Llais Llafur

-♦ Dr. Elizabeth Stephens Impey. who was on board the ill-fated Persy, was £ t one time ward surgeon at the, Swansea Hospital, holding the position for s ix months, and leaving to take the positiort j of honse surgeon at the London Temper i Alice Hospital. She took a great interest in gymnastics and swimming.

DOCTORS AND THE MINERS I DISAGREEMENT IN THE I AFAN VALLEY. 1 In the Afan Valley the doctors have been paid under a flat rate system of I 3d. in the k. They now demand the substitution of a poundage system of 2d. in the E. Hitherto the miners have resisted the change. The two parties having failed to agree, the doctors gave notice terminating the agreement on Christmas Day, and since then all the men are treated as private patients. At a meeting of delegates, however, a majority favoured acceding the doc- tors' demands during the war, but this decision will have to be ratified at the collieries. The young men with no families are stated to be up in arms against paying the 2d. in the £ now demanded, claiming they are entitled to medical attendance under the National Health Insurance Act, to which, of course, (they are weekly contributors.

21 AEG A BINE FACTORY DE- STROYED. I GIGANTIC BLAZE IN A DANISH TOWN. A margarine oil factory at Aarliuus, one of the largest industrial establish- { ments in Denmark, was burned down on Sunday night. Probably all the margarine manu- facture in Scandinavia will now be stopped, as there is only one factory of the kind, and it is impossible to get oil imported into Danish margarine factories for a week. The factory was insured for a mil- lion pounds in a British office. ————

"D.A." ON PEACE TERMS. :\f1'. I). A. Thomas, the Welsh coal -owner, has since his return home to Llan- i wern Park, near Newport, spent happy hours talking to wounded Canadian sol- diers who occupy the greater portion of the historic ma;?Ion. The men hav? been quartered there for some months. At a 1 concert at Llanwern, organised by Mr. George Boots, the famous Welsh football international, Mr. Thomas spoke, and said that no peace could be proclaimed until the terms were dictated by the Al- lies. Mr. Boots said the nation was proud of the work Mr. Thomas had done in connection with ipunitions, and when the official history of the war was written the name of Mr. Thomas would figure large- j ly on  ly on its pages. I

MORE DERBY MEN TO BE CALLED, i MORE DERBY MEN TO BE CALLED. From an authoritative source it is i learned that four more Derby groups are to be called to the colours on Feb. 1. J The groups are No. 6—Bachc]ors of 23. No. 7—Rachels of 24. No. 8—Bachelors of 25. N. 9—Bachelors of 26. The proclamation will be issued within a few days.

——— 0 ——— LORD FRENCH OF YPRES. It is stated that on the occasion of his elevation to the peerage, Field-Marshal Sir John French will assume the title of Viscount French of Ypres. The announcement that Sir John French will take this title is quite \n accordance with some famous precedents (says a correspondent). General Wellesley, when rewarded for his services in the Peninsula, chose to become Baron Douro of Wellesley and Viscount Wellington of Talavera. Nelson was Baron Nelson of the Nile, and after his death his brother was created Viscount Merton of Trafal- gar and Earl Nelson. Lord Roberts of Kandahar and Pretoria and Lord Kit- chener of Khartum.

WILL CROOKS'S BRASS BEDSTEAD. I Anoiner good story ot now money burns'' is told by the Right Hon. Will Crooks, P.C. It is, as we may guess, a story against himself. In his early days, before even Parliament was as wild a dream as the Privy Council, Will amassed a little hoard of money by working over- time. "It burnt a hole in my pocket." he says. We didn't know what to do with itl so one Saturday evening my wife and T sallied out and bought a. beautiful brass bedstead for which we had no use, hut which 'blew' the money splendidly. —

TINPJ.ATERS AxVD THE DERBY SCHEME t. cv.auv.-a i:ùr¡-1 District Council the clerk reported that 250 claims under the DI:-rby siheme had been received. He had communicated with headquarters with re- yard to tinplate workers, who had been scheduled as sheet metal workers for starring ppruoses in one place, while in another, foremen, furnacers, and doub- lers were exempted. 40 —————

Colonel David Davies, M.P. (Llandin- am), writing home from t he front, says "At the present moment we are living in the middle of a lake, or rather, a river which has overflowed its banks; and ex- pect shortly to be immersed therein, so that we shall all qualify to be Baptists." Colonel Davies, like most North Wales Nonconformists, is a Calvinistic Method- ist.

"Storm" in the House. MR LLOYD GEORGE ON CLYDE SIDE. When the House of Commons re- assembled on Tuesday the "feature" of the proceedings had nothing to do with the question of the hour—com- pulsion—but with the suppression of a Socialist paper in Glasgow called the "Forward," the suggestion, being made that it. had been seized for giving an "accurate" report of the conference between Mr Lloyd George and the munition workers of the Clyde and for making it clear that the Minister of Munitions had a hostile, reception. The matter was raised by a number of questions put to the Lord Advocate. Mr Tennant, who replied for the Lord Advocate, said: I have not yet received the offieffiial report in detail of the action taken against the news- paper "Forward, but I understand, that the action was taken by the com- petent military authority in Scotland under Regulation .51 of the Defence of the Realm Regulations at the instance of the Ministry of Munitions. (Ironical Labour and Radical cheers.) FREE SPEECH. Mr Pringle (R., Lanarkshire, N.W.): What about free speech P Mr Tennant: The ground for the action taken was an offence under Regulation 27. It does not necessarily follow that there will be any trial. Mr Anderson (Lab., Sheffield): May1 I ask whether it has become an offence and a crime in this country to give a truthful account of the reception ac- corded by organised labour in Glas- gow to the Minister of Munitions, and whether we are to look upon this aR the first fruits of conscription ? (Radical and Labour cheers.) Mr Tennat: No. sir; I trust my hon. friend will draw no such con- clusion. The Order under which this newspaper was proceeded against was submitted to the legal aathtiiiiie^ in Scotland, and I have their a.ssurance I that they were perfectly legal and in order. Mr Pringle: Is my right hon. friend aware that the Minister of Munitions went to Scotland as the champion of free speech, and appealed to the work- ing men there on that ground to hear him, and used the name of Mr Ram- say Macdonald for that purpose? Does he think it is in accordance with the profession with which he went there that this should be the first action. after his visit? (Radical and Labotir cheers). DANGEROUS TO THE COUNTRY. Mr Tennant: I am assured that this newspaper published, was about to publish, and did, in fact, publish articles, whether they were in the nature of news or articles, I am not aware, as I have not seen them, certainly did publish some- thing which was distinctly against the defence of the realm and dangerous to the country. (Cheers and counter- ch ears). Such an article would be dangerous to the country if it. were to be an article asking the makers of munitions not to produce them in the number required. (Cries of "No, no.") At this point Mr Lloyd George en- tered the Chamber, and was received with some' ironical cries of Free ,,Pe s p eec h. Mr J. H. Thomas (Lab., Derby): May I ask whether the War Office, which alleges that it is responsible for this action, has taken into considera- tion the effect it is likely to have upon the workers in suppressing Labour papers and not those which are doing the most mischief? (Cheers), Mr Outhwaite (R.. Hanley) asked if instructions had been issued to the press not to report meetings held by the Minister of Munitions, and only to insert the official report, which gave no proper account. Mr Tennant: I have no knowledge of that. An Hon. Member: Yes, they were. DISSENSION AND DISCONTENT, Mr Percy Alden (R., Tottenham): May I ask the Minister of Munitions whether, as -v sensible man, he will not see that this whole business is stopped, if he wants to stop the dis- sension and discontent that are going on in labour circles? Mr Lloyd George: My hon. friends did not give me any notice of this question being raised. If they had I shoùld have supplied myself with a copy of the paper, and could have shown the House that this paper has been deliberately incising the workers there not to carry out an Act of Par- lament which has been passed in this House in order l to promote the output of munitions. (Cheers). Mr Snowden (Lab.. Blackburn): May I ask the Minister of Munitions this plain and simple question: Is it not a fact that this issue of the paper was suppressed because it contained a re-, port of the right lioil.. gentleman's meeting at Glasgow, and the Under- Secreta.ry for War stated just now that proceedings had been taken under certain sections of the Defence of the Realm Act ? And may I ask if those sections deal only with two offences- first of all, action prejudicial to re- cruiting- (Cries of "Speech." The Speaker: The hon. gentleman is not now asking a question. It is more like a speech. Mr J. H. Thomas: May I ask the Minister of Muritions whether the time to have suppressed this paper was not when the articles complained of apppared, and not when the paper re- ported what had actually happened? OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN SUP- PRESSED BEFORE. Mr Lloyd George; I think it"is very likely that the t n. gentleman is right, and that i» ought to have been suppressed before. (Cheers). Mr Pringle: I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether he will arrange that facilities are given for the discussion of this matter on the adjournment of the House. An Hon. Member: Get rid of the Minister! (Radical and Labour cheers). Mr Asquith: I know nothing about this matter. I heard nothing of it un, til I came into the House to-day. Mr Outhwaite: It is time you re signed. Mr Pringle: I hope my right hon. friend will see that a large body of opinion in the House desires to have a discussion upon this administrative action without any judicial action being taken upon it. Mr Asquith: I will consider the matter. Mr Dillon (N., Mayo, E.): May I ask the Under-Secretary for War whether he will consider the de- sirability of dealing with the "Times" and "Daily Mail"? (Labour and Radical cheers, and cries of "Answer.") The Speaker: The hon. member will see that a question of that sort cannot be answered on the spur of the moment. Mr Hogge: If the "Forward" was not suppressed because it contained an accurate account of the proceedings between the Minister of Munitions and the con.ferenc.e on the Clyde, will the right hon. gentleman see that that portion of the speech is re-issued, and circulated to the public? Mr Lloyd George: That was not the reason. I am assured, by the Lord Advocate. Mr King (R. Somerset, N.): Can we have a copy of this paper placed in the library, and if not, can it be pub- lished in a Whi Paper? (Cries of "Oh," and laughter). Mr Cowan (R., Aberdeenshire, E.): Is it not the case that similar pro- ceedings have been taken against an- other paper issued in Scotland which belongs to the H.irrnsworth and North- cliffe press? I No answer was given. OBJECT OF MR LLOYD GEORGE'S I VISIT. Earlier in the sitting, Mr Hogge (R., Edinburgh, E.) asked the Secretary to the Minister of Munitions whether he could state the results of the recent conferences at Glasgow and Newcastle of the Minister of Munitions, and what further altera- tions be suggested in the amending Bill to the Munitions Act as the re- sult. Dr. Addison: The visits of the Minister of Munitions to Glasgow and Newcastle were undertaken with a view to explaining the necessity of the scheme for the dilution of skilled with the unskilled labour promulgated by the Central Munitions on the ad- vice of the Central Munitions Labour Supply Committee. It is too soon to say what practical result has been achieved. The visits had no direct connection with the Bill for amending the Munitions of War Act. Mr J. H. Thomas (Lab., Derby): Can the right hon. gentleman explain why it is necessary to suppress the reports of the meetings? Hear, hear). Dr. Addison: I think there is an- other question on the Order Paper on that point. Mr Outhwaite (R-, Hanley): Is is too soon to say that the Minister of Munitions had a hostile reception at x d er, and "It Glasgow ? (Cries of "Order," and "It is true. Dr. Addison: The reason why my right hon. friend went was that there was considerable misconception in the area, and hositility arising out of it. He went to try to meet it. (Hear, hear). Mr Snowden (Lab. Blackburn): Has he succeeded in removing those mis- conceptions ? Dr. Addison: I hope so. —————

THE KAISER'S THROAT. Apropos of the statement that the Kaiser is to be operated upon for throat trouble reference has been made to the fact that his father, the Emper- or Frederick, died after a similar operation. But it is not so generally known that he developed the throat d., sea-i-e m and, therefui-e, in hit. fifty-sixth year, which is the Kaiser's present age. He was operated upon for cancer of the larynx in January of the following year, and died five months later. If another operation is performed on the Kaiser it will be the sixth severe one he has had to under- go in the last twenty years, and in London surgical circles no doubt is entertained that he really is in the toils of the hereditary disease to which his mother, as well as his great-grand- mother, the Duchess of Kent, suc- cumbed. Up to 1903 it was known that the Kaiser's ailment was non- malignant., but the probabilities are that by this time its nature has changed for the worst.

THE LAST GAS ATTACK. I I How It Was Repulsed. CHARGING GERMANS WIPED OUT. TERRIBLE HAVOC BY MACHINE GUNS The Central News has received the following dispatch dated December 22, from a special correspondent on the Western Front. A week ago the word came through from the Great Great. Ones that every man must be unusually alert, that every ritie and gas helmet must be specially examined and passed effective, and we excitedly asked each other what it all meant. Was the great on-sweeping at- ¡ tack ordered at last? Was the retire- ment of Sir John French merely a ruse de guerre to lull the Hun into a false security ? No one knew, but staff officers came cantering up through the mud and j "brass hats'' became common. Further I orders came; smoke helmets were now to be carried night and d ay, and goggles I must be in order. On Saturday evening the word went round that the Germans were preparing to attack, and all night long the big guns behind us were sending the great shells Toaring over our heads towards the Ger- mans. These shells on their passage through the air make a noise exactly like an express train rushing into a tunnel; ¡ the sound recedes furthers, becomes faint, and then a d?l boom announces that the shell has foundi ts billet. In reply, the German shells, about the size of our 4.7's, came over constantly in a kind of 1 hissing fury, but did not do much dam- age. Many of them, although they found the range of our trench accurately, plunged into the trench wall behind us, softened by the mistant rain and failed I to explode. THE PFRFUME OF LILAC! I There wa? no sleep that night, and just after dawn a delicious fragrance was noticed, wafted along by a gentle north- west breeze. The perfume of lilac! But where did it come from ? We were all standing to, and sniffing the beautiful scent, when the scene changed dramati- cally. The O. C. came raging along ö.nd II ;J10utingfOmething incoherently about goggles. "Who was t £ > know that they ¡ were lachrymal shells?" grumbled a junior sub. as he mopped his face. But when the goggles were adjusted relief came gradually but surely, and 500 black- a-vi;:ed demons peered at each other through the mica eye-pieces. We expected an attack momentarily, but none came. It was now 8 a.m., and the cannonade from both sides deafening. Shrapnel burst continually above us, and the German high explosive was smashing our para- ¡ pets to p ieces. The fight was in full progress, and a rousing cheer would go up as every now and again one of our steel "infants" would land on the enemy's parapet ,and twenty yards of trench, I with bodies, rifles, and perhaps a shat- tered machine-gun, were tossed high into I ,the air. Then the order came to put on gas helmets, zxid a few minutes later a white I mist came creeping along the ground to- wards us. It was about 12 inches high, but gathering volume from the German trenches. When it reached us it was a wall of grey-green vapour some seven feet in height. It was our first serious experience of gas, and our anxiety as it rolled over us can be understood. What would it do? Were the helmets a sum- cient safeguard ? But the fateful moments I sped, by, and now we were breathing gaspingly through the helmets. We could stand this, but was this the worst of it? Suddenly it grew lighter—the poison fog thinned, and a providential slant of wind picked up the foul vapour and bore it rolling from end to end of the trench, until circling and eddying it was carried away to our left rear, and we realised that we had lived through it, and that the danger was past. GERMANS WIPED OUT. j Now for the Germans Peering through our eye-pieces we descried perhaps a hundred Germans climbing their parapet and coming stumblingly forward, waving j theirs rifles. The earth was simply rock- ing with the thunder of the guns, and gaps appeared with stsartling frequency in the ranks of the oncoming enemy. We wer" firing as fast as we could load, ■ aiming low, and on our right and left our machine-guns were sputtering bullets at the rate of 400 a minute. Nothing could live before such a blast of death, and before he had got 20 yards from his trench the last German was down. All at once one became aware of a dark mass of men surging along from a trench on our right front. Our shells were still bursting on, and smashing the the para- pet immediately in front of us, but this new enemy had apparently not been noticed and w" mmirw along unscathed, On they came in loose order at a Jum- beiing trot, probably three or four hun- dred, wearing gas masks, and looking like giant toads from some batrachian inferno. On either flank and slightly in advance was a small companj7 of bombers who began throwing their bombs when they were quite 80 yards away, with the result that the grenades burst harmlessly 50 yards in front of our parapet. And on the came, with bayonets fixed, and we felt that in a few minutes they would be amongst iis. Would the guns never open ? What was the matter ? On they came, and our rifle fire was merged into one continuous roar. Dozens fell, but they still came on. Weil, if they reached us we would see what the British bayonet would do. But the guns What were they doing ? Then, just before our eyes, the leading Germans stopped, twistsed and fell- And we were too hoarse to cheer as the ter- rible machine-guns got at them and wiped away the whole line, as a child's wet hand wipes away a row of figures on a slate. In a few minutes it was all over, and the foremost German never got with- in 60 yards of our trench. Another, but faint-hearted attempt was made a little later, but a few figures that showed above the para-pet were swept off like flies by the machine-guns, and all that was left of the vaunted attack was represented by what looked like a few hundred bundles of rags littering the plain. Every now and again one of the bundles would lift itself and crawl slow- ly along on its hands sand knees, but for the most part tey lay .quiet. I IT WAS A HOT TIME. As for us, eve:y man snatched at his pull-through and oilcan and worked away until his s-heated rifle would have passed inspection by any "bally sergeant" in the Army. It had been a hot time, and j a raging thirst set in, but unfortunately a Tag] ng tdiirst -,e t I water was scarce, and what little there was was doled sparingly out. No mat- ) ter, thought the muddied warrior. Had he not made history? And when he got the paper a few days later would he not see how he and his comrades had gallantly upheld tiic honour of the British Army. The paper arrived in due course, and was eagerly scanned for news of the great fight. There was a line from a news- paper correspondent at Rotterdam that he had "distinctly heard" the guns in Flanders, and "siispected" a bombard- ment. Our own official rejort just referred to the gas, and briefly dismissed the whole affair by saying that our fire had I stopped the Gersmans from reaching our trenches. And the omciai news was quite correct. It had! It is all a question I of the point of view.

WORLD'S GRFAT DEMAND FOR BRITISH COAL. The effect of the war upon the mineral produce of the United Kingdom during the latter part of 1914 is i-evealed in a report by the Obif-f Inspector of Mines. As compared witb 1913, the value of the I minerals raised— £ 145,863,000—decreased by £ 14,289.000. The total Output of coal was £ 265,664 00C tons, and the value E132,596,000, showing a decrease in the output of 21,766,000 tons, and in the value of £ 12.938,000 on the figures of 1913. The average price of coal was 9s. 11.79d. per ton in 1914, as compared with 10s. 1.52d. in 1913. The quantity of coal which left the country for abroad and shipping in foreign trade was 80,994,000 I tons, as compared with 98,338,000 tons in 1913. The amounts received by various countries wer-3 :— I France over ]2!- millions tons.' Italy 8 £ Germany over 5. Sweden over 4^. Russia over 3. Denmark over 3. Spain nearly 5. Argentina over 4-5. Egypt over Norway ncajly di. The amount of ooal renaming for consumption wa. 184,670,503 tons, ur 3.977 tons per head of the population. During the past 42 years (1873-1914; the total value the mineral raised amounts to C3,664,980,000, and of thiss um coal accounts fo,- L3,083,191,000 or 84.1 per cent.. In tha.tpf.ri oJ 8,206,243,000 tons of coal have been raisesd; and of this amount 2,012,796,000 tons, or more than 24h per oer.t of the total production, have been shipped abroad.

DUMB MAN'S SONG. A "ase of a soldier's speech being re- stored at a wedding party occurred at Liverpool on New Year's Eve. Corporal Joseph FTeckelton, aged 24, was ren- dered deal, blind and dumb by the ex- plosions of a "Jack Johnson" at the battle of Festubert early in the summer. Five weeks later his sight and hearing were restored, but he was still dumb. For the festive season he had a few days' ip"e in Liverpool, and on the last day of the year attended two weddings, one of them in the capacity of best man. In the evening there were singing and dancing, and about half-past eleven the dumii soldier, tired out, threw him- self on the sofa. There he yawned, and, to his surprise, ejaculated a long-drawn- out "Oh." It was the n'st sound that had escaped his lips since Festubert. Ife called out to a friend, an<; found that his voice was completely re;Jored. He then sang a song to please "he wedding party.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE FLFET. i A Gwent Jack Tar, writing home to say how Christmas was spent on board his ship, says:- "Puddings, cakes, mince-pics organes, apples, and nuts were beautifully ar- ranged on the mess tables. Smoking is al- lowed on Christmas Day on the mess* decks, and to see a sailor with a fine sixpenny or even a shilling cigar in his I mouth was a common sight. At the din- nor there were grand turkeys and geese and pork, with Christmas duff. After tea we had a grand musical evening. and Jack was in his glory when the singing was Qn.

A TOUCHING NEATH I INCIDENT- An interesting war incident hap- pened at Neath on Monday night. The last down-line i -ain left on the plat- form a khaki cl. d stranger fresh from the trenches—mud stained, tired, and stranded. He was sad, too. for he was returning to a home in the neighbour- hood of Llansamlet that had been visited by the Angel of Death. Incidentally he told a railway official of his plight; two young men over- heard it. and in less than five minutes 15s. was collected, a taxi-cab hailed, and the soldier was driven home. And the little group who befriended this stranded hero raised a cheer that was deafening in volume and magnificent in its expression. ————— —————

CLERGYMAN'S GRAPHIC STORY. ATTACKED LINERS THRILLING ESCAPE. A let; haa been received from the Rev. A. J. Mortimore, one of a party of missionaries who were travelling on the City of Marseilles when the liner was at- tacked by a submarine in the Mediter- ranean last month, stating that seven shells were fired at the liner, but after being chased for twenty minutes she got away. The letter says "At 10 a.m. on Tuesday last, Nov. -23rd, the submarine cDmmenced firing at us with its two guns. The passengers were ordered to get on their lifebelts and assemble in the dining saloon, while the crew stood to the life- boats, which were got ready for imme- diate lowering. The behaviour of pas- sengers and crew during the anxious mo- ments of suspense was truly great. There was no confusion, no shouting, and no fainting. Men took charge of babies from women, and everyone helped as far as possible in adjusting lifebelts, etc. As we were all waiting in the dining saloon, ex- pecting every moment to be torpedoed. hymn books were brought dc. e. and we sang "Jesu, lover of my &.u1 I then offered prayers, gave an address on Psalm xxiii., and sang "Oh God. our help in ages past," and I pronounced tiip bless- ing. At this moment the ship's doctor brought a message from the raptain that the immediate danger v. as passed, and that we were to keep on our lifebelts for the time being, and that submarine had retired. Then we cheered and cheered and sang the National Anthem. In the evening we had a thanksgiving service, at which practically all the passengers at- tended.

BY TRUE FRIENDSHIP A D BLOOD. THE CZAR'S VOW. During a review of the Army on the 2nd inst., the Czar addressed to the Knights of the Order of St. George the following speech :— "B3 assured that, as I said at the be- ginning of the war, I will not conclude peace until we have chased the last enemy from our territory. Nor will I conclude such a peace except in full agreement with our allies, to whom we are bound, not by paper treaties, but by true friendship and blood. "I shall not forget this review, and I am very glad to have succeeded in seeing the valiant elements of the Army, and I beg, in your person, to convey to all the troops my reocgnition of their devoted service, which rejoices my heart. May God help you. "—Press Association.

The following was written by a soldier in one of the Y.M.C.A. tents at Malta Are you straight and smart and sturdy— Proud of health and strength, young man ? Are you doing for your country At this hour the most you can ? She is worthy—do you doubt it?— Of the utmost you can do. It's up to you to help her- Yes it's up to you. Are you older, and unable As of yore to shoulder arms? Ar you weakly, are you ailing la the midst of these alaxms? Still, there are a score of things, sir, For your country you can do. Well, it's up to you to do them; Yes; it's ap to you. Fight, or pay, or help in some way, Stop that growling and that whine; Help at last, and do not hinder; Step out now and toe the line. You are wanted-do not doubt it; Plenty is there yet to do. It's up to you to do i1r- Yes, young man, it's up to you.

A visiting minister preaching in a small town near which a well known race meet- ing is held forcible denounced the "sport of kings." The principal patron of the church always attended the home meet- ings, and of this the stranger was after- wards informed. "I'm afraid I touched one of your weaknesses," said the minis- ter, not wi'; llg to offend the wealthy one; "but it was quite unintentional, I assure you." ''Oh, don't mention it," chec-i-fully retorted the backslider, "it's a mighty poor sermon that don't hit me somew hexe."