BRITISH DEFENCE OF YPRES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15766, 14 November 1914, Page 7

BRITISH DEFENCE OF YPRES

BRAVERY OF LONDON SCOTTISH. BOTH SIDES LOSE HEAVILY CAPS IN ALLIED LINE FILLED. —- ; RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN PRUSSIA. 1 here is practically no change in the position of the armies in Belgium. Ypres, held by the British, is still the centre of (he struggle. The British defence of this town is rtierred <» in one of the New Zealand High Commissioner's cablegrams as certain to he recorded in history as one of the most striking episodes in the annals of the British Army. For more than three weeks the position has been held under a i.Mr, ai shells, which has hardly ceased day or night. During Hie "hole time the enemy poured successive waves of infantry against the position, only to see them break into pieces one alter another. \ French estimate of the allied losses during the war shows a total of 150,000 killed, wounded, and prisoners. The French with 1,0011,000 in the field have lost 400,000, and the British with ISO,OOO in the field have lost 50,000. Everywhere the German losses have been markedly heavier than the British and French. Ihe strength of the allied forces is being con* 1 stantly maintained by reinforcements. I Ihe latest official report from the British headquarters gives the place of honour to a description of the engagement fought by the London Scottish Territorial Regiment. This event is described as an epoch in the military history of the British Lmpire, marking the first time that a complete unit of the territorial Army has been thrown into the fight alongside sister units of regulars. he London Scottish are credited in the official despatches with having acquitted themselves with v*allant> and coolness in a situation of peculiar difficulty, inflicting far more damage on the enemy than they received. In the Last the Germans are still'under Russian pressure at all points, and are now lighting along the whole line in German territory. (ireat Britain has made representations to the United States Government regarding South American breaches of neutrality. This includes a charge that the loss of the Good Hope and the .Monmouth was directly due to wireless information given to the German cruisers by sympathisers on shore. The Chilian Government has undertaken to take steps to close all suspected wireless plants. A report on the action of the South African Government against the rebels states that the Government forces drove the enemy in the direction of Reitfontein, capturing a portion of their laager. About 120 of the enemy were killed and 25 were captured, while the Union forces had 12 killed and 11 wounded. The enemy used dumdum bullets. A sharp engagement took place at Kronstadt on November 6, but Colonel Manie Botha repulsed the attack. It is stated that the German cruiser Goeben has been seriously damaged at the bombardment of the Dardanelles by the allied warships. The British residents of Smyrna have not been permitted to leave, and it is believed that Turkish cannon will shell their colony if the allies attempt to take the city from the sea. Some districts in Albania are in a state of anarchy. The Governor of Valona has been forced to haul down the Turkish flag. Soldiers have been sent to Valona to restore order.