LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 4942, 16 September 1914, Page 5

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.

BIG GERMAN REVERSE. THREE ARMIES SURRENDER. GENERAL AND MANY MEN. Press Association— Extraordinary (Received this dav at 9.45 a.m.) London, This Day. The Central News reports that General Von Kluch surrendered with 14,000 prisoners. Another report states 25,000, with many guns. The General commanded the Second, Fifth and Sixth Army Corps. IN TOUCH WITH THE ENEMY. RETIREMENT CONTINUED. RESISTANCE AT SOME POINTS. ALLIES IN GOOD HEALTH. Paris, This Day. A communique states; On our left wing everywhere we have regained touch with the enemy’s rearguards aud even the main forces. The enemy appear to be making a stand on a front marked by the river Aisne in the eontre; they also seem to intend to offer resistance in the heights north-west and north of Rheims. They continue te retire between the Argonne district arid the Meuse. On the right wing in the Weevre district we relieved Fort Troyon, which had been fiercely attacked during the last few’ days. In Lorraine our pursuing detachments, as everywhere, also maintain contact with the enemy. The morale and health of our armies are excellent. SEVEN SIMULTANEOUS SHOTS. GERMAN SUBMARINE SUNK. London, This Day. It is reported that the submarine, which sank the Pathfinder, was sent to the bottom during her fifty hours run for safety through four hundred miles of sea patrolled by the British ships. The latter were immediately informed of the Pathfinder’s fate, and when the submarine was detected it dived again and again to prevent the destruction of its periscope. The cruisers waited grimly, and when finally the conning tower was visible there were seveii ships within range. Ten seiconds later seven shot* smashed into the frail shell, and she sank within a minute. FIGHTING IN SOUTH AFRICA. GERMAN FORCE SURRENDER. Capetown, This Day. The South African Mounted Rifles, under Colonel Dawson, after two night surprised the German forces occupying a drift, sixty miles from Steinkoff, in Namaqualand. After ft sharp skirmish they compelled the Germans to surrender. One rifleman was killed. SUCCESS NEAR MALINES. THE ENEMY AMBUSHED. Antwerp, This Day. The operations near Malines were a complete success. The enemy were ambushed and suffered the loss or a thousand killed and wounded. FLIGHT FROM AMIENS. NO ORDER OR DISCIPLINE. TREMENDOUS RAPIDITY. Paris, This Day. The Germans seemed determined to hold Amiens until the very last force of ten thousand arrived. Last week they dug trenches outside, and the exodus to the north-east suddenly began on Friday. The battle had evidently gone against them. Soon afterwards twenty-four French cuirassers galloped into Amiens, aud the enthusiastic inhabitants unfurled the flags and decorated houses. A French airman, who flew over tho German retreat, describes the disorder by flight. Some were marching north and others north-east, all with tremendous rapidity. Many weie running across the fields, and crawling through hedges without a semblance of order or discipline. Many were without rifles. GERMAN RETREAT HINDERED. BY FLOODED RIVERS. AND SOFT ROADS. ALLIES USE THE RAILWAYS. Paris, This Day. A German general and staff, with ten officers and three hundred men, havo arrived as French prisoners at Noisyleso. French troops captured, north of Chalons, a movable electric power station, comprising five motor vans. A hurricane in Northern France is seriously impeding tho German retreat. Torrential rains aro swelling the rivulets into cataracts, and the rivers into turbid torrents, thus making thee Tossing of rivers, whereof the bridges have been broken, very difficult. The w'heels of tho groat German siege guns are sinking into the roadway it being impossible for thirty-two horses to move them. Again and again tho Germans in dev spair cut the traces and liberated the horses. Owing to the network of railways the Allies are able to send train-load after train-load of troops to the weak points, also to readily replace the food, munitions, pontoons and guns. K AISTCR, V ENTTTRESOME. FOLLOWS UP HTS TROOPS. SEEKS SAFETY HURRIEDLY. Paris, This Day. German newspapers state that the Kaiser entered French territory at Montmoay .expecting the troops to soon enter Paris. He proceeded in that direction along the valleys of the Aisne and Oise. Other reports say tho Kaiser ventured too far ami

was hurriedly conveyed to safety by a motor car in the rear of the lines. GERMANY’S DISILLUSIONMENT. OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY. Copenhagen, This Day. Letters from Berlin show a startling change. The disillusionment began with the Lemberg reverse; then the hurrying of army corps to stiffen the wavering line of the Austrian regiment; next the general staff’s confession of General Von Kluch’s wing being turned. Berlin newspapers attempted to discount the reverse by long stories of the enormous total prisoners in German hands, but train loads of wounded and long processions of ambulances to the hospitals told another story, while many staying at home received hack unopened letters sent to relatives at the front, and in ml ink across the face of the envelope, appears the pregnant word “Gefalien.”

CROWN PRINCE’S ARMY. FATE IN THE BALANCE. Paris, This Day. Tho fate of the Crown Prince’s Army in the Argonne still hangs in . the balance. An attempt to find an exit throught thee hain of forts between Verdun and Toul, has failed, ‘ upon which the bombardment of Fort Troyon was abandoned. OVERTURES TO BELGIUM. GERMAN OFFER OF PEACE. PROMPTLY REJECTED. Paris, This Day. The Figaro says that General von Der Goltz journeyed from Brussels to Antwerp under a flag of truce in order to propose terms of peace to the Belgium Government. The offer was immediately rejected. USE OF DUM-DUMS. A GERMAN COMPLAINT. DENIED BY FRENCH OFFICER. (Received this day at 9.10 a.m.) The Hague, This Day. Telegrams from Berlin state that the Crown Prince, after the surrender at Longwv, took the French commander’s proffered sword, and contrary to all military custom broke it, saying, “You fought us dishonourably : your soldiers used dumdums.” The commander replied that this was the first time he heard of the French army using dum-dums. Berlin correspondents to Dutch papers state that they were shown supposed dum-dums, alleged to have been found, and declare these have no resemblance whatever to dumdums. GERMAN CRUISER SUNK. BY A TORPEDO. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) Berlin, This Day. Official.—A torpedo from a submarine sunk the German cruiser Hela. The majority of the crew were saved. IN EASTERN THEATRE. A RUSSIAN SUCCESS. WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT. Petrograd, This Day. The Russians occupied Czernowitz without firing a shot. THIRTEEN THOUSAND KILLED. BIG AUSTRIAN FORCE. ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE DRINA Nish, This Day. Official.—Ninety-six thousand Austrians, attempted to cross the Drina, near Racha, and temporarily succeeded, but were finally repulsed by bayonet charges. They left a howitzer battery, a field battery, and six machine guns. The Seventy-ninth Regiment lost three thousand and there wore further casualties of ten thousand. WILL ITALY COME IN? DEMONSTRATIONS IN’ FAVOURNEW MINISTRY POSSIBLE. Rome, This Day. The newspaper Mossagero foreshadows the ro-oonstruction of the Mimistrv and the inauguration of a new policy under the auspices of the National Cabinet, representing all parties. There were widespread popular demonstrations in favour of Italian intervention on behalf of the Triple Entente. It is expected that Rumania will follow Italy’s lead if Italy abandons her neutrality.