INTIMATIONS
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10cv, 1914.
explosives about this or that affair with a patrol, or this or that reconnaissance, which, candidly, tend to create feelings of disgust and sometimes horror. It has spared as those novitiate messages which toll of brilliant glorious and complete victories of small Allied forces over
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towards Berlin, annihilating here and annihilat ing there in a glory of crimson; it cats away the imaginations of writers who look at things through glasses which magnify, and gives the public just the real facts, leaving it to their intelligence to sum up the results, if they think it worthwhile. Thus vo got from the hecatombs of slaugh- Press Bureau no tered Uhlans, no monsier castiages! and so forth. And even though the facts alone reach us they are in themselves frequently thrilling, yet quietly and economically worded, and terse comments are made upon rews the VERY SUPERIOR OLD PORT WITH authenticity of which the Bureau has
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good reasons for dousting, or which t cannot confirm In carrying out this very necessary duty, which is really the outcome of a lesson well learned during the South African War, it cannot be denied that the Bureau is acting in the true and best interests of the public. It is supremely necessary that we should all remain steady and cool at this unparalleled period in the world's history. The British public are traditionally slothful where excitement is concerned, but & crash of sensationally worded news would produce influences which might apply the spark to a magazine of emotion. The time for centimental anotion is not yet; Lord
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country to stolidly realise the true facts. of a great situation, and to act in a cool and collected manner. He does not want a man who is momentarily roused into a feeling that he could perform derring dceds by reading a hurid and, perchance, wholly imaginative story of the bravery of a mythical gunner. Buch sentiment is
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struggle has (; be faced. The Bureau bas made the public realise in a calm and terse manner that Great Britain is at war with a great and powerful for which can strike hard blows; and in the same stolidly unemotional manner has the flower of the nation come forward after a full realisa tion of the official news which has been passed out for publication. Our ancestors were none the worse because they had to bear far longer eilence than we have to bear to-day on the contrary, they were probably a good deal better. Again, let us remember this: the more news the more
rumour. You do not for a moment decrease Rumour's hundred tongues by over serving out more and more news; you increase them. And what is the result of this leavening of war nows which, at first, admittedly, became irksome? The English nation is surprising the rest of the world by its lack of show and sentiment, and those who are sharing the great responsi bilities of war are able to de usundeterred by feelings for a restless people threaten-
LONDON OPTION: 131, Fant Brain, EC. ing to become disastrongly emotional.
The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, DECEMBER 10TH, 1914,
Ir one of the objects of the Press
one of th
To the more emotional peoples of the world, Britishers must appear brutally cold, yet it is only that traditional trait which has been preserved in a situation when it might, with many excuses, have been lost. And the Press Bureau has been no mean factor in succouring the British tradition for cool-
Chev. Volpicelli, the Italian Consul- General, is visiting Yunnan Province,
Sir John Jordan, K.C.M.G., H.M. Minister in Peking, was expected to visit Shanghai, quietly, at the beginning of this week The visit, it was stated, would be & short and quite informal one.
Bureau is to prevent the British public from becoming heady," then in headedness in the most fiery situations. this direction, at all events, it is remarkably successful. Anything in the nature of a scare or food for abnormal elation has been so, dexterously handled that people with temporaments which can be disastrously played upon have never been allowed to flare up with shouts of victory or to moan aloud at defeat. And at a time of such strain and tension, the literary, leavening of the nature now being carried out daily at the Press Bureau offices cannot but be of service to the nation at large. Two Chinese were prosecuted at the Waiting for news is a proceeding which Magistracy yesterday for stealing metal invariably jingles the nerves of the most from the Naval Yard. Each prisoner was cool-headed, but to persons who seem to sentenced by Mr. Hazeland to two months be made up wholly of nerves it acts in imprisonment, He added to the sentence the nature of a narcotic. They have of one of them four hours in the stocks, nothing to feed them, and, though and to that of the other six months' perhaps very restless, have to remain imprisonment and four hours stocks for quier and harmless both to themselves and returning from banishment. to others. The danger comes when, following such a period of waiting and
A Portuguese named A. Azevedo, watching--and we have had to experience charged with the shooting of a young many such blank periods during the woman at the Manila Bar," Shanghai, progress of the wars nsational and pleaded guilty to the offence at the fully dressed" story either of victory Portuguese Court in a long statement, or defeat is launched upon a public which was taken down by the authorities. elready trembling with expectation. It Police evidence will be taken after the is in this direction that the Press Bureau injured woman is out of danger, and it is has been of such great service and fully likely Azevedo will be committed to Macao Bureau has abstained rigidly from for trial.
Justified its establishment.
The Press
THE
WAR.
THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY)
THE GREAT BATTLE.
LONDON, December 8th. 5.50 p.m.
A Paris official communiqué states:- The enemy has been more active, and our artillery in the regions of Ysor and Ypres replied successfully,
We have already announced the most brilliant attack which made ns masters of Vermelles and the position of the Rutoire, Vermelles has been for two months the scene of a determined struggle, and since October 25th wo have been sapping till we reached the edge of the forest. Then we carried the park and the chateau.
There have been artillery battles on the Aisne and at Champagne. Our artillery dispersed gatherings of the enemy, and we gained some ground in the regions of Argonne and Pont-a-Mousson.
There is nothing to report on the remainder of the front.
LONDON, December 8th 8.20 p.m.
A message from Paris states that to-day the Allies progressed between Labagee and Vermelles, and also in Argonne.
German airmen dropped hombs on Rheims.
LONDON, December 8th
19.45 am. This evening's Paris official communiqué, states that a violent German attack on St. Eloi, south of Ypres, was repulsed.
A vigorous struggle is still continuing in Argonne,
SUCCESSFUL SERVIAN OFFENSIVE,
AUSTRIANS DRIVON BACK.
LONDON, December 0th. 1.20 p.m.
A Servian communiqué issued at Nish says that the Serrian Army hes assumed a fierce offensive along the entire front, and the enemy are retreating overywhere, leaving many prisoners and guns and great quantities of war material. We captured at one place 2,000 mon and the Colours and Band of the 22nd Regiment.
THE RUSSIAN
OPERATIONS.
LONDON, December 8th.
An Austrian communiqué claims that the Austrians have driven It also states that the the Russians from Wieliczka south o Cracow. Germans repulsed renewed attacks 8 with west of Piotrkow.
THE KAISER INDISPOSED.
LONDON, December 9th.
A message from Amsterdam announces that a Berlin official message states that the Kai er has been obligel to postpone for some days his return to the front, owing to a feverish condition produced by bronchial catarrh. Ho was able to-day to receive the report on the war situation,
RUSSIA'S FINANCES..
LONDON, December 8th. 5.50 p.m.
A Petrograd message states that the Russian estimates for 1915. show a revenue of £308,000,000, and an expenditure of 2307,690,000.
DEATH OF A TRAITOR.
LONDON, December 9th. It is officially announced in Pretorie that General Berers, the leader of the Transvaal revolt, is dead,
WAR GIFTS FROM THE BRITISH DOMINIONS:
LONDON, December 9th. Correspondence relating to War Gifte by the Dominions and Colonies
is published to night and forms a most impressive volume on the Empire's loyalty. The Council of the Gold Coast resolved to defray the cost of the capture of Togoland,, £80,000, and further voted £80,000 as a contribution to the Imperial war expenses in 1915,
NAVAL BOMBARDMENT OF BELGIAN COAST
RESUMED.
LONDON, December 9th. According to Dutch papers, the Allies Fleet on Monday resumed
the bombardment of the Belgian cast to support the advance from Mannekensvere to Ostend.
The Dutch papers continue to report considerable movements of German troops. 56,000 fresh troops are shortly expected at Antwerp where an attempt by the Allies to retake the city is expected.
THE MARRIAGE TAX IN CHINA. | The marriage of those who do not possess the marriage certificate is considered as It is learned, says the Peking Daily invalid The certifontes are divided Neus, that the regulations governing the into three classes. The first class certi eat the marriage tax have been ficato is sold for two dollars, the second dr and will be submitted to the class certificate for one dollar and the President for promulgation in a low third class certificate for afty cents. If days. They provide that the method for is estimated that three million marriages the collection of the tax shall be similar take place every year, and this the to that of the stamp tax, that is, the country will receive something like police stations will be entrusted with the $3,000,000 a year from the marriaga, work of selling marriage certificaten. registration tax.
[BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE TELEGRAMS] KING GEORGE REVIEWED THE BELGIAN ARMY
LONDON, December 8th, Before leaving France, H.M. King George bestowed tho Order of the Garter on the King of the Belgians and reviewed the Belgian Army."
GREAT BRITAIN AND BELGIAN NEUTRALITY.
With reference to statements implying that Great Britain con- templated a violation of the neutrality of Belgium, the Foreign Office has issued the record of a conversation between Sir E. Groy and the Belgian Minister in London in April, 1913,
The Belgian Minister Baid there was a certain amount of apprehen- sion that England, in case of war, would violate Belgian meutrality,
Sir E. Grey answered that he was sure no British Government What England would over do so, nor would public opinion approve it. desired in the case of Belgium and other neutral countries was that their neutrality should be respected.
THE STATE OF TRADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
Employment in the United Kingdom showed continued improve- over four million men show the number out of work to be practically no greater than before the war, making allowance for those who have joined the Army. In trades com- pulsorily insured against unemployment the percentage of the out of work had decreased steadily since the beginning of September, and is now less than at the same time last year.
ment in October. Returns from firms mploying APIS
All available information shows that the recovery of British industry from the unsettled conditions due to the war will be rapid and complete.
MORE DIPLOMATIC REVELATIONS.
Sig. Giolitti, formerly Prime Minister of Italy, in the course of a speech said that in August, 1913, Austria, in accord with Germany, communicated to Italy bor intention of attacking Servia and invoking Italian aid under the terms of the Triple Alliance. Italy pointed out to Germany and Austria that it was not a carus foederis.
This is further proof that the Servian coup had been arranged Jong before the assassination of the Archduke.
THE SERVIAN SUCCESSES.
LONDON, December 8th.. The Nish Press Bureau announces that along the whole front success of the Servian army is reported. On every front the Austrian Hungarian armies have been repulsed, and 2,400 officers and men, and a large quantity of booty have been captured. On one of the fronts four of the enemy's batteries have been captured:
WAR NEWS.
GREAT CHARGE BY LONDON SCOTTISH,
TRENCHES STORMED AT HEAVY LO88.
THE RAISER IN COMMAND OF HIS TROOPS, [FROM "THE TIMES SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
of the Prussian Guard. He says that after the eneiny had broken our line the situation was most serious. Only two field | companies of the Hoyal Engineers were Available as reserve in this quarter of the
Realising that all might be lost unlo a firing line of some kind could be established, the battery officers managed to form a line of Gunners, regimental cooks, and details of various descriptions.. These stood firm and maintained a steady rifle fire which checked the assault. at a critical moment, enabling other troops to arrive and repel the enemy more com pletely enemy has
Since the enemy has desisted from attacks in force, fighting has resolved itself into a sniping competition and small outpost affairs with riffes, hand grenades, homes, mortars and mines.
Oar aeroplanes have been expecially offensive during the last few days.
THE CZAR'S OATH.
The Hamburger Nachrichten of October.
IN NORTHERN FRANCE, Nov. 2nd. The German Emperor ordered his troops to take Ypres at all costs. He came in person to the firing line to see them do it. The enemy opened the attack on our lines with furious artillery fire. The infantry came into action, and for one of the few times during the campaign charged our trenches with the bayonet. All day the hattle raged, The fighting has been desperate, the losses very heavy. What is the outcome or whether the battle has yet had a definite result is not yet known. But this I have good reason to believe last night we still held Ypres. 10th says :----
The London Beattish took an important.
The consin of the Russian Czar, the part in the action. They fought well and Duke of Leuchtenberg, has given the gloriously. They gave for their country following statement to the representativa all that they could give. The order came of the Italian paper La Stampa that they were to move out to Ypres. Thoy My exilted relation William 11.- were transported in motor vehicles. Gladly they went, glad to be at last in the and his ally, Francis Joseph, are playing B dougerous game when they reckon on forefront of the battle. Here, as I irformed you yesterday the enemy had their final victory. Our nine million Russian soldiers with the heroic sons of renewed their attempt to break through Belgium, England and France, will our liner. They were in great force, enclose Germany and Austria in a ring strong in artillery. At Hellebecke and of steel, which they will never free them at Mossines, between Ypres and Warneton, selves of They will be bound to yield. our lines were hard pressed. The The journalist asked if a cessation of Territorials went to support the Cavalry warfare would be observed during the Brigade holding the trenches there They Winter months. The Duke Answered were formed up under the orest of a hill.
Such rumours are absolutely absurd, for They advanced over the hillcrest right into the Czar has taken an oath that he will the battle line. Down the slope they want, crush Germany and Austria to the ground. over heavy ground and beet crops, coming Russian troops who are accustomed to the at once under a fierce artillery fire.
inclemencies of the Winter will suffer less On they went into an inferno of shot and than Germans. It is out of the question shell. They advanced in short rushes. Many fell. In such a bell it seemed that the Czar will give any such welcome respite to his enemies. I am of opinion impossible that any of them could live that great battles will be fought in mid- Two shells burst quite close to one of these winter that will decide the fate of bravo men. He was unscathed by bullet, Germany and Austria but he will be stone deaf for life. Two others had their clothes torn by shrapnel bullets. On they went. Then both were struck in the arm All day they lay in
THE DAVIS CUP AND THE WAR
¡FORCES.
the hect field, in the shelter of a narrow MEMBERS OF RIVAL TEAMS NOW IN THE ditch. Until nightfall it was too dangerous to move. The battalion did not All the members of the rival teams which
falter. On they went to the enemy's tranches. Then the enemy came at them Davis Cup match at Boston, says The took part in the Anglo-Australasian
in overwhelming numbers, with bayonets fixed. It was an awful moment. Field, have either joined the forces or aro The London Scottish fixed bayonets, too, seeking commissions. Mr. Wilding is now They did not wait for the attack They at the front. He was a member of the charged the advancing chemy The naval landing force which went to the impact was terrific. Overborne by num relief of Antwerp The captain of the bers our men recoiled. Our men reformed English team has become Lieut. Parke, of
School Corps at Epsom, Mr. Kingscote, and charged again, again and again. And the 6th Battalion Leinster Regiment. Mr. then the German infantry turned and ran, Mavrogordato is in training with Public an officer in the Royal Garriscm Artillery, The day was won
19 drilling recruits at Gosport Mr. Broakog expects to go to France shortly in charge of a motor ambulance Mr A. H. Lowe has applied for a commission, This is an excellent woord, one of many of which the lawn tennis community may naturally be proud,
HOW. THE PRUSSIAN GUARDS
WERE THROWN BACK.
LONDON December 1st. The Recount of an Eye-Witness has been issued by the Press Bureau of the repulse