THE ALLIES.

Evening Star, Issue 15677, 16 December 1914, Page 6

THE ALLIES.

A COMBINED ATTACK. REAL. ADVANCE IN FLANDERS. SILENCE FROxM RUSSIA. SUPPRESSING JViirnHY IN AUSTRIAN ARMY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

THE ALLIES MOVE. ADVANCE IN FLANDERS. BEGAN THIS WEEK. LONDON, December 15. {Received December ?6, at 8.45 a.m.) Tho Press Bureau states: After a. period of quiet fight infj has commenced in Northern France. The Allies made a combined attack on Monday on the lino from HoUobeke to WyU-schaeto. and captured several German trenches and a number of prisoners. Substantial progress was made. ENEMY'S LEFT WING. VIGOROUS FIGHTING. PARIS, December 15. A communique states : The British liave captured a small wood west of Wyteschaete. Tlie French retained the ground won on the Ypres Canal and west of Hollobeke, notwithstanding a vigorous counterattack. Wo havo progressed m the Argonne. The enemy violently bombarded St. south of St. Die. The enemy's artillery in AI sac© is very active. We held our ground, except at Steinbach, where- tho German infantry gained a footing. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S MESSAGE. The. Prime Minister has received the following from tho High Commissioner, dated London. December 15: Fighting in Northern Franco has recommenced. A combined attack by the Abies on tho lino Holleheke-Wyteschaeto resulted in trenches and prisoners being captured. Substantial progress .vas made. Paris reports state that the British havo taken a small wood west of Wyteschaete. The ground gained by the. French along the canal has been held in spite of vigorous counter-attack. In tho Argonne some progicss has boon made, and the French aro holding tho ground captured already. In Alsaco the Gorman artillery is active, but everywhere the Allium.' progress :s being maintained. THE RECENT LULL. BRITISH NOT IDLE. LONDON, December 15. (Received December 16. at, 8 45 a.m.) " Eyo-witness," with the li.-itish Headquarters, relates that the we.i/h-xr has been very wet. Though no serious operations wero undertaken, wo havo considerably imnroved our situation generai'y. On December 8 our artillery put two field guns out of action, and ignited a railway station, some rolling stock being destroyed. A chimney was used as a point of observation by tho artillery. In spite of high winds our aviators harp made several valuable reconnaissances. Referring to the Censorship, ''Eyewitness" says it is better to preserve a ttatrtaJ-ising reticence than to rsvtisfy curiosity and risk endangering national success. AROUND VERDUN FORTRESS. PECULIAR DISPOSITiONS. (London ' Timoe' and Sydney ' Sun' Services.) LONDON, December 15 The disposition.', of the foroe-s defending Verdun preso.it the most c iritis features to bo found in tho whole field of the Mar. The second and third French armies are standing back to back to oppose two Gorman force* facing in opposite directions. Along tho sides of St. Mihiel there, is thus a "pocket-mouth," which stretches from Fresnes to Thiancourt. [The lino Fresnes-Thiancourt lies in the wooded Woevro district, and is about midway between the lines Verdun-St. Mihiel and Metz-Nancy.] SUPPRESSING SPIES. FRENCH EFFORTS SUCCEED. (London ' Times' and Sydney ' Sun' Serrioas.) LONDON, December 15. The (rrowing frequency of German aeroplane flights indicates that their spy system has broken down, in consequence of the special French effort to suppress it. GERMANS TEST SUBMARINES IN ZEEBRUGGE CANAL. TARIS, December 15. (Received December 16, at 8.45 a.m.) A French aviator ignited a German train at Paguiy-sur-MoseJle. Another aviator saw tho' Germans trying some submarines in tho Bruges Canal. [This canal connects Bruges with Zeebrugge on tho coast. There is also a canal connecting Bruges with Ofitend.] HOLLAND'S BURDEN. INTERNED AND REFUGEES. FREMANTLE, December 16. (Received December 16, at 10.20 a.m.) Three Dutch priests, members of the St. Joseph Missionary Society, arrived by the Maloja, and are proceeding to New Zealand. Thev state that 20,000 Belgian soldiers are interned in Holland, 6,000 British soldiers, and one and a-half million Belgian refugees. Their upkeep is costing the Dutch Government £50,000 daily. Dutch feeling is strongly anti-German on ac<*unt of the atrocities" in Belgium. THE PETTY TEUTON. BRITISH PRISONERS PENALISED. (London ' Times' and Sydney ' Sun' Serrioaa.) LONDON, December 15. An escapee from the German concentration camp at Wesel (on the lower Rhine) reports that special favors are granted to French and Belgian prisoners, while the British are gijan the most menial duties to perform. They are also ill-treated. The Germans make signs of cutting throats, and endeavor to teach the French and Belgians to say: "God will punish England ; the English are swine." CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR BRITISH IN FRANCE. LONDON, December 15. (Received December 16, at 8.45 a-m.) Three hundred post office clerks and sorters have been sent to France to.assist ,jn handling the Christmas malla. There,

has been a- stream of parcels to the front for several toLh, .and it, is growing enormously. ° PATRIOTIC PRISONERS. A SPURT IX THE GAOLS. • (London 'Times' and Sydney ' Sun * Services.) LONDON, December 15. The patriotism of the inmates of H.M. prisons is shown bv tho fact that the pneoners at Kingston gaol enthusiastically worked overtime making coal sacks for the Navy when the Admiralty notified that they were urgently needed. ITALY'S NEUTRALITY. AN INVALUABLE .STEP. STOPPING GERMAN SUPPLIES. (London 'Times' and Sydney ' Sun' Services.) LONDON, December 15. Rome reports statu that, in consequence of friendly representations from the Entente Powers, Italy has imposed penalties on exporters of .supplies destined for Germany. BALTIC MINES. SWEDEN INVESTIGATES. BELLIGERENTS DISCLAIM OWNERSHIP. (London ' Times' and Sydney ' Sun' Services.) LONDON, December 15. An investigation is being held into tho sowing of mines jn .Swedish waters. Both Germans and Russians deny tho ownership of the mines. These are laid in three layers, and when a mine, in the top layer is exploded one from a. lower layer automatically replaces it. MORE -MUTINY IN AUSTRIAN ARMY. BOHEMIANS .AND MORAVIANS. BASEL, December 15. (Received December 16, at 8.45 a.m.) Frequent revolts have occurred among the Bohemian and Moravian troops, and there have been several cases of the troops refusing ro fire. A Bohemian battalion refused for two days to leave Prague (capital of Bohemia) for Poland. All tho ringleaders and 10 per cent, of the others were shot. THE NEWEST REPUBLIC. PORTUGUESE POLITICS. (London ' Times' and Sydney ' Sun' Serrioas.) LONDON, December 15. The new Portuguese Ministry are all of tho Democratic party, the leaders having failed to form a national Cabinet. The new Government., whose duration in office is problematical, will continue to support the alliance with Groat Britain. IN TRANSCAUCASIA. THE AVAR UNPOPULAR, TURKISH WOMEN RIOT. DISCARD VEILS. AND MORE, (London ' Times ' and Sydney ' Sun' Services.) LONDON, December 15. Refugees arriving at Tiflis report that tho Turkish women hold an anti-war demonstration in Frzeroum. They threw stones and rioted for several hours. When tho guards threatened Tht-m the women rent their clothes and paraded tho in almost a nudo condition, compelling the guards to retire, in obedience to the Islands law. The women also forced ihe Vali (Governor) to telegraph u> Constantinople against, continuing tho war. IN EGYPT. THE AUSTRALASLAN CAMP. A GREAT SIGHT. CAIRO, December 15. (Received December 16, at 9 a.m.) The Australasian camp, as viewed from the Pyramids, presents a wonderful sight —miles of white lents intersected by streets, looking liko thousands of white pebbles arranged as emblems. The Government arc erecting bootlia for cafes and shops. Admiring crowds visit tho camp, watching men and horses exercising. MILITARY PENSIONS. FOR INJURED AND DEPENDENTS. MELBOURNE. December 16. (Received December 16, at. 9 a.m.) The War Pensions Bill was read a second tinio in tho Federal Mouse of Representatives. It provides f.,r pensions tor soldiers and sailors who are partial.y or totally incapacitated. u.nd for the dependents of soldiers meeting dta-'U at the front. COLLIER SEIZED. THE DRESDEN'S WINDFALL. NEW YORK, December 15. (Received December 16, at 8.45 am.) Tho German steamer Khakocis has landed the crew of ih<3 J'rai.ih collier North Wales at Callao. The collier ivas sunk by tho Dresden, tbe crusej liist gcizing her coaJ. THE KHEDIVE'S FOLLY. WHAT IT WILL MEA2T. LONDON, December 15. (Received December 16, at 3.56 a.m.) Lord Cromer, in tho course of a letter to the Press, says:_ "If, as appeal's, the Khedive has unwisely thrown m his lot with the Germans, it is of no great political importance, as his personal influence in Egypt is slight. Ho must now cease to be "ruler of Egypt, which nvist irrevocably be relieved of tho mortmain of Turkish sovereignty."