The Cambria Daily Leader

Fl NAL: Cysur Carirefol i Gymru Pan yn Llund-ain. BINGHAM HOTEL, 5, Southampton Buildings Holborn, London, W.C. (Opposite Chancery Lane Tube Station.) II Most conveniently situated for Visi- tors, for Business, or Pleasure. Under the Personal Supervision of i Mr. and Mrs. J. N. LEWIS. Homely, Quiet, and Comfortable. l' Terms Strictly Moderate. Night Portar. Telegrams, Alcoves, London "Phone: 52Z Central.

THE KING'S WISII 0- ————— j I FORMATION OF WELSH GUARDS. r HEW BATTALION PARTIALLY COMPLETED I ALREADY. t TO TAKE PART IN THE WAR Tt was the King's own wis.h that a I WeLsh Battalion of Guards should be formed. His Majesty told Lord Kitchenel there ought to be a regiment of Welsh IGuards. The War Secretary agreed, and so the Principality secured yesterday the distinction she has long waited for. On Friday Major-General Sir Francis Lloyd, wh), before he came here to com- mand the London District, was in charge or the Weish Division, went down with Colonel W. Murray-Thriepland, to whom I the command of the new battalion has ■ been given, to begin the extraction of Welsh fellows from the other regiments of Guards, for it is being clearly I.aidi down at the outset that only Welshmen are to form the new regiment, both as far as the rank and file and the officers ore concerned. By to-night they had got I together 303-to give the exact figure- ycung Welshmen—fine fellows ail of them. To-day Sir Francis and the colonel visited the White City and to I other quarters of the new armies to con- tinue the process of extraction. The new regiment will be complete,, if present plans are carried out, without the least delay; it is the King's bidding. Besides, the new Welsh Guards must take their share in the present war as Boon as possible, so that its status in the brigade to which it belongs shall be at DDce established. Regiment of Welshmen. I Sir Francis Lloyd is the one man Welshmen would have looked to to carry the undertaking through, and he is full of enthusiasm for the project. In the course of an interview he said: I am fully satisfied with the men we have got together to-day as the nucleus for the! ilvelsh Guards. They are all typical I Welshmen, and many of them speak the language. They are all Evanses and Joneses and Daviesea and Lloyds. I have e.lso a long list of officers, all Welshmen with Welsh names and Welsh associa- tions. We are out, in fact, to make this II. characteristically Welsh regiment. Colonel Murray-Thriepland, the com- manding officer, if not a Welshman by birth, married a Welsh wife, owns Welsh property, and has a great many rela- tives in Glamorgan. After all, Welsh- men will recognise, too, that for the command we were bound to have a Guardsman who understands the tradi- tions and ways of the Brigade of Guards. Colonel Murray-Thriepland has seen a 10t of service, too, and I do not think w? could get a better man for the job." As with the officers, eo with regard to the men/J added Sir Francis. a What we have to do is to get trained Welsh sol- diers for the Guards, because you cannot I lb-gin such a regiment with a lot of recruits. It is going, to be a regiment of Guards for the King, not merely a regi- ment of Welshmen, and we must have the right type of man, and such a regi- ment of Welshmen will fight well-like the very devil." The New Commander. I Colonel Murray Thriepland, com- mander of the Welsh Brigade of Guards, has many intimate associations with Wales. One of his residences is New- bouse, Llanishen. My wife," said Colonel Murray- Thriepland to a pressman, was Miss yndham-Lewis, the only surviving daughter of the late Mr. William Lewis, of the Heath, Cardiff. We have heaps of relatives in WaJes. My wife is a cousin of Colonel Lewis, of Greenmeadow, Mr. Godfrey Williams, Aberpergwm, Captain RhY8 Williams, of Miskin, Mr. Godfroy,l ??lark, of Talygarn, and we have a son who speaks Welsh. I was in the Grena- lier Guards, but have been out of it for a time. However, I am glad to be back pgain. This is not the first time I have done this sort of thing, for I once raised a regiment of Territorials. To-night I am to be received by the King. Of course the Welsh Guards will be the King's Guards, an4owill not form any part of the Welsh Army Corps." Colonel Murray-Threipland is a tall, jtnilitary-looking man, and stands well! over six feet. He seems to be a man jchom men would follow anywhei-e. An Admirable Idea. Sir D. Brynmor Jones, K.C., asked as ) his view of the formation of Welsh I Guards, said: "I am delighted at the! decision. We have had always the idea tnt making Wales a separate entity for tnilitary purposes, and the formation of; the Welsh Army Corps, and now the (Welsh Guards will give the Principality the same sort of status in the Household j&s the other parts of the United King- dom. This is a partial realisation of our desires. Major Ivor Bowen was of the opinion that the proposal to form a regiment of Welsh Guards was an admirable idea. He thought that if the authority had been granted before, the battalion would have been almost ready for service. For many years, said Major Bowen, Welsh- men had shown a great liking for en- listing in the Guards, and had shown I great prowess in their ranks. "It is to be hoped," concluded Major Bowen, that the officers for the new Guards Battalion will be taken from the Welsh- men and others connected with Wales."

 FRANSFERR? TS IHE EAST. Amsterdam. Friday.—The Tyd n teams from Turnhout that considerable movements of German troops from Flanders to the east took place between February 1 and February 6. Railway communication from Louvain in a southerly direction, which for three clays was at a complete standstill, is now restored, but exclusively for the use of the military. News was spread by the Germans that Over this line. to Weert, St. Georges, and the front in Northern France troops wero being conveyed^ but the fact is that all available soldiers have been sent to Bermany. j Lagt Wednesday night three trains with Borne 4,600 soldiers passed through I louvain, and trains are running day and tright.- Reer.

KING OF POLAND. i I AUSTRIA'S LATEST ATTEMPT AT POLITICAL I COUP. I RUSSIA'S REPLY.. I Petrograd, Feb. ll.—A King of Poland has been selected and will be crowned in a few days at the venerated city of the Poles, Cracow (says The Times.") This is an attempt at a political coup by Austria, and the selected aspirant to the non-existent Throne is the Archduke Stephan of the House of Hapsburg. His selection seems to have ben directed by '-he, fact that this Archduke is allied— somewhat distantly, I believe—with the very ancient Polish house of Radziwill. As a poliical move on the part of Aus- tria this coup is double-edged. In the first place, it is obviously aimed against the piratical attempt credited to the Hoiienzollerns of capturing yet another future Throne. But doubtless second- arily it is intended to influence the Poles .themselves in favour of the failing cause of Austria.. Austrian Bribe The Russian Pules estimate at its pro- per value this belated coup. Had Austria been really generously-minded towards this important section of her Slav sub- ject.s it might have been a good move .-to institute a Polish King six or seven months ago. At any rate the candidature of a Hohenzollern is stopped by this move. What the Russian Poles will welcome ix the fulfilment of the Grand Duke Nicholas's promises made in the famous proclamation of August last, and it is already whispered that the form in which they will be realised is the crea- tion of a united. Poland, constituting an infinitely better offer than Austra holds i o.ut in crowning a Hapsburg Prince a nominal King of a non-existent Poland.

THUNDER OF CUNS. I Berlin, Feb. JZ.-It is reported from Winschoten, on the coast of the Northern Dutch province of Groningen, that the I thunder of guns was heard to-day coming from the North Sea.—Wireless Press and I Marconi.

HONOUR FOR ADMIRAL JELLICOE. I It was announced in the London I Gazette last night that the King has appointed Admiral Sir John Rushworth Jelliooe to be a Knight of the Grand Cross "or the Order of the Ba-th in recognition of I hie meritorious services during the war. I I

GERMAN OPERATIONS IN EAST PRUSSIA I A r-gterdam,. Saturday.-A Berlin t(-Ie- gram states the German campaign in East Prussia is being conducted by I General Eichhorn, who was intended to command the troops against the French, I but was suffering from typhoid at the outbreak of war. Field-Marshal von Hindenburg has been for a week at In- sterburg, whence he conducts operations, and where the Kaiser arrived on Friday. The population of Berlin is enthusiastic ove? the latest report, and a holiday has been ordered in the schools on Saturday.

I DUTCH TERRITORIAL WATERS BLOCKADE I Copenhagen, Friday.—I understand that in the notification that has been sent to the Danish Government from Germany references are made therein not only to waters off the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, but also all rums, J channels, and waters surrounding tho smaller German islands. Germany, in short, is establishing a blockade up to Danish territorial waters. It is officially stated that the German Admiralty has notified the Scandinavian Governments I no neutral fishing or sailings can be al- lowed off Schleswig-Hoistein until further notice.—Exchange.

I iíI AR ON SfIIPPING. I The Hague. Feb. 12.-Diroctly the Laertes arrived at Amsterdam yesterday an inquiry was held by the naval authori- tiee into the circumstances attending the attack on the vessel by a German sub- marine.-Reuter. [Berlin wireless news yesterday in- cluded a brief message from Ymuiden reporting the Laertes incident.] [It is to be noted that the unofficial reports states that the Laertes was at- tacked between the Maas and Schouwen Bank," which is 12 to 15 miles from the (Netherlands coast. The German Decree declaring a war area" in the North j Sea made an exception of this zone, in the following words: a It is especially noted that shipping in the eastern area of the North Sea, and in a strip of at least ;i0 sea miles in width along the Netherlands coasts is not imperilled."]

I ANOTHER COUNTRY COLOURED RED. I The London Gazette contains an Order in Council applying the law of British India and of the United King- • clom to the territories of the Sultan of Maskat and Oman. The Sultanate of Maskat (Muscat) or Oman is in Arabia, occupying the southern shore of the Gulf of Oman; the entrance to the Persian Gulf. The country has long been in some measure within the sphere of influence of the Indian Government, and the latter has on certain occasions intervened to pro.. tect the Sultan against his relliou5 subjects. The news of to-day, to the effect that the laws of India and the British Empire are henceforth to operate in the country, indicates that a British protectorate has been c-stablished under the immediate control of the Govern- ment of India, and that one more coun- try is henceforth to be coloured red on the map. Muscat is a port of consider- able traffic and of greater potentialities, and various nations have coveted it. It now pas-soo under the complete control of the British Government, whose sway over the countries on the south side of the Persian Gulf is now continuous and unchallenged. I -i tally, th? change will enable us to put an end to the ) trai? ?n arms W A?hanietan?

T AE IAL R .101 I BRITISH SQUADRON'S RECORD FLIGHT. ——— I Ostend Station Destroyed by Bombs. GERMAN BASES ATTACKED. Grahame White Rescued I From the Sea. I •* — -■■■■ i OFFICIAL PRESS BUREAU. I The Secretary for the Admiralty makes the following announcement:— During the last twenty-four hours combined seaplane and aeroplane opera- tions have been carried out by the naval wing in the Bruges, Zeebrugge, Blan- kenberghe, and Ostend districts, with a view to preventing the development of submarine bases and establishments. Thirty-four naval aeroplanes and seaplanes took part. Great damage is reported to have been done to the Ostend railway station, which, according to present information, has probably been burnt to the ground. The railway station at Blankenberghe was damaged, and the railway lines were torn up in many places. Bombs were dropped on gun positions at Middlekerke, also on the power station and German mine-sweeping vessels at Zeebrugge, but the damage is un- known. During the attack the machines encountered heavy banks of snow. No sub- marines were seen. Flight-commander Grahame White fell into the sea off Nieuport, and was rescued by a French vessel. Although exposed to heavy gun-fire from rifles, anfi-aircraft guns, mitrail- leuse, etc,, all the pilots are safe. Two machines were damaged. The seaplanes and aeroplanes were under the command of Wing-commander Samson, assisted by Wing-commander Longmore and Squadron-commanders Porte, I Courtney, and Rathbone. The official Admiralty announcement of the great success of the air raid has created the utmost satisfaction in the aeroplane centres from which the machines started on their mission yester- day. The flight of the aeroplanes across the channel was the most wonderful spectacle in the history of aviation, the number of aeroplanes taking part in it far exceeding those in the great Circuit of Europe race, when the number was 13—that previously being the record cross-Channel number. The aircraft left the English shores shortly after daylight, and as they passed over the sea in a long procession they re- sembled a flock of huge seabirds. The aeroplanes were in charge of many of the skilful and daring naval and mili- tary pilots,pn(I were beautifully handled. From information which has reached England to-day there was only one slight mishap during the whole raid. One machine fell into the sea, but the airmen were rescued, and the aeroplane was picked up apparently undamaged. The pilots are understood to be making a short &tay in France prior to return- I ing to their quarters in England. W onderlul Progress. From one place alone yesterday 22 aeroplanes were observed to pass over the sea, and as 34 are officially reported to have taken part in this record air raid the other dozen must have been flossing within a few miles. The success of the raid is remarkable evidence of the rapid progress that the English airmen have made and of the greatest improvement in our aircraft daring the five years since Bleriot made his first cross-Channel flight. A Beautiful Sight. A correspondent on the coast says:— The flight of aeroplanes early yesterday- morning was one of the most beautiful and marvellous I have ever seen. The numlxr far exceeded that which took part in the great circuit of Europe. As they passed in a long procession they re- sembled a flight of huge sea birds. Thère was a thick, low-lying haze, but at an elevation of a few hundred feet there was an extensive view seawards. The machines went off dne by one in very rapid succession, just like a flight of wild ducks. They new high to avoid j the haze. and were steering eastward when lost to view. Their course was taken towards tfo Belgian coast, and the speed at wbicliibiey were travailing in- dicated that they would arrive in about 20 minutes. Chased Away. I Dunkirk. Friday.—One of the British machines fell into the sea in the Zuyd- coote channel and sustained some damage. It was towed into port by a British gun- boat. The pilot was picked up by a tug and taken to Dunkirk. It is reported that German aircraft attempted to fly over Dunkirk last night but were chased away by Allied airmen.—Reuter. German Record Broken. The previous greatest air raid was the one carried out by the Germans at Dun- kirk on January 11, when fourteen armoured Aviatik biplanes took part. The Germans dropped fifty bombs, but the military result was quite unimportant. In this latest achievement by British airmen, the number of machines taking part was more than double as great, no fewer than 34 aeroplanes and seaplanes participating. As it is assumed that every machine was well supplied with bombs, no great effort of the imagination is needed to picture the damage which must have! been done. Laconic Announcement. Berlin wireless news yesterday, botide the laconic announcement Em'my air- craft drop bombs on Ostend," contained the following item of air news:— On Thursday morning a two-decker of unknown nationality few over the har- II bour of Flushing and dropped two bombs. doing little damage. Nobody was injured. Thfi flying machine disappeared in a south-easterly direction. According to the, papers the flying machine is probably a j I French one. 1, The Ostend of To-day. I ) Ostend, since its fall, has been the most I important German stronghold on the Bel- t gian coast. Early in the war, before the Germans had attempted to force their way through to the coast, Ostend was tem- porarily occupied by a strong force of I British marines, who were stationed there principally for the purpose of protecting the flying station which our Naval airmen j had established in the neighbourhood. The Germans, on entering the place, at once proceeded to fortify it, and many pictures have since been published in German illustrated papers, showing the hatteriec, I planted along the front, pre- sumably to repel attacks from the sea. The town has also been extensively used as a base and depot for food, stores, II and ammunition destined for the German forces oper-dting in Flanders. It is more than probable that vast supplies of ammu- nition are kept there. The destruction of 'the railway station, which is reported to have been effected, can hardly fail to dis- ) organise and delay communication be- tween Ostend a.nd the German front, and the resulting confusion will be muçh in- ) creased by the tearing up of railway lines reported in many places. Hence it is not too much to say that the effect of this bold attack will immediately be felt by the j German armies in Flanders. ) Submarine Bases. I I Thre is reason to believe that the Ger- i mans have for some time past been Ufring Ostend as a base for their submarines. Middelkerke is a small watering-place about four miles west of Ostend. It had previously come in for c?nsidpra-Mc atten- tion fTom the flotillas of Bri?h warships, which have been bombarding the G?r?an positions since October last, and some of the fiercest- fighting of the war has taken rlace in the vicinity. A further four miles to the west lies I/ombartzyde, with Nieuport close at hand. All these places have been the scenes of sanguinary and incessant combat since thn German at. tempt to break through to Calais began in October. I Blankenberghe. I Blankenberghe hes some ten miles to the. north-east of Ostend It is a fishing town and holiday resort, with a normal popu- lation of 4.500 inhabit ants. The import- ance of Blankenberghe is due to its proximity to Zeebrugge, the station for the new harbour of the Bruges canal. Here it is that the Germans have. attempted to create a second-class naval base, intended mainly for the us? of their submarines I and torpedo-craft.. At Zeebragge there are locks and harbour works which provide good accommodation for vessels, and there is no doubt whatever that the Dorf is ex- tensively used by the German submarines which have been preying on our shipping in the North Sea, a.T\d the Channel. It has been strongly fortified. I Airmen Promoted. I The following announcement appeared 'I in last night's London Gazette r— Royal Marine TIqht Infantr:r.Ca,pfaiml Charles Edward Henry Rathborae to fit* tpmporary Major while; holding the rank of Squadron Commander in the Royal Naval Air Service, dated December 31 1914. I Another promotion in the air service is announced as follows:— Royal Marine Light Infantry.—Captain' and Brevet Major to be temporary Lieut.-Colonel while hold- ing the rank of Wing Commander in the Royal Naval Air Service.

40,000 DEAD. RUSSIAN OFFICIAL ESTIMATE OF GERMAN LOSSES. POLAND VICTORIES Paris, Priday.-The following eom- muniqpe was issued this afternoon:— In Poland the check to the latest great German attacks appears to be an accom- plished fact. The Russians are stated to have inflicted on their adversaries losses of which all those hitherto recorded can give no concBption.r for they exceed 40,000  dead. The cold, which at night tim falls to 12 or 14 degs of frc:t and the manner in which the Germans? for want of troops l capable of fighting in extended order, abuse dense formations, are said to be the two principal causes of these un- precedented losses. An eye-witness draws an appalling picture of the massacre:— The fire of our mitrailleuses mowed down the packed ramk6 of the enemy," he aays, "as a blade of steel might have, done. The combat over, we had before us mountains of fallen men, from which! there arose shrieks of agony, and at night- fall, by the light of our -Parehrigilts, we saw these mountains rising and falling with the efforts of the wounded to rise. Towards two o'clock in the morni'ng there, was no further movement." A ureat Kesistance. I Bucharest, Thursday .—The news that the Russians have evacuated Czernovitz j is false. The Governor, M. Evreimoff, is still at his post. The Russians will offer a great resist- ance at Czernovitz. <

A TEST CASF- Washington, Friday.-It is stated that the Government has proposed to Great Britain the postponement of the inten-! tion to submit the case of the Wilhelmina to a prize court in order that the owners may have an opportunity of presenting ] evidence proving that the cargo is not j properly subject to seizure.Iteuter. )

FRENCH WARSHIPS ASSIST. Paris, Friday.—The official naval com- j imunique,states:- In the course of the attacks reported on February 3 by the Turkish Army against the Suez Canal two French ships i contributed successfully to the defence of the canal. The coastguard ship Requin reduced. to silence the Turkish heary guns, and 'the cruiser Entreoast,.aux dispersed a large I group of the enemy. These two vessels suf- fered no I -L'xchmge-

RUSSIANS SINK AMERICAN SWiP. j New York, Friday.—The United States Ambassador at Constantinople, Mr. Mor- gan Than, has cabled to the State Depart-1 ment, announcing that the Russian lfeet; sunk the American steamer Washington while bombarding TI'.bizond. The officials indicate that the iIlcidDt is not of an international cha.rac.ter, éb, under bombardment rules, property within J a city has to take its own chance.—Ex- change. [According to Lloyd's Register," the Washington is a wooden screw steamer of 539 tons, belonging to the Washington i Steamship Company, of San Francisco.]

WILL DACIA" BE SEIZED? I i The sailing of the Daeia, the German ship which was purchased by the Ameri- can born son of a Gorman to convev cotton to Rotterdam for German qpn- sumption, had not been officially com- municatfcd to the British Government up to yesterday afternoon., but no doubt. is ■ entertained that she has actually set out upon her voyage. Should the vessel be seized any qae<- tions arising out of such seizure ?ill b?- adjudicated upon by an impartial tribunal. On both sides of the Atlantic j is it fully recognised that the Dacia will 11 be made the subject of a test case. —, t t

KAISER'S ABSOLUTE DEPRESSION. Paris, Friday.—The France Demoin "1 Zurich correspondent telegraphs that a j professor of Leipzig University who has arrived there, state-s that, according to a conversation he had with a Aery wesll- I informed high personage, the Kaiser and his entourage are in a state of absolute j moral depression. j t he Kaiser, who is greatly worried, has declared to several members of his suite: "We must seek a way of coneltidiiig pea.ce." He hopes to be able to approach Russia with success, and expects that the small German coterie which he believes is still illlential at the Petrograd Court will help him in the attempt. In order to arrive at an understanding I with Russia, Germany will readily aban- don Austria to her fate.—Exchange.

ALCOHOL PROHIBITION. I Paris, February 12.Aiter a discussion I which lasted through two sittings, the Chamber of Deputies, by 515 votes, pushed a Bill prohibiting the manufacture of absinthe in France. Thp sale of absinthe had already been prohibited by a Government decree shortly after the commencement of the war. The Government also intend to intro- duce further measures to combat alcohol- ism. [Abgmthe is a. liqueur containing en 70 to SO per cent, of alcohol. It is found that excessive drinking o{ absinthe ^produces effects worse than those asso:-i- with over-indulgence in other forms of aicohoL Its flavour and gTeen oojom: are derived from the crushed leaves of wormwood, hyssop and mint. With the I cassation, of the manufacture, the sale, consumptioa the export of absinthe are alike b;inned.] New Use for Alcohol. -1 Pans, rnday.—.ine tvussaan junist.er of Finance; M. Bark, has given the Petit. Parisien a long description of the man- nor in which the sale of 81 cohol stopped in R.ussia. The quesp-ou w M. be said, to know how alcohol produced in Russia is to be made use of. He thinks, perhaps, that a requisite outlet may he I' found in industrial uses of all Re-utee

BREAD TICKETS I — I BERLIN'S EFFORT TO 1 AVERT FAMINE. J i POTATOES SUBSTITUTED FOR STAFF I OF LIFE. i I I SEMI-STARVATION. I COPENHAGEN, Friday, j Germany is feeling the pinch of war j at her throat. The shortage of potatoes can be easily j explained, as the people when allowed to use only half their usual supply of bread made a rush to obtain potatoes. J Moreover, since the Government has! commanded that potatoes should be used in the making of bread and the amount i of potato flour permitted jor this pur-I pose is practically unlimited. Greater! Berfin could not meet the enormous de-l mand for this crop. If potatoes are substituted for breed, what is going to be the substitute for potatoes? is a question every German: will have to ask himself. I t Bread Tickets. The 8,000,000 bread tickets printed in Berlin will be of a different colour every' week, like the chair tickets in Park and at seaside resorts- They are! divided into lour sections, giving the. holder the right to ordc-r 25, 50, 100 and 250 grammes. Everybody bas to bllY his bread eoca.jly, and order will be maintained by school inspectors, who have formed a special constable force. Tins regulation of the food supply it. likely to cause, a great deal of inconveni- • eiico, intcnering with daily life to an extent hitherto unknown in history. Bring Their Own Bread. Restaurants, for instance, can only obtain ??ticient?bread f?r thajr mfF. Guests have To bring ?beir own bread, and! even r?-h people when dining om bringj! their own bread. • Yv iien private families send out invjta- j tiens to dinner parties it is customary to, add to the invitation cards, Please bring your bread." In order to save the supplies of cor-.n and potatoes, thousands of pigs and ca"Tl- continue to be killed, but not in snflk-ient • quantities to make up for the s hortage 01 the"other crops. Breweries will soon be State-controlled like the bakeries, and it is expected that; half their output will be seized in ord,)' tv husband the supplies of malt and barley Socialists Want Peace. This is what everybody is talking about,: but no word of discontent is allowed to get. into, the i^ewspupers. Everywhere editors, tell you that the present state of semi-starvation is the result of the action of infamous Britain, which is secretiy, dictating the war dud secretly trying to; starve out a nation of whose superior qualities she is afraid The Socialists are the only clear-seeing people, and I understand that llerr Lieb-I knecht has a greater number of followers' than is admitted. There is undoubtedly an intelligent party which is Milling to make peace, but its influence v.-ilf be negligible as long as learh-rs of-th3- Goycntmcnt didatp the will of the people -Exchange Special Divided into Districts. Copenhagen, Friday.—A private mes- sage from Berlin s«*s: Berlin, is now (liTided into 170 bread districts., every district presided over hy a Commission charged with the duty of distributing- bread cards, whioh arc closely controlled; by bakers and bread merchants, who are severely punished it they deliver bread I or meal without receiv ing bread ca Exchange. Issue of Tickets. Copenhagen, Feb. 12.—It is now ex- pectpd that bread tickets will be issued in; Greater Berlin on tho 22nd. The first ■ issue is to last six weeks. Twenty-Sv* mass meetings were held in Berlin On Wednesday under the auspices, of the! War Committee for the. People's Nourish- ment to discuss what to fat in the pTe. sent circumstances. The public is being prepared in a char- acteristic fashion for the coming rise in the price of beer. Attention is railed to, the hard lot of the brewers, whto are said now to lose about four marks on every hedolitr (22 galions), and to the importance of not aUoving- 112.000 men with tbpir families who are engaged: in brewing to suffer. The Federal Cum-' oil, it is reported, contemplate ordering a 40 per cejit. reduction in the use ol malt from February 15th for the pur-, pose of economizing barleyf j

CANADA'S NATIONAL DEBT. Ottawa, Fpb. II.-The 31inister of; Finance, Mr. W. T. White, presented his Budget to-day. He said the total deficit! would reach < £ 10.000,000. The National Debt would be increased by £22,000.000. lIe recommended, with few pxccptions. a horizontal increase in Customs duties, including 7-j per (cent, ad valorem on articles hitherto on t.he free list, whether; raw material or finished products. He expected to realise £!.ooO,OOO to .= £ 5,000,000 from this.—Renter. 1

PREVIOUS AIR RAIDS. j — It is believed that. this is the largest) foroti of aircraft yet used in oombina- i tion for an attack. The previous occasions on which ajj-1 craft have been engaged in strength were:— December 2.5.-Seven British, seaplanes j took part in. the attack on Cuxhaven. January fl.-Raid on Dunkirk b3- twelve German airmen: five victims. Sixteen reported to have started across Channel, but returned owing to weather conditions. Jamiary lfb—German raid on Eat I Coast. Numlxr and nature of raiding craft, unknown. Four vjdim. J auuarv 22.-Twd or thirteen Ger- man aeroplanes flew over Dunkirk, dropping mary bombs: 20 victims (seven fatal). One raider brought; down. British replied by all attack by j two aviators on submarines arcl-Surs at | Zeebrugg*

GERMANS BELITTLE THE AIR RAID. The German official communique this afternoon says: rtostib airmen again bombsrded the coast, causirj h £ avy and deplorable damags among civi'ians and their property, whilst the military loss was Lrnlmportart. On cur West front we discovered shells which w. cloarly oi American make. Bombarding the DuncS: Trench cc rcruuniqu^ anncun a violent German bombardment of N"-3upoT; aiic1 the Throes, whilst. tJa enemy's artillery has iJrd on Q! pres and posit ions to (t. of that 3n the Sonime, between the Oito cad the Afeie, o;d in C¡HJl):J¡;n(', there- g-rer-t artiilory activity, on Dotli Sow over the regicro of Verdtm during tie aigtt of l+h and 12th, but bombs "throVn caused no damage Railway Conference Settlement, An official pta tern out says an agree- ment, was arrived at the the Railway Conference. The terms of 4he sottlc- moot are being reduced to writing, and full particulars will be announced' on Monday. Price of Wheat To-dsy.' Wheat made 68s. per quarter at Northampton Market to-day, A fall of from 6d. to Is. on the w(*ek." There-was an advance cf 5. per sack on fiqur. Barley, oats, beans,"wdre at last week's rates. < Wases Advanced. Bristol trade-union oSrisIs inforBied the Press to- day "'hat arrangements had been com- pleted I for general dock labourers paid • by the hour to have an ertra ld. pet hour, commencing on 3ionday nest. Tliore is a prospect of an equivalent advance being made next week to men  ''a acconr't of the paid by dar M- Wf?k, incr'?cd <?!'t of !i?ng. Railwayman, bootm??rs and others ha?? hc!d meet- ings and are hopeful of obtaining an ad- vance of vages. After being on strike two days for all advaftce of wages to meet the increase d cost of living, the platers' helpers at the Pontoon Dry Docks of Swaz, Hunter, Wigham and Richaidsat, Wallsend, returned to work H.li: mom- ing pending a settlement the general wages quesuo-u. Half-time: SWANSEA TOWN: NIL. LLANELLT >NIL, # Aieo ran: Shaun na Scatib, Dark Collar, Bus-y. 5 to 2 The Babe. DKUStUaJVBau 1, JilOKET Fit -n Z. WABBTT7X 3.-ine ran. F.A. CUP.-2nd Round-Replayed Tie. Final Sca e.- Bolton W. 4 MiIIwall Athletic 1 Near the aLl of time Swans scored goal C,wanc,ea Town I goal, LlanollY Z-S Swansea Town 1 goal, Llanftily nn.