Page
THE
WAR.
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, MAY 17TH, 1917.
BRITISH HEAVILY ATTACKED.
ENEMY ACTIVITY IN THE WEST.
GERMANY AND
PEACE.
STATEMENT BY THE CHANCELLOR.
SITUATION IN RUSSIA.
Franco-Belgian Front.
Italian Front
LATEST CABLES.
(THROUGH BRUSER'S AGEMUY.)
BRITISH HEAVILY ATTACKED
SEVERE FIGHTING.
LONDON, May 16th
Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re ports Further details of the fighting this morning show that the enemy deli berately attempted, by four strong con- corted attacks, powerfully supported by Artillery; to drive us out of Bullecourt sad the section of the Hindenburg line eastward of the villago. The first attack temporarily gained a foothold in our trenches on the right flank position of the Hindenburg line, but our counter-attack immediately ejected the enemy, who left 250 killed and wounded,
The artillery dispersed a simultaneous attack on the left flank, and repulsed the third attack on the n north-eastern corner of Bullecourt. The fourth attack, which was delivered from the south and south-east, drove back our posts in the Western portion of the village a hundred yards. The enemy's losses were heavy. Hostile artillerying was heavy Scarpe.
at
LATEST CABLES THROUGH UTRE'S AGENOY.] ITALIAN ACTIVITY
ROME, May 15th, An official report states:-There was an intense artillery duel between Tolmino and the sea.
Our raids led to considerable progress on the slopes of Montecuaco and the hills eastward of Gorizia, and at Vertojbizta
We simultaneously advanced in the northern sector of the Carso. We reached the lines eastward of Dossoloiti, and Captured a number of prisoners.
ussian Front.
LATEST CABLES:
SITUATION IN RUSSIA
A STRIKING APPEAL
PETROGRAD, May 18th.
GERMANY AND PEACE! STATEMENT BY THE CHANCELLOR.
AMSTERDAM, May 15th The Council of Workmen's and Soldier's
yon Bethmann-Hollweg, the Ger Delegates have issued an appen to theman Chancellor, speaking in the Reich- Army not to forget that the regiments stag, reaffirmed that no difference bad of William are destroying revolutionary netirred with the Allies regarding the Russie, and that the loss of a free Russia peace question. It was perfectly under would be an irrepearable loss. A separs stond that a passionate interest was being ute peace was an impossible thing. Also, taken, in the German nims, but the only it was evident that German Imperialium, guiding line for a Chanecilor was an after defeating the western Allics, would early and satisfactory conclusion of the turn on them, soize their country, and war. He could any nothing beyond that.
slave the Russians. Peace cannot be
He denounced the Socialist talk of a achieved if we do not check the enemy's revolution. The Nation was firmly array prossure on our front. How can you
ed around the Kaiser, whom they trusted accomplish this if you remain inactive and who trusted them, in your trenches, and do not commence the offensive. Fight for liberty, and. fear the enemy's traps at fraternisation. Peace is not obtainable by separate trestics or the fraternisation of isolate
the Russian revolution, the safety "of units. This will only lead to the loss of
which lies not in peace or separate
armistice.
EARLIER CABLES.
AFFAIRS IN RUSSIA
LATEST CABLES. The Chancellor referred to the un- paralleled battles which had been raging during the past month on the West front, and said that even to-day the Anglo- French did not show readiness for peace
CHINESE TELEGRAMS.
BY COURTESY OF THE CHUNG NGOL
SAN PO
THE QUESTION OF WAR.
SHANGHAT, Alay 16th. The Government has sent a Bill to Lower House stating that the question of the declaration of war is important and must be discussed early.
THE RECENT RESIGNATIONS. The President has asked the Ministers of Justice, Agriculture, Navy and Foreign Ainirs to remain in office. Tan Chi Sul has decided not to resign and Hsu, Shi Chang, Wang Shi Chen and Li King Shi have all declined to form a Cabinet.
LORD RHONDDA.
THE MAN WITH A PUNCH.'*
When we don't hate you, we lover you, wrote a Socialist miners leader in an open letter to Lord Rhondda. It was Bubbeld jest admirably suited to the palate of the new President of the Local Government Board
When the Cabinet was announced some public men expressed surprise that so forceful personality, with wide dominion in commerce, should be avail able for a Department ruther overshadow. ed by its neighbours. They did not un still call him, or they had forgotten his derstand DA as his Cardiff admirers. fighting qualities. When he was removed from the submarined Lusitania national mediately to brave: ocean perils. He set interests again called to him almost in- his square jaw at the challenge and went So I eu imagine his combative temperi ment being attracted to the opportunity ILLNESS OF VICE-PRESIDENT. of grappling with public administrative problema under peculiarly advorge-car- The Vice President is seriously ill.
cumstances. Since then no Minuter i PREMIER TO BE INPEACHED. the Business Government has contributed Some members of Parliament will immental red tape and official conventions. more cheerfully to the bonfire of depart Peach the Premier Tan Chi Sut at the next meeting.
SPRING TASKS IN TRENTINO FEVERISH AUSTRIAN ACTIVITY.
The most recent utterances from London showed that the war aims announced two [FROM months ago were unaltered. The Chan- cellor rejected the idea of arriving at peace by announcing willingness to FEROUNCE SUCCESSES. Equally, he declined
The latter would help as little sa the former to win victory and end the war.
OUR ALLIES ALERT.
To my suggestion one day that he must. be remarkably anergetic to manage all his business interests he replied. Not at things I like. Observing the evidencer all I am really indolent except - ins of activity in his new Departmenty the spurring forward of tribunals, the niding of food production through local antho ritics, the relaxation, of restrictive by. THE TIMES CORRESPONDENT WITH laws, the promise to mothers of protec
THE ITALIAN ARMY.J
tion for themselves and their children, the safeguarding of tenants from quacks, and the fartherance of the pronteering landlords, the warning of
conclude that Lord Rhondda inds his National Service movement, I can only
occupation congenital
of an unusually rigorous winter have The cold, snow, slect, ice, and winds
the Trentino, but they have not succeeded Bugmented, the difficulties of warfare in in deadening the activity of the opposing armies halfling its heights. It would almost Heem as if the violence of Nature's opposition had hardened the wills and steadied the energies of those who are equally determined to conquer and t
to buld
the
He recently spoke of the Local Govern ment Board as the Cinderella of the Departments, but with characteristic confidence he predicted her coming re- cognition There are signs that he has
her to the ball readiness for the conch that to take
Tak zeker 11 Russia 18 wishful to stop further have just turn from I VINE at least fitted Cinderella's shoo in
Two hundred bombs were dropped on TERMS FOR PARTICIPATION WITH to get forth the programme of conquest, enemy encampments and supply columns
GOVERNMENT. eastward of Gorizia
PETROGRAD, May 16th The Executive of the Workmen's and
bipudshed, if she renounces conquest, and Soldiers Delegates are considering the question of participating with the she wants peace with us, we will not
if
disturb permanent relations in the future for obstruct by antagonistio de- mande” – He believed a mutual under standing could be attained which exclud. ed oppression and left no sting.
EARLIER CABLES; THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.J. KURDS DISLODGED.
LONDON, May 15th
A wireless Russian official message saysIn the region of Kellerk and Aminkbaba, southward of Erzingan, a counter-attack dislodged the Kurds from the trenches they occupied the previous day. Fighting continues along the Diala River.
Two enemy heroplanes were brought down and another was driven down. General. Two of ours are missing.
HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES.
PARIS, May 16th, comsiunique says: The artillery struggle has continued in different sec tors
It is confirmed that the cucy sustain ed heavy losses in yesterday's attacks.
EARLIER CABLES
GERMAN ATTACK. BEATEN OFF BY THE FRENCH. PARIS, May 15th, A comumente of says:-After a violent bombardment in the Chimin des Dames region, north-west of Braye-en-Laonnois, the Germans last evening attacked on a wide front towards the Les Govettes and Chevrigny Ridge. Our barrage of machine gun fire broke up the attack, which did not reach our lines, except at -one point, whers an enemy fraction gained a footing in one of our advanced elements south west of Filain.
BRITISH FRONT. GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS BEATEN BACK
LATEST CABLES. THROUGH BRUTEE'S AGENCY:1 MP AND A GERMAN. NEARLY £5,000 DAMAGES.
LONDON, May 16th.
A naturalised German-born subjects named Graban, has been
avarded £4,750 as damages against Mr. Handel Booth, M.P.
It was alleged that Mr. Handel Booth induced Gruban to make over to M Handel Booth his share in an engineering business by falsely representing that, atherwise, Gruban would be interned.
SILVER
LONDON, May 16th
The silver market is featureless,
BARLIER CABLES.
LONDON, May 15th.
The silver market is quiet
ELECTORAL REFORM,
LONDON, May 15th
In the House of Commons, Mr. Walter Long, Colonial Secretary, introduced a Bill embodying all the recommendations of the Speaker's Electoral Reform Con forence. The Bill fixes the age of women voters at thirty,
MACEDONIA FIGHTING.
PARIS, May 15th.
LONDON, May 15th Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re ports:There were small night outpost engagements south-eastward of Eneby. The
enemy heavily bombarded this morn- ing our positions at Bullecourt and on
A Macedonian communiqué states: the Hindenburg line, delivering two determined counter-attacks. His attempt
Venizeliste, in conjunction with the on the Hindenburg line completely failed
French troops in the region of Ljun His attack as Ballooourt has also renios (1) successively captured two works pulsed after heavy Aghting, in which in north of Haddibarimah, taking pri- pulsed after heavy fighting, in which soners. our advance posts in the north-west
Counter-attacks here and on Srkadile
portion of the village were forced back gen and Dobropoldji completely failed.
a short distance. Our artillery stopped
a counter-attack south-eastward of Loos
We successfully raided near Ypres.
The Balleans,
EARLIER CABLES {THROFON KEUTER'S AGENCY.1 ACTIVITY ON SERBIANFRONT
LONDON, May 15th.
MAILS LOST
POST OFFICE ANNOUNCEMENT
LONDON, May 15th. The Poet Master General notifies that correspondence for the Egyptian forces which reached London for despatch ou April 27th, 28th and 9th, and also parcels from Australia, India and the
scenes of the Austrian invasion and extended from Val Lagarion to Val retreat of May and June, 1916, My visit Bugana, and its impressions therefore do not include the icy fastnesses of the Adamello, and Tonale sectors, which form a world apart, as distinctive and interest ing as Iceland or Alaska. But even on this 50-miles stretch Cadare
and terrifying 7 di front, less august the Alpine and
greatest
this young man of 81 se o donghty At the first glance you can recognise antagonist in any arena There is the set, clean-shaven jw, the well-poised head on the space shoulders of a strong but apare frame. The next moment you are under the spell of his inscrutable
The military position was better than that of 35 16 does gymnasium- as with his brains in the
smile. You recall that at Cambridge be was fully as efficient with his fists in the
for lecture room. The instinct has remained is big, strengthened rather than
Government on the following conditions, An active foreign policy, openly siming at n general ponce as soon as possible, without annexations and indemnities on the basis of the rights of nations to work out their own destines the com plete democratisation, of the army, andi the reinforcement of Russia's military- strength, for the defence of Rub the. U boat, men for Borum
Even neutrals will recognise that, Wa are their toll of TTED DIRAAMAT of that smile with its faint suggestion
liberty.
O over. The enemy in the West were un
TO ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT.
PETROGRAD, May 15th
At a meeting of the Executive Dele gates, by 41 votes to 18 it was decided to reverse the decision cabled on the 12th inst. There were two abstentions.
The decision referred to was that they would not participate in a Coalition Ministry
SIGNIFICANT APPEAL.
LONDON, May 15th,
The fact that the Council of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates have considered
it necessary to appeal to the army is significant However, responsible com- ment here sees in the Council, despite its extremist tendencies, the only body separating the country from absolute anarchy, hence the appeal is welcomed as showing that the Council fully realises Gener the gravity of the situation. Moreover, the appeal confirms the opinion that the Council contains powerful elements dearing a stable Government Mean while, the Provisions) Government has issued a Proclamation to the effect that it remains at its post, confident that the participation of the new representatives of democracy in the responsibilities of Government will mean the country A salvation.
A SOCIALIST WARNING.
two most important arterica-
Austrian effort, Val Lagaring and
deeds of and the "tablelands of Asingo marred by a long and successful busi
able to break through S
Thate
Lincessanty
thestars country (the perils and to-day in the statesmen. Many a heckler in politics and business has grown wary Ons unit which I vidited had lost 400 of oynicism, for he has learned to know approaching a satisfactory finish when fighting men in one week from avalanches it as the portent of & coming * upper- war aims will be negotiable; I am in and wo know, front, many soures that the out
enemy's losses have been
supreme army command
EARLIER CABLES.
GERMAN WAR AIMS.
NOT TO BE DIVULGED.
heavyWhat Mr Lloyd George in in North
lot
full harmony regarding war arms with WORKERS FROM 18E SOFT) **
On li mountain 6,500ft, above the shales Lord Rhondda is in the busy the other day at sundown I watched some
South. Even his opponents, admit his hundreds of
of civilians from Sicily and the quality. While they criticise him and the Peninsula in obligatory he is no hypocrite. Describing him at an chafe at his triumphs they concede that military service returning to their even ing meal from a day's road making and road-tanding. What # marry, patient they were, and ver they had but
recently arrived from a world of honeysuckle and orange-flower, and many of them and nover before scen snow Their energy, their industry, And their patience before this war bad generally been devoted to the improvement o
of highways and rail in
countries,
AMSTEBRAN, May 15th, wireless Berlin message states that Dr Bethmann Hollweg, in the Reich- stag, replying to interpellations, declin-
܀܀
terests of the country,
KING AND QUEEN VISIT
QR CO
LIVERPOOL-
industrial Jekyll and Hyde. Mr. Mr Vernon Hartshorn, the miners' load- er, said of him. In so far as Lord Rhondda is an organiser of industry, a man whose talents enable, wealth to be made more efficient, he is a producer, s worker, and a public benefactor. But in so far as he is a capitalist, a mere owner of wealth, and a drawer of profits, he is a publie mansce
ed to state the German pregramme of warmtengineers and infantry have been i aims at the present moment on the working like bees since the suspension of claiming against the profits of the cont
Not long ago miners' leaders were do- ground that it would not serve the in the enemy may have thought out in the broadened as he retorted to a deputation hostilities in September. Nothing that owners. The smile on the face of 'D.A." Trentino has passed unobserved. Our his suavest tones:Then why not Allies are prepared for any spring pper invest the funds of the Miners' Union tions, although May seems likely to be the in mines? You know the industry and first feasible month for large-scale move you can have full facilities to become ments escale move
What the Austrians have accomplished mine-owners. It was the logical left- in the Tronting since their retreat of under.The deputation side-stepped June 29th, 1916, furnishes food for reflee and the round went to "Jekyll and tion, and is open to more than ons inter-
Hyde" pretation. Since last summer they have
LONDON, MAY 180. Their Majesties the King and Queen visited the Liverpool munition worke and docks. They were received with made or made servicenne FETORIA the Cambrian Combine as he then was
enthusiasm.
FRENCH COMMANDS.
SOME CHANGES,
PARIS, May 15th General Petain has been appointed Commander-in-Chief General Nivelle, Commander of an Army Group, and General Fock, Chief of Staff,
OBITUARY
munition
About that time I was in South Wales listening to denunciations of the bead of
transport, some 2,000 miles roads between the Adige Valley and as a hated oppressor. That evening Cadore, and have constructed hundreds attended a meeting in a district people of miles of the tremendously important entirely by working winers at which be wireways" which before the war were was to speak on education. Inside the almost unknown in Austria. The effective hall were fifteen hundred of them, and use made of them by the Italians for outside another thousand awaited his military purposca has been imitated by coming. They cheered him with Celtic the Austrians on a truly imperial scale. fervour, just as they used to when they Enormous sums have hem expended in sent him for over 20 years, as D. A. now in operation having a length of 25 House of Commons by record majorities.
construction, and there are several Thomas, M.P., to represent them in the to 40 miles. Besides rond-building, the Frankly, he told me he was delighted Austrians have been very busy this winter with it and that he was on good terme Constructing barracks
and
with himself. Next to his smile and his depots, and have laid in huge stores of
system jaw, his disarming candour in his grent. supplies of all sorts.
Test anset Commercial success, political Whatever may be the purport of these preparations, whether offensive or defens advancement elevation to the Peerage. sive, there are certain facta which merit have made no change in hi serious attention, First, the Austrians cant A good deal of his Between two and three times as inany men pleto buderstanding o have pinned down on their Trentino front the Welsh people apart
as they had there this time last year
mentrests on their knowle and secondly, with their vastly improved can talk to him a
quickly and communications, they could at very short without pretence or election. notice transport men and guns more will receive the same measure and in greater numbers than Inst Even opponents!
Jack ader and First year. The recent visits of Baren Conrad
to him in WMI Statee to the von Hotzendorf.
Not for a moment Marshal Conference at The Hindenburg, and the Emperor Charles to popularity attract him.
Marshal von commercial succes mon was in his shth year this front may or may not be significant oices in the contest.
MHH CHOATEE
NEW Your, May 16th The sudden death is announced of Mr. PETROGEAD, May 16th
Joseph Hodges Choate, a trustee of the The Council of the Workmen's and
Metropolitan Museum of Art and of the Soldiers Delegates have issued an appeals the foundation of each
American Museum of National History to the Austro-German Bociclists not to The deceased was a famous American permit their Government to take advan tege of the present situation in Russia
to concentrate more troops against, English and French with the idea of erushing Russia later,
RUSSIAN GENERALS,
ASKED TO BE RELIEVED OF COMMANDS:
PETROGRAD May 15th General Gutko, commanding
the
Serbian communiqué says:-There Far East, Egypt, Malta, and Gibraltar has been great activity on the whole were lost at Bea through an enemy Armies on the Western Front, and Serb front. We have re-advanced in action. The date of this case is not
the region of Vetrenik and Dobropolyc, given No letter mails from Australia, and repulsed a violent counter-attack.
late, were lost:
lawyer
International Hague in 100
Lyons restal Ludendorffi
fancy
He haten
chis (com-
of aggressive intentions, but the Aus his wish he will be in harness when Grians are certainly infinitely better presset pared to carry out an offensive an a large and-1
the Trentino
-
THE VICTORIA CRONS.
comes.is tastes doubt if he has to ent An Army Order states that the King
than they were lest one of them to meet the Food Cont has been pleased to approve of a minia They Italians have not been idle. What ration scheme. His rela ture replica of the Victoria Cross being I saw in my two days' v
visit was most ing he had some wonder worn on the riband in undress and service dress uniform by, all recipients of this tans, which, naked, but for the blood of
encouraging. Those memorable moun eattle his pride is in the abi Lady Mackworth, decoration The award of a bar to the their defenders saw the Austrians como mental hobby is applied econer original: ecoration
n will be marked by up on one side but trever go down on the little while ago Mr. the addition of a second miniature cross other are how bristling with great work President of the Board of on the riband, an additional cross being of defence. Almost more impressive than added for each bar awarded and soldiers who have been awarded the to defend them. Everything is being
Indents for emblems for issue to officers men constructing them, and who are there Rhondd
the military works was the spirit of the Ring
con bezore, and the soldiers were in
General Brasiloff commanding the Victoria Cross and who are now servingincad, that the enemy would never, he k
Southern group of armies, have asked to
be relieved of their commands.
may be submitted to the Deputy Director
af Ordnance Stores, Woolwich, quoting paseach formidable barriers. We the
the London Gazette or the Army Order in only hope they will try the word stration of the which the award was made.
I heard everywhere passed along
othero