The Hongkong Telegraph
(ESTABLISHED 1831.)
Copyright, 1916. by
February 18 1916,
3148 日六十月正
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LATEST WAR TELEGRAMS,
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FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY
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1916.
LATEST WAR TELEGRAMS,
February 18 1915,
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TELEGRAMS.
NEWS FOR BUSY MEN.
HOW ERZERUM FELL: A GRAPHIC STORY.
WHAT THE RUSSIAN VICTORY MEANS "FOR THE ALLIES.
THE GREAT RUSSIAN SUCCESS.
TIS EFFECT ON THE GENERAL SITUATION.
GRAPHIC STORY OF FINAL ASSAULT:
February 17, 1240 p.m.
The German attacks on the Western front have been prompted by a desire to impress neutrals, especially in the Esat, but Russia's great Erzerum stroke has been far more effective in that direction.
Erzerum is the key to Asia Minor, commanding, as it does, the
French Warships Sink Submarines in the Adriatic. sole road open to the Russians to the Bosphorus from Asia.
GREEK SOLDIERS ROUT BULGARIANS IN FRONTIER FIGHT.
[Renter's Service to the Telegraph."] DISEASED SOLDIERS' PENSIONS.
A PLEA BY THE LABOURITES.
February 17, 12.20 p.m. In the House of Commons, in replying to an amendment by the Labour Party to the Address from the Tarone, demanding pensions for those who had contracted disease, whilst serving with the Coloure, Mr. H. W. Forster, Financial Secretary to the War Office, announced that the Government had established a new body to deal with such causes which were outside the limits of the Pensions Warrent.
The Labour Party were not satisfied with this, and intimated that they would again press the matter.
LIEUT.-COL WINSTON CHURCHILL,
Trebiccad is unlikely long to resist, and then the Allies will have an unbroken line from the Bizek Sea to the north-eastern edge of Mesopotamia
Besides the Erzerum victars, the Russians have two armies in
THE ALLIES IN THE WEST.
* NOTHING TO REPORT”
February 17, 4.05 pm According to Bouter's correspondent at Paris, a communique says there is nothing to report.
GERMAN BUTTER TICKETS.
February 17, 4.45. p.ti.
Germany starts batter tickets on March 1.
FRENCH HELP ACKNOWLEDGED.
(Havas Telegrama.)
February 16.
The Tsar has sent his congratulations to President Poincare for the Caucasus one in the Black Sas littoral, and the other in the the effective help granted to Serbis Lake Van region.
The captars of Erzsrum removas the chief obstacle to raids on the Turkish communications with Mesopotamia and facilitates the linking op of the Anglo-Russian advances towards Bagdad. It is noteworthy that the massere of Armenians has been directed from! Erzerum
The Basian capture, in the depth of winter, of a fortress situsted at a height of 6,000 fost, and notorions for blizzards, is a most heroic feat. The operation began in Janusry with a series of mastarly actions, by which General Jadeaich cleard his flaks, thus forcing the Turks to evacuats Melazgherf, south-east of Erzwam, and retreat to Mush, and then occupied Kaprikeni and Hasesntals, both great kare (sie) on the Erzerum road.
2
[In the event of telegrams arriving too late for lasertion on this page they will be found on Page 81.
EARLIER TELEGRAMS.
A DAMAGED STEAMER.
February 16,8 20 p.m.
CONDENSED.
Sir Wilfred Lawan, HP.. has resigned.
Germany starts batter ticky ta' on March 1.
General Putnik joined the Ser- bians at Corfa.
Erserum had a garrison of 104- 090 and 467 gons.
General Serrail shortly visits King Constantine.
The Austrisus have cessed the offensive at Durezzɔ.
Mr. Winston Churchill has been made a Lieut.-Colonel,
The Turks at Erzeram lost 80- 000 out of 200,000 defenders.
The Greeks routed another
The Dutch steamer Beadosny, from Batavis to Boterdam, is band of Bulgarian Comitad jis.
Is is estimated in Petrograd that the Tarks during the three towing the a.. Northfleet, which has been damaged, weeks prior to the assault on the forts lost 80,000 men. Of the reminder only 75,000 were efficient organised units, and of these. 20,000 were required to hold the town and forte. The lack of a field army to hold the outer redoubte enabled the fortress to be destroyed by long-range fire.
LOYAL SOUTH AF¤ICA.
February 16, 6.00 pm According to Reuter's correspondent at Capetown, General
r
Food price increases :- Britain 47, Germany 83, Austris 112 per
Many Turkish defenders of
The fall of Erzerum facilitatem
There were fieres actions before the Tarks were finally driven in to the fortress. One retreating detachment was most anions to Botha, the Premier, speaking in the Assembly, emphasised the Erserum wers found frea a to sare a park of new German held-kitchens and formed them into a absolute loyalty of the Union to the Empire. He said he was pre- death. square, but the Enasian guns smashed them up. When the infantry pared, if necessary, to take up arms and do his utmost to successfully rushed up, they found bangry Tarka licking up the soup and stea conclude the war. About seventeen thousand Union soldises were Thas a strangely distributed body of Turkish irregulars on the hill in the field and there would possibly be more shortly. Up to the the Anglo-Bassian advance ca February 17, 12.20 p.m.
south-east of Erzerum was cut off. It promised to surrender in the present two and a half millions sterling had been spent by the Bagdad. The fact that Mr. Winston Churchill has been made a Lieut-morning, but made no sign at dawn. The Russians, cautiously Union on war purposes. Colonel was mentioned by Mr. Tennant in the House of Commons clambering up, found the defenders frozen to death sad the mountain surrounding the fortrees littered with frozen corpses and last evening.
thousands of tons of abandoned munitions and stores. It is known that scattered enemy detachments are locked up in some of the valleys by avalanches and are starving to death.
FOOD PRICES.
HOW THEY HAVE ADVANCED.
February 17, 12 20 p.m. It is shown by the Board of Trade Labour Gazette that the prices of food in Gres: Britain have increased forty-seven per cent. as compared with eighty-three per cent. in Germany and one hundred and twelve per cont. in Austria.
THE NEAR EAST.
SALONICA IMPREGNABLE.
February 17, 1.30 pm.
A correspondent of the Pro German Zurich Zeitung, in a long description of the Salonica defences, says they are impregnable.
ENEMIES' SLOW PROGRESS.
February 14, 1.30 p.m. Italian reports show that the Bolgarian and Austrian advance in Albania is very slow. The Bulgarians especially are hampered by lack of transport laeda.
Montenegrins who have arrived at Brindisi state that the Anatrian attempts to discover hiding-places at Mirko and Martino- vitch have proved unsuccessful, the people being unmoved by bribes or threat of starvation.
AUSTRIANS CEASE OFFENSIVE.
February 17,4.45 p.m. Renter's correspondent at Corin states that the "Austrians have cosaed the offensive at Darazza, owing to the arrival of Italian troops. General Painik, Generalissimo of the Serbian Army, has joined the Serbians at Corfu,
TO VISIT KING CONSTANTINE.
February 17, 4.45 p.m.
THE BOOTY.
February 17, 4:50 p.m According to Reater's correspondent at Petrograd, the Oficial Messenger estimates that E zarum had a garrison of 100,000 men with 487 guna, while the advanced forts had 374 guns and the central forts 200..
ENORMOUS IMPORTANCE.
February 17, 5.20 p.m Renter's correspondent at Petrogard ways that Ezeram is of enormous importance because it is a centre of military administra rion with huge ammunition magazines. It opens for the Bassiane a wide access northward, westward and southward, thus foiling the plans of the German Staff Naturally, the Tarks will try to repair the disaster, but the Bussians will speedily consolidate the positions.
The Russian Press is particularly pleased, and says the success will facilitate the British advance in Mesopotamia besides re- echoing in the Balksas, Persia and Afghanistan.
LIBERAL M.P. RESIGNS.
February 17.12.20 pz..
Sir Wilfred Lawson, Liberal MP. for Cockermouth, has re- signed his seat in the House of Commons, as he disapproves of tha Government's war policy.
MUNITION FACTORIES,
MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S BUILDING PROPOSAL.
February 17, 130 p.m.
Mr. Lloyd George urges the cemeation of building and the tem- Beater's correspondent at Salonica states that General Sarrail porary transfer of the labour to the building of munition factories." is shortly to vieit King Constantine.
2.
GREEKS ROUT BULGARIANS.
ALCOHOL OUTPUT.
February 17,130 p.m. Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Runciman have conferred with the The distillers with a view to increasing the output of alcohol for the
purposes of explosives.
February 17, 4.45 p.m. The Greeks, after a two hours fight, routed another band of Balgarian Comitadjis who were penetrating into Greece. Greeks are now vigilantly guarding the whole frontier.
SUBMARINE WARFARE.
QERMÄN SOCIALISTS' DISAPPROVAL.
*** February 17, 4.45 p.m.
Renter's correspondent at Amsterdam states that the Socialists
an the Prussian Diet exprósd disapproval of the Government's
- busstine campaign against merchantmen.
RESTORATION OF BELGIUM.
February 16, 7.55 p.m. Beuter's correspondent at Havre telegraphs that the Italian Minister and a representative of Japan have associated themselves with the assurances given to the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs by the Bussian Minister, on behalf of the Triple Eatents, that hostilities shall not essao before Belgiam's political and economic independence have been restored and s liberal indemnity paid, and that the Entente will aid Belgium's commercial and financial recovery.
COMMONS DISCUSS AIR SERVICE.
February 16, 10.50 p.m.
French warships sank two and perhaps three submarines in the Adriatic,
The Russian Press is particu larly plessed over the capture, of Erzeram.
A correspondent to a Zurich pro-German paper says Salonica is impregnable.
The Russians found thousands of tons of munitions and stores outside E-serum.
The Labourites demand.
German Socialista disapprovS ofthe submarine campaign against
In the House of Commone, in discussing an amendment to the Address regretting that the Speech from the Th one did not mention any measures to strengthen the air services, the Rt. Hon. Mr.
J. Tennant said that the air service was intended as an offensive, stons for soldiers com and not as a defensive, bat was protecting valuable points, disease while serving. Haral air craft was watching the coast, and army air craft the land. Admiral Sir Percy Scott was still in command of air gunnery, which now under the War Office. Mr. Balfour said that the sir service at the front was one of the glories of the British arme. He denied that the present position as regards defence was the outcome of a policy of drift. The expansion of the air service had been which was still behind hand, though every nerve had been prodigions, but the problem was largely one of supplying material strained. Looking back, he regretted that we did not develop the Zeppelin type. The Admiralty was doing what it could to remedy this, but there was no immediate probability of overtaking the enemy's ten-year start. The amendment was withdrawn.
THE FALL OF ERZERUM.
THE GRAND-DUKE'S MESSAGE.
February 18, 10.55 p
Reuter's correspondent at Petrograd states that the Grand Daks Nicholas, bas telegraphed to the Tear as follows: God has accorded your valiant troops of the army in the Caucasus such great help that Erzerum has been taken after five days unprecedented assault. I am inexpressibly happy to inform your Majesty of this vistory.
77
armed merchantman.
DON'T FORGET.
TO-DAY.
Bijou Theatre-9.15 p.m. Victoria Theatre-9,15 pm.
TO-MORROW.
Hongkong sed Shanghai“ Banking Corporation-Meeting
shareholders; noon.
of
Bijou Theatre-9.15 p.m. Victoria Theatre--~9.15 p.m.
Monday, February 21,
The Races.
Tuesday, February 22, The Esces.
Wednesday, February 23. The Races.
Friday, February 25, China Provident Loan Mortgage
Co-Meeting shareholders; 11.30am
THE TURKS' STUBBORN RESISTANCE.
February 17, 3.15 a.m. There are still no details of the fall of Ezeram. A Petrograd communique refers to the fighting immediately preceding the fall, and says, seventy guns, besides munitions and prisoners were captured when mine forts belonging to the covering position of Dereboyna were taken. The fighting in the last stages of the were desperate, the Turks only yielding to fierce bayonet onslaughts. The communique adds that this success is now being developed. despite the rigorous cold and local obstacles. The southern part of Erzerum is already in flames and the Turks are hurrying up troops V.RO from the west and south in an attempt to rehere the fortress. The Bassians continue a soccessful offensive elsewhere in the Caucasus. They have dislodged the Turks in a series of mountainous positions According to Reuter a correspondant at Paris, M. Hasin, in the in the region of the Black Bes littoral, throwing them back across Echo de Paris, says that during the last three days French warships the river Vilisten. in the Adriatis have sunk tro, and perhaps three, enamy submines.
THE ADRIATIC.
ENEMY SUBMARINES SUNK
-- February 17, 130 p.m.
(Cantinued on page 3.)
Saturday, February 20: Boxing Competitions at the
The Races (Of
Thands
Grodowa Co * Me holdere 113IE