BACK IN LONDON.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 533, 25 October 1915, Page 8

BACK IN LONDON.

SIR lAN HAMILTON'S RETURN. A HEARTY WELCOME. LONDON, October 23. : Sir lan Hamilton had a hearty reception at Victoria Station. He was "apparently in the- best of health, and cheerful. He drove off amid the cheers of the crowd, which included wounded soldiers from the Dardanelles. Sir lan Hamilton was much touched by his reception. Lieut.-General Sir C. C. Monro, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Allifed Forces at the Dardanelles, left London yesterday. CONFERENCE AT WAR OFFICE. lIGrH PRAISE FOR ALL TROOPS. LONDON, October 23. Sir lan Hamilton reported at the War Office to-day, and had a twohours' .conference with Lord Kitch- * ener. Mr Balfour, Lord Derby, and others were present. Speaking to friends, Sir lan Hamilton was full of praise for all ranks, "including the Australians and New Zealanders. He was deeply touched by the magnificent send-off he received at Anzac. Farewelling the men, he said no worldly honours could give him satisfaction equal to the goodwill of the heroes of Anzac. ~<• Interviewed by the Paris "Journal," Sir lan Hamilton said he had .no knowledge where he would be "sent now. He trusted the period of "inactivity would be very sho.pt. He ,paid a tribute to the dash and gallantry of the British and French troops, particularly the Algerians. Air alike were splendid from the cockney to the Australian and the New Zealander.

FIGHTING Hi THE WEST.

GERMAN ATTAC IS REPULSED. TRENCHES CAPTURED IN LORRAINE. The High Commissioner reports: LONDON, Oct. 23 (4.35 p.m.) Paris'reports that yesterday evening enemy groups attempted to leave their trenches at Bois en Hache, near a small fort at Givenchy. They were immediately dispersed. In Champagne, a strong enemy reconnaissance, accompanied by "weeping" and asphyxiating shells, attempted to gain a footing in French positions on the Butte de Tahure. Everywhere the Germans were repulsed and nearly destroyed by infantry and machine-gun fire. In Lorraine, in hand-to-hand combat, we captured trenches which - had been occupied by the enemy at Leintres, Gondraxon, and the Amen-oncourt-Reillon cross-roads. STRUGGLF AT LOOS. ; v 'TERRIFIC BRITISH BOMBARDMENT. AMSTERDAM, October 23. The "Berliner Tageblatt," describing the fighting at L9OS, says: British bombardment was terrific. Our excellent trenches were blown into holes, and our e itanglements into shreds. Banks o" gas crept towards us in successive waves. Suddenly, behind the fourth cloud, the British emerged in thick lines. Their storming columns seemed to arise from the earth. All the men wore masks, which made them resemble devils, and not soldiers. For along time after this no news reached the divisional headquarters, for the wires had been destroyed. The adjoining division reported a gas attack on their first line, which had ..been stormed. Finally, news that the British had succeeded in storming our division's first trenches vas received."

, WILHELM THE UNCTIOUS.

"I TRUST IN THE LORD." AMSTERDAM, October 23. "Replying to a congratulatory telegram from the King of Bavaria, the Kaiser wrote: "I confidently trust in the Lord to further aid our just cause and grant us a victorious issue of a fight so wickedly begun." PRICE OF VICTORY. CASUALTIES IN FLANDERS. -_ ' I LONDON, October 23. The casualty lists from Flanders dating from September 26 to October ♦#l3 total 2068 officers and 30,886 men. ANGLO-AMERICAN TRADE. AN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT. TRIUMPH FOR BRITISH DIPLOMACY. WASHINGTON, October 23. The United States Government has sanctioned the formation of an Overseas Trust Company to handle American products abroad, with assurances that they will not reach any of the belligerents belonging to the Teutonic combination. The company is on exactly the same lines as the Netherlands Overseas Trust Company, and its formation is regarded as a notable success for British diplomacy, and will tend to obviate existing causes of friction in trade between Britain and the United States. ' Despite the Anglo-French war credit, the New York sterling exchange rate has reached a new low h'&point. It is now 4.65d01. ti'V ' '