Page
THE WAR.
MAIL LINER “MALOJA” MINED.
LARGE NUMBER UNACCOUNTED FOR.
RESCUING STEAMER MEETS DISASTER.
TITANIC VERDUN STRUGGLE.
INDESCRIBABLE SLAUGHTER.
SEVERAL STEAMERS SUNK.
MANGO-BELGIAN FRONT..
ĮTHROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.] BATTLE OF VERDEN. FURY OF GERMAN ASSAULTS. UNPARALLELED ENEMY LOSSES.
PARIE, February 28th. An Eyewitness of the fighting at Verdun, wesibing the fury of the Germña assaults, alate, that he saw a whole Brigado advan
g in assed columns on the stud. They were caught by the fire of the French katteries, and wors pretically annihilated,
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRERS, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29T11 1915,
(THROUGH EBUTEṇʼS · AGENCY. } VIVID PICTURE OF BATTLE. HOW ENEMY INFANTRY WERE
WIPED OUT,
LONDON, February 27th.
A vivid picture of the fighting near Ver. dun is furbished by a Scottish member of the French Foreign Legion. He says:~~
"The Legion was posted behind houses
(SHROUGH REUTZE'S ADENOY.] THREE VIOLENT ATTACKS BROKEN.
PARIE February 27th.
the Today's communiqué says:-In region north of Verdun our troops con- tinued to strengthen their positions dur- ing the night. There has been na changa on the attacking front eastward “of - the Meuse, where a heavy snowfall has occur- real.
No fresh attempt has been reported. either on Talou Hill or Poivro Hill.
(THRONOS REUTER'S AGENCY.]
P. & O "MALOJÁ” MINED. SINKS OFF DOVER.
LONDON, February 27th. Lloyds announce that the P. and Malaja has been mined. The passengers are now being picked up.
Another message states that the Valoja, which was carrying passengers and mails, as been sunk off Dover. It is believed that she was mined. Detalls are Icking.
The vessel's gross tonnage in. 12,800.
LATER. The Maloja's passenger list contains the rames of fifty-seven persons, of whom seven are children. The passengers were going
(THROUGH LEUTER'S AGENCY.) The Maloja's printer, Coleman; says that after the explosion he rushed to his boat, and he, with a dozen others, jumped in.
[MIRODOH =REGTEE'S AGENCY.)" ENEMY COLUMN KOUTED IN EGYPT
The apparatus became jammed, An officer FLEEING IN SCATTERED PARTIES. helped to clear the boat which, however, tell 30 feet into the sea. Three of the but ccupants wore thrown into tho wore rescued. They wero taken off by a tug as the bont was sinking.
CAIRO, February 29th. It is officially announced that General Lukins cólume, consisting of South Afri- cans, Yeomanry, and Territorial artillery, on Saturday morning attacked an enemy Mrs. Gregory, Leegyved says that sbo and column under Muri and Saafar at Ágadis, another lady were knocked down by the ox15 miles southeast of Barrami. By 33 plosion and bruisce, but they crawled to the cremy had been completely routed, the saloon, got their lifebelts, and entered and was Heng in soattered parties,
boat, but it was so crowded that they pursued by our cavalry,- fumped into the sea, though “unablỡ to swim. They floated for 15 minutes before
At 4 o'clock acroplanes reported them
being pursued. right alles south-west of Agadier still
༥
At dusk yesterday a strang German attack was launched in the region of a farm at Haudaumont, eastward of Poivre Hill and was broken up by our artillery to Gibraltar, Marseilles, Malta, Egypt.hey were picked up. ́
The Daily Telegraph says all the engine-CALLING UP MARRIED MEN. and machine-gun fire and counter-attacks. Aden, Bombay and Karachi. They include
Another Germain attempt not less violent | Justice F. Oldfiek, and the Reverends G.com staff were saved except a winchman.
REMINDED OF THE nt Bois Haudaumont, met with no greater Budson, A. E, Nightingale and J. G.
PICTURE
Potter.
The P. and O. Company announces that there were 119 passengers on the Maloja. and it is believed that most of thein have
The orderly retreat of our advance posts, was carried out without the least molestation by the enemy.
There has been no infantry action west been saved. of the Meuse.
The Germans in the Vosges, aften ant artillers preparation, altempted a strong attack at nightfall along a front of two kilometres south-eastward of Celles, which
completely faed.
"BLUCHER"
The Captain of the Empress of Fort Witham, which was en mute to Dunkirk with a enrge of con says that on nearing Dover he saw the liner down astern,
Fle
The vessel struck a mine midway between | went full-speed to her assistance: The port Dover and Folkestone. The after part of side of the Meltje was out of the water. the ship was blown up. There was a high He could see eight of the ship's boots lying sea running. The Captain tried to bench on the side, impossible to be used. He the pictures of the his ship, but was unsuccessful, as the saw many persons on the outer side of the engine-roora was flooded. The boats were vessel, just like The action of our batteries to-day swung out before the accident... Most of Blucher.
THE DEATH ROLL It is officially announced that 84 passen- The behaviour of the passengers and crow
gers have been saved out of 119, and alto- a48 splendid.
gether 260 wore saved out of the full som
more names of those saved will yet be
received.
to await the onset. Tone of shells seemed against supply stores at Stoss Weiler, to the passengers were wearing lifebelts.
to be raining at us. We could at first see.. nothing; then we gradually discerned little
the north of Munster, gave good results.
OFFENSIVE SLACKENS.
It is stated at Dover that 150 passengers
instantaneously. Nevertheless, the Corman ark specks on the horizon, which quickly SLOPES COVERED WITH GERMAN from the Haloja and from 40 to 50 Lescars plement of 411. It is hoped, however, that
did not desist. They made eight successivo attacks on Thursday near Haumont, cach of which was repulsed with enormous losses, Twe regiments were decimated by thres batteries of seventy fives, which were sud-
stricken and fled. High French officers estimate the German losses to have been greater than in any Western baltle up to
developed into masses of infantry,
"Our artillery had the most exact range, sponge wipes and wiped out the specks as out chalk figures on blackboard. Only when the enemy was 500 yards distant was
DEAD.
PARIS, February 28th. The evening communiqué says:-North of Verdun, after the violent actions of the proceding days, a certain slackening day was reported, except between Donau- lui-mont Hill and the plateau north of the village of Vaux, where a strong attack on our positions was ropulsed
have been landed. It is believed that all the officers were saveil, with the exception of two engineers,
A Dover message, sent at 10.30 p.m., says that 44 bodies have been landed. The tide
togies will be recovered to-night.
A number of injured persons have been. landed at Dover and placed on a hospital
LONDON, February 28th. The War Office announces that the date for calling up the married, men has not yet, been gongdered,
AIR RAID CASUALTIES. NEARLY 90 KILLED AND INJURED:
LONDON, February 28th.
An official announcement giving the final list of casualties of the Zeppelin raid on
that 184 men, women and children were England on the night of January 31sť statss
Ped and injured.
Altogether 393 bombs were dropped, AIR SQUADRON FROM COMMONWEALTH,
LONDON, February 28th. The War Ofies have accepted the Com- monwealth's offer of an aerial squadron of.
SERIOUS
DUTCH CROSS-CHANNEL MAIL 25 officers and 186 men.
BOAT MINED.
FLUSHING, February 27th.
cross-Channel mail-boat Mecklenburg has been sunk through strik- The crew, passengers, and ing a mine.
denly unmasked. The survivors were panic rifle and mitrailleuse fire ordered. A sheet of the German efforts in the course of the is ebbing, and it is not expected that more The Dutch
our line and gra- of flame dickered along qually became a huge blaze of light, rating the white, seared faces of the ad vancing anemy; They recoiled from the first deadly volley, and disappeared in the darkness,
the present.
GERMANS'
VAST
PREPARATIONS. MOTIVES OF THE EFFORT.
LONDON, February 28th. French correspondents agree that never was a battly so minutely prepared, and an army so sbundantly supplied with materials For victory as the Germans at Verdun. Even the tremendous cannonade of the Allies in the Champagne offensive was the discharge of squibs compared with the artillery work at Verdun, which distorted the local geography, throwing up hillocks and digging crevasses. The Crown Prince's two Army Corps were roinforced by five fresh Corps from the Eastern froot.
The first phase of the battle was aerial, in which the French scored, bringing down seven aeroplanes and a Zeppelin, which were securing communicatione,
Then there were intense bombardments, and the infantry assaults. The net result up to the present is that the French centre Į welded to the tremendous pressure. The ew straightened French line is based on a naturally strong position on hits a thou- and feet high, supported by miles of solid | field-works with the base at Donsumont Fort.
Wo could hear the frantic incitements of the officers to induce the men to return. Timo after time they succeeded, but each A full time the attack crumpled up. followed.
"Then the artillery again opened fire, urluding a larger attack. This time the enemy got nearer our front. The ranks wavered and the enemy swept exultantly forward, but they were stopped dead at 100 yards by our fire. Before the enemy could recover we dashed forward with the bayonet and completed the rout.
"Meanwhile motors were bringing up
The einforcements for the Germans. attack was renewed irresistibly. We were forced back by inches. The slaughter was In the fighting at close indescribable. quarters wo lost our share, A portion of the Legion left to cover the retreat escaped annihilation with difficulty, the Germans pressing the attack regardless of life to such an extent as to make the blood freeze."'"` FALSE GERMAN CLAIMS, LESS THAN 5000 FRENCH CAPTURED.
PARIS, February 27th.
A French official announcement empha. sises the false claiing of the German com musiques. The statement affirmy that the
ship.
The explosion on the Melija was terri fic, and was felt about two miles from: Dover. It shook the houses on the front.
Our troops east and west of the Doun mont position, the whole slopes of which are covered with German dead, are closely encircling the enemy fractions which suc- RESCUING STEAMER ALSO MINED. ceeded in gaining a footing there and
A three-masted steamer which went to the are holding the ground only with diffiiner's assistance also struck a mine and. culty.
sank in half an hour after the Maloja, Toss of life is feared, but hosts of all
The latest reports show that none af
mails were saved.
MORE BRITISH STEAMERS SUNK.
LONDON, February 28th.
The British steamers Denaby and Tammel have been sunk. Five survivors from the latter have been picked up, two died, and
even are missing.
The steamers sunk within the last 24
the enemy occupy Talou Hill, which the descriptions were launched and warships hours, in addition to the Denoby and opposing artilleries have rendered untenaced to the spot, able to both sides.
The German in the Woevre established contact with our outposts towards Blanzee and Morenville, whence his attempts to debouch in the direction of Hill 255 failed;
There was an artillery due at Har manns Weilerkopf.
The crew of the three-masted steamer, which it has now been ascertained was the Empress of Fort Willium, were saved and have been landed at Dover,
Theo hayo bars landed at Dover the bodies of 13 females, two hoys, 11 Lascuis, and 18 other males
We shelled and dispersed an enemy detachment in the Senones region and car-to ried out a destructive fire on the enemy's works between Soissons and Rheims GERMAN GUARDS USE FLAME-
SQUIRTERS.
LONDON, February 27th.
The German Guards in the battle near Verdun are using two kinds of fame- squirters, hurling flames respectively twelve and 65 yards.
MINOR ATTACK ON BRITISH.
LONDON. February 27th.
Tummel, are the Swedish steamer Birgit and the British steamer Fastnet by a sub- marine in the Western Mediterranean. The crew, who were rescued by a Freach cruiser, saw the submarine sink the Swedish steamer Tornbery and low her boats.
It is announced that three were saved and E6 drowned of the crew of the Dido,
The Arabia will take the Maloja's mails PORTUGAL SEIZES GERMAN
Marspilles.
The Maloja is lying in 17 fathoms. Many of the crow and several passengers have arrived in London. They were clad
a rugs and other makeshifts.
SHIPS.
LONDON, February 28th. Portugal has seized eight German ships
RUSSIAN FRONT. at Cape Verde.
PASSENGERS: STORIES.
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.). An infantry Lieutenant, en route to ibraltar, interviewed, and that most of KUROPATKIN REGAINS
the passengers were on deck at 11 a... when a storm was blowing up. Suddenly there was a violent explosion aft, and the vessel beeled over. The boats on the port side were unable to be used, owing to the
▲ British communiqué reports. On Bast. The Lieutenant's boat fell when the total of the French captured by the Goturday night we repulsed a smal attack occupants were being lowered and all were mans do not number 5.000, although the north of the Ypres Comines Canal...
To-day artillery was mutually active Germans claimed to have taken 10,000 on
about Hulluch, Armentieres and Ypres. the 25th.
#AVAL ACTIVITIES.
The Germans are at present ten miles. sistant from Verdun, Though the fury of the assault has slackened, it is premature to say that the offensive has ended after this yastness of the preparations. But the harder fighting will be necessary before the Germans can hope to reach the main
The German announcement of the capture defences of Verdun. The terror of the next German attack had been so loudly proclaim of Champ Neuville is untrue. The Ger- ed recently that the French anticipated mans boasted of the capture of some moustrous invention would be revealed, Armoured Fort Douaumont," but this was dismantled in the first months of the war,
1
the
but the event has shown nothing newer than and contained neither gun nor infantry the Mackensen phalauz. The breaking of man, and the French to-day are beyond it. the Verdun barrier at the time of the Marne
KAISER WATCHES THE battle would have been followed by great
BATTLE. consequences, but it is now only a bulge in
AMSTERDAM, Feburary 27th. a solid line from the sea to the Alps. If
the Crown Prince is victorious, which is A Berlin official announcement says that improbable, his victory will be far from the Kaiser was present at the battle around decisive. It is believed that fear of an Verdun approaching grand offensive by the Allies
on all fronts underlies the German-desperate
stroke, coupled with a desire to make a
good show to the German public in view
of the imminent fourth German Joan, which the
GERMAN CLAIMS,
LONDON, February 28th..
A German wireless message states that 24th Brandenburg Infantry have
La recently been extravagantly advertised occupied Fort Dinamont five mites north-
the German.press.
cast of Verdun,
On a
thrown aut. He swam for ten minutes, and
as then taken on a raft and landed motor-boat. There was no panic. Passen-. gers were very calm, and the conduct of the crew was "top-hole."
The Captain of the Maloja was the last {TEROUGE REUTEN'S AGKEOS.}
to leave. He slipped into the water as the VIGOROUS SUBMARINE WAR case disappeared and swam for nearly half
An hour BEGINS. AMSTERDAM, February 28th
It is aomi-officially announced in Berlin that a vigorous submarine war will begin at the stated time, the 1st March Thers will be no question of deviating from the measures..
FUGITIVE GERMAN STEAMER RETURNS.
LONDON,-February 28th. The German steamer which escaped from Funchal bas returned,
She stated that she had broken her cables.
Messrs. Anderson, Interviews with Avery, Bestock, Heron, Sharpe, and Meredith, and Madame Wilkini are also published.
Mr. Avery was unconscious when he was rescued. Ele says a lady in his boat died of the cold aboard a rescuing trawler. The eas broke the rafts and soaked the occu- pants. The waves prevented some of the rescuing vessels from launching boats. It probable that my a life would have bean est but for the iciness of the water. Mr. Meredith saw seamen kap overboard, with chidren in their arms. Others who were swimming kept women afloat.
:
FAVOUR... NOW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF
NORTHERN FRONT.
PETROGRAD, February 7th. General Kuropatkin has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Front.
TURKS TAKE THEIR STAND.
LONDON, February 28th. It is believed in Petrograd that the Turks bave taken their stand in the mountains sixty miles west of Erzerum.
RUSSIANS STILL PURSUING
TURKS.
PETEOGRAD, February 28th,
· A communiqué says: We are still
lent snow storms. The snow is some places igorously pursuing the Tarks, amid vio-
reaches breast-high. GENERAL,
[THNOTOH REETHE'S AGENCY:] THE EVACUATION OF
DURAZZO,
ROME, February 28th. The Italian and Albanian troops and 200,000 refugees, with all stores, evacuated Darazzo prior to the Austrian occupation. An Austrian communiqué says:—Our troops have occupied Durassé.
CHARGE. AGAINST A CHINESE.
OVER $30.000 INVOLVED. At the Magistracy yesterday a Chinese was charged with stealing as baileo asum of money and various articles valued at €32.649,
It is alleged that the money and articles were the property of a certain steam launch company, and that defen- dant stole from the safe belonging to the Company $23.000 in bank notes, 44 5over- eigns, a gold pendant, a gold ring, and a gold watch valued at $167.
Mr. Les D'Almada prosecuted and Mr. C, F. Masou defended.
Mr, D'Alnuada said that defendant was gcon to take the money and articles from the safe by a houseboy, who asked him why he wanted to do that. Defendant was supposed to have told the boy lo mind his own business and threatened that if he toll anyone he would be killed. The bay kept quiet for a time and shadowed the defen dans. He observed the defendant cross the harbour in the Star ferry and board a train going to Canton. Then he told the Police and subsequently defondant was arrested in Chinese territory. About $11,000 was recovered and returned to the complainant, Dofendant had sineo Te turned to Hongkong and sued the com plainant, Ngai Kwai, for the recovery j $11,000. Complainant then asked for a warrant for the arrest of the defendant.
A remaad for a week was ordered, bail being fixed in the sum of $10,000.
INVENTIONS AND HISTORY. EFFECT OF AVIATION ON ENGLAND'S POSITION,
Bir Charles Lucas read a paper at a meet- ing of the Historical Association at Univer sity College, on "The Teaching of Imperial History
Sir Charles said the inhumanity of the Germans in the present war had horrifed
ús all. Was it not connected with the fact that of all people at the present day the Germans were the most dominated by science They were the nearest approach to human beings converted into machinery. The science of flying, still only in its "infancy, was robbing England of its ad- vantage of being an island Could anyone vention on English history had ever been put into the right place? Like the Em- contend that the influence of sciantifo in-
pire, it had been relegated to special chap ters or sections. It had never been treated- 8 central, integral omnipotent force in shaping the lives and fortunes of nations. Democracy was a direct result of scientific inventions Printing, railways, telegraphs,
It bicycles made democracy inevitable. was pot Acts of Parliament that worked the change.
Professor Egerton (Beit Professor of Colonial History) said that after the war the form of Imperial constitution was going. to interest the average Brive elector much more than it ever had done in the past. They had to take care that they were not mis by the British habit of trying to tal short-outs.