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The Hongkong Telegraph
WEATHER FORECAST
OVERCAST.
(ESTABLISHED Copyright 1918, by
1881)
Temperatura
May 31, 1918,
Humidity
81 3 pm, 86 89
7957
第二十月四
FRIDAY, MAY
31,
1918.
REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.
THE BATTLES IN FRANCE.
MORE DETAILS OF THE FIGHTING,
KEUTER'S TELEGRAMS.
THE RAIDS ON COLOGNE.
Britain Respects a Religious Request
London, May 29, Renter learns that the Vatican has transmitted to the British Government a request from the Cardinal Archbishop of Oologue that in view of the serious damage lately done by British raide on Cologne, Britain should abstain from bombing Colagne during the Corpus Christi,procession on the 30th instant.
French Compelled to Evacuate Solssons,
London, May 29. Beater's correspondent at the French Headquarters, telegraph ing on May 29 says The expansion of the enemy'e wings enabled
It is significant that the instigators of the policy of air raida him to bring his right to within a short distance of Soissons, while the left reached an aligament at which it forms practically a semi- now have to come and beg for relaxation on an import religinis airale around Rheims. Last night the position the brazco-British casico, seeing that the Germans did not spare Worshippers in were holding on the extreme right of the line brosme difficult. Paris on Good Friday. The British Government, however, has They were under fire from three sides, from the old German line consented on religious and hamare grounds that sa far they are between Conroy and Rheims and from the new lines which the concerned there shall not be any aircraft attack on cities not in the Germans had established in passing them to the south, and as they vicinity of the battlefront during daytime on May 30. are now obliged to face east, north and west. We are entering upon .., a critical phase of the battle, but the issus is awaited calmly. Dar reserves are hastening up. The moral of our men auperb. The Germans had the choice of the point of attack and were able to conesetrate in 1558s against a sector thinly held. The obojos of the real line of resistance will be ours. The new battle is spreading over the ground of the Battle of the Marne, where the enemy's triumphant rash was broken in September, 1914, and the omene are good.
Role of the British Divisions.
"
1
WAR PENSIONS,
Britala's Liabilities Explained,
London, May 29,
Sir Alfred Watson says the Government actually estimates on the basis of present casualties that the future pension charges will amount approximately to £45,000,000 for the current year, that they will be $40,000,000 in 1930 and will fall gradually to #10,000,000 by 1960. Thus the pension lisbilities. at present in sight are £750,000,000, "exclusive of the cost of administration. It is estimated that the expenditure will inevitably be largely increased by a farther protraction of the war.
FAILURE OF SUBMARINES.
Admission by Admiral von Tirpitz.
London, May 31,
London, May 29. Beater's correspondent at the French Headquarters, telegraph ing on the evening of May 29, saya:-Regarding the role of the British Divisions during the first two days of the Aisne fighting, we had four Divisions which held the front from Craonne to Her merisoort. On the right the 21st Division was in liaison with a French Division. Our left, consisting of the 50th Territorial Divi- sion, was in touch with the French holding the Chemin-des- Dames.
Admiral von Tirpitz, addressing the Fatherland Party at The weight of the German attack in our sector fell on the 50th Division, which had the worst of the gas bombardment and sustained Cologne, admitted that submarines had not given Germany the the heaviest part of the German infantry attack. The troops bore ap requisite freedom of the sea. He expressed the opinion that if à magnificently and held on until the men were drowned ander fresh war broke cat, Holland and Norway would probably side German nambers. The same fate overtook the French Division on against Germany. He emphasised Germany's need to secure future the crest on the right, and a retirement to the second line was safety by holding the coast of Flanders, Inevitable. A gallant attempt by the 50th Division to reosptare Oraonna was defeated chiefly through machine-gun fire from Garmen tanks 'attacking on the right fiinke. The enemy used tank in a greater number than ever done before. Finally the 50th Division was obliged to fall back in the general retreat to the river, keeping in touch with the Frerch on the loft. On the right of the rector our 21st and French Divisione stood the sesalt like rocks, and the Germans attacking in e proportion of only two to one did not pro. gress. It was along the Ohemin des Dames, where the density of a the attack was greater, that the Anglo-French line was submerged. The 2let and the French Divisions, after beating off a fantastic number of attacks, held lest night almost integrally the grcond on which the battle begun. Battalions of our 25th Division were sent to support them and units of this Division are now fighting with the French in close amalgamation.
The Evacuation of Solssoas.
London, May 29. A French communique says:-The battle assumed a particular- ly violent character on the left wing, in the region of Soiesona. We evacuated the town, of which we hold the exite. The battle is continuing west and south-east of Soissons on the plateaux between Bellen and Septoonts and Ambries and Chacries.
The German Drive Increases,
London, May 29.
A French communique says:-Daring the night the German drive, supported by the arrival of fresh divisicas, inoressed notably on the two wings in the direction of Soissons and Rheims. On the left we retired fighting foot by foot to the outskirts east of Boissons, where the battle continues bitterly in the centre, while we gave ground under pressure in the region of Boupergue to the north of Ferrent Tardenois. Franco British troops, farther fast, succeeded in maintaining the positions on the line from Brouiselet to Savigny and Tilley. On the right the troops covering Bheime fell back behind the Aisne Canai to north-west of the town.
The American Succeess.
London, May 29.
Reuter's correspondent at the British Headquarters, telegraph- ing on May 29, sys:-The front from Loare to Voormezele remains pretty quiet. The Germans are apparently very vexed at the American, success at Cantigny and have opened a tremendous bombardment upon the new positions, The enemy counter-attack was met by the Allied gunnera with such a hurricane of fire that waves in a mess were stopped desa and thrown back with heavy Bosses.
Local Efforts.
London, May 29,
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, reports:-We drove off a Dight raiding party in the neighbourhood of Beaumont Hamel. The French completely repulsed a local attack north of Kémmel,
Germans Concent Their Intentions.
London, May 29,
An American correspondent with the French armies says that the German efforts to conceal their preparations for the attack ou the Aisne were unprecendented. Troops brought up for the attsok were told that they were merely going to relieve the first line troops and only learned of the attack on Sunday night. The Germane had not increased their supplies of ammunition and had not erected a single hospital or aviation camp which might indicate their intention to attack, and they even avoided taking paths which might attract the attention of the enemy. Moreover, for several days prior to the attack they actually allowed French seroplanga to fly over their lines unhindered in order not to arouse suspicion.
Germans Claim 25,000 Prisoners.**
London, May 29.
A German communique now elsima a total of 25,000 prisoners.
TURKISH SUCCESS IN MESOPOTAMIA,
London, May 29
A Turkish communique saya ➡We occupied Kirkak in Meso- potamia and the British withdrew to the south
THE POST-WAR OUTLOOK.
London, May 29,
Mr. Hayes Fisher, the President of the Local Government Board, epeaking at an Industrial Canacil meeting, bald he did not anticipate aby unemployment trouble for many years after the war.. He aimed at building at least 300,000 workmen's dwellings within
year of the declaration of peace.
NOT FOR THE KAISER.
4
London, May 28,
Mr. Edwards, the defested candidate in the Wanebeck bye. election, declared that the votes cast for him were not in favour of the Kaiser, Wanebeok miners were "not built that way.'
EARLIER TELEGRAMS.
THE LATEST GERMAN OFFENSIVE.
How the Ladies' Way was Captured,
endon, May 28
11
Beuter's correspondent at French Headquarters, tela. graphing yesterday, says: This morning's attack was pre- ceded by four hours of gas-shell bombardment. The enemy engaged 25 Divisions, including some which were moved from the Hirsor-Meziers region at the last moment by night MATUZ. The attacking front was held by the Armies of Generals von Boehm and Fritz von Below, General von Boehm holding the region from Noyon to Craence with nine Divisiors, while General von Below held from Craōnne to Auberive with eight Divisions. The Chemin-des-Dames line was attacked in flank from the Corbeny-Juvincourt region. The enemy launched his infantry in: dense waves against the eastern end of the plateau and captured Cracuns by turning the flank of our division. They stormed the Californie and Vauclerc, plateaus. The Germans - Cuinan, bered our men by 5 to 1. The position attacked was a long narrow-topped barrier along which Ladies Way runE from Hurtebise to the head of the valley. The defenders of the ridge had no room to mancare and could not retreat even a few yards without losing the creat. It was inevitable that they should recoil under the shock, with the result that the Germans remained in possession of the ridge. Officers in touch with the situation are of the opinion that the results of the day's fighting on the 'Aisne are accepted by the High Command without disquiet. Our front recoiled, in accordance with pre-arranged plan, and under the weight of the blow. The result at present is that the battle-feld of last spring is again in the enemy's possession. No civilian population was lost in the whole region. The 'ground has been fought over so long that it has no economic value for either side.
.
The Front Not Broken;: bring
London, May 23. Beuter's correspondent at French Headquartacz reporta to-day: The Chemin-des-Dames was never more than a curtain of the fortresses of which the main defences were the Laon plateaus. We hold the curtain, but the fortress itself was never ours. The Germans utterly failed this time to do what they succeeded in doing on March 21 « Our front- is not broken for us. The battle has s far: cone more satisfactorily than the battle of March The Germans are unlikely to be able to make serious headway before the arrival of our reserves restores the equilibrium of the forces.
Reuter's correspondent at British Headquarters reports this evening: Except north of Mont, Kimmel the enemy. artillery was comparatively quiet on the Flanders front. They were four British divisions which withstood the first on- slaught on the Airne, composed of English troops represent- ing many English counties, contradicting the German" saser. tions that the English leave the heaviest fighting to the overseas troops. There is great satisfaction among the British troops at the news of the successful attack by the Americans near Montdidier, wherein they prisonered more than a hundred and forty, Popular sentiment was expressed by a Scotch corporal who remarked
Temperature & summ,
May 31, 19:7,
Humidity
90.
五拜溫
我一卅月五英港香
EARLIER TELEGRAMS.
THE LATEST GERMAN OFFENSIVE.
Our Aerial Operations.
London, May 28, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports -The weather was fine but cloudy, and visibility was not good for a full day's fying. We dropped: sixteen tons of bombs on various objectives, including billets betwech Armentieres, Lens and Bruges docks. We brought down fifteen German aeroplanos. and drove down' three. Two British are missing. We drop: ped heavy bombs at night.on Zeebrugge lock and Bruges dock, also a great number on enemy's dumps and billets totalling twenty-one tons. All our aeroplanes returned Hostile night-bombers were active. · A. Gotha was forced to descend in our lines and ita" thres occupants were taken prisoner.. Our. long-distancë night-bombers were very active. They dropped fodr. to fire tons of bombs on the chemical works at Mannheim, the railway station at Landau, the electric power station at Kreuzwald and on railway stations at Mezsahlon and Courcelles. Very large explosions were observed. One British machine is missing.
The Retreat Continues.
London, May 2. Beater's correspondent at French Headquarters tele- graphing on Tuesday afternoon, says: The French and British Divisions holding the Aisne front were forced to continue the retreat during the past 24 hours under pres- sure of enormously superior numbers. They are fighting very gallantly. Reserves are hurrying up from concentration points. The Germans include seven special "storm" Divi.. sions which fought on March 21st and have since not been seen. They presumably have been refitting. There were also two Divisions of the Guards.
A Belgian communique says: Enemy artillery activity was specially lively in our back areas, many civilian castal. ties resulting in the bombarded localities.
.
A French official message says: Enemy acroplanes were espied at midnight on the 27th-29th, westward of Boven and were violently attacked by our anti-aircraft batteries. One dropped bombs on the Rouen district killing one and wound- four.
Fierce Fighting.
London, May 29. A French communique, dated 27th May, says: Last night and to-day the enemy, again profiting by his numerical superiority, made fresh efforts to accentuate the drive southwards and towards Soisson. Our troops on the left counter-attacked vigorously, stopped the German advance and shattered attacks on, the heights of Neuville and on Mergival from Vregny to north-east of Soissons and on the hills in the region of Ciry, Salesogne and Vassenny, which- immediately dominate the valley of Vesles to the south. In the centre, where the enemy made his principal effort, the battle is developing and has sustained its violence on the line at Vesles which the Germans succeeded in crossing this morn ingat, several points notably in the region of Barzoches and Lesfisoes. On the right the British on Saint Thierry ridge resisted the assaults of the enemy, who seems to have suffered particularly heavy losses. West of Montdidier the.. Americans, supported by our tanks, brilliantly carried on a front of two kilometres the saliente of Cantigny also the rillage which the enemy had strongly fortified, capturing 170 prisoners and a quantity of material. German counter- attacks in the afternoon against Cantigny completely failed: Tho artillery, duel continues with great activity on the right of the Meuse and at several points on the Lorraine front. Two strong enemy "coups de main" in the region of Veso and Embermesnil were repulsed after sharp fighting.
On the right the Franco British troops after an energetic defence of St. Thierry have withdrawn slowly to the south and south-east of these heights where they are holding on between the Veele and Aisne canal. In the centre the fighting continued with various fluctuations on sontli bank of the Veile the heights of which our troops, are defending with admirable bravery. West of Mondidier the Americans shattered two enemy counter-attacks on Cantigny. The artillery duel continues lively on both banks of the Meuse, in the Woerte sector at Embermesnil and in Lorraine. A series of hostile raids north of Bez onaux in the region
of. Badanvilliers, near the Rhine and Rhone canal failed under our fre..
"Press Opinion.
London, May 29.
The newspapers do not seek to minimise the formidable nature of the sucees which brought the Germans in the Äisce region farther south than they hayo been since the beginning of the trench war of 1914, but none take the alarmist views which were widespread two months ago. Regret is express- ed that the Allies have lost the positions they have sacrificed so much to maintain and develop and it is feared many heavy guns are lost, but it is pointed out that experience has shown that great thrusts always lose their impetus just when the defence is bringing ita reserves into action and recollections of the German defeats at Kemmel and elsewhere inspires a feeling of calm confidence that 'Generaliszmo. Foch's reserves will still save the situation. Indeed a late despatch of the Daily Chronicle" correspondent with the French armies announces that French reserves are arriving at the front and the worst is believed to be over. German papers are already trumpeting a showy success for the Crown Prince as a dynastie victory for the Hohenzollerns, but the correspondents show that he has gained on the Aisne no stronger a line than he already held while the enemy com- mand by extending its battle line to one hundred and ninety. miler has seriously dispersed its forces all of which must be fed with a ratio of loss constantly higher than that of the defendera Observers are agreed that the losses of the Allies are comparatively small. Their retirement was deli- berate and carried out in good order. The French still hold. the valuable Vigny Plateau north-east of Soissons and com- manding the Bermoise spar east of Venizel and south of the river, where a counter-attack stemmed the German rush, while the British on the other wing holding their ground ~inflicted the most heavy losses on St. Thierry height, five miles north-west of Rheims. The possession of these îm- portant points on the flanks, says the "Times," opens a prospect that the main rush in the centre may be more quickly checked.
Reserves Arriving on the Scene,
London, May 29
A Paris semi-official message says: The Gofmang" are incessantly employing fresh divisions, to make good thair vary heavy losses. On the other hand our reserves eza arriving on the scene and will in a few days have made their, action felt and restored, the equilibrium of the situation.
A French communique rays the Germans have reache the outskirts of Boissons A
(Continued on pa
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SIR OILBERT PARKER.
London May 28 Sir Gilbert Parker, M.P. bar resigned owing to ill-health.
DR. SUN'S EXIT
Where Has Hɔ Gota
It is the decision of General Lak Wing ting, mysa vernacular journal, that Dr. San Ysten should quit Cantor, because hiữ. presence there has done a great deal of mischief and has canaëd dissension among the leaders of; the various parties. One telegram from Hongkong states that he has decided to go to Penang în the Straite Settlements in order to avoid trouble, Another reportssys that at the request of General Lak Wing ting sad other Kwangui leaders, Dr. Ban on the 21st in- stant started for Japan, where he will do his best to induos the Japanese Government to re- cognise the Southern Government - in Kwangtang. Chu Cheng, Chu" Sze-ching and Yeh Hais-abang, prominent members of the Kom intang, have accompanied him in his missiva.
Regulations on the general outlines of the Republican Military Government containing 12 articles were passed by the Extraordinary Parliament
100
M
the 16th instant, and tele graphed by Wa Ting fang, Lam Pao-ki and Mok Wing-shen to Sham Chun heuan, Luk Wing- ting, Tang Ohi-saɔ and other Southern leadere for approval, On the 20th instant the regula tions were published, and on the following-day Sham Chan badan, Lak Wing-ting, Tang Chi-yeo, Wa Ting-fang, Lám Paci, Tang Shao-yi and Sun Yat-sen were elected by the "Extraordinary" Parliament, an Directors of the Administrativa Affairs. As the Central Govern- ment has ignored the telegram sent by the Southern leaders a few weeks ago protesting against the Sino-Japanese Agreement, these Directors, after their iDadguration, have addressed another strong telegram, in their now capacity as Directors, stating that if the Central Government does not sign the Sino-Japanese | Azreement, and is willing to refer all points of differences to a Peace Conference for final settle |ment, the Military Gavecument in the South will sat once cesse hostilities and awsit the solution of the situation by the will of the people of the country, alo. At the same time the Military Government has established offices at Cheokuang and Swatow for the recruiting of military officers, who will receive a months ly salary of. 838 much to train new troope for service,-Paking Daily News....
Drowned Herself with Baby,
After a search lasting the greater part of a night, the bodies of Mrs. Ethel Mande Briggs and her fortnight-old baby were found in the pond on Clapham Common recently, Mrs. Briggy, who was 25 years of age, and the wife of s soldier, left her home in Wands- worth-road, taking the child with her. She had been in a depressed- state of mind. - The woman; elaa- ping her baby in her arms, wan found lying isce downwarde în the water.
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