Twenty-Five Years Ago

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 6

Twenty-Five Years Ago

It was officially announced that de Wet, the South African rebel, had been captured. A Petrograd message appearing in “Giornale dTtalia” reported that the Battle of Lodz had ended, and that the Germans were retiring after losing 200,000 men. “The Times” stated: “The Russian victory is maturing in Poland, and with it the last hopes of Germany on the Easteril Front should vanish.” Advices from Berlin stated that the Reichstag has passed a war credit of £250,000,000.

Vienna messages stated that the war loan subscription there was unsatisfactory, notwithstanding the forced levy on all banks and even on small rural depositors for contributions. The “Daily Telegraph” stated that Germany had more submarines than was supposed. A heavily censored Rotterdam message stated that the Yser battle had been renewed with intense violence. The artillery fire on both sides was terrific. “The Times ” disbelieved the possibility of a fresh battle at Ypres. The battle in Flanders, it declared, was ended because the opposing sides had dug in. From the standpoint of casualties the battle had been the greatest in history. It was estimated that the Germans lost 200,000.