TURKS DRIVEN BACK

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 84, 2 January 1918, Page 5

TURKS DRIVEN BACK

SEVEN MILES OF COUNTRY GAINED ENEMY SUFFERS HEAVY LOSSES FEENCH ATTACK IN MANY PRISONERS. AND GUNS CAPTURED , An important success has been won by the French forces on the Italian front. Besides capturing enemy positions, they have-taken nearly 1400 prisoners, seven guns, and other material. The Germans, in powerful attacks, gained a certain amount of ground on the Cambrai front, but most of it has already been recovered. Tho British offensive in Palestine is maki iig prosperous headway. In recent fighting, tho onomy has lost very heavily, and the British have made another considerable advance north of Jerusalem. Some of to-day's .reports indicate that the Bolsheviki are likely to gain the support of the Constituent Assembly, when it meets, in concluding a separate peace with the Central Empires. Other reports state, however, that Bolshevik supporters'in Potrograd demonstrated against the Constituent Assembly, and also that Bolsh ovik forces in Southern Russia have been heavily defeated fry the Ukrainian Cossacks, and that the peas- [ ants in Siberia and tho Ukraine are refusing to send corn to Petrograd,

TURKS SEVERELY DEFEATED

GENERAL ADVANCE OF BRITISH TROOPS SEVEN MILES OF GROUND GAINED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. January p.m.) London, January 1. r> x, n ?!f s £ m , e oiEcial .,report states: "We occupied Beitin (the ancient Bethel), El Balua, a mile north of Birch, Khelburi, west of El Balua, Janiah and Raskerker, sis and' seven miles respectively north-west of Birch. The operations on Friday and Saturday .led to serious defeat of the- enemy The latter, on Thursday, with German assistance, determinedly attempted to retake Jerusalem. He nressed his attacks with vigour, continuing from 2 o'clock on the morning of Thursday for twenty-six hours. General. Allenby immediately counter-attacked on the Turkish west flank and progressed two and a half miles in very difficult country. "Seeing on Friday that the Turkish attack was spent, wo mado a general advance, our troops on the Nablus Road advancing to the north and those on their left to the eastward, and drove hack the enemy. We gained seven miles of ground., securing on the north-west four strong. positions between tho enemy and Jerusalem instead of one. The Turkish casualties were heavy, the killed alone being estimated at 1000. Six hundred prisoners have been counted and .twenty machine-gune."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable AssnReuter.

MORE ORDERLY CONDITIONS IN PETROGRAD

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY NOT OPENED FOR LACK OF A QUORUM CIVIL WAR GROWING IN SOUTHERN SIBERIA London, December 31. Mr. Ransome, Petrograd correspondent of the "Daily News," interviewed Trotsky at the Smolny Institute. Trotsky said: "The German Government, wiser than most, has thrown aside its grandioso plans of conquest, and accepts peace in which Germany is neither conqueror nor conquered." Mr. Bansomo adds that Petrograd is more orderly than it has been, for months' owing to the Bolshevik control. The people do not like the Bolsheviki but they obey their orders with startling alacrity. The only reason why the Constituent Assembly has not opened is that 400 delegates are necessary as a quorum, while only 391 have been elected. They include 123 Bolsheviks and 204 Social Revolutionaries, of whom half support Lenin and Trotsky Any attempt to turn out the present Government by force would only result in anarchy favourable to the Germans. Tlio Petrograd ' People's Commissaries have issued a, decree prohibiting bargaining in houses and land. They also intend to nationalise the insurance companies. Reports from Southern Siberia state that civil war is rapidly growing. For eight days there was continuous fighting at Irkutsk. The civilians and Cossacks fought against the Bolshevik regulars, and artillery was used without mercy. Whole districts were demolished. The troops in the Ukraine are operating success fully against the Bolsheviks.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CENTRAL POWERS WAR LEGISLATION REPEALED AND TREATY CONDITIONS RESTORED. ' . , • . . „• LT . London, December 31. A German wireless report-from Brest Litovsk gives further details of the agreement reached by Russia and tho Central Powers. It states that the arrangements were conducted in a conciliatory spirit with a view to a mutual understanding, An agreement was reached to restore tho treaty conditions interrupted by the war in respect to all rights of intercourse All special war legislation shall be repealed, and persons adversely affected shall be restored to their former rights or indemnified. Details regarding ' \Zr damages are left to be determined later, but arrangements wero made for indemnifying civilians outside the war districts and for tho reciprocal return of merchant vessels.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE GERMAN MEANING OF "NO ANNEXATIONS." rp, ,m m nu ■• i.. -. • •/' Londo ". December 31. The "Daily Chronicle',' says it is now evident what tho Germans mean by "without annexations." The negotiations show that they expect to re tain Poland, Lithuania, Courland, and portions of Esthonia aiid Livonia where the Germans have already induced faked Assemblies to declare for separation from Russia and independence under a Habsburg Kinc of Poland and a Hohenzollern King of Lithuania. Tho Central Powers will only cva'cu ate those territories when the Russian domocratisation (p demobilisation} is completed. Tho cynicism of these proposals is almost too much for tho Bolsheviki. But Russia has been brought to a point where the enemy can dip tato to her.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. RUSSIA SURRENDERS ALL CLAIM TO TERRITORIES. (Rec. January 1, 8.35 p.m.) ~.. , r . , London, December 31. J lie "Manchester Guardian" states:—"Tho agreement come to at the Brest Litovsk Conference represents tho terms of a separate peace, upon which the Bolsheviki have determined if the Allies refuse to join in a general peace. Russia has surrendered all claim to territories, without socuriii" more than a colourable appearance of liberty for her inhabitants. Russia is lost as an Ally."—United Service. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY ACCEPTS FIRST TWO ARTICLES OF TREATY. London, December 31. Austria-Hungary has signified her agreement to the first two articles of the peace treaty, as proposed by Germany.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. COURLAND PARLIAMENT FAVOURS CESSION TO GERMANY. London, December 31. I A Haparanda telegram states that tho Parliament of Courland has declared in favour of tho early cession of Cnurland to Germany. This information has been sent to Berlin, asking tho Germans to make tho resolution known at Brest Litovsk. The Russian troops in Esthonia aro dispersing and returning to tlioir homos.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. SECOND AUSTRO-GERMAN MISSION REACHES I'ETROGMD. (Rec. January 1, 8.35 p.m.) Petrograd, December 31. ■ Tho second Austro-Gorman mission has arrived. It, comprises representatives of the Foreign, Commerce, Industry, and Finance Ministries.— United Service, .

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY.

(Rec. January 1, ILS p.m.) c,,,,,, , • December 31. several hundred thousand Bolshevik supporters, troops, snilors, workmen, and women formed a procession through tho streets. It was essentially a Bolshevik parado before Gorman guests, and a demonstration against the Constituent Assembly. The peasants of Siberia and tho Ukraine refuse to send corn to Petrograd. Tho Commissaries liavo decided to abolish military rank, including non-commissioned officers. The decree removes nil distinctions in uniforms, closes officers' clubs, and levels all pensions to that of a soldier.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. BOLSHEVIKI HEAVILY DEFEATED BY THE COSSACKS. (Roc. January 1, 11.5 p.m.) ...... . Copenhagen, Docember 31. Advices from Haparnnda state that the Ukrainian Cossncks heavily defeated the Bolsheviki on tho south-wostern front, taking 400 prisoners and capturing eight heavy guns and 328 machine-guns. The Bolsheviki retreated in disorder.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. RUSSIAN ARMY IN PERSIA RETIRING. London, December 31. The Russian army in Persia is retiring, and the Bolsheviks hope to uso it against the rear of Kaledin's Cossacks and the Ukraine army.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. IRKUTSK BURNING AND THE POPULACE STARVING. ,'_,„, Peking, December 30. Tho Red Guards, m the course of fighting at Irkutsk, Siberia, murdered tho French Consular Agent and two other Frenchmen. Tho town is on fire, and the populace is' starving.—Router. BOLSHEVIK DISORDERS IN VLADIVOSTOK. „,,.,,., . Shanghai, December 30. Serious Bolshevik disorders are m progress in Vladivostok.—Reuter. AUSTRIAN MERCHANTMEN IN RUSSIAN PORTS RELEASED. (Rec. January 1, 11.5 p.m.) . _ , . L . . Coponhagen, December 31. ' Fourteen Austrian merchantmen, of 40,000 tons, have been released from Russian ports.—"Tho Times." CHINESE CONTROLLING THE SITUATION IN HARBIN m-p i mi hi t, , London, December 31. Iho Exchange Telegraph's Agency at Peking reports that evervono is delighted with the excellent manner in which tho Chinese military authorities are- dealing with the situation in Harbin. The Bolsheviki are comine to realise that Harbin does not belong to Russia.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CHINESE TROOPS MOBILISED ON TURKESTAN BORDERS. «, • . , , • ..,. , London, December 31. Chinese troops have been mobilised on tho borders of Turkestan, and nro preparing to enter Russian territory.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SWEDISH ARMIES CONCENTRATED ON FINNISH FRONTIER m <,ir • t, , , London, December 31. I lie Morning Post Petrograd correspondent reports that Swedish armies have been concentrated on the Finnish frontier, and are daily expected to advance into Finland, nominally in defence of Swedish rights which the Bolshevik troops have violated.—Aus.-N.Z. Coble Assn. JAPAN MAY TAKE DRASTIC MEASURES IN EASTERN SIBERIA CHINA WILL UNDERTAKE PROTECTION OF NORTHERN MANCHURIA. (Roe. January 1, 11.5 p.m.) ,p, . ; . . 'Ticntsinj December 31. ine impression is growing that the Japanese will bo forced to take drastic measures in Eastern Siberia in tho event of Maximalist influences continuing to spread eastward. It is expected that China will undertake tho protection of the entire northern Manchurian- zones.—Aus.-N.Z Cablo Assn.