IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16239, 24 November 1914, Page 5

IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM

STILL AN ARTILLERY DUEL.

ALLIES' GUNS MORE ACTIVE.

PARIS, November 21,

A communique stales: Between Arras and the Oise only intermittent bombardments have occurred. Our artillery on the whole is more active than the enemy's, and we destroyed several lines of trenches. The enemy is constructing fresh trenches at the rear. The day was quiet on the remainder of the front.

ATTEMPT TO PLANT BATTERIES

FAILS

PARIS, November 22

Large reinforcements of the enemy are collecting for an attack via Dixmude, where small German forces are already entrenched.

The northern section of the line of attack runs through the British artillery positions, and the enemy failed in every attempt to plant the batteries.

Heavy infantry fighting is proceeding south of Middlekerke (between Dixmude and Ostend).

TELLING GERMANS THE TRUTH,

PARIS, November 22.

The opposing trenches in some districts are so close that the infantry are able to exchange messages. A daredevil Frenchman, speaking German well, left his entrenchments, stood up, and translated the full text of a French commWique, prefacing it with the remark: " Your officers all tell you lies. Here's the truth." The Germans held their fire to listen. The Frenchman escaped suddenly, jumping back into the trench before the Germans realised that the message was finished.

RESERVED FOR BAVARIANS.

INSUBORDINATION SHOWING-

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.)

LONDON, November 12.

Travellers who have arrived in Copenhagen from Bavaria state that the Bavarian troops are becoming insubordinate. Prussian headquarters are sparing the Prussians, and sending troons from South Germany to "what are called " Uriah " posts.

" SACRIFICED BY THE KAISER."

LONDON. November 22

Dutch newspapers confirm the statement that discontent amon<* the Bavarian officers is increasing. Thev complain that they are sacrificed by the Kaiser, and always placed in the front of the firing line. They declare that, oat of 300,000 men onlv a third survive.

NUMBER OF SHELLS INCREASED,

(Times and Sun Services.) lONDON, November 22. German prisoners captured on the Somme sav that the German officer?, in order to prove their zeal during the Kaiser's visit, increased their daily qnota

from 100 shells to 3000 in 24 hours. The German infantry were incited to attack some villages, but failed ingloriously.

DUEL IN THE AIR.

GERMAN AEROPLANE WRECKED

PARIS, November 22.

A British aviator engaged a German aeroplane near the French batteries at Soissons. The Germans attempted to escape, but shrapnel brought the machine down, and its two officer? and the mechanic were incinerated.

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, November 22.

It is stated that in Courtrai an English lady dressed as a priest was shot by the Germans as a spy.

THE PRESENT LULL.

GERMANY DANGEROUS WHEN

QUIET.

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.)

LONDON, November 22.

(Received Nov. 23, at 5.20 p.m.)

The Times, in a leading article, says: "We would counsel strict reserve concerning the present lull in the battle line. Our redoubtable enemies are never more dangerous than when conspicuouslv quiet. It, is cheering to know that the eastern German offensive in Central Poland has come to a full stop, as was confidently expected."

ALLIES' COMMUNICATIONS DIS TURBED.

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, November 22.

(Received Nov. 23, at 5.20 p.m.) The German artillery is interrupting the Allies' communications between Ypres and the coast.

STAKING ALL UPON A SINGLE

THROW.

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, November 22. (Received Nov. 23, at 5.20 p.m.) Mynheer Trovelstra, leader of the Dutch Socialists, after a visit to Germany, draws a striking contrast between the departure to the war theatre of the fresh young troops full of enthusiasm and their returning wounded, broken, and deadly weary. There is a feeling in Germany that they are losing, and, like a gambler striving to win a fortune on one throw, are staking all upon a single card.

IMPORTANT EFFECTS DISCLOSED

LANDSTURMERS NOT EAGER TO ATTACK.

LONDON, November 22, (Received Nov. 23, at 5.20 p.m.)

Prisoners in Lorraine assert that the Landsturmers who recently arrived are more difficult to persuade to go into action than the first contingents. They have orders to hold the ground without attacking, and await the result of decisive operations at Ypres.

The order discloses the importance of the check administered to the Germans in the north.

LONDON, November 22.

(Received Nov. 23, at 7 p.m.)

The Hon. Lionel H. Tennyson, the noted cricketer, son of Baron Tennyson, has been wounded in the leg in FTance.

ENTERTAINMENT HALLS TO BE REOPENED.

PARIS, November 22. (Received Nov. 23, at 7 p.m.)

The Government intends authorising the reopening of the theatres and music-halls in the city.

YPRES BOMBARDED,

GERMAN CHARNEL-HOUSES.

RELIEF OF BELGIANS.

FIGHTING AT DIXMUDE

LADY SHOT AS A SPY.

GERMANS CONCENTRATING AT DIXMUDE.

ANOTHER TASK OF THE GHURKAS

A DARING FRENCHMAN.

GERMANY LIKE A GAMBLER

DUMMY BALLOONS,

"URIAH" POSTS.

CHECK TO THE GERMANS.

THE STATEMENT CONFIRMED,

NOTED CRICKETER WOUNDED

TO PROVE THEIR ZEAL,

PARIS RECOVERING

THE TOWN HALL DESTROYED,

PARIS, November 23. (Received Nov. 23, at 9.20 p.m.)

Ofiicial : A violent bombardment of Yprcs on Sunday destroyed the Town Hall and the Cloth Hall. There has been heavy cannonading at Soisscms and Vailly. Elsewhere there is nothing to record.

GERMANS NEAR YPRES.

ATTACKS ON BRITISH REPULSED

HAVOC CAUSED BY BRITISH

ARTILLERY.

LONDON, November 23. (Received Nov. 23, at 10.10 p.m.)

An eye-witness with the British Headquarters Staff, writing on the 20th inst., said that the Germans intended to attack the British left on the 15th, but our artillery inflicted such damage that the assault waa postponed until reinforcements could be brought up. On the 19th the Germans made the mistake of massing preparatory to the attack, enabling the British guns and Maxims to bj used with devastating effect on the battalions massed at the rear. The Germans on the 17th attacked east and south-east of Ypres. Three charges were made by regular troops, but not the Guards. They were repulsed, and 1200 dead were counted in a front of 600 yards.

CARING FOIi ALLIES' SOLDIERS,

GOOD SAMARITANS OF BOTH

SEXES,

LONDON, November 23. (Received Nov. 23, at 10.10 p.m.)

The eye-witness, continuing his account, says that the evidence of German losses is accumulating. Forty-nine dead weTe found in one house, and all the farmers' cottages before tho British front are char-nel-houses.

The weather is bad, being unusually frosty, while the eaTly heavy rain has rendered the condition of the trenches wretched. The men stand in a mixture of straw, mud, and half-frozen slush. The proprietor of a neighbouring factory has converted his establishment into a bathhouse. There are vats large enough to contain several men, and while they are bathing their underclothes are washed or renewed and their uniforms cleaned by a gang of women. Fifteen hundred are treated daily.

EXTENSIVE AMERICAN SCHEME

IZJNDON, November 23, (Received Nov. 24, at 1.30 a.m.)

A commission for the relief of Belgians has completed an organisation in the United States by which £1,000,000 worth of food will be sent monthly. Country folk are arriving at Brussels at the rate of 26,000 daily in order to participate in the food distribution.

TWO HUNDRED BRITISH WIPED

OUT

AFTER KILLING HUNDREDS OF

GERMANS,

LONDON, November 23. (Received Nov. 24, at 0.25 a.m.)

the German infantry have been obliged to evacuate the trenches north ofDixmude owing to the severe privations they suffered. During their absence 200 British, with Maxims, crossed on flood rafts at night, surprising the relieving force when entering the trenches. Two hundred Germans were cut down before they rallied. Two thousand German cavalry then charged to the rescue. They floundered in the heavy ground, and the Maxims operated at short range and decimated the cavalry.

The German infantry then swarmed the British trenches and wiped out the whole 200.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT,

THREE PRUSSIAN REGIMENTS

ANNIHILATED

LONDON, November 23. (Received Nov. 24, at 1.30 a.m. ) The Times Calais correspondent reports fierce fighting at Messines. The British by a night attack captured a series of trenches, but were forced to retire with a loss of 10 officers and 200 men. The Germans lost 2000.

Later the British partook in a general assault, in which three cracli Prussian regiments were annihilated. The British loss was light.

SURPRISED GERMANS.

FIVE HUNDRED KILLED; FIVE HUNDRED SURRENDER.

LONDON, November 23. (Received Nov. 24, at 0.25 a.m.)

The Germans on the 19th inst. bombarded a Gburkas' outpost where they weTe entrenched at Hollebeke, for five hoirrs. A thousand infantry then advanced leisurely, believing that the Ghurkas were dead. They crossed the canal on pontoons and brought 30 wagons of ammunition across. The British batteries destroyed the pontoons and wiped out 500 Germans, whereupon the remainder surrendered.

A CLEVER FRENCH RUSE.

LONDON, November 23, (Received Nov. 24, at 0.25 a.m.)

The French in Alsace sent up a balloon with three dummy aeronauts over the German lines. Three Taubes immediately attacked and exploded a balloon. As it fell hundreds of bombs dropped from the balloon, annihilating several companies of Germans.