Llangollen Advertiser Denbighshire Merionethshire and North Wales Journal

ws from the North Sea, I ¡r has dissolved in facts, and we now anti relyj understand what naturally puzzled the Dutch at the time: why a "victorious" I Germanfleetshoüld so P recipÍtaLly have fled from the scene of their "triumph"! The fact is that the Germans achieved no victory at all. Aided by extremely favourable physical conditions they en- countered the British battle-cruiser squad- ron, and on finding themselves outnumbered on +1, arrival of the main British fleet, they were obliged to abandon their enter- prise in the north," whatever it may have been, and scurried back td port, hotly i chased by their, defeated" foes, to tell their Bill Adams yarns to a gullible folk at home! Unfortunately, as is inevitable in this titanic struggle, the greatest in naval annals, we have sustained severe losses in ships and men, and we offer our sympathy to relatives of our gallant offi- cers and sailors in this district in their tragic though inspiring bereavement. But if what happened last week passes for II I I victoiy with the German people it is the sort of success that (except for the loss of life) need cause us no great constern- ation, and some people who were on Saturday talking ominously of "disaster" and is- cussing whose head they should demand in j consequence, must by this time regret that j they did not await the Admiralty's completer j statement before passing judgment on our 1 navy's doings. Such hasty comment is not the way to help to win the war, and it can j easily help to hinder victory by giving j neutrals a false impression of British nerve and determination. Happily, neutrals, like ourselves, now j know more of the truth, if not yet quite j the whole story. For that, perhaps, we must still wait in patience until it can be fully gathered and public interest permits its publication. But, as the "Times," on Monday, pointed out, We know now that the British Admiral swept the scene of action backwards and forwards all Thursday morning and found no foe to encounter him. He then steamed leisurely homeward. Our main Fleet is again ready for action; our blockade is in- tact our transports and our merchant vessels pass and repass as before. Broad facts like these speak for themselves, and i from all Allied and neutral countries comes proof that they are understood. I And that is all, for the present, that we! need ask for. Later, when the technical aspects of the fight are thoroughly investi-, gated by the experts, we may discover many important lessons from this first experience I of actual contact with the German Grand Fleet, but even then they will be questions for the experts rather than for the public, II who may, we think, safely leave our naval ?p rute?Qti(>n in the hands of the Adauralty. So far, at any rate, it is not in the least impaired, and, if it is true that the Hinden- burg, is amongst the heavy German losses, then the familiar popular night-mares about her prodigious armaments (il they -ever existed) need affright us no longer. Viewing the battle as a whole, indeed, the only cause for regret is, in the words of his Majesty, that the. German High Seas Fleet, in spite of its losses, was enabled by the misty weather to evade the full consequences of an encounter they have always professed to desire, but for which when the opportunity arrived they showed no inclination. v This delightful Royal sarcasm accurately reflects the feelings of all his Majesty's subjects who view the situation in its true and by no means unfavourable light, and certainly, even on the facts already known to us, we can unite with the King in declar- ing that they amply justify confidence in the valour and efficiency of the fleets under Admiral Jellicoe's command. ) Yet, no amount of efficiency can reduce the risks of war beyond a certain point, and unhappily, the satisfaction with which we were on Tuesday discussing the latest and best news of Sir John's dashing enter- prise was suddenly obliterated by the almost bewildering information, issued by the Admiralty, that the Hampshire, with her highly distinguished passengers, had been sunk "either by a mine or torpedo." The report was first treated by many as a grim joke, and it was not until the official statement was issued, from our office and that of our contemporaries that the public consented to give it credence. Even now information is far too scanty to afford material for any useful comments or conjectures. Nor is it the place to enter fully upon the, long and brilliant career-of military service to the Empire brought to so tragic and sudden a close. We can only here quite briefly set on record what we believe will be the itnmediate effect of this dramatic news—that the nation will derive from its disasters even more fully than from its triumphs the spirit of deter- mination to press forward towards the vic- tory for which so high a price is exacted. LOCAL NOTES j LLANGOLLEN URBAN COUNCIL. I Several questions of moire than passing in- terest occupied the attention of members of the Llangollen Urban Council at their meeting on Wednesday night. One matter, which is is supposable, will cause some afftouM of atten- tion, even beyond urban borders, is the state- ment vouchsafed by the C16rk to County. 1 CcMUMmI, in response to the Votest nmd?.by ■■ 'v ■' t the urban authority against the disposition on 1 the part of the higher authority not to exercise economy in certain departments whilst most other bodies, important or: unimportant, are doing. their best to cut, down expenses,- A portion of the letter that should particularly, I appeal to Alderman Dodd (in view of his re- icent suggestion the the Education Commit- tee did not require an increased rate at all a,nd that an additional twopence in the pound was literally flung at them of which, willy niily, and they were c-ompeiled to accept h-aif and ifchat much against their wisJies) is that in which the Clerk to the County Council, says that the -Education Rate was raised by Id. in £ in order to pay increases in the sajaries of some teachers and portions of others who have gone on war service. In view of this official statement, it ] is fair to mk how would these dMbursments have been met, had the ex pressed wish of the I Education Authority not to accept any in- crease in the Education Rate been complied wihh, and it must be borne in mind that, de- spite these increases, the teachers of taw county—to judge from what happened at the recent conference-by no means consider they arc fairly remunerated. THE CHAIRMANSHIP. t Capt. Fred Drinkwater-on.e of a trio of brothers who, since the outbreak of hostilities have been rendering splendid service in one form or another to the "cause," and who is still with his regiment at Bedford—Writes an inspiring letter to the Council, accepting the chairmanship, and expressing the hope that, during rear of office, it may be his good fortune to share in the welcome given to our gaUnt lads when they return ftxnn France. "Dr. Frad" and "Veterinary Surgeon "Frank" both hold commissions, the httter being at the front, whilst "Dr. Dick," Medical Officer of Health to the Urban Authority, has rencle-red yeoman service in connection with adding to the strength of the force, of which iHUlO domini alone prevents him from being a fighting member. The announcement that Llangollen GntUlcil had elected, as their president, a "khaki, chairman" was everywhere received I with satisfaction; expressions of which are re- vived locally by the whole-hearted manner in which Captain Drinkwater indicates his appreciation of the hnnour confefrred upon him. And it is good to know that, al- thoughh it is impassible he should be very con- stant in hds. attendance at the meetings, in Mr. Arthur Edwards the authority possesses a vice- chairman of sterling calibre and not the least tangible p-orffiionof the debt which Llangollen owes him is due to the readiness with which he stood aside—for, "constitutionally speak- ing" he should have succeeded to the chair this Jear-t.o permit, the web-merited honour to he eoufered upon Dr. Drinkwater, and thus to enable Llangollen to indicate, effectively and officially, its appreciation of those who are serving King and country. I I DAYLIG-'HT SA.VNG-"BILL." I A note of qui«t humour was sounded by the Chairman, at Wednesday's meeting of the Council, when he indicated that, in order to officially inaugurate the "Daylight Saving Bill" at Llangollen, it was necessary to incur an expendiiture of six shillings. It came about in this way: Mr. Edwards and public officials had assembled in the clock tower, at the Town Hall, to put forward the hands; and their equanimity waa. disturbed by witnessing what (the winder-up of the public tiihe-keeper is required to do. It has been his custom, by an acrobatic performance, to reach up and I "swarm through" a narrow apperture to the rear of the clock and so obtain a position to set things going once a week. This is not to occur again. The old order of things has been run-out, and a new order "rung" in, by the purchase, for z4ix shillings, of aneigiM-runged contraption. This, is the ladder of success which, in future, the "winder-up of local af- fairs" must scale before he begins operations aad Mr. Arthur Edwards ? rightly proud of  the achievement which will become "An Arthun.an Legend" at Lla.ngoÍlen so far as the inauguration of the "Daylight Saving Bill" is concerned. It is a fact, however, that is com- mented upon locaily that a Bill ostensibly de- signed to save us something, has necessitated the expenditure of 72 pence. A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION. I Following comments made in our columns last week, regarding the unsightiv condition of the vacant space at, the top of Castle Street, conies the assurance, given at the Council on Wednesday nigjhrt, that it is the intention of the autlaority, as soon as practicable and if mat. ters can be arranged with the owner, to ac- quire the pi" of 14; enclose it and erfct thereon a public shelter. It is' sincerely to be nopfMl it may be found possible to carry out tJri$ programme; for a public shelter, and an open space of the kihd indicated at this cor- ner would be fine acquisitions to the town. The o,wner of the land-Mr. T. M. Rowlands, proprietor of the Pavilion Picturedrome— has done as much, if not more than any other man in the town, to successfully catet for the enitertainraent óf. visitors to the valley. I WhiM oth people have been discussrn# things should be dome, he has been doing them and it is the knowledge of this fact that strengthens the belief he will assist the au- thority bY4 every means in his power to carry forwud'l a," much-to-be-d&sired improvement. It,i,s ratber a curious fact thai the gales of a, few months back should have blown down the "hoaifdings at this particular poirot, and that local ratepayers should now be called upon, by raising the wind in quiite another way, to. .•set things ri-b 1, B..  ?. ?