1918-04-01

THE

WAR.

FRIDAY'S CABLES,

THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF GERMAN WOUNDED. CONFIRMATION FROM AMSTERDAM.

Franco- helgian bronz

{THROUGH SHUTER'S SQANOV.)

LONDON, March 28th.

The following message from Amster dam confirms, from enemy sources, the British-accounts of the huge German casualties.

“Travellers from all parts of Germany relate that thousands and thousands of badly wounded are arriving daily, totally el paing all experiences. The casualties are being packed an every town and village with any accommodation. The re. cent closure of the frontier is believed to be due to the transportation of masses of wounded."

ENEMY NIGHT-ATTACKS REPULSED.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. MONDAY, APRIL 1ST. 1918:

LONDON, March 28th.

8.30 p.m. TIM The French pressure in this area con tinues. Our line northward of the Soto is substantially unchanged.

We repulsed several night attacks in the neighbourhood of Beaumont Hamel, Bossingool Wood and north-westward of Puisieux.

The enemy, this morning, opened a heavy bombardment northward and south- ward of the Scarpe, followed by an attack opposite Arras with a minimum of seven Divisions and penetrated our forward zone, resulting in a fierce engagement.

Our line now runs Arleux-Fampoux

and thence it is unchanged. Fighting has Neuville-Vitasse Boisleux, been severe, and it is reported the enemy last very heavily.^

from

WE MAY CLAIM SEVERAL DIS TINCT LOCAL SUCCESSES.”

LONDON, March 28th. 5.30 p.m.

at Head- Correspondent Reuter's quarters, telegraphing on the 28th inst., states: During the past 24 hours the Germans have made only a comparatively trifling gain as a result of numerous attacks practically all along our front, whilst we may claim several dis- SUCCESSFUL COUNTER-ATTACKS. tinet local successes either in completely repulsing the enemy's blows or wrestling back their gains by counter-attack, WHEN THE CRITICAL TEST WILL

BRITISH FRONT.

LONDON, March 28th. 12.16 a.m.

Sir Douglas Haig reports:The battle. was renewed this morning northward and southward of the Somme.

There was intense fighting during the day from southward of Rosières to north- ward of Ablainze-Ville. Last night's unsuccessful attempt to drive in our line southward of the Somme was followed this morning by a series of heavy attacks in the neighbourhood of Rosières and northward. All the enemy's assaults on Rosières were heavily beaten off. Our line was maintained farther north in the Varlier part of the day, despite great pressure by large forces, Fresh-attacks, developing later, bent back our line a short distance. The latest reports show that counter-attacks have completely restored the situations.

Fierce fighting resulted from a number of determined attacks between the Somme and the Ancre, and northward and south- ward of Albert.si

The concluding part of this message arrived first and appears in our issue of Friday:]

ACTIVITY OF OUR AIRMEN.

LONDON, March 28th.

1.50 ..

Sir Douglas Haig reports-There were great concentrations of our aeroplanes to-day over threatened points, and masses of our machines bombed and machine gun- ned infantry and cavalry. Thirty tons of bomba and thousands of rounds of ammunition were fired. Twenty German machines were shot down in air fighting: and two by anti-aircraft guns. Twelve of our machines are missing.

Our nightfiers continuously attacked enemy troops at Bapaume, Cambrai and rounds being fired. Peronne, 250,000 Twenty-four tons of bonibs were dropped on important centres on the battle-fronts; also four tons on Valenciennes Railway Station, through which troop-trains were passing to the front.

COME.

LONDON, March 28th. 7.50 a.m." The assurances from Paris of the imminent intervention of the reserve is nost welcome, for experts emphasise that the fate of the battle largely depends upon their concentration. The critical test will attacks from the present positions. In come when either side attacks or counter such an encounter the Allies will have the advantage of fresh troops.

THE ENEMY PAUSING ON THE

NORTHERN FRONT: lie

SITUATION WELL IN HAND;

The latest news is that there was heavy fighting during the night near Rossignol Wood, and that at one period the Germans mado come advance, but were driven back with bombs and bayonets.

There was fierce fighting, alec, Beaumont Hamel and in re neighbour

hood of Sailly Lorette,

near

TO RUSSIA.

The third division follows and repeats ALLIED EMBASSIES RETURN the process. Another and another follow until the final objective is gained or the The essential feature of these new attack is repulsed by methods is the immense losses entailed upon attackers, losses which perhaps none but & Government not bound by public opinion could afford to demand of its

armies.

There is some obscurity regarding what is

happening in the great storm centres A NEW TYPE OF GUN. farther south, but, as it is reported the The Germans in these attacks are using field-gun, which is moved as casily as a situation is well in hand, there is no a new type of low-built 77-millimetre cause for anxiety.

mountain-gun and accompanies the in- fantry advance. AVIATORS' REMARKABLE PART IN THE BATTLE.

GERMAN REPORT.

LONDON, March 28th. 11.55 p.m.

A wireless German official report states: In our attack between the Somme and the toughly defended;

BULGARIAN TROOPS TO AID THE Anere we captured villages, which were

GERMANS.

AMSTERDAM, March 28th- The Berlin newspapers foreshadow the early participation of Bulgarian troops in the Western Front offensive.

FRENCH FRONT. ENEMY THROWING IN FRESH

TROOPS.

LONDON, March 28th 1.50 am A French communique states: The Germans are throwing into the battle new, fresh troops,

PARIS, March 28th.

2.30 am.

PETROGRAD, March 28th." The Allied Embassies have returned to Russia from Finland. They have issued a-statement offirming this is necessary for the Allies in defending their interests, which are beriously compromised by the Heparato ponce, and they announce that they are taking up residence at Vologda, because there is no Central Authority at Petrograd, and for ether reasons.

UNCLAIMED TELEGRAMS.

The following unclaimed tolograms aro lying in the Great Northern Telegraph Company's office at Hongkong ***

ADDRES9

FROM Hindeokon Shinji

Tomidato Mr. Lawchay, 2nd Floor, No. 1946, Corm Street, Kick, sir, Juliana shunsong Chong Hing, Rocham Street Shanghal Kwong...

Yokohama Kobe Shangha!

**** Amoy Uoghoonphong Tallyman ste

Fax Warruk

Amoy RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

Chong Hing, Nampaghong changhai Kamenatsu Nishimura, 0/0. SOVIETS FIGHTING AUSTRO-GER-Binode Hotel Nawa

"MANS AROUND SEVASTOPOL.

LONDON, March 28th. A message from Petrograd says that desperate fighting is going on around Sevastopol between the Soviet troops and Austro-German detachments.

The latest advices state that the

from versts Austro-Germans are

Our aviators are taking a remarkable part in the battle. Squadrons and groups of squadrons drove off enemy machines and attacked marching infantry, artil lery, munition depots, and railways Ekaterinoslav. bombs and poured thousands of machine-- They have dropped daily 15 tone of UKRAINIANS RESIST EXPORT OF gun rounds on enemy infantry, almost brushing the ground in their attacks. Fires were caused in munition parks and important railways. Observation balloons and numerous aeroplanes were destroyed

The Near East,

THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

There were attacks to-day with re doubled violence cast of Montdidier. Our OPERATIONS IN PALESTINE troops several times, with admirable tenacity, arrested the enemy's onslaughts, but he succeeded in progressing owing to his marked numerical superiority.

Equally powerful attacks in the regions of Lassigny and Noyon were completely. repulsed, and broke before the heroic resistance of our regiments.

ENEMY CRUELLY TRIED.

LONDON, March 28th. 4 pam French communiqué says:-The last evening and during the night. battle continued with sustained violence

WITHIN A MILE OF AMMAN.

LONDON, March 28th.

A Palestine official report states: Our forces eastward of the Jordan were con verging yesterday forenoon on Amman. Our mounted troops are within a mile of the town.

We captured 200 prisoners.

GRAIN.

AMSTERDAM, March 28th, The Vossische Zeitung states that the state of anarchy in Ukraine has reached its highest point. The peasants in some districts are resisting the export of corn to Austria with hand-grenades and machine-guns,

UNITY OF FRENCH NATION,

Paris, March 28th. Mf. Clemenceau, addressing the Army Committee in the Chamber, said that the military situation was crystallising. The enemy effort had slackened during the past few hours, and the moment was near when the British and French reserves. would come into action. The battle would assume a new aspect, and there was every reason to hope the enemy would not retain the gains he had secured at such sanguinary cost.

Our aeroplanes heavily bombed the M. Clemenceau emphasised the admis trafic on the Hedjaz railway.

Generati

¡TROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY ]

Blaco, Hongseng Hotel ...Shanghai Teungshing c/o Chingebing

Venyenkai LM Tak Chong Ring Jessula, Hongkong Hotel

Shangbai ...Shanghai Kobe

DAIRY FARM NEWS.

SAUSAGES!

able dash of the troops, the unity of the THE nation, and the importance of reserves and material

He announced that the Government proposed to embody the 1919 Class during the second fortnight of April, N

The authors of amendments to this pro- posal afterwards withdrew their amend-

FRENCH SHIPPING.

The enemy was blocked by our valiant troops and cruelly tried before the front Lassingny-Noyon and on the left bank of the Oise He directed all his efforts to our left Bank, and threw forward important forces in the region of Montdidier, where The enemy has, apparently, paused on unprecedentedly desperate fighting occur PRIME MINISTER'S APPEAL ments in view of the circumstances. the northern front in order to reorganise red, nur regiments struggling foot by foot

They were never his line and bring up artillery, while and inflicting heavy losses on cautiously advancing in the old Somme assailants. battlefields. Here his tired masses are momentarily weakened and have failen shelterless in the moonlit wilderness and back in an orderly manner to the heights are pounded throughout the night by immediately west of Montdidier. British big guns and bombed by acro- KAISER CONGRATULATES KRUPPS planes.

AMSTERDAM, March 28th-

The enemy main attack is now, appar ently, pressing south of the Somme, PRINCIPAL ATTACK EXPECTED ON

BRITISH RIGHT FLANK. Mr. Percival Phillips says the enemy has brought ten divisions from Flanders, four from Lorraine, and one from Lelis. as if he intenda making his principal attack on the British right flank instead of extending his activity north of the Scarpe He is thus concentrating his strength in the area covered by the Crown 'Prince's army

EQUILIBRIUM IN FIGHTING EXPECTED IN TWO DAYS.

LONDON, March 28th.

7.50 a.m.

The Times anticipates that an equili. brium in the fighting will be established within the next two days. The most encouraging change is that in the centre, where the enemy is only 32 miles from Amiens; the British troops yesterday were winning back and holding the ground, with reinforcements rapidly coming up The messages from France are cheerful, while the note of elation has vanished from the enemy bulletins. Both Allied Banke are now standing fast.

GERMAN TRIBUTES TO BRITISH VALOUR.

AMSTERDAM, March 28th.

their even

The Kaiser has telegraphed to Krapps his congratulations on the new gun which is. bombarding Paris.

GERMAN WASTAGE CANNOT BE

MAINTAINED..

LONDON, March 28th. 1.35 pm

at French Correspondent Reuter's Headquarters, telegraphing on the even ing of the 26th instant, says: The men are convinced that the Germans will infallibly be beaten if everyone gives of his best

tely established along The French are solidly. the south of the Cise and their guns.com-

and every bridge.

The Correspondent declares that the rate of the German wastage cannot be maintained for many days. The French bave repeatedly fallen hack to their next position, because they had used un all their ammunition aring into the dense masses. He instances how the Cuirassiers on the 24th inst. were compelled to break off the fight because their machine-guns were red-hot and the carriers were unable to keep pace with the requirements. One- gunner said he could have used 50,000 rounds advantageously.

NO SIGN OF WEAKENING.

LONDON, March 28th. 0.50. p.m. Reuter's Correspondent at French Headquarters, wiring on the evening of the 27th inst., says: The tremendous im-

TO AMERICA. IN WAR, TIME IS VITAL"

LONDON, March 28th

A mimage from New York says:-At a dinner of the Lotus Club, Lord Reading read the following message from Mr. Lloyd George to America, dated March 27th

We are at a crisis in the war. We are attacked by an immense superiority of German troops and our Army hus been forced to retire. The retirement

has been carried out methodically before the pressure of a steady succes sion of fresh German reserves, which are suffering enormous losses.

LONDON, March 28th. The French arrivals during the week were 995, and the sailings. 961.

Of the sinkings one vessel was over and

Two were un five under 1,000 tons. successfully attacked.

LONG-RANGE GUN BOMBS DUNKIRK.

PARIS, March 29th. Twenty-zix 380-millimetre shells from

Germain long-range gan fell in Dunkir during the week-end."

So far there have been five casualtics and slight damage.

AMERICA AND THE WAR REPATRIATION OF DUTCH CREWS,

The situation is being faced with splendid courage and resolution. The dogged pluck of the troops has momen- tarily checked the censeless onrush of the enemy, and the French have joined

NEW YORK, March 8th. in the struggle, but this battle is the

The Nene Amsterdam, the largest greatest and most momentous in the history of the world and is only just Dutch liner, has sailed for Holland with beginning Throughout it, the British the Dutch Shipping Commission com and French forces are buoyed up with prising a hundred members, and the the knowledge that the great Hepublic in crews of the Dutch ships taken over by can hasten its troops and ships to Germany has given the steamer safe- Europe the West will neglect no effort which the United States

conduct.

In war, time is vital. It is impas- sible to exaggerate the importance of LOYAL LABOUR'S RESPONSE getting American reinforcements across the Atlantic in the shortest possible space of time,"

THE LICHNOWSKY REVELATIONS.

LONDON, March 28th. The papers continue to urge the Government not to hesitate to take tho' strongest measures to reinforce the armies. in France. Some demand the convocation of Parliament in order to sanction a re view of the whole "man-power position. It is pointed out that the whole nation

the spirit of 1914 has been revivified.

The German War Correspondents con-petus of the thrust towards Amiens shows" BERLIN INSISTED UPON WAR as rallied to the Government, and that tinue to pay tribute to British valour.

The Foreische Zeitung, telegraphing on SEVERE FIGHTING ASTRIDE THE the 25th inst, says They do not give

SOMME.

where they are threatened with being up a foot of ground without fighting, save cut off. Also, it must be admitted that the British and French, when counter

with extraordinary attacking, fight bravery

1.55 p.m.

LONDON, March 28th. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re ports:-There was severe fighting yester- day evening and night astride the Somine and northwards from Albert to Poyelles. We repulsed repeated attacks along the Somme Valley and in the neighbourhood of Beaumont Hamel, Puisieux and Moyenne-Ville, capturing a number of prisoners and machine-guns.

Fighting continues fiercely on both banks of the Somme,

The enemy heavily bombarded our defences eastward of Arrns this morning, and the attack is developing in this sector GERMANS OCCUPY ALBERT.

Losnos, March 28th. The Press Bureau announces that the Germans occupy Albert.

FRENCH DRIVE BACK THE ENEMY

The Press Bureau announces:-The enemy during the night crossed the Somme southward near Chipilly. Conse- quently, our left flank southward of the Somme was compelled to fall back to- wards Hamel, whither our line runs through La Motte-en-Santerre-Caixverly Warvillers Southward of this point the French were pressed back last night along the Roye Breteuil road.

ENEMY'S PRODIGAL USE OF INFANTRY.

LONDON, March 28th- 5.30 p.m.

Although the German High Command continues to use up his infantry with ruthless prodigality, I believe that the general pressure is momentarily legs determined. This may partly be attri butable to the enemy waiting to bring up heavy artillery preparatory to another great effort, and partly to exhaustion. Needless to say, we are taking every advantage of the relative lull,

Guards An intelligent prisoner of a Division states that the German offensive will continue to be pushed until it is stopped by our resistance. Whilst this may sound a platitade, it does suggest the expectation of being stopped

no signs of weakening, but the wastage in

LONDON, March 29th. seven days of such fighting is beginning

Further excerpts from Prince Lich to tell. This is especially true of the last three days, has been held within gun-nowsky's Memorandum afford additional pash down the Oise Valley, which, for the shot of Noyon, despite repeated efforts remarkable confirmation of the fact that to break the bar which the French army Germany desired war. Prince Lichnowsky describes decisive conversations at has thrown across the Valley.

Around Lassigny the soene of the Potsdam on July 5th, 1914, in which all bloodiest fighting in 1914, another fierce agreed that there would be no harm it battle raged to-day, ending in the repulse war with Russia resulted." He was in

structed to induce the English Press to be of the enemy

There was a further withdrawal in the friendly if Austria should give Serbia her region of Montidier before heavy pres death-blow. Prince Lichnowsky emphasised sure, but although unpalatable, it doos that it would be easy to find an acceptable not prejudice the issue. A mere fraction solution in a couple of sittings but he of the French army so far has been was told by Berlin to work for the locali When Germany refus engaged. On the after hand, the Geration of the war mans have fung in an important part of ed the final British proposal and Sir their available reserves. The moment the Edward Grey invited a counter-proposal present battle reaches a point of exhaus Berlin insisted upon war I could get tion another might begin in which the no other answer from Berlin." initative will be with us. In that battle Alemorandum describes Mr. Asquith and the French reserves should prove a deci Sir Edward Grey as pacifists. When Mr. Asquith, on August End, Baw that Ger sive factor.

many intended war he went to see Prince Lichnowsky Although quite calm,

HOW PRINCE LICHNOWSKY'S cass ran down the Premier's face.

MEMORANDUM LEAKED OUT.

LONDON, March 28th.

ATTACK THE GERMAN METHOD OF

The German success has hitherto been gained by methods which, however effec tive, cannot be long sustained by any Various enemy and neutral War Corre army. The attacking troops which were spondents are dwelling upon the wonder brought up during a short heavy bom

The

The German papers show that the leak-

ful feats of the Sturmfahrzenge, or storm- bardment, in which gas-shells were pre- ing cars, and Starmungen, or tanks, but fusely need, are echelonned to a great age of the Lichnoway Memorandum waR I can learn nothing of their appearance depth before the front of attack. The due to an officer employed in the politi

first assaulting division reaches its ob cal department of the General Staf anywhere on our front

jective line regardless of losses, and islets of resistance are left behind to be subsequently dealt with

HINDENBURG'S GREAT GAMBLE.

LONDON, Match 28th.

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STEAM FOR STRAITS, CEYLON, BOMBAY, EGYPT, MEDITER BANEAN PORTH AND LONDON,

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THE Homeward Mail Steamer, carrying His Majesty's Mail, will be despatched from this port as usual, taking Passengera and Cargo for the above Ports. Passengers accommodation in the connecting vessel. secured before departure from Hongkong

Silk and Vainable Cargo for Italy, France and London (under arrangement) will be conveyed by this Steamer proceeding to Bombay and there, transhipped to the oncarrying Steamer for Marselles and London.

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