the situaion and to indicate that order will be brought out of the prevailing chaos at no distant date. Contradictory rumors continue to circulate as to the whereabouts of Premier Kerensky, it being reported he is under arrest and being taken back to Petrograd for trial by courtmartial and also that he was continuing toward the front in an endeavor to strengthen the moral of the troops and put down ihe revolt. Various members of his Cabinet are still incarcerated in the fortress of St. Peter and Paul and it,js reported that General Korniloff is allo being taken thither for trial in connection with the previous revolt. Meanwhile it is stated Petrograd has returned to normal so far as the civilian population is concerned. Casualties during the bombardment of the Palace and as a result of street fighting were relatively small. There has been little activity on the Western Front in France and Belgium except in the nature of reciprocal bombardments. Small bombing operations in Palestine by the British forces who gained a notable victory over the Turks who are in retreat, with the British and French warships harassing them from the Mediterranean and airmen bombing their oiumns are reported. More than forty nuns were taken from UNKNOWN B:i*iju Ca;ifa?e Large Amount of Wai Material and Guns. London, Nov. 9.—The official statement issued by' the war office this evening concerning operations in Mesopotamia reads: The clearing of th battlefield at Terkrit, on the Tigris, northwest of Bagdad, is continuing. A large amount of war material has been found in addition to that reported, especially guns, small arms and ammunition. The total number of prisoners captured since the action at Dur on Nov. 2nd, is 319, including 17 officers. A large number of dead have been buried. ■ ■ Turkish Report. Constantinople, Nov. 10.—The official report issued today by the Turkish War Office was as follows: On the Sinai front, on our right, there was artillery firing. Infantry engagements are in progress on the centre and,left. PROMINENT MEN SPEAK AT MAYOR'S BANQUET Look With Confidence and Optimism to Future Conduct of The War BELIEVES ITALY WILL HOLD OUT EULOGISTIC REFERENCES TO U. S. £ONDON, Nov. 10—The clouds are lowering, to-day but behind and above them the sun is still shining said Bonar Law, Chancellor of the Exchequer, at the Lord Mayor's banquet here last night. Dealing with Russia, the Chancellor said: "We all rejoice at the prospect of the advent of liberty in the country, a liberty which we hoped, would have wisdom and justice as her companions and would leave prosperity and plenty in her train. The future of Russia today is a sealed book but we need not despair. The Russians are great people and no nation has done more o persevered to strain every nerve to drive the; jnvader from her soil. What happen, we-doa't know, buf in~*he meantime the advantage of the Russian strength is largely lost." "The enemy has secured cc tain mil itary advantages," he said "because the same unity of control did not exist among the allies as among the Central Powers, but in the future the whole front, from the British Channel to the Adriatic would be created as one front. "No one would understand the seriousness of the attack on Italy, but the Chancellor hoped and believed that the Italian army would be able to hold the enemy until help arrived." Earl Curzon, of the War Cabinet in offering a toast to the Allies, said that unless the spirit of German militarism and arrogance was destroyed, the great est disaster the world has seen would follow. He declared that the most notable event o fthe past year had been the entry of the United States into the war, and added: "Whatever can be accomplished by the resources of that vast continent, by the spirit and ardour of the'people, and by the cool, calm and inflexible resolve of President Wilson will be contributed."The speaker looked forward to a Rus sian resurgent erorganized and resolved. Sir Eric Geddes, speaking for the Navy, said: "The Naval Service has unshaken confidence that wheri the great day comes, jdg£n_yv'e succeed in forcing the enemylggive battle, it will find the RoJifNavy equal to the occasion." He said that submarine losses had been very heavy, and that although they had been steadily reduced, they were still heavy. The submarine campaign had not been defeated but was being held for the present, and in hi* opinion, it would be defeated. Earl Derby, Minister of War, cfeclar ed himself to be an optimist. He said he did not minimize the danger and dif faculties of the present moment, but that was all the more reason for keeping a cheerful countenance. The country had been in many tight places, but the Army and Navy can never fail. Their morale, he added, was never higher than now. (Continued on page 2) j Special to Housekeepers: j I WHITE and CREAM, AH full I I widths and dainty designs. J I Prices 15c, 17c, 20c, I 2gc, 30c, 55c yd. \ I SETS LACE CURTAINS, j White and Cream. All neat patterns. 1 70c, 90c, $1.20, 1.30, I I $2.00 up to $9MO set J CURTAIN SCRIM, j Plain and Fancy Border, j I 12c, 17c, 20c, 25c, up \ \ to 40c yard. | CASEMENT CUOTH, j VIEU.-ROSE, PALE/GREEN, | CHAnPAONE, a few left. I I 75c yard. \ j The DUTCH | $1.90, 2.20 set. \ Bowring Bros. Ltd. I |