Herald of Wales and Monmouthshire Recorder

VALLEY C.O. At the West Glamorgan Appeal Tribu- nal, which sat at Xeath on Wednesday, a school teacher from Pontardawe declared himself a conscientious objector on re- ligiol18 grounds. Love conquered all things, and punishment was wrong. Mr. Charles (N.S. Representative): Have you read of the German atrocities in Belgium?—Ye6. Of the murder of Nurse Cavill and Capt. Frvatt, and the sinking of the Lusitania? —Yes. And you say you love the Germans?- Yes, I do. It is very nice of you," replied Mr. Charles, and I hope the Germans will fully appreciate it." Appellant, who refused to do non-com- batant work and said he could recite half the Bible, wae ordered to join the colours.

Rhoda Reynolds (22), single, a Mumbles servant girl, secured a paternity order of 5s. against T. Johns, traveller, at Swansea on Thursday. During the evidence it transpired that Johns was the ie&.&l of six children.

SWANSEA COUNCIL I Teachers and the Fisher Grant. Th." Swansea Council mwtinj:- was held on Wednesday, the Mayor (Aid. Hen J OllS) presidll; It was noticed that the minutes d the Estates Committee were moved by the Mayor, and not, as by the ehiur- i man <f that committee (Aid. Tutton). Tho following mmute was referred to: "The estate agpnl replied that owing to the fire which had recently taken place at these premises, it would be necessary they should be rebuilt, and that the Corporation Ix* approached by Messrs. Edward England and Son, Ltd., and Mr. IT. Macdoncll, the occupier* of adjacent premises, with a view ot widen- iiig the present approach to tho r p: miscs." Mr. Macdonell and Mr. Steve Morgan attended before the committee to supr01^ the necessity for widenmif. j Resolved that subject to Mr. Frank Tay- lor agreeing to rebuild that jwri'un of the Lion Stores, now let to him on a yearly tenancy of £30 per annum, in such a way as to set back the now buihlin-' to the pink line shown on t.h<' !ine produce the premises to be let to him for a term of 16 years from the 25th March, 19bS. ai- the yearly rent of £ 25." Aid. Tutton said he found it impossible to continue the chairmanehvu. and he re- signed. He had sent his resignation to the Mayor a week a^o. j The Mayor: That is not a inatterefor the Council. Mr. D. Williams: I wonder whether you as Mayor have power to accept the resignation without it going before the Committee. The Mayor: That is just what I said. Aid. Tutton. If this minute had not boen here I would have allowed the matter to stand over until the next meet- ing of the Committee. But as it I,, 1 might have been taken as an assenting pc.rty, and therefore I sent in my resigna- tion. The minutes were adopted. Arising out cf the Market Committee's recommendation• that the salary of the markets manager be increase d by 150 per annum from April 1st, and that the Com- mittee again eeti the matter in a months' time. Aid. CülsÜ1 asked what were the ex- ceptional circumstances for bringing for- ward this proposal at present. Last year the income from the Markets was well over £ 2,000; yrt the increase was pro- posed at a time when that incomc, it v.as estimated, would drop to CS32. Aid. Colwill moved as an amendment i ihat the minute be referred back for further consideration. Since his appoint- ment the market manager had received substantial advances. In view of the continuous pleas for economy by the members of the Corporation he did not understand this new recommendation for a further increase. The Council should bear in mind the fact that they had .a 'falling revenue. This matter should be; lint, in aijeyance. and later on p:>rhai>& -the increase could be granted. The Coun- i cil should put sentiment one side when fart. stared them in the face as in this instance. I A'd. Devonald seconded. Mr. Win. Owen said it would be a very bad principle if they were not goir;g to recognise certain officials if the.v hap- pened to be runAing losing concerns for which they were not responsible. The amendment was defeated, only three members voting for it. Mr. Ivor Gwyrne, moving the minutes of the Education Committed pointed out that for the first time the Training Col- lege came on the rates to some extent. The increased expenditure was solely due to the cause that affected everv other Committee. They h?d now RB intima- tion that an additional grant of about < £ 1,530 for the Training College would be given next rear, "'0 that they hoped the College would not again come on the rates. (Hear. hear(. Ald. Dan Jones again raised the ques- tion of the holding of Board of Trade ex- aminations for marine eJimneers in Swan- sea. and Mr. Ivor Gwynne explained that steps had been taken to get the Board of Trade to grant the privilege, and they were considering it. Arising out of the report of the Educa- tion Committee. Mr. Dd. W'miam-s a?ain referred to the ppphcations of the l teachers for increasM of salaries. Thce? applications had not been acceded to by the Committee, and Mr. Williams moved that the minute be refsred back, and that the opportunity be afforded to the secre- tary of the teachers' organisation, and representative- of the local teachers, to place their views before the Committee. Mr. Dd. Matthews said a great amount of time had already been spent on this question, and he assured Mr. Williams that the Committee had given it their most careful consideration. Mr. Iolyneux I',nil that pracdcaJly the whole of the Fisher grant had been expended on the teachers. The amendment was defeated, only 11 members (the Labour representatives) voting for it. Mr. David Williams: The next move is with the teachers, I am afraid. Mr. Powlesiand: I hope the teachers will down tools.

MR. SAUNDERS JONES. I We regret to announce the death of Mr. Saunders Jones, of Norfolk-street, Swansea. Mr. Jones, who had worked for many years past as a joiner in Messrs. Vivian's works, was one of the best known Methodists in Swansea. Originally a member of Trinity, Park- street, he was among the founders of Alexandra-road Chapel of which he was for years a deacon. He was a man of strong character, a great theologian, and he will be greatly missed.

ABERAVON COUNCIL. I Aberavon Town Council met on Wednes- day night, the Mayor (Aid J M. Smith) pre- siding. The application of Mr. K-ees Llew- ellyn. on behalf of the gas workers, and of iir. T. Williams, on behalf of other Cor- porat;cn employe", for an increase in wages was considered. It was decided to grant an increase cf £1 per week over pre-war rates -all existing war bonuses to merge in the 1,1-t,he advance to apply to Corporation manual labour only, and to be retrospective from 13th March. The Town Clerk (Mr. Moses Thomas) read a letter addressed to the Mayor by the Rev. O. Arnold Thomas, on behalf of the clergy and ministers of the town, suggesting that as Mayor and Chief Magistrate be should, in conjunction with the chairman of Mrtr. gam Council, convene a n.eeting of the clergy and ministers with a view to mak- ing arrangements for a public prayer meet. ing, as held in Swansea, Cardiff. and New- port owing to the present crisis. The Mayor said he would do SQ, aad bed the interview for Tuesday.

lTOWN TALK. Port Talbot's meat ration this week-end was chilled beef. It met with a cold re- ception. — :0 A Port Talbot tailor announces: -N* I orders taken for Whitsun." Bad for the old elo's man. —:o: — The police. it has been decided, are en. t'tlf 1 r.. 1 -ia l'uuui for hca\y walkers.—" Punch." — :o Some samples of water taken la6t week if South Wales were found, says Punch," to contain 45 per cent. ■{ milk. —: o: — Exciting incident in Wind-^reel!—One n an dropped a match: another man ciaamed it. We understand County Court srocc-c-duu?. an* contemplated. — :0:— It took four men- to excavate r. Luge stone which our Xeath pu blishe;- found in h;s 'allotment. He has been wondering ever sines how many men it took to put it there? —: o: — A registration form canvasser at Neath M per cent, of the forms coi- 'i-t-vl had to be filled in by himself. He is suffering from writer's cramp and a bnd temper! A Neat-li householder has returned his me.it card instead of the form of registra- tion und er the Representation of the Pe.>- plrs Act. Hard lines, unless he is a vegetanian I o: Not a whip is being used bj. the hauliers at the Abererave Collieries. We wonder whether the fifteen horses sold at Tues- day's sale will be' so favourably dealt with under new ownership. — :o There are nearly 600 old boys of thp Swansea- Grammar School in the FOTCCS at the present time, of whom 299 have obtained commissions. Certainly a record of which the old town should be proud! — :0:— A Port Talbot ^pntleman, residing within 100 yards erf the Post Offiee re- ceived a telegram at five o'cloc-k one duy this week. It only arrived at the Post Office about 1.30. Things do hum at Port. Talbot! cr A conscientious objector, before the West Glamorgan Appeal Tribunal, dc- chi red that he had read of all the German atrocities, but he still loved the Germans. He was ordered to join the Colours. Tu make their acquaintar(- we presume. —: o: — "Cape Horn." that portion of the Swansea Docks which in pre-war day- and up to a few months ago, vas a com- mercial bee-hive between 11 and 12 o'clock daily, is now materially thinned. The number from the merry throng gone to swell the military ranks has made a \T,f"t difference. -:0:- The Rev. Alcwyn Jones, curate-ir charge at Tonna, has sent our Neath co-- respondent an egg, as a fair sample ei' %ilip.t he is getting from a three year old k It's ^mailer than c bantam's W» hope the curate's Easter egg was a little bigger! That Budget forecast has can sod laces in certain local circles. No soor.cv has the fourpenny" reached S wansca than there is a rumour of extra duty on be.S!-r, and consequently higher prices loom large in the offing! It's a. world of ups and downs. —; o: — During the last few weeks Aberavon magistrates have' had to deal with about 200 summonses for non-payment of in- <■ ;.me tax. The delinquents were mostly Afan Valley colliers, some of whom re- fuse to pay on principle. The comb-out will. no doubt, relieve them of the tax collector's attentions. — :o:— Walking across the Hafod bridge ths other evening, a resident thought he had come across a run-away menagerie. He counted • no fewer than eight cats in ^the middle of the road appearing to be hold- ing a sort of conclave. Where they got to after a stonø was thrown, he sayo, beats him! — so:— No wonder a. wells known Swan-sea man looked downhearted last night. The shops were out of his favourite brand of to- baoco. he dropped and broke the first egg of the season from his hen-roost, a new pair of trousers was ripped by oorttact with a nail, and he had dreamt a certain horse had won a race, backed it-aiil l-c^t! — :0:— Over a long journey the man in the tramcar h'-Id forth on the myriad faults and failings of the Government. Lloyd George was to blame for this, for i hd in fact it was a moot point whether, in fact, he was not to hlame for the war! And then a sweet thing blandly inquired a0- to the critic's intentions. Oh," as the reply. I've got to Join up next week." So there! :o:— Captain Guthrie Morgan, M.C., the weil known Aberavon rugby player, son of Dr. Vyrnwy Morgan, had a cordial welcome when he came to the ancient borough the other day. He has been out in Salo- rica, and, like the true gentleman tlnt he is. he had brought with him a list of the Aberavon boys out there, and he paid a Personal rhjit to the home of each, one tn tell their relatives how they fared. That's the spirit. — :o Curious how people meet after many vears. Mr. Tom Byrne. of the Grand Theatre, has just had an unueml ex- perience in this respect. A man Ito called at the theatre and the a-draft.ee manager of the company thie week both /7v-eLi to be feH()w-<,hor;T5 in ? The I Rnnaway Girl" of 19 y-ea?? f?&. The U Betty" Company also includes an old school chum in the person of MT. George Martin, who entered the profession tliLO same year as Mr Byrne, and in addition Mr. C. F Cooke, who was a fellow-member of thf National Grar. °p:>"a. Co. of 1. and Mi*. W. Robins, the musical director, who occupied a similar post at St. James's when Mr. Bvrne went there .is manager fo-r "T Mrs. l\VTds>ll in 1905. -:0- The following are specimens of answers giiven by c.andrid.ates at an examination test at a school—not elementa.Ty-within- hailing distance of Swansea:— What is meant by the Fisher BiH ?"— A Bill for fishermen." Give one word for the fol-lowing:- (a). The Ten CamIOO.OOment-s. He.lf a score. (b). A period of one hundred Te- a Groøs." What is meant by The Offensive?"— Be-. i n C offended. Give the meaning of, the following ex- pression: Comb out.—"To comb cut the hair with a comb." J" Xame the General in Command of the Forces who took Baghdad.—" General Beautv." Name the Generalissimo of the Allied Forcfa ia France.—" KitobeMf."

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The Fourth Phase of Historic Warfare. Places Lost or Given Up. ,Ihrilling Accounts of Battles. r, We have lost territory, but we have lost nothing vital. The enemy are aim- ing at deetroying the British Army, but they have not yet got it out of the way; but if we stand together firmly, we will (Win through in the end." That m the message of confidence which this week's fighting on the Western front inspired Mr. Lloyd George to deliver in the House of Common's an Tuesday night, aDd it emphaeised the Prime Minister's .previous declomtion-" We will never ac- ,cept a German peace." Both massage.s rribrated through the bodies and souls of the people at home, and we æe some of the results in the voluntary rush to the Colours of young miners and tinplaters, whose good name have been dragged :through the mire by wire-pulling agita- tors; and some other results in the gene- ral acceptance of the Man-Power Bill, without protest or appeal, by men who drill shortly be enrolled among the Boys of the Old Brigade." The week's fighting has attracted atten- tion to many places, which, have become, during the past four years familiar as household words among us, and are better ifcnown on the map than many and many ia town or village on the slopes of our iown mountains or in the valleys of Wales, the broad acres of England. And, al- cfchough our hopes and anxieties have been (kept swaying like the battle front, we are clearer in our conceptions of the situation, and as absolutely confident of the ulti- mate victory of the Allies as we were at the end oi last week. ,r ANXIOUS, BUT NOT DOWN- 1 HEARTED. We were informed last week that the Kaiser had even by that time sacrificed over 250,000 of the lives of his own men in (this newest of his great battles, and he ¡ihas since then been quite as ruthless and freckless in th-rowing his cannon-fodder 5—quite a German description of his owm rank and file--imto the fiery furnace.. In surveying the week's battle and •watching for the near future, we can therefore only echo the words of Mrø. {Hem ana:— -Tie not for the land of our enree to give birtft Unto bosoms that shrink when the trial is nigh, Away! we will bear over ocean and earth A name and a spirit that never dhall die. flPhis was her poetic version of our soldierw -early song-" Are "we downhearted? No, lillO, no." Now, let us got on with, our SURVEYING THE SITUATION. I We left off last week with the mere re- cital of successes and 'defeats in the fltr- ious battle ragjing in Northern France, and, in linking up the context, we must siote Friday's messages of the capture and jrefcaldng of Messines Ridge, the big attack At Hollebeke, where the British com- pletely repulsed the German hordes. True, live heard of no fewer than 93 German aeroplanes beting brought down in one day, and that a great defence was beiing jrnt up by British troops, who were tired j'but dete rmlncd;, one lirard of Americans in action, and on Sunday evening came a a ieasage stating that the thrust had J>een arrested; that our tirod troops had fnibsequently been relieved, and then came ;the not unexpected report that Nenve iEglise had been taken by the enemy. GRIM EPISODE'S. I As one observer paints out, that battle tit Neuve Eglise had been filled with grim (episodes, for the village had changed jhands several times, and each side had {fought most fiercely and with any kind of fweapon, small bodies of men attacking and counter-attacking among the broken aWalls and bits of houses, and under the frtump of the church tower, at dawn and in the darkness, with rifles and bayonets end bombs. The attack on this place was really begun further back, when the enemy struck up through Plug-street on lApril 10 and drove forward every day jfince towards this goal of Neuve Eglise. tALl the time he was faced and resisted by (troops from Wiltshire, Cheshire. Stafford- phi i-e, and Lancashire, while other Lan- cashire troops, along with Northumber- land and Worcestershire men and others, twÐre holding up the line of the Lys and ghtling rearguard actions round Crocx-du- ac. A body of Wilts, Cheshire, and Ktaffs men held the east of Plug-street lwc-od when the attack burst upon them, fend kept theiT lines intact for two days Und nights, though the enemy had pierced (behind them and west of the wood, Ingainst other troops fighting back under ^overwhelming pressure towards Neuve fcglise. TALE OF THE EIGHTH DAY. Now we come to Tuesday evening's dc- spatch from Renter's representative vrth, fthe British Army in France. It sitid:- latest report states that the enemy feias carried Wytschaete, and that he so established himself in Spanbrok- jinolen, so that although we are still upon the slopes of Messines Ridge, the greater jpart of it is in his hands. He is also at- tacking hard in the direction of Meteren, Jbut the position hereabout remains ob- ecure. From La Bassee to Robecq the Joermane are shelling our line vigorously. t Bovelle, eouth of Arms, the enemy at- tacked this morning and got into our front French system, but we promptly organised counter-attaok and drove him back." Regarding this eighth day of the jT-orthem lattle, Sir Douglas Haig, at an. earlier hour, and sent over this official C'Ommunique :_U Yesterday evening, pre- ceded by an intense bombardment, the enemy launched a very heavy attack pgainst our positions between Bailieul and Neuve Eglise. The assault was d-e- livered by three pioked German divisions which had not been previously engaged An the battle, and succeeded, after a fierce and bitter struggle, in carrying the high ground south-east and east of BaW 1'111, Icnown as Mont de Lille and Revelsberg. Dur troops on this front have fallen back to new positions to the north of Bailleral and Wulverghem. Bailleul hae fallen in- jfco the enemy's hands. This morning fresh German attacks are developing in Ithe neighbourhood of Wytschaete. Early jbhia morning the enemy also attacked pouth-west of Vieux Berquin under heavy jartiilepy and trench tiortar fire, but was repulsed. A ntrniber of prisoners were by M during the flight in a srccoess- lul minor enterprise aouth-ea.st of Robecq. •• 4. >v On the remainder of tJie British front there is nothing of special interest to report." L FRENCH TROOPS CO-OPERATING. Tuesday nigiit's Bi-itisli official re- port gave us this phase of the position:— This morning intense hostile bombard- ments were opened by the enemy on prac- tically the whole of the Lys battle front, and from the Foret de Nieppe to Wyt- schaetc were followed by infantry attacks. All these attacks have been repulsed, and considerable losses inflicted on the enemy. In th.3 counter-attacks reported in this morrning's communique our troops suc- ceeded in entering the villages of Meteren \and W-trohaete, but in face of continued hostile attacks were unable to maintain their positions there. French troops are co-operating w?th the British fo, or4 this front. On the remainder of the Bri- tish front there is nothing to report." On Wednesday we were told that Bailieul and the Meesines-Wytschaete Ridge had fallen into the enemy'6 hands, and it appears that by brining up three entirely fresh divisions the Germans had succeeded in forcing our troops out of Bailleul on Monday night, which necessi- tated a retirement to a new ljine, some- what further back. The enemy also, after very severe fighting, possessed himself of some of the heights south-east and east of Bailieul. More serious than the lose of the town of Bailieul itself was the news that the Germans had captured Wytschaete and the greater part of the Messinrs Ridge, They had also taken a mic.11 place called Spanbroekmolen, which Mes about half- way between Wulvergbem and Wytschaete and about one mile eouth-west of the latter place. INTENSE SHELL FIRE. I Dwetljinlg in detail upon this new situa- tion, Mr. Phillip GAbbs, the celebrated wax correspondent, wrote:—"It seemed inevitable after our loss of Neuve Eglise that the enemy should make a quick and i strong effort to capture Bailieul, and this he did on Monday night by putting into the battle three divisions of freth assault troops not previously used in this fight- ing, and encircling the city by fierce at- tacks on the ground south-east and east, including the ridge of Ravelsberg and the Mont de Lille. His troops; as I men- tioned in my message yesterday describing the first attacks on Bailieul, included his Alpine Corps of Jaegers and probably a Bavarian division and the 117th Division. Among our men defending the cfity against these heavy forces were Staffords and Notts and Derbys. Yesterday, when I was in the country aronud Bailieul the enemy's guns were waking up for this new attack, and there was a continual bombardment spreading up to the Wyt- schaete Ridge. Heavy shells were beiing flung into Bailieul itself, and the smoke of fires was rising like mist from email towns and villages like Meteren and Mor- hecque down to :Mervine. Our guns were also pounding the enemy's posiIfons, and when the report cfume through that con- centrations of German infantry, guns, transport, and cavalry were moving up the roads in amd north of Merville a-n in- tense shell-fire was ranged upon them, while our air squadrons went out in the evening and at night and dropped I.-ar" quantities of high explosives upon this traffic of men and beasts, -o that they must have suffered many casualties." ONLY A BLASTED SHELL-HOLE. He proceeded to explain:—"In their attacks on the "Ravelsberg mir, wbprt, ill through the old Flanders fighting T C had camps and hutments, known by heart among our English and New Z'failan<I troops, and divisional hea dquarters dllT- ing the active operations, the enemy must have lost heavily agwin, for our men were stubborn "n defence, and their machine- gun fire must have been of a. deadly na- ture,. owing to their positions along the mil way and on the ridge. But the enemy adrnncpr) upon them in waves, striking up on both sides of Bailieul. so that after a great resistance our line was withdrawn beyond the town. For tetk.11 ren^>n*, apart from the importance cf the rail- way line, it is better for our troops to be out of Bailieul, for it threatened to bo- come like Ypres in the old bad dnyR; when all our traffic and transport had to paF, between buildings falling beneath atro- cious shell-fire, through squares which were targets for the German nns, and out by cross roads which were death traps. One correspondent, referring to the giv- ing' up of our positions on the Paeschen- diiele area, says: "It must rn any circnin- stances be unpleasant to give up ground which has been won in fighting at the cost of gallant lives, but it cannot be too often repeated or too clearly gnasped that local topographical gains have little sig- nificance in the gigantic struggle now in Tjrograss. The Germans now have the blasted shell-hole area behind them over which to bring their troops and transport, and from abundant experience in former t advances we know what that means." And with these comments and anti^ ci^ pa- tions we must close our week's story of the war, briefly noting that Thursday's, newis gives the British line intact chronicling the failure of the enemy at- tacks at Keanmel.

Commissions and Decorations. I Gunner W. L Ralph, Swansea, of the R.F.A., har, been awarded the French Croix de Guerre. Pte. Myrddin Williams, belonging to a Welsh unit stationed at Salonika, eon of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Williams, Nythfa, Tirydail-lane, Ammanford. has been awarded the Military Medal. Corpl. Dd. Griffiths, R.G.A.. has been awarded the Military edal for conspicu- ous gallantry during the recent opera- tions in France. He is the son of Mr. D. T Griffith, of Cwmgiedd, Ystradgyn- lais, one of the oldest inhabitants of the place. Corpl. Griffiths, who is 30 years of age, has seen considerable service in France. Pte. Sidney J. Phillips, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Phillips, Owenfa, Pontardu- laie, who has been serving for the last two years with the Egyptian Expedi- ti-onory Force, has been offered a commis- sion in an infantry regiment. He was formerly on the staff of the Graig Mcr- thyr Colliery Co., and was well-known in musical and eisteddfodic circles. Seaman Gunner Francis Ivor Dance, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dance, 2, Midland- cottages, Llansamlet, now a gunner on a merchantman, has been awarded the D.S.M. for bravery in action with an enemy submarine, in the course of which he received a shrapnel wound in the chest. The brave gunner received his decoration on Saturday, and was the re- cip, t of a hearty welcome on arriving a* lfein«inil'Ct for a few days' leave.

I LATEST WAR NEWS. THURSDAY'S BRITISH OFFICIAL. General Headquarters, France, Thurs- day, 10.7 a.m. There has been no change in the British front during the night. Hostile artillery has shown -great acti- vity on the southern portion of the Lys battle-front, from Givcnchy to Robecq. A heavy bombardment of our position* betwen Locon and Robecq was still con- tinuing at dawn. Local attacks were repulsed 'by our troops yesterday evening in the Mevris sector. More detailed account of the fighting yesterday on the Forest de Nieppe—Wyt- schaete front establish1 the severity of the enemy's losses. South-east of Kimmel Hill the German I infllltry attacked in three waves, and at the point pressed back our line slightly in this locality. The situation was re- stored by a counter-attack, and shortly after mi (May the attack had been re- pulsed at aM points. In the Bailleu, sector the enemy at- tacked three times before mid-day, fftid in each case suffered complete repulse. Our line yesterday morning was re- ported intact on the whole front.

i THURSDAY'S FRENCH OFFICIAL. I France, Thursday, 4.0.-In the region of Corbeny we caught under our fire and dis- pereed strong enemy detachments which attempted to reach our Unas asfteT heavy artillery preparation. The enemy launched several surprise attacks in Champagne and on the right bank of the Mouse to the east of Couri«r«s Wood, and towards Damloupe in patrtic-u- lar. All the attacks were repulsed, and some priaonere remained in our hands. On our aide, to the north-west of Rheims and in Lorraine, we made several suoco?* ful raids into the enemy's lines, and took a certain number of prieoners.

A WEEK'S PIRACY. I Th? Admiralty shipping return shows I knm big ships were sunk last week, as compared with four in the previous week. Over Under Fishing Week ended. 1,600 tons. 1,600 tons. Vessels April 13 11 4 1 April 6 4 2 2 ,The weekly average in r6und figures of ships sunk in preceding months was:— Mar. (5 weeks) 12 7 2 Feb. (4 weeks) 12 i 3 Jan. (4 weeks) 9 3 2 Tlie arrivals and sailings of merchant ships of all nationalities (aver 100 tons net) for the week ending April 13 were 2,211 and 2.45o, a total of 4,667. Twelve ships were unsuccessfully at- tacked.

GERMAN PLANS FOILED. PARIS, Thursday. I Router's Expert Commentator writes: The Germans are continuing their offensive in Flanders with tierce ohsttn- -acy, bu-fc t:h«y h&v-;> made no appreciable progress. Since Wednesday the British* troops straightened their front which, oast of Ypres, had formed a dangerous salient since the enemy's occupation of the Wytschaete-Armentieres line. The operation was carried out under excellent conditions and in perfect order without our Allies being pressed by the enemy. The front in thib sector is now marked out by the places Passchendacle- Beceiiiere-Gheluvelt, all of which are in German hands. The enemy hoped with Bailieul in his possession to extend his positions* by re- peated assaults in dense formation, but hib battalions were mown down by our Allies, and were not able to make any progress. The line in this sector passes fifteen hundred metres north of Bailieul, in front of the Capelynde Height. On both sides of Bailleul the Allies re- acted vigorously and with success, succeed- ing in gaining a footing in Meteren to the west and Wytscliaete to the east, hut the Germans, in a desperate counter-offensive, managed to re-enter the places yesterday. Lastly, south of the Lys, the British artillery completely stepped a strong enemy attack, the objective of which was the village of Robecq on the Clarence, eight kilometres north-west of Bethune, which the Germans are therefore making every effort, struggling, but in vain, to outflank. Yesterday the Germans attempted an- other powerful effort, and after a violent artillery preparation delivered a general assault in the direction of Ypres on a wide front of over twenty kilometres, ex- tending from the northern corner of the Forest of Nieppe to Wystchaete. No- where could the enemy's repeated massed infantry attts bend back the positions magnificently defended by our Allies, and the enemy sustained bloody losses. This is a complete defeat for the Im- perial Staff. • The British communique announces, without yet giving any details as to the part they are playing, the co-operation of French troops in this sector, where the two armies,, equally animated with the resolve to win, will make certain of stop- ?ing the invaders' advance. In this way ?'? ??cata?nTKi ?f ?sc eit?emy oamman 4 liav3 once again been foiled. The enemy hoped to endow the struggle with acharactr of such desperation that the 13ritish forcos would not be able to hold lut. But now French reinforcements have come up to support the resistance of their Allies. Half of the German divisions available on the western front have al- ready been engaged in the battle. Oar co- operation with the British is nowhere in- terrupted, and no decision been obtained. It is thus a battle of endurance that is now being fougnt. When one thinks of the desperate battles the Germans must fight with enormous masses to obtain purely tadical advantages, one is justi- fied in asking if the result is not out of ail proportion to the efforts made, and whether they have the means to continue it to the decisive denouement which they expect from. it. ii

REV. SAMLET WILLIAMS. I The funeral of the late Rev. W. Samlet Williams, Britonferry, took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Ynysymaeidy Cemetery, and was largely attended. Pre- vious to the interment a service was held at the Graig Chapel, where the reverend gentleman had previously ministered. The Rev. T. Williams, Presbyterian min- ister, was in charge of the funeral, and at the chapel several addresses were given by officers of .the church, feliow-studento, and ministers. At the graveside the Rev. W. Richards (Ammanford) and the Rev. B. T. Jones (Neath) officiated, and suitable hymns were sung. The principal mourners were the widow, the two sons, two daughters, son-in-law, and daughter-in-W- A

THE NEW JUDCEI Congratulations at Swansea I Quarter Sessions. When his Honour Judge Ivor Bowen. K.C., the Recorder, took his seat at the General Quarter Sessions of the Borough of Swansea on Thursday, Mr. Griffith Jones, on behalf of the members of the Bar, i-ose to congratulate his Honour upon his appointment as Jndge of the Mid-Wales County Court Circuit. They would all agree that the appointment was an excellent one, having regard to the district he would have to traverse. The appointment would inspire all liti- gants with confidence. His Honour> knowledge of Welsh would be of great use to him. The Mayor (Aid. Ben Jones) said to would like to offer the congratulatioM of the town of Swansea to Judge Ivor Bowen on his appointment. He (the Mayor) felt sure it was an appointment that would give satisfaction all r6und. His Honour, replying, said ha was deeply touched by-the kind and flattering things that had been said by the Mayor and Mr. Griffith Jones on behalf of hie old colleagues. He would treasure them so long as ha waa permitted to do hie duty here or elsewhere. He would be compelled to relinquish the position he now held in doe time, but he would never forget that it was in Swansea; on his own beloved circuit, that he practised for the best part of his life in these courts, and he had endeavoured to main- tail the reputation of the circuit and to follow in the example of thooe great men who had been associated with ihe court. He had tried to be a loyal and faithful member of the circuit. He was sorry to part with his old friends, but he hoped there would be many further opportuni- ties- of association with them. Changes in these daya were inevitable, and were contemplated with feelings of great anxiety. Many of them present were suffering the loss of their nearest and dearest. But his conception of their duty was that they should do what lay in their power to submit to-changes, and to stand fort h with determination and hops in the cause of freedom and liberty, maintaining the laws and trusting in the Great Power in whose hands the; were now and always would be.

< £ STINKS OF FRAUD." I Mr. Hopkin Morgan, O.B.E., presided over a meeting of the Weet Glamorgan Appeals Tribunal OIl Wednesday. Air. H. P. Chaff(military representa- tive), made strong observations in a case of father aiid son, Russian Poles, born in Cracow. The father alleged he was 51, and over military ago, and his son was under military age. Mr. Charles said the whole case stinks of fraud." lie added that there had been a series af forgeries in documents of father and son. Both men admitted makiag certain alterations. The senior defendant had been fined £ 10 at Swansea under the Military Service Act, and the local tribunal had refused a fonner a ppeaj. TJ?e cape had. been ud "ZA-ad gt?? ue no was ?h<?WT? for defead?t not being present to-day. Representing the man, Mr. W. A. Thomas said tfce Military Authorities were in comnniwioatvn With the Russian Con- sulate. Mr. Charles added it was treating the Court with gross contempt." The tribunal dismissed the father's a.p- peal, and adjourned the son's. Seplying to Mr. Thomas, Mr. Charles said Russian subjects were being called up for non-oombatant service. I

JOIN IMG UP. I A large batch of frecruits frdm the local works and collieries presented themselves for medical examination again on Thurs- day. Fully 50 per cent, of these were enlisting voluntarily, and all seemed in the best of spirits and eager to be classi- fied.

TI N PLATE TRADE. I The Labour Ganetts for April shows that 73 tinplate works comprising 254 mills and 11 steel, sheet worka with 61 mills were working at the end of March. The former showe an increase of one mill on a month ago and two mill& on a year ago. The same number of sheet mills were working as shown in the re- turns for February, but an. increase of three on March 1917.

NEW SECRETARY FOR WAR. I The Press Bureau announcft that the King has hoen pleased to approve the fol- lowing appointments:—The Earl of Derby to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary on a special miesion to the Government of the French Republic in succession to Lord Bertie. Viscount Miloer to be Secretary of State for War in succession to Lord Derby. The Right Hon. Austen Chamberlain, M.P., to be a member of the War Cabinet.

CRIPPLED HERO. I On Wednesday a little girl named Doria Roderick, three years of age, of Car- pe-uter'e,-Iow, Pontardawo, had a narrow escape from being airOWrod in the canal near her home. Her pinafore, in which she-was nursing a dolly, had been blown into the water, and in attempting to reach it she fell in. Upon hearing screams, (a discharged soldier, William Bailey, jumped in, and WM able to save the little girl as phe was going under for the last time. Dr. Evans attended to the child, who is now quite. well again. In the rescue. Bailey spoiled a imit of clothes and an artificial leg which he was wearing at the time. This is the tenth child that Bailey has rescued. He lost his leg at Fostwbert two and a half years ago. The girl's father is a soldier, too. at present in a sanatorium at Newport.

NEW Bfn- BECOMES LAW. In moving the second reading of the Man-Power Bill in the House of Lords on Wednesday pight, Viecount Pool said it was first of all proposed to call up men who had reached the age of 45. They would be medically examined, and if not exempted would be drafted into the Army. After the «{oS's" had been dealt with would come the turn of the still older men. "No undertaking has been given, or can be given," be added, that these older men will be employed merely in home defenoe." i Referring to the clean cut" A respect of exemptions, Lord Peel admitted that the powers were wide. but gave an assur- ance that these would only be used in a case of great emergency. The present intention is that the Bill reooivê the Royal Assent to-day. and be- come the law of tba J8.UIIIi Xex&w&b. t

A RUSSIAN S ACE I Appeal Against a Swansea Conviction. On January 26th of this year Alfred Moses Shepherd, of Grove-place, Swansea, described as a Russian subject, was sen- tenced to six months' imprisonment at Swansea Police Court for making a false declaration in order to evade military ser- vice. Shepherd apppaled against this sentence, and the appeal came on for hearing before the Recorder (Mr. Ivor Bowen, K.C.), at the Swansea Quarter Sessions on Thursday. Mr. Llewelyn Williams, K.C., M.P. ajid Mr. Roland Thomas (instructed hy Mr. Edward Harris appeared for appel- lant, and Mr. Marlay Samson (for Capt. Trevor Hunter, on active service) ap- peared for respondents (being instructed by Mr. Rupert Lewis). Mr. Marlay Samson opened at length and dealt with the various sections of the Military Service Act. When war broke out Shepherd regi&tered as an alien (Russian), and later in 1917. a Proclama- tion was made by the King calling upon all Russians of military age to join the Colours. These men could either return to Russia for that purpose or remain in this country and join the British Army. Shepherd, on registering in 1914, had said he was born in January, 1879, but on his form of appeal for exemption sent to the Tribunal he said he was 1 L In view of that-fact Captain Harold Williams did not oppose the application, and the Tribunal decided that as he was 44 .he was ineligible. Enquiries were insti- tuted and proceedings were taken M the result of which Shepherd was convicted and sentenced. Evidence was then called. Mr. Llewelyn Williams submitted that when Shepherd stated his age to be 44, any doubt oast on that was a matter for a Court of Summary Jurisdiction to decide. The man had not been called before the Tribunal, and in any case the Tribunal could not decide the question of age. Shepherd adhered to-day tosh's stete- ment that he was 44. The Recorder upheld the conviction, bat reduced the sentence from six months to one month. On the application of Mr. Llew. Williams, K.C., the Recorder agreed to state a case for the High Court, and the recognisances enlarged to the 25th inst. _u

IN PARLIAMENT. Recruits From Ireland Before August. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Thursday. I A new writ was ordered to be issued for. the election of a member of the Ross Division of Herefordshire in the room of the late Col. Clive, killed in action. Mr. Peto asked the Foreign Secretary whether the special attention of neutral governments had been called to reports received of the ill-treatment of British prisoners of war in mines and in many of the working camps, also of offioers and throughout the Tenth Avmy COTVS district, and of prisoners behfrfS flKriina on the Eastern and Western Fronts, and whether any general international repre- sentation of neutral governments to the German Government on this subject would be invited. Mr. James Hope, who replied said it was not thought by the British Govern- ment that the steps suggested would prove effective for the desired purpose. The matter was now before the Ministry of Information, who would be glad to take every step in its power to en- lighten public opinion throughout the civilised faorld as regards the brutality now revealed. Mr. Rowlands and Mr. Gilbert ques- tioned the President of the Local Govern- ment Board with reference to the issue by certain Unionist Associations in Lon- don of forms of registration inquries in cotourable imitation of' official forms which stated that it was essential that men and women should have the assist- ance of associations in applying for a vote. Mr. Hayes Fisher eaid it was of course nnnocessary to have such assistance. Forms sent out by party organisations should not be similar to official forms, as the result could only be to confuse elec- tore. During the asking of a lumber of sup- plementary questions, Mr. Billing con- tinually interrupted, calling out Poli- tical Trickery," "The Last Dying Effort of a Dead P arty. (1-ghter)-and Highly Dishonourable." The Speaker eventually intervened with a request to the hon. member to behave himself. Asked a it was the intention of the Government to refrain from enforcing conscription in Ireland until an Irith Par- liament had been set up, Mr. Bonar Law said he could add nothing to the state- ment on the subject made by the Prime Minister. Aeked further if the Governme-nt would get recruits from Ireland before August, Mr. Bonar Law said: "Yes, we hope to get them before that." Mr. Bonar Law said the differences in policy between General Trenchard and the Air Minister which led to the re- signation of the former came before the War Cabinet. It was not coniftatott with the public interest to make any f statement on the subject. Mr. Bonar Law said that Sir David I Henderson had tendered his resignation from the Air Council on the ground that he would not be able to work with the new Chief of,Staff. Mr. Bonar Law announced that the I Budget wtuld be taken on Monday.