GIGANTIC BATTLE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 217, 17 October 1914, Page 11

GIGANTIC BATTLE.

THE EASTERN CAMPAIGN. SEVERAL MILLIONS IN THE FIELD FRONT NEARLY THREE HUNDRED MILES. Bv Cable. —Press A.ssociali«n. —Copyright. (Received October 17, 1-2.30 p.m.) PETROGRAD, October 16. A gigantic battle between Warsaw and the Dncister has been commenced on a front of 280 miles. There are half a million Austro-Ger-mans between Warsaw and Ivangorod, seveu»hundred thousand from Ivangorod to the San River, and four hundred and fifty thousand between-the San and the Dneister. The Russian forces, are estimated at 2,500,000. • - AUSTRIA'S NEW ARMY. CALLING OUT THE YOUTHS. j . ... . . . 1 A SUPREME EFFORT. (Received October 17, 12.30 p.m.) ROME, October 16. y Having called out all' men between the ages of twenty and forty-seven, the Austrian Government is to-day summoning youths between seventeen and twenty to provide a new army for a supreme effort against the Russians in Galicia, and the Servians on the Drina. -THE ALLIES' ADVANCE. OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. GERMANS' DEVILISH WORK IN AFRICA. (Received October 17, 12.30 p.m.) PARIS, October 16. Official: Yesterday 's progress is confirmed. CAPE TOWN, October 16. A medical missionary from Northern Rhodesia describes the devilish work of the Germans who are enrolling'the natives, and encouraging them to burn and kill. Already a -force of Germans and natives has crossed the border and burned native villages, killing the defenceless inhabitants, and carrying off the women. Thousands of natives are flocking to the British flag to seek revenge." HEADQUARTERS' REPORT. DETAILS OF THE FIGHTING. GERMANY'S LAVISH EXPENDI- \ TURE IN LIFE. The following official war news has been received by the ~ into Minister: — LONDON, October 16. General Headquarters continues and supplements the narrative of the movements of the British and French armies, in immediate touch. From October 9 until October 12 little | occurred, and the usual spasmodic shelj ling of our trenches resulted in little harm, so well dug in are our men. On the night of October 10 the Ger- ! mans made a fresh assault supported by i artillery, against a point has all along attracted most o4 their attention. The atte.-ij i again was a costly failure, towards which our guns -'-c able to contribute with effect. . One of our aviators sighted r> hostile machine and gave"~chase, but lost sight of his opponent amongst the clouds. Another machine appeared, a German Otto biplane and our officer started in pursuit. At sixty yards range he fired, and turned round and emptied his magazine at the German. The latter descended and our officer continued firing while descending on his opponent who disappeared into a bank of T o.uds. ! The French airmen have been very successful during the last three days, and dropped bombs amongst the German cavalry, which caused considerable loss and disorder. They also silenced a battery of I field howitzers. The German anti-aircraft guns recently have been unusually active, and from their rate of fire, they seem to be nearly automatic, but so far they have not had much effect in reducing our air reconnaisances. A striking feature-of our line is that it consists of a series of trenches, not all placed alongside oi* each other, but some more advanced than others, and j many facing in different directions. At

one place they run east and west on one side of a valley, and at another north and south. Both the German and British trenches jut out like promontories into their opponents' territory. In spite of lavish expenditure of life, the enemy has not succeeded in driving us back. The extent to which cross , fire of all kinds is employed is remarkable, and many localities are untenable by reason of the rifle fire or of guns out of sight. It is difficult for the troops to find out whence they are being shot at. There is a perpetual triangular duel. FIGHTING ON THE LEFT. AN EXTENDED LINE. RUSSIANS REPEL ATTACKS. LONDON, October 16. 1 The following war news has been received by the Prime Minister: Paris reports state that on the left wing the action of the Allied. Armies extends from the region of Ypres to the sea. The Germans have occupied j Blankenberghe. ' ! Fighting is proceeding south of Przemysl. The Russians repelled strong German attacks 011 Warsaw and Ivangarod on October 13. The Russian Governor-General of Galicia announces a scheme of administra 1 tion, dividing Galicia into three provinces. GERMANS AT ANTWERP. PRISONERS TAKEN. THE OFFICIAL 'VERSION. (Received October 17, 3.40 p.m.) LONDON, October 16. The Government has prohibited transit otherwise than through the post, of letters or written messages, intended for carrying on business in the enemy's country. AMSTERDAM, October 16. A German headquarters telegram states that tlie Germans have taken prisoner 5000 Belgians. - The Antwerp booty included Ave, hundred guns ami huge quantities of war munitions, food and wool to the total value of ten million marks, copper and silver valued at half a million marks. There were -34 German steamers'in port, some of which were burned an<f others the engines of which were destroyed and the decks rendered unworkable. i: FIGHT WITH MARITZ'S FORCE. EIGHTY PRISONERS TAKEN. REBELLION, LN AFRICA. CAPE .TOWN, October 16. The British patrol .fought a party of Mar it z 's . foxce at Randiaai, and took eighty men prisoners. Owing to Maritz's General Botha is taki, % tlie field earlier than he intended," witli several Dutch commandos, organised on the old burgher lines,coupled with regiments of the Union Defence Force. The ; Government is adopting the sternest measures in the centres of disaffection, arresting prominent persons suspected of sowing sedition and misleading the Dutch on the back veldt, j The prisoners include *a Germanised Afrikander, who is alleged to have been the go-between betwen the Germans and Maritz. It is understood that, Maritz, as a blind, arrested the Afrikander and sent him to Pretoria for the purpose' of giving the Government jnisleading information, nominally in confidence, about the German frontier. The authorities were aware of the man's antecedents, and Maritz's design failed. General Hertzog has placed Ills services a 4; the' Government's disposal. NEWS FROM RABAUL. GERMAN WAR VESSEL CAPTURED AN OLD GUNBOAT. MELBOURNE, October 16. Mr Pearee, Minister of Defence, has received a message from llabaul stating that the German gunboat Comet has been captured[The Comet is a practically obsolete gunboat, launched in 1896, a twin-screw vessel of 971- tons .displacement. She was credited with . a..speed of 21 at the time of her launching, ana carried four 3.4 in guns, two machine guns, and three torpedo tubes. Her complement of officers and- men was 115.j IN THE COMMONWEALTH. THE OFFER TO- BELGIUM. DISMISSAL OF GERMANS. SYDNEY, October 16. In reference to the Government's offer to recei e a number Belgian

1 i(lows and orphans. Sir Th mas Coglilan has cabled he thanks of the Belgian authorities, and that the proposition has been submitted to the King of Belgium, who since he has been in the field has been practically out of reach of the Embassy. Sir Thomas (Joglilan desir th- ' the offer should not be withdrawn. The Premier states that the "''or holds good. A meeting of the Sydney Labour Council opposed the idea of prohibition that has been issued on the export of coal to -n Francisco and Honolulu, and the west coast of S nth America, to prevent it falling into the- hands of the enemy. At the Industrial G ?rt an employer was charged with dismissing five German workmen without requisite notice. He admitted he had -'bmissed them because they were non-natuialised Germans, and ,the other employees objected to working"alongside them. Counsel for the defence pleaded justification because the men were alien enemies. Defendant was ordered to pay J/- in each case. (Received October 17, .11 a.m.) SYDNEY, October 17. The miners at the Hetton Colliery | have struck as a protest against the. emjployment of a naturalised German.