Page
THE WAR.
GERMANY'S
REPLY
PRESIDENT WILSON:
THE HONGKONG
TO
A PIECE OF DIPLOMATIC HUCKSTERING.”
THE VACUATION OF BRUSSELS IN PROGRESS
ALLIES WITHIN FIVE MILES OF GHENT.
GERMAN BETREAT IN FLANDERS TEMPORARILY HALTED,
General.
LATEST CABLES.
[TEROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.)
THE CENTRAL POWERS AND
PEACE. GERMANY'S REPLY TO PRESIDENT WILSON,
LONDON, October 21st.
A German official statement says:- Germany's reply to President Wilson is
as follows:-
"In accepting the proposal for the evacuation of occupied territories, the Gorman Government has started from the assumption that the procedure of the evacuation and the conditions of the Armistice should be left to the judgment of the military advisers, and the actual standard of power of both sides in the field must form the basis of arrangements safeguarding and guaranteeing that standard.
The German Government suggesta to President Wilson that zo opportunity should be arranged for fixing up details The German Government trusts that President. Wilson will approve of no
demand irreconcilable with the honour
of the German people, and with the opening of the way to a peace of justies.
The Germa Government protests against the reproach of illegal and in- humane actions made against the German land and sea forces, and thus against the German people.
For covering a retreat, destruction will always be necessary and destruction - is permitted by international law for such
purpose.
German troops have been under the strictest instructions to spare private property, and exercise care for the population, to the best of their ability. Where transgressions occur, in spite of these instructions, the guilty are punish ed.
The German Government further denies that the Navy, in sinking ships, ever purposely destroyed lifeboats with pas-
sengers.
The Government proposes, in regard to all these charges, that the facts be cleared up by a neutral Commission.
marine at sea before its return.
if
[Portion of message not yet received.] The responsibility of the Chancellor of the Empire to the representation of the people is being legally developed and safeguarded.
DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24mm 1918,
The Note seems to be a piece of diplo- ! matic huckstering, marking a stage in the path of surrender,
A SHIPPING DISASTER.
STOCKHOLM, October 2nd. The Daily News, questioning whether
A telegram from Helsingfors states that the Hamburg-Amerika liner Hapsburg Germany is only playing for time, says that the guarantees demanded by the struck a mine when on her way from Riga Allied military. and naval authorities to Danzig Over 100 mldiers ware would furnish a practical test of Ger- drowned many's sincerity and the power of her military rulers.
The Morning Post says: These ravishers, despoilers, torturers, pirates, and breakers of covenants have extra ordinary impudence to protest against the charge of illegality and inhumanity and to brazenly propose a Court of Enquiry.
The Allies can see the business through
themselves.
IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
LONDON, October 22nd. In the House of Commotis, Mr. J. F. Hope stated that 5,382 British officers and 142,987 men had been taken prisoner by Germany.
Fra
Helgtan
LATEST CABIES. (THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
BRITISH FRONT.
FRENCH
EARLIER, CABLES,
FRONT
FORWARD FRENCH MOVEMENT.
LYONS, October 21st. French and Belgian troops have ranch-
ENEMY'S STUBBORN RESISTANCEed the Zeebrugge Canal and the Liova along its whole course between the Dutch frontier and Ronsel. :
LONDON, October 31st. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig says:- Sunday's prisoners to the north of Lo Cateau exced 3,000.
ourable weather.
The British line has been carried from the outskirts of Tournai to the borders of Denain. The British hold the line of the Selle up to Haápresid
The enemy's positions along the Selle, which are of great natural strength, are Between Le Cateau and the Oise the beld resolutely, English, Scottish and French have made a large forward move Mr. Macnamara stated that there was Welsh divisions Inanched an attack at 2 ment beyond Wassigny and the road from good reason to believe that all the Germano'clock this morning, in the most unfar Landrecics and Quise. To the cast of destroyers and torpedo-boats at Ostend dered the advance extremely difficult ing. The French and American troops Continuous rain ren Vonziers there has been very fierce fight manner by the statement that the offer of A MONUMENT OF INSINCERITY.
and Zeebrugge had escaped to Germany. Fighting was heavy all day long, the enemy made "important progress and compelled pence and an armistice emanates from a
The Daily Mail says: It is no reply Everything possible bad been done to offering strong resistance in the villages the enemy to withdraw his front to the Government which is free from any
at all." Diplomacy has seldom had to dealerent them, but the vessels were able and along the railway. In overcoming north of Grandpre. arbitrary irresponsible influence, and is with such a puerile, incoherent missive, to make the passage in darkness, through this resistance great assistance was ren
Germany can prove her sincerity by send-
dered at certain points by tanks which supported by the approval of an over-
had crossed the flooded river at an early whelming majority of the German people.to Marshal Foch and Admiral Wemyss."
ing a parlementaire" with a white flag
boar (Signed) SOLF.
·ATI
Berlin, October 20th.
"AN ARGUMENTATIVE PROTESTATION.”
Lampas, October 2nd. Authoritative circles regard the Gor- man reply as not business, but merely argumentative protestation " de signed to cover the absence of a reply.
A high official has described the Nate as badly camouflaged insincerity.
It is pointed out that Germany is pro oceding on the assumption that President Wilson merely demanded the evacuation of occupied territories, whereas this is false.
Furthermore, naval questions require to be cleared up..
It should be noted that the principle of freedom of the seas as interpreted by Ger- many is wholly unacceptable to Great
Britain
PEACE DEMONSTRATIONS AT..
BERLIN.
LYONS, October 1st.
On Saturday working people and älso large numbers of the middle class made demonstration, in favour of peace before the Reichstag-French Wireless.
WILFULLY EQUIVOCAL.
The Times states:-"The document is a monument of insincerity, make-believe and deliberate untruth. It does not change the conditions which the United States and the Allies are inexorably determined to imposs.
THE KAISER'S CROSS.
AMITKEDAM, October end. Herr Maximilian Harden addressing a gathering of several thousand in Berlin, declared that the Kaiser must shoulder the cross of seeking a peace based on the enemy's military superiority, and must thereafter be shorn of his despotic
powers
NO MORE NEGOTIATIONS.
WASHINGTON, October 2nd. After the publication of the German reply Mr. Poindexter, the Republican, introduced a joint resolution proposing that Congrese forbid further negotiations between the United States and Germany until the German military forces had surrendered unconditionally."
GERMAN POSSESSIONS IN THE PACIFIC.
MELBOURNE, October 2nd. Mr. Watt, stated that Mr. W. M. Hughes had agreed to the request of the Federal States to remain in Great Britain. in view of the possibility of peace, in order to solve post-war problema Parliamentary circles and the Pressetention of German possessions in the affecting Australia, including the Allies
regard the German reply as wilfully equivocal and tortuous, specially as re- gards the Armistice.
PARIS, October 22nd.
They do not consider that the pretend- ed constitutional reforma afford a guar- antee, of duration.
isa
CLUMSY EFFORT TO GAIN
#TIME_"
New Yox. October 22ad. The United States Press call the Ger- man reply a clumsy effort to gain time.
The vast majority urge that uncondi- tional surrender is the only possible basis of peace.
Pacific.
THE EPIDEMIC OF INFLUENZA
LONDON, October 21st.
Dutch waters.
Mr. R. P. Houston asked:-Did the vessels escapa up the Scheldt or to Antwerp. There was no reply: ANOTHER BRITISH STEAMER TORPEDOED.
LONDON, October 91xt. Another Irish packet steamer the Dun dask was torpedoed in the Irish Sea. Thirteen of the crew of 30 were landed. LORD FRENCH'S RESIGNA- TION DENIED,
LONDON, October 22nd. The Times authoritatively denies that Lord French intends to resign the Irish
Viceroyalty.
CRUDE BUBBER FOR AMERICA
LONDON, October 31st.
The United States. War Trade Board, on October 10th, authorised the issue of licences for the importation of not more than 25,000 tons of crude rubber from overseas. Licences will be allocated to enable a quarter of this total to be brought from Central America and South America. INDIAN FOREST SERVICE.
Losno October 22nd.
As soon as the Aisne river was secured a number of bridges were rapidly con- structed under a heavy fire from hostile artillery and machine-guns, enabling our guns closely to follow the infantry and effectively support them at shert range.
ENEMY RETREAT TEMPORARILY HALTED.
LONDON, October 21st. Reuter is informed that the British have reached the Scheldt between St. Amand and Tournai.
tions on the right bank of the Aisme.
The French have taken up new prši-
French Wireless.
The Near East.
LATEST CARZEN, (THROUGH REUTER'S
AGENCY.] TURKS IN PERSIA.
LONDON, October gist. The War Office states that owing to the Armenian General Andranik harassing the
Turks' lines of communicationa between Julia and Erevan, the Turks Have been compelled to divert considerable troops from North-west Persia,
The Allies are within five miles of Ghent ARMENIANS IN PALESTINE.
LONDON, October 21st. General Sir Edward Allenby ata-
The Le Catean sector was quiet today. Although the enemy retreat is halted
is more than temporary. there is no reason to believe that the pausa
GERMAN EVACUATION OF BRUSSELS.
AMSTERDAM, October 22nd. The Handeland' Correspondent at Rosendaal states that the Geroiana
are
The Armenian contingent fought brill ly and had an important share victory.
NOT ENOUGH LEAVE,
AN OFFICER
The many problems surrounding leave
feverishly preparing a military evarus from the front still remain unsolved. tion of Brussels.
BRITISH REACH THE 'ESCAUT..
although there has been some improvement since last autumn, says the Daily Express. The organisation is still imperfect, how ever, and the methods adopted in different
LONDON, October 22nd. Reuter's Correspondent at British Head.commands are so varied, that both officers
and men suffer from avoidable injustice.
enemy resistance is stiffening. In Flanders, we reached the west bank
Mr. E. S. Montagu invites applications quarters, telegraphing yesterday evening, for a limed number of appointments in stated: the Indian Forest Service from well- The educated and otherwise suitable men who have served in the war and have been of the Esenut, between Peek and kender. discharged from the Army owing to both of which are in our possession. The
fitted for strenuous work in the Forest injuries, but who are not physically un-enemy is maintaining his heavy fire from
the opposite bank.
Service.
MI
Strong enemy rearguards are disputing our progress on the line of the Roubaix- Avelghem railway.
THE COUNCIL OF INDIA
LONDON, October 22nd.. We re-attacked this morning east of Spanish influenza continues to rage
Frederick Goodenough, Chairman Courtrai and are progressing satis in different parts of the world, being of Barclay's Bank, has been appointed a factorily. particularly violent în Bweden, Holland member of the Council of India in succes- GERMANY'S BILL IN BELGIUM. and Canada, where the hospitals are over. Įsion to Mr. Currel, L
LONDON, October 21st.. flowing and business has been dis organised.
The death roll from influenza in Cape Town has been roughly estimated at 500 daily, of which one-fifth are Europeans.
LATER
OBITUARY
LONDON, October 22nd. The death is announced of Sir Charles Edmund Fox, till recently Chief Judge,
Lower Burma.
VICTORY IS WITHIN OUR
EARLIER CABLES. The epidemic of "Spanish" influenza REACH."
in South Africa is extraordinarily serious.
INDIAN AFFAIRS. LONDON, October 2nd. The doctors declare that it is the worst MRS. ANNIE BESANT AGAIN. Addressing the delegates of the Inter-epidemic South Africa has ever experi
LONDON, October 2ard. Parliamentary Conference at Bucking enced and that the plague is nothing in
In the House of Lord, Lord Sydenham comparison with it. The outbreak was
Federatame asked whether Mr. Annie Besant's state-
THE STUDIOUS VAGUENESS OF
THE NOTE
A Belgian official statement says: Germany's bill in Belgium totals £384,500,000, including £900,000,000 damage up to the end of December, 1914, £104,200,000 exactions, and £80,000,000 value of raw materials and machinery taken by the Germans up to January, 1015. but not including the value of materials, destruction or requisitions since January 1915, which are estimated at several, hundred millions.
"ROBBERY, CRUELTY, TERRORISM AND DESTRUCTION."
Every one, of course, fully recognises the difficulties of transport (which is simply
a matter of boat accommodation) and of the tactical emergency. At the same time, I should like to offer the following facta for consideration
1-Some officers have been nine months and men seventeen months without leave to the United Kingdom," Unless the present ratio is immediately inezensed, by next October there will be men who have been twenty-one months in France without leave-and some of these will be men who went to France in 1914 and have only had three leaves "during the whole war.
-Leave is essential for all ranks for two
reasons:-,
1-Health (which includes every Des
vous and domestic plea). 3.Officers holding various staff appoint
2-Morale."
ments generally get leave regularly every six months at least. Until 1918 It follows that if a staff officer, geta
it was "regalarly every three months. ".. leave every six months, say, and regi former takes two places in the bost a year, rental officers avery twelve months, the one of which should belong to some de serving regimental offiey
START."
Under this heading I would point out that various staff
appointments" In- clude base, remount; veterinary, medical, intelligence, RAF, Army schools, wire- less, railway, lines of communication, and other departmental branches. ་ *
Beat accommodation is not ecom
mised.
PAZIS, October 22nd- Roubaix and Tourcoing suffered the usual cruel treatment at the bands of the Germans. Not content with destroying. Every man has to take ribe, and full the station bridges, foot-bridges and equipment (except ammunition) with him cranes at Boubaix, they blew up the nine and a half
when going on leave. The rifle weighs
francs and seized the Municipal coffers he goes on leave. If 2,000 meh in a boss water mains, imposed a fine of 600,000 thirty pounds of unnecessary kit each time Bay that on an averago a man takes
containing 750,000 francs,
In order to avoid anything hampering the work of peace, the German Govern mert has despatched orders to all sub- marine Cominan dara
precluding the torpedoing of passenger skips.
The Government, however, for mechani ham Palace the King, said: Victory severent in Cape Town, where there were meat that she was permitted to see and cal reasons is not able to guarantee that is within our reach. We are all agreed the orders will reach every single sub-it must be complete and decisive."
10,000 cases, and many deaths, especially among natires. European victims include discuss, early, the draft report of the Mr. H. C. Becker, the member for Lady Viceroy to Mr. E. 8. Montagu, was smith in the Union Assembly and the vortect, Lord Islington replied that Mr. LONDON, October 22nd.
Government Whip.
ELS Moutagu had not afforded Mrs. The Daily Telegraph states?- The Businesses, schools, and entertainments Besant an opportunity of seeing the studious vagueness of the Note shows are everywhere closed and public services draft.. that Germany desires us to go on talking. curtailed Belief work is proceeding very Lord Islington, replying to
They rendered useless, or removed to We demand definite acts like the abandon-actively, thousands of volunteers are com. Bydenham, stated that owing to a mis Germany, all the machinery of the mills ment of fortremes and the surrender of ing forward.
understanding 2,000 copies of the Bowlatt in Tourcoing, Roubaix, and Lille. In weight of ne warships It is time an end was put to
The The ladies headed by Mrs. Botha rallied report intended for England was no owns have the same story to tell packed like sardines in the bost if it is
question is aplendidly to the call for long as Germany is in her present mood." beneficially inoculated negotiations, which must be resultless
Several thousands of people have been The Daily Express states " Germany has board shipp
"Apparently the disease was brought on tacitly admitted her defeat. It is for the Allies to discover whether her desire for peace is strong enough to impel her to pay week the Allied price.
The first act of the new Government has been to lay before the Reichstag a Bill to alter the constitution of the Empire in order to require consent, by representation of the people, for decisions of war and peser
on
The permanence of the new system is, however, guaranteed not only by Con- stitutional safeguards but also by the up shakeable determination of the German. people, whose vast majority stands be hind these reforms and demands their energetic continuance.
ing much anxiety, but the position in the The epidemic in Johannesburg is caus mines is steadily improving Hospital cases have fallen from 20,000 to 3,000 in
There have been numerous European deaths in Kimberley, and 800* among natives in the pounds.
Apa mine, and com There
were 8,000 cases in Durban, but The Daily Chromele states that the reply no death, and the epidemic, is diminish
"A PEACE OF DIPLOMATIC HUCKSTERING.”
is obviously not acceptable The sugger The President's question as to with sign that an armistice should b be based on whom the Governments associated against status quo does not lack impudence The Germany ate dealing is, therefore, only terms we can offer must correspond answered a clear and unequivocal certainly with our victory.
to Lord
dispatched till October 9th. The report was consequently being reprinted in England and would be ready in two-or three week
Lord Crewe said he hoped that noties af would be taken of this lapse of duty in
反
THE SILVER MARKET.
LONDON, October 22nd. The silver market is quiet.
LATKE Mesars. Samuel Montagu & Co.'s to The market is steady but China exchanges moved
quotes te ad per
port
The loss of 37 South African on the Hirano Maru, coming amidst the passengers
felt as a great blow The missing, include quiet. general distress due to the epidemic, was Woodbead, both members of the Union Mesara Alwyn Vincent and Lawrence ally. Assembly and prominent commercial menit after a rise to in. 40.
do this they carry on their persons 60.000 pounds, or the equivalent dead weight of weight of a maa) and probably the space, 400 men (taking 150 ponude as
as the average
many more.
e
deed, the inhabitants of all the re-occupied The From Dy one of tonnage
robbery, Cruelty, terrorism and destrue tion.
DAMAGE AT BRUGES
LONDON, October 22nd Before evacuating Bruges the Germans seriously damaged the docks, dynamited the locks and blocked the Canal by sinking destroyers and submarines.
GERMAN BAILORS INTERNED IN HOLLAND
One hundred
Manmore
FLUSHING, October 22nd
|
men don't mind being They, would mind less if they
necesar kit to carry had less.
In the Home of Commons, the effdal @explanation of the above difficulty was that men on leave at home would be called upon to repel an invasion, bat 71Could not arms and ammunition be collected at certain definite Centres at home for distribution in an emergencys -Could not arm and ammunition
be dumped at Boulogne or railhead, of some central point in France before the man goes ou lestya Why load up the heat with selen rides and kit
I cannot help feeling this some of these facts are overlooked and I fed vers strongly that the then a
and must bo
knew that