THE TURKISH THEATRE

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 24

THE TURKISH THEATRE

LONDON, November 23. The Press Bureau states that the Turkish forces in- the Persian Gulf have abandoned their resistance and fled, leaving eight guns and many prisoners. Official: The British occupied Busra (the principal Turkish port in the Persian Gulf, about 60 miles up the' Shatt-el-Arab River) on the 21st inst. The Turks fled into the Tigris Valley. PARIS, November 23. The Turks pillaged the French Bank at Jerusalem, and arrested the French Con-sul-general at Aivailik as a hostage, and sent him into the interior. ATHENS, November 23. Advices from Constantinople state that a large force of Turkish troops from Adrianople sacked the Christian shops in Trebizond and murdered some Christians. BUCHAREST, November 23. Arrests are occurring daily in Constantinople, in consequence of the attempted assassination of the Sultan. It is suspected that the Sultan’s heir participated in the plot. IN THE BALKANS. TPIE SITUATION CRYSTALLISING. SOFIA, November 23. The newspaper Retsh says that Prince Trubetskoi has departed to Belgrade to take up his duties as Russian Minister. He will proifer serious arguments for the renewal of the Serbo-Bulgarian alliance. The position in regard to Rumania is also becoming clearer. Special significance attaches to the recent conferences in Petrograd between the Italian Ambassadors and the Servian and Rumanian Ministers, recalling the rumours that Italy and Rumania had agreed to pursue parallel tactics. The entire group of southern neutral States are at once mobilising, emphasising the enormous service that German tactics in Constantinople have rendered to the Triple Entente. SOUTH AFRICAN REBELS. DE WET ESCAPES. PRETORIA, November 23. De Wet/with others, crossed the Vail River on Sunday night after the remnants of his commando had been beaten ba u: Commandant Du Toil and Field-cornet Hoffman, in a motor car, overtook the fugitives near Leeugoorn. One, named Spis, who was De Wet’s adjutant, surrendered. The others continued their flight, firing revolvers. They scattered across the veld. Du Toil’s party wounded and captured Ment, De Wet’s son-in-law. The remainder escaped. CAPETOWN, November 24. Official : Commandant Holl pursued the rebels from Bullfontein to Botha ville, where over 100 surrendered, including Commandant Jordan and four field-cornets. FIGHTING IN EAST AFRICA. A BRITISH REVERSE. LONDON, Novemoer 23. The Press Bureau announces that in East Africa a strong force of the enemy compelled the British to retreat to cover. The British losses were so heavy and the enemy’s position was so strong that it v. as considered useless to renew the attack. THE DOMINIONS AND THE WAR LOAN. OTTAWA, November 23. At an informal meeting of the Bankers’ Association at Toronto 14 banks agreed to subscribe to the British war loan. MELBOURNE, November 24 In reference to yesterday’s London cable, Mr Fisher (Prime Minister) points out that Australia is obtaining £18,000,000 from the British war loan to meet naval and military expenditure, also £18,000,000 which the Commonwealth arranged to obtain for the States for development purposes.

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS. SYDNEY, November 24. Sir Gerald Strickland, Governor of New South Wales, addressing a local government conference, said he would refrain from mentioning local subjects. He asked the conference to remember that the Empire was at war and give the King’s Ministers every support. None had the least doubt as to the ultimate result of the war, but there was great doubt as to its duration. They could not all fight, but by putting their shoulders to the wheel it might be brought to a more rapid conclusion. Owing to the strike 150 men have been thrown idle in the dockyard. The strike is interfering with the docking of the warships and the fitting out of transports. The police report that as the result of raids on German clubs nothing incriminating was found. GERMAN GUILE AT WORK. LONDON, November 23. A correspondent with the forces on the Eastern French frontier, describing the arduous character of the fighting round Nancy which resulted in the defeat of the Germans, says : “It is a matter of real importance that the people of England should realise the splendid valour of the army at Toul and Nancy. German cunning, busily at work trying to sow dissension between the two allied nations and armies, is fostering the idea that the brunt of the fighting has fallen on the British, and that the French are not doing their fair share, while in various insidious ways the French are told the same story about the British.” A new phase of the attempts to influence public opinion has presented itself. German apologists in the United States ara now declaring that the complete success of either Germany or Britain would be a serious threat to American interests. Reports from North Holland state that unusual activity prevails in the neighbourhood of Port Emden, giving the, impression that the German fleet is preparing for decisive action. Prince Henry of Prussia visited Emden on Saturday and inspected the torpedo and submarine craft. KAISER TO RETURN TO BERLIN. LONDON, November 23. A report from The Hague states that the Kaiser has decided to.return to Berlin shortly, the reason being that he wishes to attend the Reichstag session. Instructions have been issued to prepare Berlin Castle for a long sojourn, and the newspapers have been enjoined to rouse the loyal feeling in order that the Kaiser may be given a warm welcome on his return from the front, because it is feared that otherwise he may meet an icy reception from disappointed x^eople. KAISER’S BLOODTHIRSTY OFFER. PARIS, November 23. Prisoners state that the Germans are exasperated by the success of the British armoured trains, and that the Kaiser has offered £IOOO for the head of the commander of the trains. GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS. AMSTERDAM. November 23. A communique from Berlin declares that the arrival of fresh troops from Warsaw has been deferred pending a decisive result in Poland. GERMAN PRISONERS AT TOKIO. TOKIO, November 23. Three hundred and fifty prisoners from Tsing-tao have arrived. Japanese ladies presented each with a chrysanthemum, bearing greetings written in German. The prisoners were touched with the attention received. 1 A big friendly crowd -welcomed them. GERMAN SUBMARINE RAMMED. LONDON, November 23. Official: A British patrol vessel rammed and sank a German submarine off the Scottish coast. The British rescued her crew. The German submarine was detected off Northern Scotland during the morning. A patrol reported ramming it at noon. The submarine w r as not again sighted for an hour, when the crew were seen on deck flying a white flag. The destroyer Garry came alongside as she foundered, and rescued three officers and 23 of the crew. One was drowned. GERMAN SUBMARINES. ROTTERDAM, November 23. Six German submarines have been brought overland to Zeebrugge, but the strictness of the guard makes it impossible to say whether they have yet been placed in the water. GERMAN DESTROYER FOUNDERS. COPENHAGEN, November 23. A Danish steamer collided with the German destroyer 5124, which foundered. All her crew were lost. [The members of this class of destroyer were launched between 1899 and 1905. They have a displacement of 350 to 413 tons; h.p., 5400 to 6200 tons; speed, 27.5 knots; and carry 3.4 pr quick-firers, two machine guns, and three torpedo tubes.] The export of horses from Denmark has been forbidden. COPENHAGEN, November 24. 5124 was going at full speed off Falsterbo with lights out, when the Anglodane rammed her amidships. German torpedoers rescued most of the crew.