South Wales Weekly Post

-I BEHIND THE GER- MAN LINES. BELGIANS FORCED TO WORK. PROTECTION FROM AIRMEN'S ATTACKS. Every now and then strange patheti: figures appear suddenly in small villages Of this side of .the frontier beLween Belgian. ''1'1 \ys the Rotterdam correspun d<nt oi the DaUy Telegraph "). The inhabitants are surprised at the spectacle oi men clothed in curious dose-buttoned tunics and tronseM .tucked into tall boots—men with unkempt 'hadr, gaunt limbs, ami, yeMow-tmged, Asiatic faces. They are Rus- siau soldiers, these lonely wanderers, and they mme, not from German prisons,. but from nelds and c&mps behind the German lriDèS in Belgium. Always haggard &nd half starved loking, they have risked the per'I; of electric wire and armed sentry to escape from their captors. For several weeks now the Germans havel employed many hundreds of not thousands. of Russian prisoners on miLitary works of various descriptionB behind their Western I&ne. They are using them to supplement the forced labour of Belgiian civilians in building barracks, cleaj'mg forests, or repa.u'ing roads. Throwing aside a.H The Hague conrven- tiotM, provid,iing for the pi'op'6r treatment of civilian w&rkmen in fx;cupied territory, they fofroed Belgia-ns into their service. Refusals met wiMi imprisonment* or banl-hmead to Germa.n.y. Thre was a tliird penalty, be it remembered—starvation for the various Govem<ors took care that the man who re- fueed theii orders, if net arre¡;ted, should not find employment elsewhere. So" against all thcir protests a.t being made to serve the military purposes of their country's enemies, hundreds of Belgian masons, carpenters, and labourers ''ie conD.pelled to eNct barracks for Gcrma-n soldiMis behind the Jines. As to the Rusnia.ne. who-m t.hcy imported afterwards, these are being employed in rotigher classes of Ia.bc.ur. At the presmt 'moment many of these unhappy strangers are working in the-forest of Wynging and eJsewhere, cutting down the timber for use in the trenches of the second and third lines of defence. Others a,re engaging in road repair''ntg. As one means of making good the da-mage, they have broken up the smaller! pave roads between Ghent and ThieJt, and in the neighbourhood of Oudenarde, and are using the material to repair the great communication roads, or, to some cases, to widen them. Other Belgian be- tongings they ha-ve turned to account are the thick mats made of plaited twigs which the farmers in that country use to, harrow the ground. These the Úermans! have "requisitioned, and utilised in the construction of trenches, to strengthen and bind the earth. On the second and third lines of defence Belgian cirilia.ns are even compelled to assist in this and other kinds of trench constructional work. And the Germans have not attempted to dis- guise one of their motives for this. Just. as in the early days of tho war they used civilians as hving shields for their ad- vancing troops, so now they pilt them on to military works hi large detachments, < in the belief that thus these positions wiJI be spared from attack by airmen. And! with diabolical cunning they let it I)e I publicly known at what points Belgians arc thus employed. Squeezing Be'giu'n. Another feature of the winter arra.nge- ments behind the German lines is the estab- lishment of larg'e depots where are stored T&rious kindj of material and proTipions. And all these thirds, be it noted, are r-e- quisitioned from the Belgians themselves. They are paid for. it is true. But how? In paper bonds which are of little value now for general circulation, and, of course, after the war will be Quite worthless to their un- fortunate holders. In Lamburg they have established enormous forage depots, where are stored the yields of the Belgian harvests— requisitioned in the same way. Az an illustration cf the methodical provisionmg for the army. there hz.ve be-n built at Ertvelde. just north, of Ghent, cattle-housce where are al\!< a.ys kept MO head of cow". There is alwa,isthat exact. number. As animalf are taketi to the slatighter-hougc% their places are filled by fresh ones. When more are wanted the farmers are ordered to bring their cattle to the nearest market, where they are ex- amined. No matter how few are required, the farmers must bring their whole stocks M that the Crermans can make their choice of the best-paying .for them at their own price, and in paper "money."

SKETTY SOLDiERS IN LUCK. FINE SEND-OFF TO WINTER CONCERTS. Through the kindness of many friends of musical and entertaining abilities, the sol- diers billeted at Sketty arc to have pre- sented to them this winter progra.mjnes of outetanding merit, and the concert held on "Thursday evening in the Church Hall—not- withstanding the many people who had gone to Swansea to witness the pageant—watt packed to its utmost capacity with soldiers and civiliana. Mr. Richard Hoddens presided, and was aupported by Lieut. John .Hodgens. R.N. Mesdames Smith, Tamlyn, Trotman. Hodgens, Joalyn, and a atan' of young )adies, saw that the aoldiera did not want for light refreah- mente and cigarettes, and everything went oC* with vigour and enthusiasm. The accompaniments of Mr. Philip Davies, L.V.C.M., were thoroughly appreciated, as &Iso was his piano solo. Mr. Kirby Sails fol- lowed with one of his inimitable sketches. and later gave a humorous aong. Madame Jack Brader rendered beautifully Brian of Glenaar," and subsequently brought the place down" with Till the Boys come Home," a-nd in response to an undeniable encore she xave When Irish Eyes are Smil- ing." the soldiers loininig luatily in the choruaea. Mesars. J. East and G. Merton proved irresistible in their 'phono-nddle and mandoline Belections, and quite deeerTed the applause which brought them back with a banjo and mandoline duett. Mis8 Gwen L<1,WSOI;, the popular Swansea contralto, was as ever a great favourite, but a.midat this galaxy of talent Miss Kate Xolmaky shone brilliantly in her elocution contributions, humorous and pathetic, and displayed great dramatic powers. She re- ceived a treble encore, and gave a most ap- proprite patriotic call to the boys. Undeniably Lance-CorpI. Davies is an ex- ceedingly skilful manipulator of the mouth <M'e&o, and the applause was deafening and prolonged each time be appeared, especially after his execution of the -"(Yveitpre of the Light Cavalry." The chairman, in moving thanks to the artistes, said that they had had excellent tajent and a rare good send-on. They were especially delighted with Laoce-CorpI. Daviea, Md should be glad to welcome any other woMler to entertain them. He also thanked the residents for putting in eo large and re- presentative an appearance. Capt. W. H. Jen- kins seconded, the meeting enthusiastically endorsed, and the National Anthem was aung.

DOCKWORKERS' BEER. DEPUTATION TO CENTRAL CONTROL BOARD. An important deputation representing the iMUMpOft workers of London waa receded on FMd&y by the Cont-pal Control Board fMardicM, the proposed new reatrijCtcon M. The National TrajTeport Workera fedepation wae repireaented by Mr. H&rry GoeUng (ppaatdeMt) a.nd Mr. Robert Williams (eêcretary, and former-ly of Swansea), and the London DM.tri;ct &ecti'on of the Federa- tion Dy a oomnMttee represant'mg eleven trade iMMons. The National Fedef&tion point of view is <M)mewha.t different from that of the London &ection. Mr. GoaiiDfr wiH ask for Some addtUenat facritift, preier&Diy canteena, to be eet, u.p m deck !md mvsrside areas, but he does itot object to the general terms of the order, if that < M compHed wtith. On the other hand the London DiaH'ict tection passed a resolution on Thursday night, protesting a.ge.inBt the introd-action CIIf new r, aj!d requwtfiag the Boar,4 6.

I CLERKS RUNNSNG -1 SHORT. I TRAINING OF WOMEN I SUGGESTED. I The question ot providing for tue shortage of clerical assiistajice at the Doc.ks is enlarg- I ing the Attention of the Swansea, Chamber of Commterce. The Assentation of Caiam-b-ers of Commerce ha.vo the matt<ei' under consideration aMd they suggest the effective training of v/omen, with a preference for the reiativos of the nMn who have gone to the colours. They suggest Chambers ot Commerce should form IDeal oommitytees to meet a shortage that is bound to increase. At Swajise-3, there are a considerable num- ber of yomng men of recraitable ag'B, but by faj- the* majority of these are willing to join. Md have been. attested. When they are caUed up the shortagt! jf clerical assistance will be f elt.

I I SWANSEA CENTRE THREE- QUARTER. —— I Alt. Thomas' Wounds: Doctor's Recognition. As already stated in the 6aily post news has been received by Mrs. Thomas-, of Rhosmaen-street, Llandilo, that her son, Alf. Thomas, the Swansea centre three-quar- ter, is now lying in hospital in France suf- fering from wounds received in action. Alt. Thomas is a sergeant in th,- llth Battalion King's Royal Rifes, and has been in France since the latter part of July. Mrs. Thomas has another son jn Franoe,¡Jw in the King's Royal Rifles. Hergeant. ThoMas has written home that. he is in hospital about six milea from the firing line. He will probably be sent to Calais in a few days' time, and he hopes to be in England in a fortnight. One of the doctor's in charge of the hospital is Dr. Bird, who wss for soma titnf at Dynovor Park with the late Lord DynevDr, and! married a aister ot the present peer. Me Sergeant Aif. aa a chorister I" LIandyfeiMnt Church, and they often have a chat about Llandilo.

I ABERAVON NEWSBOY'S PATE. I A verdict ot AccmeHta.ly drowned was returned at an ir quest held on Thursday at Aberavon by Mr. Edward PoweM. on the body of Edward inforgn Jones. am, d eight, son of Cordon ?I. J one. 42, LesHe-street, Ab< avon, and Ythoae body wa? recovered froni the Port Talbot Docka on Thursday. The evidence showed that the lad waa boa.rdtQg the a.s. Anna Guirine to itcH papers, when he slipped oN the ladder and idl ir.io j

BRITISH ARMY ACHIEVEMENTS. AMERICA'S Ef)lTH USIASTIC PRA!SE. Mr. Fredrick Palmer, an American waj- I co'rrespondent, \vhc has heen at the front al- most since the stait of the \a.r, told a.a ifi- terviewer in the "N ew York Herald" :— "The greate&t experience I had "as with the British fleet, That was ,nnüther con- tract with the confusing of politics in London. Ii we ever go to war I hope thai om- N<Lvy niay bo as ready as the British Navy was and thtt it also may outaumber the er.pmv. I Our Length of the Line. I v\hy ia it that tliR Bntnh are not hotd- ing a ,er stretch of line tha.n sixty miles on the western front? You would not ask that question if you hrA ever b.;cn in the Ypres salient. Germa,n prisoners kay that when they are sput to the Ypres M.Iient they consider it a f'JlItenée of death. Ten _t;hou- S3itd men can hold five mdles easter in some places tha.ti a m'lG of the Ypres saJi'snt. "The Germans on the western front a.re nghting w-ell., but net <M well as t.hey did six monfi.K a.go. This is not saying tha,t they are g-ing to be driven back, but tha-t the ijiitiative is how '.vith the Allies in tbda stubborn sieg' business. A year ago the British were nghting with rineg ajld ne,sh and bl&od against artillery and machine gu"-s. Indeed, the Gerrr::in fired five shells to their one. But aJI that is changed. They are now firing !noj.*e shellg tha.n the German. 1 have not neard a British or French officer or soldier mention the possibility of any compromise with Germany. The French ha.ve a saying that the ghosts of their dead soldiers would haunt them if they ever stopped fighting wuh the enemy on the soil of Fra-nce. Whpn. will the war be over? Not till the British have put in action more thaji a million men who have not fired a shot in a year. Nobody at the Brit- ish front ever considers anything short of next summer. The British Way. I The British .ne a. stubborn peopte, and I thy do things in their own way. In order to encourage recruiting they talked pessi- mism. Now they are advertising that the ana.ncia.l situation .i s&riou.; in order to make the people economise. If I know any- thing about war, and if my experience at the British front counts for anything, then :e talk that the British have. fallen down in this war is nonsense. I think that the org.a.nL5a,tipn and equip- ment of the new army. formed enhrely of volunteers, is a. military marvel. There have been costly mistakes, but 'the rank and file of the army in France have put up one of the most splendid nghts in all his- tory. I have watched the British army grow and iipprove. It is only beginning to ma.ke waj'. I don't know what the relations of the Brith and French Cabinets are. but I know tha-t the relations of the French and British soldiers were never so good. Dif- ferent as the races are, they have fought their wa.v into e.<tch other's respect, I Zeo Ra!ds Plaýed Out. "The Zep¡:"elin ra.ds were a novelty but. not war. The Zeppelins must hit the Houses of Parliament or the 13ank of England if they aj'e to be interesting in the future. "Mjiss Cavell's death did more for recruit- ing tha.n all the raids. I happened to be with the French when the news of her d-ealth v.-w, received. Jts effect on tha droops was ilist.ant. electric. Thj woman's sacriiice had a Jna.n of Arc cha.rActea; that struck homa to the French hea-rt. OiHcers spoke of it as an event that had done more to ccm&nb Lhe z,.Iliance of Frajice a.nd FJr,¡gland to fi.ght to the 1,st man thatn all the ?peeches of men and of generis..Miss ) Ca.vell'3 picture, taken from the newspapers. i8 loinj'ed on cottage walls aU over France beMde those cf'the Virgin and Joaji oP Arc. "Deep as the ijnpresaion was on the crvil pCtpula-tions of oothEngland and it was slight, beside that made on the StoldT.ers. I returned from the French, b..) the British front the day "fter the news, !:o I was aMe to judge the onsets 'm both the British and, French aTmiea. The thought th9lt wont home was the fact that Misa Cavell wpq. a narse. Men who 'ha,ve hoon. woml<100 know what a nurse's c:H"e means. That a. riur-.e under ajiy circumstances should be &hot waa a.n uinspea.kabi'3 .horror to them. British soldiei'R now say 'Fc.r Miss Ca,eU' when they chaj-a:e. I Ffom OptitTMSM to Pesstmtsm. "lit ta'kes only hve. hours to get f':Y)ID the trenches to London—a,nd what <<- contrast! Everybody is cheerful out a.t the fron.t. I Thf'v 1-a.v? only to nght and die for Eng- land and not bother with y?frI a?o, wlier?tthe British and th< French were a g o, i ng ,rth their la.t reecrvps to hold Channel pOTts, London would no't bcl:ieve I you. if you sa.id that the situ&tion over in Flanders was furious, (optimism was the London cult then. Pessimism is now. I' ¡' London win ?ot believe you if you bring a.oy g'ood news from the front. "The BritLsh are spreading all their bad news the C'erma.tia suppressln.g tjbeira. The Britishwa..h their dirty linen i on thepub1íc paiia(lp a<nd the Germans wash theirs in the ceUa,r with the lights turned oS. If tha't ourta.in which is drawn over Germany were 1'ftpd the reve1a.t;o!I' mj,J1¡t I an-Laze the world. Only peace will lift it, however. "The Bnush trustet! th{>,1r løadeN', but the' Dardanelles and the &opely shook their co'nnde'n.cc. The worst, of the Darda.n<eHes business is th'tt it could have been a theatrica.1 success if it ha<! been carried out jointly by thE, a.rmy and the na,vy as Furprige."

NOT SUFFICIENT PRISONERS. Brecon Prison About to be Closed. It is stated on gúod au.thord.ty that Br&cou Pr;sou is to be closed. A <?hort tiiine ago there were no prisoners in custody, but at present there ure two theT3, Hnd in alt. prob-ibili'ty they w.i.ll be trandel'red e'thej to Usk, hrewb..1l',Y, or The prison chapl?n:' and the medical onlcer of health huve p&opived three months' notice. Five of the wanders have received permis- sion to join the. colour?, and two left on Wednesday to join regiments. It "s not yet certain what use wiH be made of the pritson building, bt't it is understood that at present it will not b e, given over to the mirtary authorities.

PLANKS COLLAPSED. Inquiry into LIancHy Works Fatality. The jnquiry m.t) r.he death killed <tt the Burry Extension WorKs. 'Ll<m- elly, <Mi Sovemoor 1st, thi-ough the corpse of scaSolding, wa,¡;; resumed at Llaiieliy ou Thursday by Mr. W. \V .Bradie, and 4 ver- dict of Aocidenta.1 death" was retum-ed. Tha dedohn Richards (42)—a;nd three other men, employed by I\l{ssrs. Benj. liowell and Soil, were upon the pLa'n.ks when th-ey suddenly collapsed. The men. were hu.r}ed to the ground, deceased bemg killed a.hnost in.st&nftaneously, whÜe the other men su:staind mjuries. Several of the witnesses could a.dv.uice no bhoory as to the cause of the &oc:den.t, but the forei'n.Mi ma,s3<n &a.id from tho appear- a<nce of the pla,-nk it seemed as if n cojmrebe bnck had fallen upon it.

BR!TOM FERRY'S AFFA IRS. Briton Ferry LlEtrict Counott lilct on Thursday evening, Councinor James Thomas presidium- The reconimendation of the gaa i!ia.nag°r to increase the charge for street lighting to .€4 5s. per lamp per annum wa.a connrmed, a motion by Councillor Hill th:'t it he JE4 ,,er lamp being defeated. It vaa decided to increase the prica of coke a.t the g&EWorks frolit 13n. 4d. to 15a. p.r ''on. s:)d that the leadiug stokers' wagee be increased to 68. per day and to ordinary stokers to 5e. 6d. The Rev. John Davies. B.A.. wag ap- pointed as the Counoil'a representative &a a goTernor of the Neath Group of Schools in place of Mr. David Di-Lvie- resigned. Mr. John Morria was re-ele-eted aa the Counoil's representative *o!- the Uu:vc??ty c: Wales. representative for the Q? Wale.,?. The rate collr .r, who intended joining the Army. aaked that his position be kept open for him, and the Council granted his request. .luster" relating to alterations to be made to the Great Western Railway subway in Yil- ILMTjs-street were hea.rd in camera..

UGLY FACTS FOR I GERMANS, OUTSPOKEN JOURNAL- IST'S WARNING. "NOT ONE OF OUR ENEMIES IS DISARMED. NOT ONE OF THEM IS DISCOURAGED. ENGLAND, THE STRONGEST OF THE LOT, CANNOT -I"VEN BE CONSIDERED BADLY WOUNDED BY OUR BLOWS. "ALL OUR FOES BELIEVE AS HON- ESTLY AS ANY GERMAN THAT VIC- TORY WILL LE THEIRS, AND THEY j ARE DETERMINED TO DO EVERY THING TO THAT EFFECT. THIS I MUST EVIDENTLY BE A WAR OF EXHAUSTION. THE HUMAN EYE CANNOT FATHOM THE RYE OF IT. NAIL THESE IDEAS LN EVERY GER- MAN BRAIN." Th'esij words were written a few days age by no less a tvriter than Herr Ma.ximilian Harden, in his paper, the "Zu.kunft." a.nd were parsed for publication by the military ctTif.ors .of Berlin. It is obvious from these lines, and fron. the long article precediu.g i.hem, in v.hioh Herr Harden studies the Allies' alleged "desire for peace," that the German authorities have found it expedient t-j wan] the German people that, contra-ry to their belief and to their eXNCtations, the Allies Newer thought tess of mahfng peace I than at the present momol1t.l<'oJ' the last few montns, the "thinkers" working on the staff of the AN,oiff Bureau had bet;n ordered to adverti&e the coming end ot the allied forces, and had mdulged m a silly but sys- t€mat.c exaggeration of any public oir private utterance, in li-azice or in England, by any peace crank. The truth. has now beenhroken to the Ger mans by one of the \ery ie\v jc'umalists of the empire who enjoys their (ouRdence. He warns his countrym'on with bis accustomed courage &nd vigour, aijd tells them in pLeLM' language t'ha.t theie is no earthly reason, to believe that the Allies will make peace be- fc'ro they are satis&ed that th.uy have won the war and brought G6rmallY to accept theu' o.wn term?. "All that happens now in Russia. Herr Harden writes, "ought to teach ujs the truth, and remind us that R-ussia- is further than ever from that decline in w-hich we, !n our zc'na of madness, so otigerly believe. The Russians know that their army still includes seven million men, that eight further million<, are being tramed bohmd the front, tiia.t the railway towa-rds bhe icele.s a is about finish 00 and they hope that everything will be ready by spring. Tnc'r motto is 'In March next, or at the \'f.')-y latest April, the offensive will be--in with tpn to two've milhon wcR-tra.ined men, H.rntc.d v.ith tJle best grtus and the beat muni- tions ever PIM-E in. Russia., m Japa,n, or in Amfrica. Then the be thrown nut General Alexieff, the chief ot the General Staff, says 'At Iwt we have all the munitioTh3 we need to deal with the Ger- mans. We ha.ve the ff-Uowing words marked o'n onr Dew f'a,rtrid?e-bcxcs Don't waste nunitSons. Our -war is ilu-t beginning." Revolution in Russia? Not tthe slightest sign. Every- thing is staked on this war and its success- ful end." This is real news to the German reader, especia.Uy as a gang cf "war corres- pondents" ha.ve been busy for the la.st six montha telegrapning front Sweden that Russia. wa.s confronted with the worst re- volutionary agita(,:on hi. its history. An- othe!' disa-ppointtment is caused to the Ger- mans by Herr Ha.wion's ti'?mk Stdmission thut Sweden, eontraj'y to the cherished hope of the doe. not dream of at- tacking Russia.. And nna,Uy. the f.nous edi- j tor warns hi<s readers of the foUy of hoping i to induce any of the Allies, and eapecia.Uy Russi.a, to sign a separate peace. A wet Market I M: the German war enthusiasm, and must neceasariiy interfere with the Hindenb,ug woi-bil), especiaUy n.s the .Harden "reveJa.- tions" 'coincide with Hindcnbn.rg's fruit.- lQilS an d desperate attp-nipt to <.a.pture Dvinpk and Riga- And in ordeT t,) make his case Harden wr!tea ii imja which must be p=linfuI to the German jonm:nists, while it vindicates! RU that the AUMd Press has sftid of the German system of ruthless and unbltishing lying for which Wolff is p.ri- marUy, if not &o!ety, responsible. "Ger- mfmy," he writes, "expecte the truth also from German writers." The "expectation." however, has befii sadly disappointing thus far, {md Haj'den's phjcky article admits it —with the eoTispnt of the 'military censors. =

FATAL THUfJk8 CUT. INQUEST ON FFORESTFACH REPAIRER. I An inquest was he'd by Deputy Coroner Witlsom on Thursday at Fforestfaeh, iinto the oi.rcum?ta.nces touching the death of the late Mr. John Davies (colliery repairer). 5, Ro)j<-rt8-row, Gendros.. Mrs. Davies, wife of deceased, in her cadence, stated that her husband was a coHtery repairer, and had always been a strong, IieRItby m<m: <L)rt Novembe.' 1st, when he arrived home from work he com- pl&ined of havi.ng a cut on his fmger which had been caused by a stone. He worked the fo1iov."ing day. He had a rag aroimd the rut coming from work. lVåtnss dressed the thumb. The second day following the ac<"id<enh he complained c{ pain, Rud the. thumb was swollen. It was on the Wednes- day he,-s-w the doctor. Her husband after this had to keep to his bed. Ho parsed away on ""t:dne.Ydy, Dt. P<'i:er MacRitchie attributed death to septic poisoning due to the entry of a germ I cnto the cut, which v.'a.s foUowcd by septM; pneumolua. If--I. Phiihp Richards, Stepney-road, C-ockett, repairer at Garngoch No. 1 Col- liery, stated that he had heard deceased talking of the pa.in he had in hL-t arm at the end of the fhift on November 2nd. In answe.' t-a the Coroner, witness said he knew that nrst-aid applianc'-s were kept at the colliery, which were open to the work- men. Alfred Rowlands, Bank Mawr, Raid tbot deceased spoke to him at the end of the shift on November 2nd, and complained that has hand was paining him. I A verdi<-t in accoTdance with the medical evidence was given.

CAUGHT CONSUMPTION IN THE ARMY. I Ycung Swansea Enginoer's Sad I I End. I The death has occurred under sad cir- cumstances of Mr. Harry Fisher, sou of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Fishar, of 125, Norfolk- street, Mount Pj' -e-asait, Swansa. He oonunenced hM career a.s an apprentice at the Mannesmann Tube Works, Lan dore, and aitcrwati'ds went on a tritp bo the East IndtLes as an enguneer aboard a big London I'.ner. On the outbreak oi wai-, .being &nxi<'u& to serve his King and country, he joined the Swansea Battalion, but con- tracted consumption .a.nd was invalided out of the Army a few months ago. On Thurs- da-y he died. The ia,te Mr. Fieher was a member of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, and for m&ny yea.i'sa communaca.nt at St. Mark's Church. He took a pronunent part a.t aH times in a'thl'etks, and leaves sorrc'.rlTtg pa.rent-3 and a host of friends to mourn theltr loss. His father, Mr. W. A. FisbeT, is tha embulance mstructor at the -Nlannesirann. The funeral takes place on Tuesday next, at 2.30..m. at Cockett'

I FtME ON WELSH PANEL DOCTOR. I I ??? I ? A iei.t.er trom me \vei?? jnsm'ance Uom- mist.i<f'a conveying the information tha-t they had decided to indict what pra?tioailly sinounta to a Sne of ?S20 o-)-) a pa.n?I doctor  was rosponaible for n.n outburst a-t a mc?ung of th<? Glamorgan ins?r?nce Commit.t?3 on Thtua'sda.y, and threats were made by pcomi- njen.t mem?b?ers thjat they would resign if ?hje C-omniissionej'a a.d'h<ered to' their de?Mi'NT. ?

ITALIAN ASSAULT ON 1 GORIZIA. A SECOND YPRES. I The Austrian General &roevi,es. command- ing the Austnan forces on the Isonzo, gives good story to a Hungarian corr&spondent. of the defence of P°b-:tiDH3 wiuch have been held a.gainat .four getMial "saults since May 24th. He says the Italians brought 24 division and two Alpi-ni briga,d'es against 'cri.zia and the Doberdo plat&au south of it. Over three hundred thousand rilles and one thousand five hundred guns were dttect-ed ,lgak"1st the defenders of the I«onzo. The Hrst si.gns of an offensive were clearly evi- i, -en a- dent in the middle of October, when an 'trtUiery cannonade was feeding its way e.II dong the front. The fu-st h€a.vy shells fell on October 15th, and .the Mt tnf&ntry hand-to-hand battle was fought on October 8th. On this day it w.a.s already clear that t-he Ita-Iiana mea.nt Ims;npss The Attack Seems. I The nrst att&ck was delivered against the northern pa.rt of the front—the Krn and the '.jndgeh'ead of Tolmino were the objectives. At the same time the battle began to rage -n the Doberdo as weIL This was the intro- duction. The reafl battle began on the 21st, when the first important mfajitry aeti<m was fought. On the 20th and Slat the ItaJdan arillery worked- wMIi such vigour that our men ha.d to seek refuse in caves. The most strongly-fortified positiojis became quite unsafe, and the few men who had to be left there to watch the movements of tho enemy, and w.ho were changed every haitf- an-hour, were invariably found to be killed by the time the reliefs .aJTTved. Guns of all cahbre were uaed. and the bombaj'dment !aated for fuUy nfty hours. Most of our positions were demo'i.ished, and the nerves of the men shattered al.-o, a.nd when the Italians be!;(,v(-A that the rocks had mdtad away and every human being had been dest'poyed in our fines the infantry attack ,S tlle in-fantrv attack 1,egun. They took some of our positions, but they achieved no substantial success; and the battle raged throughout the day and the mght fo!JowTng. There ware gallant deeds on both sides, and if I pra-i&e my own men I Mkewi ?e cannot deny a tribute to an enemy who fought with the courage of lions. A Lun and a Storm. I The battle instead 6f ,SlI.IJ1)sj?íng grew in I vehemionjce, aiid rwap-hed i)bs h&ight on Octo- her 24. On this day the attacks a.g!arnat the Doboi-do ceased, onlv to Mo.-nte Sa.n :\lichele and the Sajn Ma.rtim). On O'clcber 26 it seamed fci, a moment thaA ?M stru?e wa? coming to a? eoT<i. The I?i.I.Mms expanded less ammunition amd sacri- &oed fewer men thev threw th)6T!r re??rv?7. uifo the hatUp \yttb mqTe caution a'nd much mare slowly. But on 23 the titaTMc struggle assumed a f.tiU more ch-,trZt,eir than before, but this time more towards the northern pa,rt of the front. This time the bridgehead of Totmiiio bo-re the brunt of lili,e attack for fuHy three da,ys. At this junic-ture the ba<ttle again took another turn, and the attacks were made on the sout'haim sector of the frotH' Va!ue of Cortzta. I in tne first, days ot November the bridge- head of Gorixia was the goal of Italian ein- daa.vo'ur. not only became its ca,pt'u?e would be a visiM e symbol of Ita-lian success, but also be-csHsa it is of nrgt-ra.te inT(portarM7e from a str.a.t'egicaJ poi'n.t of view, a,s it forms a ga<p bft.wcet[i the mounta,in)0fcs region aind the sea,, :UM) on a front of aJmost twenty niilea c.ont.a.ins six exoellent road5 l:ea,ding from Italy Mi,io A'ustria,. It is, therefore, tihe best tartjng pqint for ain invasion of the Monarchy, a.nd the attacks deliveired here w'are the most furious, arrrd the losses i.n- nicted on the enemy s.nd hy the enetny were the greaAest. O'n Octctbe-r 28 the ItaJum a.ttaok was rapulaed by the defending forc&s, yet a few days Ia'ter, Mi the Ist of Novem(hea-, new It-aJiam reservea aj)Tpcaj-ed, two bri'ga.des bamg wibhdra.wn from th? fr,t. ?w,ist?nie, they auiCneTdcd in takirg s'ome advanced pneitiins, a.nd on t.hp 2nd a.Txi 3'rd of November more rc:;eJ"3S superhuman efforts followed, bttt witfh no result. A!most tnsrsd<b!e Bravery." I General Boroevics deiscril", the norther.n part of the p!ateau as ha heU of hells, w11r the H.aJian a,rtiHt"ry hor'.vered t.}J<Ou¡>ancis of shell:, almost conbtnuaJly, a.nd where more than thirty inf&Titrv attacks were deliv,-red. Ovar three thous&!id b<x!)i.as were county be- fore the positions of one rsgime'nt only. "Although'the enemy's efforts did not suc- ceed," he said, "a.nd I hope they wi!J not succeed m the future, either, I cajmot refrain fro-m saying that the bravery of the Itaha.M troops is ah-ncst incrediblp, for even if cer- taLn regimants lost all their officers it did not doter ttM men from advancnng with the gi,ea,t,est contempt, for dea,th." Aa regards Gorlxi.a., the city is in a. most dpspora't.a situation, a,3 the Italian ?)rtiilery keeps it almost ooTL-tantly under nre, though, CUr10Ui'Jy enough, the civil population caTmof he persuaded to lea-ve the town. If the ItnJian a,tt.3tcks agaiil,-t the brl;dgebeii h.pre ;Lnct ag,- 'rlst the neighbourin.g heights do not ceaae within a short time, military cu'cle'- hcre do not expect that t-he dofend<'T8 can hoM out much longer in face of the terrinc homhardment and determin<ed effoTts of the Ita.IjajM.

TOOK FRENCH LEAVE. SWANSEA MUNITION WORKER FINED. owa-nsea Munitions Coirt met on Thurs- day, Mr. J. Vaughan Edwards (chairman) presiding, and the assessors present were .Nfegsr. J. Evans (Mon'isuon) and E. Burman Complaint was made by his etrtployers that Owen Leyaon (19), of Pentrechwyth, had, absented hijnself from week. By trade he is i is;mt11'5 he')per and assistant striker in I the .smith's department; he was not present at the Munitions Court. It was a<Ueged that he stay,2d away from work, ajid that when spoken to he became impertinent and &dmfi.tt.ed the cause of his absenct) was not itiness. Mr. Edward Smith, works overseer, gaid by. Loyson's attimdc the output was restricted. His. wages averaged 25a. 9d. Charles WilMams, foremaji, said Ley son wanted to leav-e. On November 15th he said he wanted to leave, and he then stayed away two days. He had said he had got a better job to go to. On hia return witness spoke to him, and he said he was going to leave aJ,d no one could stop him, as others had gone. The Chairman said the work had not been seriously disorga.nni&ed, but men must realise they could not ab&ent themselves whenever they chose from a controlled establishment j without good cause. In nmn.g Leyson 10s., the Chairman added: "ThLs mu&t not be .t'egai'ded as anything like the ngure which v.ould be imposed in future upon men who absent themselves without cause or reason."

.n "on" "SUCH A FINE I SOLD!ER." SAD NEWS FOR NEATH I FTAMILY. News has been received at Neath of the death of -Major John Uewe-lyn Da.vies, Uth Essex Regiment, sen of Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Davit;<s, of R,¡;;goby-a.ve.nu-e. He was re- ported wounded and missi'n.g" a-t the gTemt advance at LocM-HuUfuch on September 25 a<n,d 26. Major D,avier, was bom hi Sep- tember, 1879, and educated a-t 'Aid. Davifs' School (whør his fatdit-r was headnimtB") University College, Abefyje'twyth, amd I&ter 'became a scholaj' of E'mnm.nueJ CofUeg'e, CtmbTidge, wberc he graduated with &rst- CtLaM hortours ui the Natural Soignee Tnpos, 19M, proceeding M. A. in 1308. He was for seven years a liutEm.ant in I the Of6oers' Training Corps, and at out- break c-f the war ga.ve up his post of science master a.t the Perse Schoot, Cambridge, to j join UM 11th Etasex Regjmen.t. as c.apta.in el j t4i,e "A Company. He wa.s ga.rettOO major in April of this yeanr. In May last he was I ,a.ppoínted to the 'jfEA-D:\IA8TEHSHIP OF TH'K I HIGH SCHOOL I for b<Tys, with pcrmissi'on to commt'nce dutaes at 'lie close of the. war.In August be WcM rn:rned bo .Miss C. Pi-aser, B.A., of the TraiUT-mg ey, yc4imlllre. As at&ted, he received his dewth wound on j$eptlewl*r 26th.t .0

THE MAN LORD DERBY IS. NEVER KNOWN TO BREAK A PROMSSE. Lord Derby is big and bluff (says a writer in the "Standard''). He does rot delive" careiut speeches; be blurts common sen&e. If he were to forfeit six mon.ths' rGturn.s cf Iiis leaseholds at Bootle for failure he could not deHver an am&Iguoug. speech. I well remember his outsPOkJ!lUWES in the Houae of Commons when, before he came into his kingdom, he was Lord Stanley and Post- master-General. He says what he believes ho belongs to the "ha,ng the consequences party. More than once a courteous-soiled friend haa a,d- Tised him to show more discretion, in his outspokenness. The Answer has generally been, I don't care a thingamy-jig. I'm going to say what I think." And that is the kind of man we a.11 like, except when he is sometimes saying things about us: But running through Lord Derby's brusque hear- ti.iess is a North-country native shrewdness, which so often shows itself that there is the Mcasional temptation to believe that his jolly steam-rollerism is part of the policy of an adroit man who has his own well- thought-out tactics when there is an object in view. He is strong a.nd ruddy, hoo.vy in phy- sique, is keen on having his own way, a.nd whilst he is chaffiuI:g he is domineering. You t-Mn.k you are up a-gamst a rather bucolic English squire with a loud laugh until you discover, when you have yielded, there must have bwtt a lot of diploma.c.y behind the conversa.tion. Re ha.s an attractive, even a. m,o,gnetic, lw&)nalitv. Nobody cnmes fnear Lord Derby without liking him. He haa the winning faculty of being Most things to most men, I I I- arm when he is 18fl,fprous ulsagrcemeut ha is s,o do'\vnright ianis denunciation that p'en the victim cannot keep any personal resent- ment for long. His energy is tre- mendous; &team is always up. Ho is vital, and a movement that may have lagged new life in it the ij!sta,nt Lord Derby ta.kes hold of the rein'9. The spurt to l'ecrmtinlg, which was slacken- ing in a way to g<e WhiteihaJl alarm, has been due in the nMtui to Lord Derby's push. When he ma-kes a promise he keeps it. Lord Derby has never been kriown to .brea-k a. pro- mise.. So in the recent oonfusicn whether enlisted married nMn. are to be called upon to serve in the Army whilst there remajH unenlistod untma-rried youths, Lord Derby's short-worded declaration that they a.re not had a greater enect om the situa-tion thajT. a di,gni-fied column-long or&tion by the Prime Ministsr could have producet). No ma<n in England has greater influence in his own county than Lord Derby has ;n Lancashire. The working men of the County PaJatine have ha.rd views of men and aSairs. It carmol be sa.i<i they belong to the same political party <1S Lord Derby, and they are not frantically enthusiastic over peers v,-hp-e incomes are chieny derived frcm' lease- holds. But I Derby Is a r&at sport," I the L&ncaahire operative, though a RadicaJ, a.nd to be ,l sport in the north of Englaj'd is o. better testimonial th;m to be a Christian!. He is fond cf horsey aùld he runs his hoTse& M he mirm his a.Bnirs. When the war broke out the Dewby i'n.- ftuence.in ob,a:iiig it-criiith- in La,nca.shire was considera-bio. The county w<yuJd ha!ve done wp'H in a.iiy ca.se but Lord Derby's, smile, his pJ.¡.Ún C()mmOll-i>CnS-e, man-t.o-ma,n tajiks to the woirkoM, [)<.J5&ibl:y a:bovc aJ] be- cause he has a specia.! pl&ce in the heafrts of the Larucåstr:iaru; as a "sportsmaji/" have exercised an amazing power in getting yoLmg Mlo.ws to see where thtsir duty låy. He deiuonRi.raMd thoft. personaJity coun.ts t'or more tha'n argu'ffic:l1it. With reJentless 'persistency iw w<M the ptoiyagmdist of patriotism, but it was the maj'i mo'i'o than the fervour of his that did the busi- If he was not the oi,ig-in,-itor lie was the inspirajtor of the "Pals bafttaJions which Rp'roUft'ad at .Li.verpoo.I and spread to I all the great cities. Liverpud'Lia.nK Mnme- idi.a.teiy formfe d were wa.ge d.inif-u'ities at. the dockp, i)€ was Instrumental in start!ng the dockers' I Batta!ton, a-nd over a thoiL-,ay)d. men a.re hi khaki ] engaged in loading sbtps a.nd disc halI'gil1t5" ca-rgo. He stumped L.anca:.hi!re from t'jid to end, not del1:vel1ng "war ona.biorts, b'nt tamking, wit-bout any nourishes, a.bout the duty of being a spwt&ma.n. So when the Government wa.nit'ed a Director of RGcrnit-ing the man had not to be fo,Ltn<l he waa already there. Wit.hoM.t ainy involved omcia'I laaiguage he says to the n,ati<yn: We want more trghtin:g men. H'e wa.ni aU men to do their sh.a-re, ma.TTied amd unmarrMd. Unma-rried fellows ought to serve Let th'em be'sports a.nd oome forwaird before December 11, and then tho, r':1'O'vernme<nt won' t 11a ve to take steps to !f'orc'e tiem. We don't wa.nt to use r; cion we would rather not Ti&e coarcdon, but Emgla/nd ,oods more soldiprs; so come on.

GARNANT TtNWORKER'S. COTTAGES. i ACTION FOR ALLEGED SUBSIDENCE I On Thursday, before Mr. Justice Scrutton, in the King's Bench Division, Mr. Walter Jones, a tiinplate worker, of Coronateon- road G'a.majit, owner of the houses m that road, sued the Consolidated Anthracite .C(Lierie. Ltd., and Lord Dynevor, claim- ing damages from defendants for wrongfuMy taking away the support of and injuring pla/mtLn's houses. Plaimtijf claimed an in- junction. Alternatively, pla-intin claimed dama-gea against Lord Dynevor, of Liandilo, I for brea-ch of covena.nt for quiet enjoyment rcnta.ined in pla-intiiT's lease of October, 1909. Defendants denied any I'i&bifUty. The Colliery Co. pLeaded that the seams under the plaintiff's property were worked in a proper and natural manner, usual in the locality, with the fmU knowledge of tha lessor. Lord Dynevor. They further said that if subsidence wa.s caused, it was from an old scan' which wa.s not being worked by them, and that it was the weight of pMntin's houses which caused Bu<*h subsidence. Mr. Tindal Atkinson. K.C. (with Mr. Meager) for plaintiff, said the action was for damages for subsidence brought by the lessee of a building leQ.se against the lessor a.nd I againat the Colliery Co. for damages for withdrawal of supptJtrt. He could not recover against both defendants. His case against I the leaser was founded on a resei-vatioiii coupled with an undertaking to p&y compen- sation for aJl damages done by the l?aaor or his lessee by withdrawing support, either in respect of the la?nd or buildmgs. The lease to the Colliery Co. was prior to that of the I plaintiff's building lea&e. The nrst question to b6 decided was whe- ther or not fhe damage done to pIajjitiSs' property was caused by the minimg opera,. Hons of t.be colliery. Thaft wa.s a question of fact that he did not think he would have much diinculty in establishing, as the da.mage was done by recent operations of the colliery in excavating a 'sea,m, which lay at a. comparatively short, distance from the sur- face of the tground, &s was frequently the case in this part of Carmarthenshire. One of the defences was that the darnate was done by the defective way plaintiff's had been built. Ho oould dispose of that by showing that all t!be 26 houses in Coronation- road or therea-bouts had eykibit-ed signs of subsidence or damage witbir- tl-ie &ajne per- iod except one, which was the only one sup- ported bv a pillar in the workings below- His Lordship a.sked why the case was not tried at the Swansea Assizes. There seemed to be a large number of witnesses up from W?Ies. Mr. Leslie Scott, K.C., M.P., for de- fendants, said it was because there were' l points of law involved which depended on authorities. Defendants had undertaken to pav the extj'a. expense involved of try- ing the case in London. Plaintiff ga\TO evidence in Welsh. ( Other evidence was given, as to the! character and bu tiding of plaintin''s? houses, by Mr, Eva.n Jones, of the Linn-) dilofawr Rural District Council, and other j witnessg? ?

KNOCKED A WOMAN'3 TEETH OUT. SWANSEA INQUEST DIS- CLOSURES. ALLEGED FIGHT IN LODGING f HOUSE. Remarkable disclosures were made at th4 inqtMjt at )Swa.nsea on the tiabourer, Tear" ney, found dead in a Swansea lodging house. Summing up, the doctor said that de&tht was Jne to heart, failure following acute bronchitis. Thj eAtern&l injuries would accelerate ruitters. There were no signs o; his having been an excessi ve drunkard. Mr. David Vaughan, Terrace-road, th« keeper of the lodging-house, identified th€! body, a.nd said Hmt deceased was about. 6C( yea-rs oi ago He tast saw him alive at 11.50 en Wednesday mommg. He had been nght-< omg on the Saturday previous, but did no4 go to bed after that. He knew deceased t<t be a i excessive drijiker of methylated spirits) which he used to buy at a chemists. An hour after witness saw him he was calied t« deceased, whom he th<"n found dead. Wit< knew little or noting concernmg tha fight. Tearney had been staying at tha house for about a month. He had a very quarrelsome nature, and was always drunk. He was a tall man. and the man with whom he fought on the Saturday m.ght had only one leg. On Monday and Tuesday deceased, was away working at P.e-mbrey. E'mily Harris, widow, also of the lodgings hcujse, where she worked, stated that 00) Saturday night last she went to the fu'e, where deceased was standing. She aaked him to move on u:ie side for her to make tiha fire up, a-nd deceased said, "I'll give yoka fu?," and hit three of her teeth out. knock" ing her tlQwn. She gpt up, -ind he knocked her down again. There .,cre a number of men in the rof.'m, but they were all drunk and did not interfere. She ;.hen ran out ac<t met The man with one teg. He asKed her what was the matter, and sho replied, "I've had my teeth knocked out. "Who did it?" the ma.n asked, and witness for answer took him to the room where de- ceased wa?. The with one leg asked deceased what business he bad to strike a wid&w, and Tearney thc<n struck the one- legio,v<i man, The letter re'taliated and a( nght efnsued. Only nsts were used. It dc- veloped into a free tight, but witness waa not there at the :nni&h. "The man with one leg had a crutch with him, did he." askad the Coroner. "He couldn't walk without it," said wit ness. I did not ask you that. Did he have his cfutoh or not, and did you see him use it?—JSo. Witness, continuing, said she did not seat deceased fall nor did she see the marks on his face. She saw deceased on Wednesday tiioming about ten o'clock and he told hef that he was going out of town. She wat afterwards told by another man who waa in the room that Tearney was dying. "No she exclaimed. Yes, I am sure of it," th(i man replied ..nd witness then went to fetch Mrs. Vaugha-n. Mrs. Vaughaji asked de- ceased whether he was going to get up t-liat morning a.nd he replied. Yea, in a few minutes." Later-witness and Mrs. VaughaQ found him dead in bed. Thomas JRidley, labourer at Pembrey, Mid that both deceased and himself came from K'lmarnock. He denied that deceased had a bad temper, but he had often seen him drunk. Witness saw nothing of the nght, but when he sa.w him on Wednesda-y morn- ing he was dead. The "man with one leg" was then called, and the coroner re<i,d the medical evidence to him, saying that the evidence of the doc- tor was very much aga,in6t him; and he paed not an5-wer quest-iciM! he thought would u<Timinate him. #' John Joseph Jones, 7.7, Strand,, said he oftp'n went into Vaughan's to i'p(;¡k to the men. He knew Mrs. Harris wet!, and he recollected his meeting with her. She had blood runming down her arm. a.t:d he asked her what was the matter, and she replied, "A man has been beatmg me unmercifully." He her to "how Mm the man. a.n<t he was it.e a,sked "What did you waait to b&a.t a widow for? D-,opa,qed then hit him. A nght then eit- fHWd. n.nd after witness had been stru0ka¡ third time he hit deceased over the right eye. Mr. Va,ugha.n then ca.mo in and or- dered all the mm to b-c-d, Only twice did witness hit him, Mtd did not knock him (tt)wyt. Deceased when ordered went to beet with the others. Witness again 'saw him on Monday night, but no oomrersatMMi took pk'.ce betwcjn tl:fm. Witness Did not touch him with the cruteh, fM) usett his bare and o'njy. He could tiot acoount for the wounds on certaiu parts of the body, nor for all the wound-q on th.e foire- h'ead or the left eye, or the cut on the cheek bone. Deceased did not fall itfter having bce'n struck. He (witness) also failed to a<c- connt for the marks on the Jeft arm. Application ma<de at tnis juncture, oO behalf of the Chi-ef Constable, to Adjourn the inqueat for one week, a.nd the wimess also expressed tbia desire, so that he could be legally re- presented. The inquiry wa.s accordingly a-djoumpd fo]) aweek.

FOUR BANDS AT FUNERAL. IMPRESSIVE SCENES AT LLANSAMLET. VETERAN BANDMASTER AND ORGAinST INTERRED. There were four bands present at the in' terment at LLansamlet Churchyard on Thura* day of the late Mr. Tom Grimths. for 26 yea.rs organist at the church. 34 years band- master of the local band, trainer of the In- dustrial School Band. superintendent of the Welsh Sunday School, etc. The cortege waa one of the largest ever seen in the diatriot, and the proceedings of the most impressive character. The ohief mourners were Mrs. GriBtha (widow), Mr. David Grimths (brother). Misa Grimths and Mr. John Griffiths (daughteP and brother). Mr. a-nd Mrs. Daries (brother- in-law and sister). Willie and Mrs. Jenkina (brother and sister). Mrs. Wheel (aiater-in. law), Mr. Daviea (Post Office), Mr. William Davies. BonymaE>n (Post OBloe). Among those present were the Rev. J. Martin Griffiths (vioa.r), who read the service at the houae. the Rev. H. J. Stewart, and the Rev. Watkin Daviea, Mesara. R. Rees, D. W. Jenkins, David Davies, Hopkin Hopkins, William Jones, W. A. Wheel. David Fowler, J. Edwa-rda (Dyffryn), John Edwards, Bev. Ha-rris (Bonymaen). etc. At the church Miss E. Vernon, R.A.M.C., presided a.t the organ and played the "Dead March" in S&ul." The arangements were carried out by M'I'w W. 0. Jones, Neath-road Y trd. LIanBa-mlet. The Fiorat Tributes. The floral trtbutea were from: "Wife andt Family," "Church Choir. Sunday School and Congregation," Dyftryn Worka Om. cials," Openers, Dyffryn Works," "An- nealers, Dyifryn Works," Tin Mills. DyfFryn Worka," Llansamlet Brass Band," Mond Band," "Calfaria Band. Clydach." Miaeee A. and N. Grit&ths (Gwaunllwynchwyth) and Pageant Boys," Willie Grimths and Family" Mr. and Mrs. L. Jeukina, W. Stephens and Family. Mrs. M. A. Roberts (Sketty), Mr. &nd Mi's. Ross Thomas, Statt Industrial School Bonymaen," Band Boya, Industrial School Bonymaen." The bands taking part were MaDsajmIetw Mond, Calfaria and Skewen.

CAME OVER FROM IRELAND. 1- At Swansea on Friday James Colling (48), labourer, was charged with drmikermes? aiii being indecent in his behaviour in High"' t street, on Thursday. P.C. (144) Rapsey, ga.ve evidence, and defendant Mid he haA- been travelling from IreiaTid all night and took a little too much. He had nevep j been in this country before, and was gcing to work at Pembrey he had been sent over t by the Labour Exchange. Defendaint waa j discharged, and told to get out <?f the towi) J&s quickly &s he couJd.