In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 282, 26 November 1914, Page 5

In the West

STRICT DUTCH NEUTRALITY. Times and Sydney Sun Beb vices. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, November 25. Sentries on the Dutch border are instructed to shoot any person of doubtful identity crossing the border. PREVALENCE OF DESERTION. GERMANS REPORT DAILY. Times and Sydney Sun Services. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, November 25. In consequence of the prevalence of desertion, the Germans in Ghent are required to report to headquarters twice daily.

THE HARDY ALLIES.

Times and Sydney Sun Services. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, November 25.

A correspondent in the north of France says that more sick than wounded are reaching the hospitals. The cases are mostly frost-bite, dysen. tery, and rheumatism, with ai few oases of pneumonia, The hardiness of the Allied troops, however, is remarkable. DISTRESS IN OSTEND. United Press Association. London, Novomber 24. • Two thousand Belgians, who remained at Ostend, are threatened with famine, as the Germans are commandeering all the food. Citizens are forbidden to leave their houses, wrcfcpt on specific business, They must not appear in the streets after soven o'clock in the evening and not wore than three are permitted to converse together in the streets, under a penalty of death.

A favorite pastime of the Germans is to make Belgian hoys compulsgrily drunk with champagne, and then laugh at their antics. Horses and cows are paid for with a receipt which, when translate!, means two kisses, or two girls in Berlin.

TWO TAUBES DESTROYED. Calais, November 25. Two Taubes dropped bombs at Hazebrouek on Friday. The British artillery, brought ,down one, and a British biplane arrived and manoeuvred over the other on which it dropped a bomb, with the result that the Taube crumpled up and fell. The townsfolk of Armentieres have lodged a protest against the bombardment. ■ There are,-no military, in the town, yet« 100 civilians have already been killed or injured by shell fire. POSITION IN FRANCE. ■Paris, November 25. Generally, there is a calm, except for intermittent cannonades. The German attacks at Argonne were repulsed. WEATHER SUNNY AND MILD. ALLIES' SUPERIOR ARTILLERY. London, November 25. The frost has broken, and the weather is sunny and mild. Both sides have been utilising the time of comparative inactivity to reorganise their forces.

The Germans, who have been heavily reinforced, are attacking between Ypres and Labasee, but the British artillery has thwarted every effort. It is noteworthy, that the Allies' artillery is now proving superior to that of the enemy, a feature of the recent fighting being the number of German batteries destroyed, particularly at the battle of Zonnereke, where the French- artillery drove the Germans from the woods. French engineers hurriedly cut down trees and flung them on the road so as to prevent a cavalry charge. AN INDIAN'S RESOURCE. Loudon, November 25. The Press Bureau states that an observer with the Indians in France say that a striking instance of resource and presence of mind was exhibited on a recent night. A private, who has since been promoted, with a companion, was creeping out of the trenches to make observations on the German line, which was 200 yards distant. Midway, the German searchlight discovered the former, who immediately rose, advanced salaaming, and was allowed to enter the trenches of the Germans, mentioning that ho was a British Indian. He drew a hand across his throat with a gesture of disgust, and was given rations and a blanket. Ho spent the night in the trench, and in the morning, using his lingers, indicated that there were 25 other Musselmen in his trench that be could bring in. The Germans, being deceived, released the Indian who rejoined his friends. A GALLANT ZOUAVE. Paris, November 24. Official: A German column, when attacking a bridge* which was defended by Zouaves, drove before them a number of Zouave prisoners who shouted : "Cease fire." The French Zouaves instantly stopped firing, when a Zouave prisoner in the German ranks cried: "Fire now, in the name of

God!" A general volley rang cut dispersing the attack and killing the Zouave who frustrated the Geimr.ni ruse.

SIX WEEKS' OPERATIONS. Paris, November 25. ' Official: A 'review of the six week*' battle in Flanders distributed so the troops states that it resulted in Hie failure of tbe German attempt to Qi tilank and break through the Allies' line. - The Germans massed fifteen army corps under the Crown Prince of Bavaria, Generals von Febeck, von Deimbing, and the Duke of Wurte'ffburg. The Allies' forces were not as numerous as the Germans, but were considered sufficient. The Kaisei came to the front and arranged to proclaim the annexation of Belgium at Ypres. The review shows a generous appreciation of the help given by the British contingent, but the chief burden fell on the French tro >ps. commanded by General Foch, under General Joffre's order, with General Castlenau commanding the army at Arras, and General Maudhuy that between Arras and Lille, General Duribal commanding the Belgians. The forces also included French cavalry, territorials, marines and fusiliers. GERMAN AVIATORS ACTIVE. Calais, November 2E.

German aviators are active. They bombarded Hazebruck, Cassell, Amiens and Armentieres, killing seve-al citizens. English aerial guns at Armentieres brought down two machines, killing four aviators. INDIANS GALLANTLY RE-TAKE TRENCHES. HUNDRED PRISONERS TAKEN. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, November 25. The Press Bureau reports that Indian troops bave gallantly re-taken some trenches lost yesterday, ana captured three German officers, a hundred men, a mortar, and three machine guns. A GRISLY CARGO. TRAIN FULL OF CORPSES. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, November 25. A traveller, just returned to England states that the British warships killed so many on the Belgian coast that corpses were lying for a month unburied. The other day a train of thirty carriages passed -Ghent vith blinds down. A sentinel showed him the interior filled to the roof with bodies going eastwards.

GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS.

(Received 9.20 a.m.) Amsterdam, November 25. Six trains of soldiers and sailors with planks, sacks and small boats left Louvain for Brussels, apparently on their way to West Flanders. Nine military and six ambulance trains and. another containing heavy guns passed Landen, proceeding westwards. Another account' states that 120,000 men, including many cavalry, with 250 guns, are reinforcing the troops in Flanders. CALLANT FRENCH MARINES. COMMANDER FOULLY STABBEB. ' (Received 8.15 a.m.) Paris,-. November 25. Of seven thousand French marines doggedly holding Dixmude, one half were killed or wounded. Several Gorman companies surrendered. Subsequently a German officer advanced under a white flag. Jeannoit, oummander of the marines, advanced to speak,-and was fouly stabbed and the interpreter shot. GERMAN CAVALRY PUNISHED. TWELVE-INCH GUNS. MOTOR-BOATS DESTROYED. (Received 9.15 a.m.) London, November 24. Later details show that the French at Zonnereke cut down trees and barricaded the roads to prevent cavalry charges. The Germans did net detect the move, and during the nigiit massed cavalry made a desperate attempt to make a breach in the French. They Avere caught in an inextricable pile of logs and branches, and the French infantry poured in heavy rifle fire, adding to the panic. Very few Germans escaped. The inundated area continues to increase. Two German regiments were cut off by inundations from the Yser on Friday, and endeavoured to summon assistance by smoke signals. The Allies used the signals to direct artillery fire, and killed or wounded l-,650. On Monday the bombardment in Belgium included Blankenberg, where the Germans tried to use twelve inch guns. At Ostend, German armed motorboats were destroyed, and guns along the promenade demolished. COLD WORSE THAN BULLETS. MEN STIFF IN TRENCHES. (Received 9.40 a.m.) London, November 25. An eye-witness in Flanders under date Monday, states: The cold is affecting both sides more than the operations. The men are no longer suffering misery, from mud and slush, but ■ at night in the trenches, many are . stiff from cold, and have to be carried . out while others have to be taken to : hospital suffering from frostbite, and , aviators after reconnaisances have to ; be lifted out of their machines. The artillery bombardment contin- ; 'nes dav and night. The enemy used i '42-centimetre howitzers, and also a<

new gun, whose discharge is silent, but had done no damage hitherto.