, 1915-01-16

Dispatches from Washington state that
efforts are being made to arrange for per
mission for the "Dacia" to make this voyage
in order to fulfil her contracts. with IA reser-
walton regarding the right Of transfer.
The Committee of Imperial Defence held
long sittings yesterday morning and after
noon, lasting altogether nearly five hours.
There were present at the Conference Lord
Kitchener, Lord Fisher, Admiral Sir Arthur
Wilson, Earl Spencer, Mr.. Churchill, Mr.. As
quith, Lord Haldane, Mr.. Lloyd George,
Sir Edward Grey, Mr.. Balfour and a num-
Der of naval and military officers.
A despatch from Amsterdam states that
all ordinary passenger traffic has been stop
ped over most of the railways in Germany
until the eighteenth, in order 10 expedite
the movements of troops and munitions.
Advices from Rome state that the Deputy
for Lipari has telegraphed that the earth
quake disaster surpasses that of Meseina,
the ruin being more widespread and the
injury TO life and limb greater. An employee
of the municipality Of Avezzano, one Of the
few survivors in that town, says that the
dead include the Sub-Prefect and family,
the whole staff of the Prefecture, the staff
of the law courts, the Mayor and all the
members of the Municipal Council. Ninety
five Of the one hundred soldiers comprising
the local garrison lost THEN lives, also four
Of the seven customs officers and eight OF
the nine local policemen, Altogether there
are only 800 survivors out Of q population
of 5000, and nearly all of these are injured.
The neighbOuring villages suffered the
same fate and it is estimated that in this
small section 10000 persons lost their
lives and that hundreds are still buried
beneath the ruins.
Further reports over the crippled COM
munications show the disaster to have been
greater than al first thought, ana if any
indication can be taken from Avezzano and
the vicinity, the total Of the killed and in
iured in the whole stricken area may reach
$4,000. The area affected surpasses that of
the Messina disaster, covering the entire
central portion of Italy between the Adriatic
and the Tyrhenian seas, from Naples to
Ferrara. In Abruzzi, Latium and Campania,
it reached q degree described by scientists
as catastrophe, and it was severe also in
Umblia, Marches, Tuscany and Apulia, the
the towns being too numerous to specify.
Martial law has been declared and the King
is commanding soldiers with military sup
plies for the relief Of the distress.
Washington, Jan. 15th.-It is stated here
that unless the ex-British steamer "Farna',
which recently arrived at San Juan, Porto
Rico, under the German flag forthwith leaves
San Juan, its German crew will be interned
and the vessel will be returned to the Brit
ish owners.
1t is announced that on March 9TH Pre-
sident Wilson will start for the formal open
ing of the Panama Canal, arriving there on
the tenth. He will traverse the Canal on
board the U.S.S. "Oregon", Three days are
set down for the functions in the Canal zone,
and the feet with the President will go
thence to San Francisco. Only four foreign
warships will be present, Argentine, Cuban,
Spanish and Portuguese, hence there VIII be
no Presidential review, the American feet
being reviewed at Hampton Roads in the
autumn.