THE WAR.

Waipa Post, Volume VIII, Issue 374, 11 December 1914, Page 4

THE WAR.

(The following are reports from the High Commissioner for New Zealand received at Te Awamutu since our last issue): — Received December 9th, 1.52 p.m. RUSSIANS WITHDRAW FROM LODZ. Russian official messages neither confirm nor contradict the 'Getman capture of Lodz, but state that the defence of Lodz is no longer considered an urgent military necessity. ACTIVITY IN FRANCE. There is great activity by the allies and the enemy in France. On Tuesday the allies were making marked advance. Verolle, the scene of desperate fighting during the last two months, has been taken by the French after a brilliant assault. Received Dec, 10th, 0.16 p.m. GERMAN CRUISERS IN PACIFIC. FLEET SCATTERED. GNEISENAU AND LEIPZIG SUNK.. The British Admiralty announces that on the morning of Bth December the German Pacific fleet, consisting of the cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Nurnberg, Dresden, and Leipzig, was sighted near Falkland Islands (a group of 200 islands in the South Pacific) by a British squadron under Vice-Admiral Sturdee. An action followed. The Scharnhorst was flying the flag of Admiral Von Spee. The Gneisenau and the Leipzig were sunk, and the Dresden and Nurnberg are being pursued. Two colliers were captured. Our casualties were very few. Some survivors were rescued from the Leipzig and the Gneisenau. -

Received December 10, 1.30 p.m. KAISER INVALIDED. It is officially stated in Berlin that the Kaiser is in a feverish condition, and is suffering from bronchial catarrh. Later.—lt is officially stated that the Kaiser's condition is serious. Received December 10, 2.15 p.m. VARIOUS SUCCESSES. The French artillery in the Argonne district has secured appreciable gains. Progress has been made all along the Argonne front and on the heights around Meuse. To the south-east of Cracow a new battle has developed as a result of the Austro-German attempt to outflank the Russian left wing.