Barry Dock News

GRAVITY OF THE WAR. I Some people still tell us that the true magnitude of the gigantic struggle in which we are involved is not yet fully realised by the great mass of the people. They say that at a time when the crisis of life and death is facing us, there -is evidence of far too much levity, thoughtlessness, self-indulgence, and indifference. Crowds flock to football matches and places of amusement. Strikes are frequent.. Drunkenness is still rife, and the loafer is to be (seen in the streets. The actual conflict of armies, and the devastation of war, are too far away to impress themselves on those who must see and feel before they can realise. Vast numbers, it is true, are rendering what personal service they can to the national cause, and in every household tribute is being paid. -diroctly and indirectly, to the immense financial cost of the war. But there is much more yet to be done, and not the least important of the lessons we have to learn is that of rigid economy. In a war on the present scale nothing can assure us of victory, short of the last ounce of national effort and great per- sonal sacrifice. The nature of the fin- ancial sacrifices we may be called upon to make has been indicated by Mr. Montagu, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. "Every citizen," he has told us, "ought to be ready to put half his income at the disposal of the coun- try by tax or loan." That is much easier said than done. The working man could not possibly maintain him- self and his family on half his earnings, neither could the majority of men of the professional and business classes. Pro- bably Mr. Montagu merely meant his drastic appeal as a warning that the civil population must stint itself more than it. is doing, and to be content with a lower standard of living. To a good many people, especially to those whose means are a little above the old income- tax exemption limit, it would appear that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has already imposed a heavy direct ex- action, to say nothing of the ind,ired taxes they have to pay. But the Gov- ernment is credited with the intention of putting on more new taxes before long, so that economy fooks like being made a stern necessity for the majority of people. Of course, war necessarily involves abnormal finance, and we must accept with the best grace we can mus- ter the measures necessary for meet,ins: our vast expenditure. But we are en- titled to protest against. the practice known as "passing it on. This result of increasing the prices of necessaries, raising rents, land demanding higher wages, is not to help to pay for the war. The individual duty is to be thrifty and economical, not to push an undue proportion of the burden on to somebody else The whole populatiO¡lI' has la direct liability for the war, and justice demands that each incRviduaFs share should be proportionate to his (ueans*

THE WEEK'S NEWS FROM BARKY SOLDIERS. D.C.M. FOR BARRY SOLDIER. I CONSPICUOUS BRAVERY OF WELSH GUARDSMAN. Private D. C. Grant was four years a member of the Glamorgan County Constabulary, and was stationed at Bridgend, Porth, Porthcawl, and Llantwit Major. He is now 25 years of age, the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Grant, of 66, High-street, Barry. Grant joined the Welsh Guards on the formation of the Bat- talion; and proceeded to Franco with the Brigade of Guards two months ago, being attached to the Prince of Wales' Company of the Welsh Guards, and took part in the memorable attack of the Brigade at Loos, and in the storm- ing of Hill 70, where he distinguished himself by several conspicuous acts of bravery, including the bringing iinto safety of a wounded comrade in a terri- fie hail of shell and machine gun fire. His bravery is to be rewarded, for the commanding officer of his battalion, Colonel Murray Threipland, has com- municated to the hon. colonel, Lord Harlech, that Grant has been recom- mended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Private Grant was himself wounded in action and is now in hospital in France. He was highly popular in the Glamorgan Force, and none are more pleased that his distinguished bravery has been so conspicuously rewarded than his former comrades in the county constabulary, and the inhabitants gen- I orally of his native town of Barry. He was a member of the Welsh Guards Glee Party which recently visited Car- diff. NOTHING COULD STOP THE WELSH BOYS. me Private P. Hughes (587), Co. 3. Platoon 9, 1st Batt. Welsh Guards, a Barry boy, whose home is at No. 58, Main-street, Cadoxton, writing to the "Barry Dock News" from France, de- scribing the gallant part played by the Welsh Guards in the great drive re- cently says the Guards were told off to attack the strongest position of the enemy on Hill 70. The advance was made under "hellish fire." It was an awful jght to see the dead lying about, but the brave boys went on—nothing could stop them! "As we passed through the village of (Loos we, presume) "the enemy stormed us heavily, and every house seemed to be blown to atoms. Gas was also resorted to, but to no avail-we pressed on. Up our gallant boys went, the Germans fly- ing before them. When we got to the top of the hill, the Germans pointed "their deadly machine-guns upon us for seven hours, and hundreds of our brave men fell. At night fall we dug our- selves in. Next day our General in- spected us and told us -it was the most gallant charge he had ever seen and would live in the history of the war." "WEAR HIM OUT TO FINAL DEFEAT." Writing) jfrom the (British Expedi- tionary Force in France, Private W. E. Flower, of the Royal Engineers, son o.f Mr. W. J. Flo wens, Court-iroad, Barry Docks, says :The French are driv- ing the Germans before them. On our right we can hear continuous bombard- ment, and I hear that the Germans have lost heavily by making attacks with forlorn hopes. When the spirit of the Huns is broken the retreat will begin in earnest. Of the Germans in general they have been brought up on the text book and trained in the workshop. This is all right up to a point, but when he finds that he has made mistakes, then the testing comes in. If I mistake not, it is just here the Allies will wear him out. and inflict a final defeat." BARRY FOOTBALL CAPTAIN KILLED IN ACTION. News reached Barry on Monday last, from the chaplain of his regiment, that Rifleman Richard Clutterbuck, of the Rifle Brigade, .son of Mns. Dowdeswell, of 30, Travis-street, Barry Docks, had been killed in action in France. Rifle- man Clutterbuek, who was a sniper, was twenty years of age, and joined the Colours in September, 1914. He was a. popular member of the Barry Y.M.C.A. Football Club, and for one season captained the elder team. He was a .pupil of Gladstone-road Council School, and was captain of the school football team. WITH THE "WELCH" AT GALLIPOLI. BARRY OFFICER WOUNDED IN" THE FIGHTING. Councillor Dr. P. J. O'Donnell, J.P., of The Towers, Barry Docks, received a telegram from the War Office on Tuesday last, informing him that Lieut. E. W. Donnell, late of the 12th Welsh, now attached to the 8th Welch Bat- talion on active service witfi the B.E.F. at Gallipoli, was wounded on the 13th j instant, and is now. in hospital at the The extent of the young officer's in- juries is not known, no particulars being to hand. Lieut. Eddie O'Don- nell is the eldest son of Dr. O'Donnell, and for some years was prominently identified with athletics, being a cele- brated runner and ex-champion of the South Wales Harriers' Club. He sailed for the Dardanelles a month ago, but whether he was now engaged in the fighting at the Peninsula or in Serbia has not been ascertained. BROTHER KILLED, BROTHER I WOUNDED. Private J. H. Watson, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Watson, of Broad- street, Barry, has died of wounds at Etaples, France. He was only 18 years of age, and belonged to the 9tli Devons. Watson's brother, Private T. G. Watson, who was also in the 9th Devons, is in hospital at Shorncliffe, Kent, with a bullet in his knee. BARRY BROTHERS: KILLED AND MISSING. News has been received at Barry that Private Albert Clarke, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, son of Mr. A. R. Clarke, dock pilot, was killed in action in France on Sept. 27 th. The family has also been notified that a brother, Private Harold Clarke, who left Australia with the second contin- gent to leave that country, is miing. i YOUTHFUL BARRY SNIPER KILLED. The sad news reached Mrs. Burton, of 11, Wenvoe-terrace, Barry, on Wed- nesday .last that her son, Private Ed- ward Burton, of the 9th Devons, had died of wounds. Pri vateBurton was only 17 years of age, and was a sniper. He received dangerous wounds some time ago, being shot through the thigh and abdomen. He was a prominent footballer, having organised many junior teams at Barry. DEPARTURE FOR OVERSEAS. I I For the information of his friends, Trooper C. S. Rees, 2nd Dragoon I Guards, Queen's Bays, son of Mrs. L. Rees, 10, Olive-road, Barry Island, de- I sires to state that he left Alder.shot with his regiment for active service I Overseas on Sunday last. I BARRY ISLAND SERGEANT WOUNDED. Sergeant Robert Knill, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, son of Mrs. and Mrs. George Knill, Phyllis-fstreet, Bairry Island, has been wounded in action in France. He was formerly in the Newport Police Force, and well-known as a boxer.

MRS GRUNDY'S JOTTINGS. The Revs. J. S. Longdon and Ifor Davies, General Lee, Mr 0. H. Jones, Mr D. T. Alexander, and Mr R. A. Sprent have been elected to seats on the standing committees of the Llandaff Diocesan Conference. Mr and Mrs Pook, The Heather, Evelyn-street, have four sons on active service. They have heard from Mr Phil. Pook, formerry port sanitary inspector at Rarry. He is one of the four brave boys from the family who are doing service for their country. D A movement is on foot to form a Detachment of Girl Guides in Barry. -:0:- Two country yokels were recently dis- cussing the war. "Garge," said one, "I wuz in Lunnon t'other day. Ye ough'ter go theer. Yer can't go enny- where without heerin' about them there Charlie Zepp'lins." -:0:- To-day (Thursday) is Trafalgar Day, the anniversary of the most glorious ac- hievement on the seas. -:0:- Two little Barry boys, left in the care of their grandmother, were getting ready a night or two ago for bed, and were saying their prayers. Little Les- lie was asking in a loud voice for a cer- tain Christmas present. His brother was curious to know why he spoke so loudly. "God," he said, "isn't deaf." "No," answered Leslie, "but grandma is!" "Smith," said a Barry hotel mana- ger to a waiter, "Why did the gentle- man from the table leave so suddenlv?" "Well, sir," replied the waiter, "he sat down and asked for sausages, and I told him we were out of them, but if lie would wait a few minutes I would get the cook to make some." "Well," said the manager, "what then ?" "I went to the kitchen, resumed the waiter, "and accidentally trod upon Fido's tail, and of course.he yelped, and suddenly the gentleman got up and left!" — :o: — The Cardiff District, which includes Barry, of the British Medical Associa- tion, has made poor response to the call for doctors for militarv service. -:0:- We regret to state that Mr. J. E. Pardoe. surveyor to the Barry District j Council, has been taken ill, having i broken a blood-vessel iia. his arm,

OUR DERBY ARMY ROLLING UP. VIGOROUS BRITISH ATTACKS ON THE ENEMY. ALL THE ALLIED POWERS CONCENTRATE ON THE BALKANS. BRITAIN AT WAR WITH BULGARIA. ALLIES' STEADY PROGRESS ALL ALONG THE LINE. INCREASED ACTIVITY IN ALL THEATRES OF THE WAR. I FRIDAY. British attacks were delivered on a three-mile front between a point south- west of Hulluch and the Hohenzollern Redoubt. In Sir John French's report on the battle was the first official refer- ence to the use of smoke and gas by the British. A thousand yards of trench taken on the southern part of the front were lost owing to the enemy's shell fire. Other gains, however, in- cluding the greater part of the Hohen- zollern Redoubt, were maintained. News from Serbia showed that the pressure wais increaising, but the enemy was only advancing by inches." All the railways were so far intact. Ger- many claimed the first real success in the capture of the Pojarevatz position, south of the Danube, after a four days' battle. Italitaii co-operation in the Balkans was announced by M. Viviani. the French Premier, on Thursday. SATURDAY. Britain declared war on Bulgaria on Thursday. The Bulgarian Army commenced at- tack on the Serbian eastern frontier, and enemy communiques reported the oapture of the pass and heights over- looking the Zimok Valley, north-east of Nish. .&),ti,tli of the Danube the Germans in the Morava Valley sought to join with the Bulgarians, the two forces being 95 miles apart. During Thursday night there was extraordinary activity of artillery on both sides in the west. Berlin reported airship raids on stations behind the French front in Champagne, and in Russia at Minsk, south-east of Vilna, causing five explosions and a fire. Ten new V.C.'s wre announced on Saturday, nine of them be-ing awaaxied to the AustraliiiaaTs for valour in Galli- poli. MONDAY. I Part of the French force landed at Salonika was reported to have come to the assistance of the Serbians, and to have turned on Monday the scale in a battle in Serbian Macedonia. Athens reports says the Bulgarians, who advanced on Nish-Salonika Rail- way at Valandovo, in a strength of 40,0U0 were repulsed towards Strum- nitza, the occupation of which by the Allies was imminent. Several Bul- garian regiments were wiped out. The Serbians, making a magnificent stand defeated a 'German attempt to surround their Semendria wing. Ger- man losses on the north front were esti- mated at 75,000.. It was computed that the Italian con- tingent number not fewer than 150.000. In the West a victorious counter- attack by the French on Saturday en- abled them again to drive the Germans from the summit of the Hartmanns- weilerkopf. and also to capture a Ger- man fort. r The Italians began an attack on the great Riva fortress group, which com- mands the roads to Trent, and gained an important success. TUESDAY. A French communique announced the occupation by the Franco-Serbian force of the south-we&tern Bulgarian: town of Strumnitza, The Bulgarians were described by Berlin as advancing via Elgi Palanka, ten miles over the frontier and thirty miles from the railway at Kumanovo. The furthest advance of the northern enemy forces is to Boeevac, about four- teen miles south of the Danube. The Allies made a descent upon the Turkish coast at Enos, a dramatic opening, if true. An air raid on the French eastern I fortress of Belfort was reported, eighty bombs being dropped. Sir Edward Carson has resigned his position in the Cabinet. It is under- I stood that the Attorney-General has taken this step, not in consequence of the conscription controversy, but in I connection with affairs in the Near East. WEDNESDAY. There was greatly increased activity in all theatres of war. On Tuesday the, Germans delivered an attack on the British between Hulluoh and the Quar-I ries, but were completely repulsed. A battle on a large scale was fought east of Rheimis. The Germans took the of- j fensive, aided by gases .and suffocating shells, but in the end suffered sf com- plete defeat, sustaining important' losses. The Italians have taken the offen- sive at several points on the Trentino front, and gained important successes. ¡ On the eastern front the Germans at- tempted with six corps to take Riga, j while the Russians have renewed ac- j tivity. with good results, in the dire.,c- tion of Kovel. In the Balkan theatre the Bui- garians have captured Vrania, and out the Salonika communications south of Xish. The Austro-German advanee is sün held within about fifteen miles of Bel- I grade and the Danube. A report from Sir John French des- cribes our new line south of La Bassee. running across the west slope of Hill 70. THURSDAY. Sir John French reports that the enemy losses were very severe in their attack on the British lines. Considerable mining activity on both sids prevailed at Gallipoli. Five British soldiers working underground were buried in an enemy mine-explosion, ard were given up as lost, but dug themselves out three days later. From the Serbian side it is denied that Vrania has been captured. More brilliant results of the Italian offensive in the Trentino are announced.

All the Barry Detachments of V.A.D. were represented at the inspection by the Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan (the Earl of Plymouth) at Cardiff last Sat- urday. The display was a magnifi- cent one, taken part in by at least two thousand members of the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Companies from all parts of the County. The Lord Lieutenant was accompanied by the District Commander, Colonel J. A. Hughes, C.B.. D.L.. Barry. -:0:- The Barry Trades and Labour Coun- cil have passed a resolution "strongly resenting the actions of certain house- owners and agents in raising the rents of their houses. anctthus enforcing fur- ther hardships on the workers. The Council consider such action to be against the interests of the country and ¡ most unpatriotic, and decided to call a public meeting of the ratepayers to demonstrate and stop this exploita- tion. —:o: — It is t.he privilege of Barry that one J of her sons, Private D. C. Grant, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Grant. 66. High-1 street, has been the first to gain dis- tinguished honour in connection with the Welsh Guards, having been recom- mended for the D.C.M. for conspicuous bravery in the recent fighting on Hill 70. — :o:— Major R. W. Pic ton Evans, who was attached to the 12th Welsh Regiment' at Barry, has sailed for the Dardan- elles, and will attach himself to the, 1 I

I RANDOM REFLECTIONS. I [BY ROVER."] "SOMETHING AT THE DOCKS It has always been an inexplicable It  mystery to me why anyone who seeks- to earn, or otherwise get, his living at the Docks should immediately lose his status -in Society as a human being, and be no longer referred to as someone or somebody, but be inevitably desig- nated Something at the Docks." He has, apparently, by some psychological incongruity, become associated with the cranes and other inanimate objects scattered about. One might be led to assume that he is a machine, that his activities are of such a mechanical nature that he has no occasion to utilise his brain power. 'e, h!iis I)raiii power. suggest, that the mental func- nons are disused would be a cruel calumny, for nowhere is the grey mat- ter worked more overtime than in ship- ping circles, where scheming and coun- ter scheming is a constant occupation; and this perpetual concentration on the art. of doiii(-r is presumably think- ing," although how far it conforms with our conceptions of the best in us, mentally and morally, is a totally dif- ji ferent consideration. I Docks are wonderful places. To ap- preciate how wonderful you have to become a bee, or a drone, in the hive of industry. Nowhere is intrigues, bribery, and corruption reduced to such a fine art; nowhere is ganibling and vice more rampant. The evils per- meate the whole gamut. Like all can- cerous growths each spreads its evils. The vicious 'thread-like tenacles are even intertwining in the vitals of the town itself. Business between ship and shore is as often corruptly arranged as honestly, and so insidious is the canker that the tradesman—even the so-called "istraight"—has no twitching of con- science, but deems it legitimate trad- ing. If we stop to analyse it, it is barely distinguishable from the im- moral bribery and corruption practised and exposed, say, in the State of New York. And the most serious aspect is that the participant is so contamin- ated that he is incapable of appreciat- ing the mischief being done to his moral fibre. Bribery is such an element in the life of the Docks that, from the office boy upwards, it is deemed practically a right. It takes various forms, from the humble tanner to the bottle of port, the box of cigars, or the dinner with a note under the pi ate: but whatsoever guise it assumes it remains a principle and fact, corruption If corruption is the companion of "Something a,t the Docks," he must also be cognisant of the gambling that seethes in his environment, from those. who. gamble with the lives of men to the workers who play pitch and toss in the shelter of truck or shed, and who peruse, in snatches, greedily, fever- ishly. often tremblingly, the sporting editions. Slips are as current as coins almost, and sweepstakes are an institu- tion. In such a demoralising atmos- phere the lad who keeps straight must have exceptional strength of character ami keen vision. He deserves success, but frequently does not. attain it from a lack of oiling ability. i,, one of Something .at the Docks is one of the most skilful evaders of the just claims of the Nation upon the indivi- dual purse, in the myriad industries of our country. He is admittedly a past master in the art of cooking" his accounts. In these days, when wealth flows so freely around our Welsh ports, it is a very moot point whether the dockite pays up like a man. .Some of the stories of the fabulous sums earned by Something at the Docks are probta-bly exaggerated, but there must be more than a grain of truth in the rumours. Personally, I overheard one individual state that the one year, when lie paiid income tax, was the identical year when he had earned the least. He gloated over the fact. Is that a fair attitude to adopt in a period of such stress as we are passing through? How many of us would un- shirkingly and 'smilingly fulfil our ob- ligations to the State if it were possible for us to "swap positions? Finally, why is there such a marked contrast between the morals of Some- thing at the Docks" and a collier, a smelter, etc.? I believe that the crux of the whole matter is the multiplicity and diversity of occupations. The dock seems a little world, complete in itself, and the nature of its varied activities and their inter-relation^hip is condu- cive to low morality. The collier is not directly in contact with other occupa* tions, neither is the smelter, etc.. and this tends to give each a purer moral tone.

A war wail at Barry—"What are you doing about clothes this winter, Jack r1 a young spark at Barry was overheard to ask his friend. uOh, noth- ing, Bert, absolutely nothing, old chap. I am going to do without anything. It l will be such a change!"

Colonel J. A.Hughes, C.B.. D.L.. the Deputy-Commander for Glamorgan of the Voluntary Aid Detachments (says the "Western Mail") makes a fine figure iin khaki. He is brother to the late Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, the famous Wesley an preacher. His sis- ter, Miss E. P. Hughes,'is an active educationist and a member of the Glam- organ County Education Committee. Colonel Hughes is interested fin recruit- ing, ambulance work, nursing, and Boys' Brigades and Scouts. One was reminded of old times last Sunday bv the strains of a drum and fife band,* wafted through the air from the instruments of a soldiers' band, which paraded the main streets of the town at the head of about 250 Tommies. as the "Welsh" marched from the But- trills to St. Mary's for church parade. The band played remarkably well, too. -0:- I The Barry Observatory is open for I public observation on two nights a I week. Wednesday and Saturday, from 7.30 to 9 p.m.. commencing October I 20th. Two members will be in attend- ance. Should the skv not be suitable for observations, short papers on Astronomy will be read, and demonstra- tions on the use of the telescope given. self-consciousness of one of "Kitchener's Own. "—"With all due re- gards to you and your bloke, Sarah. I say a soldier's more than a policeman. Besides, now wouldn't you rather win ? V.C. than ? P.C.. I ?sk you?"