THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 15655, 20 November 1914, Page 3

THE WAR

OCCUPATION OF FLANDERS DOES NOT PAY ENEMY. THEIR GUNS NEVER SILENT. Prett Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. PARIS. November 18 (midnight). Official : Thero was a verv violent and almost ceaseless cannonade throughout the day on the northern front. The Germans have mined and blown up tie western part of Chauvoncourt (Northern Franco). A HOPEFUL PROPHET. GERMAN RETREAT IMMINENT. PARIS. November 19. Temps's coireaoondent at Fumes (betw«cn Nieuport and Dunkirk) says: •'•Although it is impossible to give. details, I am in a position to state that the Germans have been crushed. They are now completely exhausted, and will soon be entirely driven out from France. Christmas will be celebrated with joy by nil the Allies, and especially by Russia. "It is stated that the Belgian Parliament will not meet in France, but will wait until it is able to meet in Belgium. THE NEXT STAND SOUTH OF BRUSSELS. LONDON. November 19. The 'Dailv Chronicle's' Calais correspondent states that German transport waggons are choking the roads to Brussels, [apparently preparatory to the fighting line being drawn further bark. The Germans havs completed concrete trenches on the field of Wat tl-.0, calculated to indefinitely defend th<» field with comparative comfort during the winter. The Allies hope that the Germans will make more attacks before retreating THE COST IN MEN. RUINED DIXMUDE'S TOLL. PARIS, November 19Dixmnde is now little more than a. name. Sine© October 16 it has been the storm centre of artillery file, and scarcely a stone is left upon a s'tone. The ruins hare hecome a vast necropolis f'.iv German '.each A German soldier stat-d that out of his troop of 3.000 barely 100 survived. YPRES ANOTHER HELL. FRENCH ARTILLERY SLAYS WHOLE BATTALIONS. (London 'Times' and Sydney 'Sun' Serric°s) LONDON. November 18. A French soldier, describing the righting at Ypres. says : " For 40 hours the troops fought almost foot to foot. I have seen a trench lost and regained seven time;. It was impossible to" describe such a hell. Our 75-millimetre mitrailleuses mowed down whole battalions of Germans. I myself saw a regiment advance, and 10 minutes later it had ceased to exist. In less than an hour 3,000 had been exterminated." PRUSSIAN GUARDS. THETR "FORLORN HOPE." (London "Times' »sdSydney "Stin" Service*.) LONDON. November 1 8. The Press Bureau publishes an article 'fiby an eye-witness of the fighting- at Ypres. • It says: " Although the Prussian Guards in their recent attack failed to acomplish their object, it cannot yet be described as a decisive event. Possibly it narks tho culmination of the second stage of the attempt to capture Ypres. That tho Guards were selected is a proof of the necessity felt by the Germans to gain their point. "The failure of the first great attack was heralded by impassioned appeals made in the presence of the Emperor, but carried out by partially-trained men. It was only the signal for a second desperate effort, which was entrusted to tho Guards, who retained their renutation for courage and contempt of death." NO REFUGE THERE. SHELLED FROM THE SEA. PARIS, November 19. The Germans on the coast of Flanders, noticing that the British warships' fire spared the houses on the Middlekerke sea front, went thither to reside This became known to the British naval officers, who suddenly bombarded the houses, killing 1,600 Germans. GETTING THE RANGE. A COOL FRENCHMAN. PARIS. November 19. During the northern battle a German shell feß near a French battery without bursting. A French artillery lieutenant, desiring to find the range, advanced amidst a hail of projectiles, examined the shell, and discovered that the fuse was pierced for 5,800 yards. The French regulated their fire accordingly, and silenced tho enemy's battery. THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. FIGHTrNG~IN POLAND. CRUCIAL TIME APPROACHING. PETROGRAD, November 19. The Germans have assembled their chief available forces in the neighborhood of Thorn, their immediate objectives being •Plock and Kutno, but as the previously wrecked lines of communication have not been restored, their movements are likely to be crippled for some time. A semi-official army message remarks that decisive events are impending between the Vistula and the Warta, which prove a long step towards.the successful conclusion ot the whole campaign. THE VISTULA BATTLE. BRAVE RUSSIAN DEED. PETROGRAD, November 19. The Germans wero constructing a pontoon over the Vistula when a Russian officer and 20 men, under a fearful fire, conveyed a barge and blew it up against the pontoon, destroying tho latter. Only a few Russians escaped alive. The troops in some places wero in contact for many hours, and thero were incessant bayonet attacks. RETICENT OFFICIALDOM. PETROGRAD, November 19. , Official j The Russian advance guards between the Vistula and tho Warta are falling back in the direction of Szoura (I Oasurkow, west of Lenczya). The enemy have reached the Lenczya district, south of Kutno. • Tie Russians continue fighting all the way towards the Gumbinnen-Augensburg • front, which the enemy are defending. The enemy have abandoned upwards of 200 dead in the trenches at Vershlagen. • The Russians defeated some Austrians at Lodovitx. IN THE BALTIC. GERMAN CRUISERS BUSY. PETROGRAD, November 18. Official : Two German cruisers and 10 torpedo boats bombarded Libau, causing several fires. The bombardment killed five, including some women. Thirty men in the fort .are v . injured. j&bultjs reported that a German destroyer and sunk. Russia's southernmost Baltie

A " HOLY WAR." GERMANyTnD ISLAM. AMSTERDAM, November 19. Berlin newspapers state that the Kaiser telegraphed to the Crown Prince that the Sheik-ul-Islam ftias proclaimed a holy war for the whole of the Islamic world. (London ' Times' and Sydney ' Sun' Services.) LONDON. November 19. A Berlin report. s.-»y« tha*- t,h-» Sultan's -litigation of a holy war is rousing great enthusiasm in Constantinople. TURKEY AND ALBANIA. ROME. November 19. - Tho Young Turks, believing that Essad Ben Asra aims at pacifying and freeing Albania, are stirring up insurgents under Kiamil Bey to turn Essad out. ON THE BLACK SEA. RUSSIAN FLEET HAVE COMMAND. PETROGRAD, November 18. Official : The Russian fleet cannonaded Fort Sarracks. at Trebizond (a port of Turkey in Asia). TURKEY'S MISTAKE. AMERICA EASILY SATISFIED. SMYRNA INCIDENT OVER. WASHINGTON. November 19. President Wilson is determined, despite all statements to the contrary, no matter what the facts of the alleged firing on the Tennessee appear to be, to avoid war with Turkey. The State Department confidently believes that the Ottoman Government will apologise for the Tennessee incident. LONDON. November 19The Tennessee has proceed to Chins fin th" /Efjean Archipelago), which is an indication that the Turkish fort's action was due to a misunderstanding. AMERICAN VESSEL SEIZED. WAR SUPPLIES FOR GERMANY. ATHFNS. November 19. The British tWt have seized the American steamer Tvroilland in the Mediterranean, with 2.500 tons of war munitions from New York, destined for Germany. THE OCEANIC. j LONDON, November 19. j A court martini has been opened to inquire into the wreck of the armed cruiser Oceanic, which occurred off Fould Island. [The Oceanic, an armed White Star merchantman, was sunk off the north coast of Scotland on September 9, her crew of 400 being saved.] GERMAN PAPER MONEY. DENMARK WANTED GOLD. COPENHAGEN. November 19. The German Government have sent 12,0Cf>.0CO mirks in gold to the Danish National Bank becuise the exchange on German bank notes has been daily falling since the outbreak of war. SOLDIERS' PENSIONS. LONDON, November 19. A Select Committee has been appointed by the House of Commons, on Mr Asquith's motion, to consider a soldiers' pension scheme. RECRUITING. THE SMALL MAN'S CHANCE. LONI>OX. November 19. Earl Kitchener has sanctioned the formation of a new bittalion, to be known a,s " Th-? B.vt-ims." the heights ranging from sft to oft 3in. WEEDING OUT ALIENS. LONDON, November 18. Forty-six members cf the "Canadian conI tinsent have been rejected on the ground that they were of German or Austrian ! nationality, and have re-embarked for Canada. A SENSIBLE STEP. AUSTRALIA AND ALIENS. SYDNEY, November 19An official proclamation prohibits enemy aliens, whether naturalised or unnaturalised, from being in possession of firearms or ammunition, and orders their surrender to the police. Firearms unsuitable for warfare may be retained, provided they aro submitted for inspection. THE GERMAN NAVY REALLY EAGER TO FIGHT. SO IT IS SAID. WASHINGTON, November 19. A correspondent of the New York ' American' alleges that the German navy is burning with anxiety to attack the British navy. Admiral Von Tirpitz is holding the ships back till the moment when a, sudden, unexpected, decisive blow will inflence the situation, so as to enable Germany to dictate a settlement favorable to herself. The correspondent adds that the Germans are obsessed with the belief that Great Britain will cry "Enough" the moment British blood is spilt on British soil. MINES OFF' THE IRISH COAST. MO LAID THEM? LONDON, November 19. In tho House of Loidfe Lord Meath hinted that the Grrman minefield off tho north-east coast of Ireland had been laid by Irish fishing boats in the service of German agents. Lord Meath asserted that there was a good deal of German money in Ireland. Ix>rd Crow© confessed that- Lord Mcath's suggestion had not been heard of before. The Government belie: was that the mines had been sown there under a neutral flag. GERMAN EAST AFRICA. SEVEN ACTIONS WITH VARYING RESULTS. LONDON, November 19In the House of Lords Lord Civ we stated that the German white population in East Africa was between 5.C00 and 6,000, which was reinforced by reservists from other parti of the world. Great Britain 'had sent reinforcements from India. Seven actions had occurred in British territory, with varying results. The total casualties for two months wero GOO. The fato of the German possessions must depend upon the ultimate settlement- of the war, but it was necessary that Great Britain should preserve a position of paramount power in Centio and Southern Africa. THE EMDEN'S LOSS. GETTING AT THE FACTS. MELBOURNE, November 19. In view of the official intimation that 150 of the Emden's crow have been landed at Singapore, the correctness of the previous statement that 200 were killed is questioned. Allowing for 20 of ■ the EmJen's men placed on tho captured steamer as a prize crew and 40 who escaped from Cocoa in the schooner Ayesba, the number killed out of a total crew of 320 would, at most, be 110, or. if the wounded are not included in the Singapore figures, only 80. NEW SOUTH WALES WHEAT. SYDNEY, November 19. In the Assembly the Treasurer (Mr Cann) said that the Gov-rnment v.«re communicating with other States and the Common nealth with reference to the wheat question, which would be allowed to stand over till Tuesday. Mr Cann also announced that the Go-

The folio-wing cable appeared in portion of our Stop Press yesterday:— A CANARD. NEW YORK, November 18. Surgeon J. C. Beaumont, an officer aboard the Olympic, stated on her arrival hero that it is absolutely untrue that the Olympic ever rescued a single blnojacket from the Audacious. Those passengers who have been sayinf saw the Audacious sink were simply lying. [Thero is a British battleship of that name.] OVERSEAS CLUB. The Ladies' Oommitteo were present at the club room yesterday for the purpose of arranging the donations that have been handed in during the week for the poor. The committee are verv much pleased with their appeal on behalf of the Christmas boxes for the Belgian.;, and are confident, from the amounts coming in, that a good cheque will be handed over for despatch to the sufferers overseas. The. Ladies' Committee remind nil donors of floweis for Hospital Saturday that it would be a great help if the buttonholes were made up and handed in to the Early Settlers' Hail on the Friday afternoon and evening preceding Hospital Saturday. ■ Roots of pansies or other flowers and flowers suitable for making up into bunches will aJfio be gratefullv received. The committee's thanks are du?" to all donors for their liberality, and special thanks are due to the children of Otago for their magnificent resi>onse. It was decided to write to Mr Eudey (Forbiiry School) asking him to convey to the pupils of the school the committee's appreciation of the splendid spirit of patriotism shown bv tho children, who have contributed £ll"l2s lid, sent in three large caves of clothing, helped to convey parcels to the depot, besides giving their services in the band on Trafalgar Day. The Caversham branch, in charge of Mesdames Morice and Ford, return thanks to the Caversham and St. Clair donors who have responded so liberallv to the Britisn ;un<l Belgian relief fund ; to the Rev. Mr Coatcs for the free use and lighting of ilk-clergv-housc; to .Mtts.s M'Connell arid Sons"and R. B. Hill (carrier) ; to the little band of wiljing workers who gave their time- daily *io mending and making up clothing ; and to Mrs Anscombe, sen., for collecting and mending one case of clothing in her own home. The depot will he open daily for receiving donations for local charitable institutions. The following donations are acknowledged :—Forburv School pupils £ll 12s lid, per Mrs Speight £lO, J.S. £2, Waikoikoi School £l, Roxburgh School £5, Walton I'axk School (per Miss Harrbon) £1 15s, Taumata School pupils 7s 6d, Coal Creek Flat School pupils 14s, Millers Flat School pupils £l, Bendigo School pupils 4s 6d, Papakaio School £1 7s 6d. J. J. Clark £2 2s ; also goods of various kinds. OUR EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. RESTRICTIONS RELAXED. A circular issued last evening by the Postmaster-general states that objection is now withdrawn to the publication of refer- | ences to and photographs of the embarka- ! tion and departure ot the Expeditionary Force. Such references and photographs, and also letters from the force, may now be published, but there is no permission to publish—(a) The date of departure of the New Zealand or Australian Expeditionary Forces from any port in New Zealand, Australia, or elsewhere; (b) the route to be followed by the Expeditionary Force; (c) the names of any warships or transports; (d) the dates of places from which private letters were written; (e) numbers or organisation of the Expeditionary Forces or any other Expeditionary Forces met with en route. Any breaches of tho regulations must be severely punished. ENGLAND'S INSIGNIFICANT ARMY. Colonel Ramaeciotti (formerly a partner in the theatrical firm of J. C. Williamson and Co.), who recently returned from England, in an interview with a Sydney ' Daily Telegraph ' representative, declared that Kitchener's army of a million men was rapidly coming into existence; in fact, the rate of progress had exceeded all expectations. " The material is of the very beet, and superior in every respect to the general run ot the 1913 Continental conscripts of three nations, whom 1 saw joining the colors exactly 12 months ago, when travelling on the Continent. Eighty per cent, of these recruits, whose average age is 25 to 26. are of the class of men one finds in the Guards, and altogether I never saw a keener lot of men. Their steadiness is really remarkable. I do not underrate the enemy, but I cannot shut my eves to the fact that we are steadily building a powerful army, full of .patriotism, with an excellent morale, while the enemy have drained their manhood practically dry, and aro without appreciable reserves to make the wastage good. One successful feature of the recruiting has been the creation of Kitchener's'battalions of chums.' Banks and mercantile offices round the Bank of England furnished no fewer than two battalions of men in the same walks of life, a good many of whom had known each other for vears. Battalions have also been drawn from specific districts." RECRUITING IN NEW SOUTH j WALES. The reported falling away in recruiting in England and in Otago finds no counterpart in New South Wales, where the surplusage of men grows everv day. Dry canteens have been established for the infantry at Liverpool and for the mounted men at Halsworthy, and among other stringent regulations it is provided that I the price of all articles must not exceed the local retail price. A movement has been started amongst Sydney golfers to provide, at an estimated cost of £2OO, regimental band instruments for the 7th Light Horse Regiment, who will be under the command ot Lieutenantcolonel J. M. Arnott, the popular captain of tho Concord Golf Club. £3OO FOR A FLAG. During the interval of an amateur performance of the opera ' Toreador' at His Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane, last week, the Hag of the steamer Southport was submitted to auction in aid of the patriotic funU, and after some spirited bidding was knocked down for £3OO. The Southport was captured a little time ago by the Germans at Ocean Island, and partially disabled. The vessel was repaired by the engineers, and arrived at Brisbane after an exciting voyage. MILITARY KNOWLEDGE. Great importance is attached by the Commonwealth Minister of Defence to the summer "schools" which it ha 6 been decided to establish in each State for the education of military officers in the higher phases of their duties. " Our object," said Senator Pearce, " is to get as many as we can to attend the schools, so that, if need comes, we shall have trained officers. If we are called upon to send another laTge force, we shall have officers ready to start upon the training of the men. As it is now, we have to start training officers." SOLD FOR A DOLLAR: A GUNBOAT'S PRICE. The Shanghai correspondent of the ' Central News' writes that the German gunboat Tsing-tau, which was at Canton on the outbreak of hostilities, had cleared for action whilst she was anchored off the Bund, but the majority of the crew had leit for Tsing-tau, leaving the uoat m charge of the chief engineer. One Monday she disappeared, after dropping the ammunition and guns overboard, and returned to Bund, and was sold for one dollar to a German firm. She now lies at the Bund, registered as a merchantman. THE SHIRKERS. Ever since the Deience scheme came into operation there have been a considerable number of young men in all parts of .New Zealand, and especially in Canterbury, who have attempted to dodge their obligations to defend their country. Even the war has failed to induce these shirkers to attend Territorial parades, and the authorities are contemplating taking steps to compel them to put in an appearance at

A SATISFACTORY OUTLOOK. One of the leading drug exporting concerns in London, in a letter to a constituent in Dunedin, says, at the middle of October : We are glad to be able to report a still more favorable position for everything affected by the war even than that mentioned in our September circular. Wo are still able to engage freights to all parts of the world with the greatest ease, and in no instance have the high freights at first imposed been imposed again, and 'vessels are sailing tcadvertised dates and times. Wo are still able to cover war risks at two guineas per cent. . . . but the risks of importing are hardly greater, thanks to the magnificent watchfulness of our grand fleet, even than they are in times of peace. . . . We know that our friends will be glad to hear thnt over ICO of the staff of this company, both from the office, the warehouse, and the laboratories, have volunteered and have

joined the Army until such time as a lasting peace shall be secured. At Home we are proud of the magnificent manner in which the Dominions, India, and the Crown Colonies have rallied to the Standard of the Empire.

A CLIMPSE OF THE MONMOUTH. It will bo remembered that the Turakina, on her Homeward voyage in August, was called upon when on the South Ame rican coast after leaving .Montevideo to supply provisions to H.M.S. Monmouth. In view of the unhappy fate of that cruiser and her companion, the following extracts from the diary of the Rev. H. Perkins, formerly Congregational minister at Sydenham (ChrLstchurchj, who was a passenger, will not be without interest :

"Great excitement provailed on board on the evening of August 24. Smok- 1 turned out to be that of a large cruiser (13.0C0 tons). She signalled us with (lags, but the light was waning. She then sitnalled us with lights, and for some time anxiety prevailed! even on the bridge, for wo were ordered to " Stop immediately." As we entered the saloon she played her searchlights over us, and round the stern to see our name, as it appear* that our actions, no doubt through not knowing the usages of war, had seemed suspicious. Soon she was quite close, and, all doubts having been set at rest, we were told that it was H.M.S. Monmouth, which had taken us under her wing directly we left the beat of H.M.S. Glasgow, and that she needed provisions. Soon she lowered a boat, and real British cheers rent tho air. A rope ladder was lowered, and the lieutenant and his bodyguard clambered aboard. Immediately ho and his middy went to Captain WhiteParsons on the bridge. . . . The lieu-

tenant was a tall man with a fine voice, the sort of man and voice to steady men, and to inspire them, under fire. The middv was a lad of 17, a typical public schoolboy, sent on active service from Dartmouth nearly two years before he was due for it. Both were in a very rough condition, a»s they a. short time before had captured a German, token her coal and some provisions. The oiliccr said that the most rotten job he had ever had to do was to go on board and tell the captain to get his men ready to leave, as they might decide to sink the ship. All aboard the warship had been for days always at their posts, not even sleeping, except around them. The Monmouth had just been paid off when war broke out, and then and there, at Devonport, a scratch crew of 700 men was got together, and she wne sent out to protect British shipping in these seas. I was on the boat deck with the second officer, and heard the lieutenant say : 'We have a crow aboard, 100 boys, a crowd of men over 60 who have not been on a ship for years, 18 cadets from Portsmouth ; but, all the same, we are ready for those two cruisers if we catch them !' The middy was on duty at the chart room, and, the door being open, I had an opportunity of having a talk to him. It was delightful to see the dear boy's enthusiasm. . . . We stood by the warship for a while, and then our engines commenced once more to srrind ua through the water. Signalling- with lights followed for some time, and then suddenly all lights on the cruiser were extinguished—for in war time no lights ar« shown, and England's death engines prowl about like hungry wolves in the darkness." When last seen the warship was heading for Pernambuoo. MISCELLANEOUS. The patriotic concert in Wakari Hall should be well pation ; £ed. The special item will bo the address by Mr Adams on the necessity at the present time for more recruits. Mies Nancy Todd, of Ka-i----korai School, has donated he pet canary and cage to the fund. These will be auctioned at the concert to-night. Seventeen members of the family of J.ady Hickman of Wightwick, Wolverhampton, are- on active .service. 14 of them being in the Navy and the others in the Army. These include one son (Colonel Hickman), two sons-in-law. 10 grandsons (including Sir Alfred Hickman), and 4 grar.dsons-ii -law. In order to raise money for the Belgian Relief Fund the ladies connected with St. John Ambulance ran refreshment kiosks, lollie stalls, and a quick lunch counter at tho Wanganui Show on Wednesday and Thursday. With the assistance of an auction "sale they succeeded in netting about £450. Ttie People's day at the show was a great success, and the weather was glorious.