OFFICIAL NEWS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 54, 1 September 1914, Page 7

OFFICIAL NEWS

PRIME MINISTER'S MESSAGES.,

The following telegrams were received, yesterday by the Prime Minister from ' the High Commissioner's Office :—• LONDON, 31st August. 12.45 a.m. The Admiralty reports that in the ' action of the 28th off Heligoland tho> Arethusa, and not the Amethyst, play- I ed the principal part. The principle of the operation was a Bcooping movement by a strong force of destroyers, licaded by the Arethusa, to cut the German, light craft from home and engage themat leisure in the open sea with the battle-cruiser squadron, when the. opportunity artived. Intercepted German* j signals confirm the sinking of a third German cruiser by the Ariadne. The* British destroyers exposed themselves to a considerable risk in saving German Bailors. British officers vouch for the i fact that they observed German officers - shooting their own men in the water. The complements of the five German vessels known to be sunk total 1200, and with the exception of 330. have perished. The total of the British casual* ties was 69. The success of the operation was due to information brought to tho Admiralty by submarine officers. To-day's reports justify neither pessimism nor over-confidence as to thd> position of tlio Allies.' > LONDON, 31st August. 6.40 a.m. The French Embassy states that theleft wing of the Allies has taken then 1 offensive and driven the Prussian guards back to Guise. There is heavy fight-., ing south-West of Mezieres, due to ail 1 advance by an army tinder the Crown Prince. The French are taking the offensive iv Lorraine. The. enemy has pushed back intact the allied line from the Sombre to the Somme, and over-> run north-west France with cavalry. The Russians are approaching the fortresses of tfliorn and Graudeiizt TheAustrians invading Russian Poland are advancing towards Lubin.