1914-12-23 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23m, 1914.

THE WAR.

"ATHROUGH "REUTERS AGENCY.]

THE STRUGGLE IN FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

NIBBLING PROCESS CONTINUES SUCCESSFULLY.

LONDON, December 21st,

6.10 p.m.

To-day's Paris communiqué saya: Nothing of importance transpired in Belgium yesterday, unless

it be some progross in the region of Lombartryde, St. George's, and to the south-east of Korteker, and also the occupation of some houses at Zwartetem, south of Zillebeke," and the bombardment by the enemy of the hospital at Ypres.

On the right bank of the Meuse we gained ground on a crest two kilometres north-west of Brabant, at Bois-de-Consonvoyé, and, finally, -in-the-heights of the Meuse.

We also mado slight progress in Bois-de-Chevalliers, to the north-east of Fort Troyon.

From the Lys to the Aisne we carried a wood near

the Lys to t

road

from Aix Moulette to Souchez, and occupied the first line of German tronches between this road and the first houses of Notre Dame de Lorette, to the south-west of Loas.

The enemy bombarded Arras. Our heavy artillery, several times. silened the enemy's artillery to the north of Carnoy, wrecked the German trenches, and shattered two guns.

Our artillery also had a clear advantage on the Aisne and a sector. at Rhoims.

We made appreciable gains along the entire Front in the Champagne region, at Prosnes de Perthes and Bean Sejour, and also in Argonne, particularly to the north-east of Bean Sejour, where we gained: 1,200 metres and the enemy's trenches.

We blew

at Bois-de-la-Grurio four mined saps, and established ourselves in the excavations made.

We progressed along the entire front in Argonne and on the Meuse, notably in the region of Valennes, advancing 500 metres, and we also gained ground in the region of Gercourt and Betchincourt.

BRITISH RECAPTURE LOST TRENCHES.

LONDON, December 22nd

110 a..

The Paris' evening official statement says The British made attacks and recaptured this morning most of the lost trenches.

The enemy before Lihong mado four successive attacks to recover the tronches which previously captured. All were repulsed.

we

We attacked north-west of Puissalein, south of Noyon, and gained footing in the enemy's first line of trenches and advanced in St. Maril Wood,

A GENERAL OFFENSIVE,

EXCEEDINGLY GOOD PROGRESS"

LONDON, December 2nd.

5.25 am:

A Paris telegram says there is excellent authority for the statement that the Allies in the West took a genoral offensive three or four days ago, profiting by the despatch of German troops to Poland. The Allies have made exceedingly good progress, though the resistance has been more formidable than was expected.

The Dutch papers report that the Germans have evacuated Middelkerke, and that the French have occupied West Ende, near Ostend.

THE RUSSIAN OPERATIONS.

ASSUMING A FAVOURABLE CHARACTER IN GALICIA.

LONDON, December 21st.

9.35 p.m.

A Petrograd communiqué says:- The Gormans in the Mlawa region retired to a line from Lauernburg:

There was no material incident on the left bank of the

to Neidenburg.

Vistula.

We definitely checked the Austrian offensive in Galicia, and subsequent operations assumed a perfectly favourable character

We routed at the point of the bayonet an Austrian Division. operating at Dukla Pass. The enemy left on the held over 500 dead and lost over 1,000 prisoners.

Further attempts by the garrison at Przemysl to penetrate the blockading line were decisively repulsed, the garrison being thrown back on the line of their own fortifications with heavy loss.

A MORE RESTRICTED RUSSIAN FRONT.

LONDON, December 22nd.

An official communiqué -issued at Petrograd says the adoption of

a more restricted front by the Russians is due to the concentration of very great German forces on the Russian front,.

(THROUGH REUTERS AGENCY:]

SIR JOHN JELLICOE AND HIS MEN

LONDON, December 21st.

9.30 p.m.

Lady Jellicoe, opening a Union Jack Club for the wives of the sailors and soldiers, read a letter from Admiral Sir John Jellicoe in which he praised the bravery of the men's wives, and said he was prouder every day to command men of such splendid calibre. Their discipline was perfect and they were patiently waiting and watching,

GERMAN SUPPLY SHIPS CAPTURED NEAR FALKLAND ISLANDS.

LONDON, December 22nd... British warships near the Falkland Islands have captured the new Hamburg-America liners Baden and Santa Isabel, which were acting as supply ships for the German Fleet.

[TELEGRAMS "FROM "THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE.] UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM "AND

GERMANY.

The percentage of unemployment returned in the United Kingdom at the end of November was 2.9 as coompared with 44 at the end of

at the endot October, and 20 a year ago. In trades compulsorily insured against unemployment (shipbuilding A) the percentage out of work is well below Last year's figures. Last week it was 3.40 as against 4.31 a year ago. In Germany, despite the large number of men called to the colours and the quantity of government work, the percentage of unemployed was more than 10 per cent as against 2.8 last year.

THE ECONOMIC PRESSURE IN GERMANY.

The wholesale price of sugar in Germany has risen M.1.50 per double cwt. The price of coal in the Baar District has risen M.1.20 per motrie ton A further rise in prices is feared, and prices are already abnormal.

The Reichsanteiger urgos economy of all food stuffs.

An urgent appeal has been issued to individuals in Germany to give

up all gold for use by the State in exchange for paper.

SULTAN OF EGYPT THANKS KING GEORGE. The Sultan of Egpt has addressed a telegram to King George thanking him for his assurance of the co-operatioon and protection of Great Britain, and expressing his resolution to devote himself to the progress and well-being of his people.

RELIEF FROM AUSTRALIASIA FOR BELGIANS The people of New Zealand, Queensland and New South Wales have contributed £100,000 for the relief of Belgians in Belgium.

GERMAN PRESS AND BRITISH

RECRUITING. A

EPILIT OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE,

The following statements which have appeared in the Forwarts from a corres pondent are deeply interesting and very

NAVAL OPERATIONS IN THE achieved brilliant success. Vice Admiral

FAR EAST.

A JAPANESE OFFICIAL REPORT

THE WORK OF THE JAPANESE NAVY

The following statement submitted to the Japanese Diet by the Minister of the Navy is reproduced from the Japan Times::

I cstoet it alivour to report to the House a general outline of the oporations: by the Imperial Navy since the beginning of the war

Jerram, as the Commander of the China. Squadron, always assisted in the co operation of the British and Japanese Syuadrons, and for the satisfactory result of the operations we owe much to him. I also wish to call your attention to the fact that the navics of Russia and France, in addition to the co-operative action of rendered effective assistance to our move- the British and Japanese squadrons,

ments

THE PROTECTION OF JAPAN'S TRADE, I have another thing to call to your attention. During the first part of the operations, when a section of the enemy's When war was declared, the Imperial squadron was still at large in the South Fleet, under instructions from the Seas or the Indian Ocean, and the search Emperor, began immediate action, and all for id by our allied squadron provid the naval Itations also prepared the means successful, what was considered most- of defence in the area of the seas in their important by the Japanese naval authori respective districts.

ties was the protection of the trade routes At that time, the main strength of the over those scas However, for three long enemy's Oriental Squadron made its months, until the heroic Emden was dis- whereabouts obscure in the South and the troyed off Cocos Island, not a single nur- remaining portion hid itself at Tsingtao, chant vessel with the Japanese as was Whereupon, the First Squadron of the sunk by the enemy, and I regard it entire Imperial Navy concentrated its mainly due to the influence of His Majesty's strength from the Yellow Sea to the

NAVY northern part of the East Sea, for tracing of the Japanese and British squadrons, By the force of the co-operative action the enemy's merchantmen and as a guard the onciny has gone far away to the const for the region, while the Second Squadron of South America, and the Imperial Navy, at once threatened Kiacchou, and declared on the seas far away from its home, is on August 27th, & general blockade of engaged, with the navy of our ally, in Kiacehon and the neighbouring coast.

The Third Squadron was engaged on

the search for the enemy. watch from the southern part of the East

THE DUTY OF THE FLEET, Sea to the China Sea, and a section of ary force, in defiance of difficulty and The officers and men of our expedition- the First Squadron in safeguarding the shortcomings, are devotedly discharging routes to North America. When the their duties. The enemy at Kinoshen transportation of the Imperial troops Bay has been destroyed, it is true, but began, the First Squadron on the southern German men-of-war are still about South- part of the sea off Korea, and the Second America, and although the Second Squad- Squadron in the direction of the Yellow ron had completed its immediate duty, Sea, co-operating, assisted the safe many other mon-of-war of the Imperial transportation of the troops.

Navy are cruising over many places in Along with the progress of the work of the Pacific. Even if the German men SOL-sweeping, the Squadron narrowed its of war in South America be crushed by cordon of blockade, and when, in the latter the navy of our ally to-morrow, the duty part of October, the preparations for the of the Imperial Navy does not terminalo siege of Tsingtao by the army were niniost so long as the war in Europe continues, complete, it made violent attacks on the and the end is a long way ahead, it must enemy from the sea, in support of the be said, for the Japanese Navy. By the army in its frontal attack on the enemy, august influence of His Majesty the and the Naval Heavy Artillery Corps atso Emporar and the support of the nation. took a part in the attack on Tsingtao, hope, however, that the day may not bo Thus besieged, the enemy at last, on far off when the object of the war will bo November 7th, surrendered,.

and the attained, operations in that direction were con

[It is unnecessary to point out that this cluded

speech was delivered prior to the destruction

In the operations against Kisochon, the of the principal ships of the German equad- enemy lost one cruiser, five gunboats and ro of the Falkland Islands by a British two destroyers, while we suffered the loss squadron under the command of Vice- of one cruiser, one destroyer, one torpedo.

Admiral Sir Frederick Sturdee.] boat and three sea olearing vessels. The end of the crater Tukuchiky was parti cularly fragic

IN THE BOTH SEAS Prior to this, a section of the Imperial Fleet, rent to the South Seas, proceeded in the direction of the Straits Settlements, and became engaged, in co-operation with the British Fleet:

GERMAN NAVAL DODGE.

Morning Post from a naval officer be In a letter received by the London says: is to put a thing closely resembling a The latest dodge of the Germans poriscope on a mine in the hope that our people will ram it, but we have found out the dodge.'

was

In the early part of September, how ever, as the German cruiser Emden ap. peared in the Indian Ocean, and many uf the British merchantinon suffered loses at her hands, wo increased the strength of the section which had been despatched to these A ROMANCE OF THE WAR. the English people readily make the most tion to the army transports of Great regions in order to afford better protec extremo encicavours, the Britain We further increased

Two Belgian refugee children, brother Compare with this the taunts of the strength of that section by ecading an ad-resident at Abercynon and his wife, prove the and sister, who had been adopted by a non Socialist Press The Prussian military

leading ditional force under the command of Vice to be the children of the lady's sister, a organ, the Kreuz Admiral Tochinai, but the Emden was governess who went to Belgium years ago Zeitury, says, with reference to Lord destroyed by a British man-of-war oft and died there Kitchener's speech at the Guildhall Cocos Island on November 9th, and the the Allies, to say nothing of thy onemies,

That he will make any impression upon operations ended.

"The identity of the childre ་ revealed by portraits in a locket worn by At the beginning of the war, the main the little girl. with his million and a quarter nun, we strength of the German Squadron, as What is the cause of the relative failure do not believe, especially as the English aforementioned, was in the direction of of recruiting We read in on-Socialist Press is, at the same moment, bemoaning the South Sens, and a section of it was German newspapers articles which speak the fact that there are no recruits is be in the direction of North America and 'of with unlimited contempt of the English had and that the figures fall off from day Hawaii "meroensity- army The English to-day.

The Imperial Fleet way soldiers, it is said, are inspired by no

despatched in that direction in several

At the 74th Ordinary General meeting true patriotism, and fight, not for ideals, MORE TROOPS FROM INDIA, British Fleet, destroyed the base of the Naivgation Co., to be held on

divisions, and by co-operation with the of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam but solely for filthy lucre. That is it

the is hardly necessary to say, sheer nonsense, which can only hurt our own country THE FINEST CAVALRY IN THE because it deceives us about the real strength of the enemy and arouses dangerous illusions. The English people

truo

WORLD

Gentlemen, in the

THE P. & O DIVIDEND,

INTIMATIONS

CALDBECK,

MACGREGOR&C,

(ESTABLISHED 1864.

German operations by capturing the Ger 18th December, the Directors, after -man islands in the South Seas As it has providing for the usual dividend at the been announced, we have been administer-rate of 5 per cent. per annum on the Pre- ing military government over those ferred Stock, will recommend a dividend ialands. The German cruiser Geter was on the Deferred Stock of 6 per cent, for is inspired by no less idealism, and Marseillos is becoming accustomed to of the Imperial Squadron

SCENEB AT MADSEILLES.

forced to disarm at Honolulu by a section the six months, together with a bonus at ready, as soon as it realizes the necessity, the coming and going of Indian troops.

the rate of 8 per cent, making, with the to make no less sacrificos than any other

The Third Squadron, meanwhile, was interim dividend of 3 per cent, paid people. The system of voluntary recruit-It cannot now reproduce quite the same engaged, with the guardship of the May, a total distribution on the Deferred ing in England, with pretty fair pay, fine frenzy of excitement as that which Makong Naval Port, on the guard of the Stocks of 15 per cent, for the year. naturally results in the recruiting to greeted the arrival of the earlier con- to the east of Luzon, and also on main- large extent of young men who are either tingents; nevertheless, the landing of a taining communication with the rest of

the rest unemployed or are threatened with fresh contingent, which (says the special

the Navy unemployment. But it is a great mistake correspondent of the Times) began on

As the Orient was cleared of the enemy's to think that any considerable part of the Novembor 7th, evoked tremendous-of-war by the beginning of Novem Army goes to the war merely for the sake enthusiasm. On the following day, whensively engaged on the lookout for the Ger ber the Third Boundron has been exclu of the py, or that there are not thou squadrons of sowars marched at intervals sands and tens of thousands who join the throngh the city, leading their seaworn man vessels: Army, not because they are under any horses from the troopships to the outlying war in the direction of Kiaochou, As aforementioned, the German men-of- economic compulsion, hut from simple camps, the entire population turned out Hawaii and the Indian Oess, etc., have patriotic enthusiasm.

in its boat bib and tucker to revel in the been steadily destroyed, and the first part The fact that not enough men for sunshine and in the splendid moving of the naval operations is closed. Kitchener's requirements bave come for pictures presented by this latest additionsOLIDARITY OF THE ALLIANCE. ward is due to a number of circum

to the fighting strength of the Allies. stazom. In the first place, the Army

Before concluding this report, I have to authorities

Some of the finest cavalry in the world inform this House of several other inc. themselves

have not yet received the plaudits and the bouquets of portant metterthe pooch from de carried on the recruiting with stubborn that holiday throng with the imperturb and systematic pressure for the simple reason that it was impossible for themale smiling composure of the Oriental; Throne, His Majesty emphasized the fact anddenly to provide the appropriate

but what seemed chiefly to impress the that the Alliance with Great Fritain and accommodation and training for gigantic military element in the crowd (and the the enterte with Russia and Fraces have new armies, But, apart from this-and number of French troops in Marseilles is further proved their solidarity by the this is the decisive point all the efforts imply astonishing) was the lavish scale present crisis. At an early stage of this of the greater part of the Press to and the perfection of the transport and war, Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lard convince the English people that this war commissariat of the various detachment of the Admiralty, in a telegram to me; is for England a matter of life or death their endless trains of carts and lorries, stated that the offers and men of Great have hitherto had only small success, mountainously piled with fodder and food- Britain rejoiced in fighting the common The masses of the English people stuffs, with ammunition and cap-gear of enemy on the side of the loyal simply. do not holieve

of do every description, all moving froth ship to officers and va or

the Imperial not yet believe, that England's posi- camp with clockwork precision.

Japanese Navy, and to this. I replied to tion as a Great Pover, to say nothing 12 TRANSFUCTS

the effect that the offers of the Japanese of England's national security an The horses, though they had not yet Navy felt equally glad, and that by the independence, are acriously menaced recovered their land-legs, looked very well,efforts of the navies of the two countries, They think that the sacrificon which and their accoutrements were much expected a speedy achievement of main, been made only in the interests of Guards, R.F.A., Bengal sowars, and that ever since that, between the navies of England has already made have, in the admired, Lancera, Hussars, Dragoon victory. And it is with a sense of pro- found gratitude that. I am able to report France and Belgium, These sacrifice Sikhs, with Jacob's Horse of the death's- have assurdly been incomparably greater head badge, and many more besides truly the two countries co-operative action with than most Englishmen before the war a brave show to gladden the heart of Noure unreserved confidence had been carried on regarded as thinkable. From the begin Dame de la Gardo on her hill. E overywhere most smoothly. The fact that ning England sent considerable Saturday's (November 7th) and Sun- this unreserved co-operation exists sub- Expeditionary Army to the Continent day's landing represented the freight of stantiates, I believe, what His Majesty the She has supplemented and increased this eleven out of the forty-two ships that Emperor has said, that the Alliance with Army uninterruptedly. She has brought steamed together out of Bombay in Octo Great Britain has further proved its troops from India, Canada, and

adlidarity. Australia. At the cost of constart and be seventeen more were due to arrive sensible losses the price of naval within the next forty-eight hours.

sho has shut Germany out There is solid satisfaction in the sight of the seas and has gasured the free use of these troopships lying eide by side at of the sea to France. Many an English- the quays, you of them prizes of war man asks, therefore, whether England converted to purposes of transport; solid Allies can demand more Only, if the satisfaction in the thought of this great English people were really to be con body of Imperial troops carried half from his command to the direction of vinced that England is fighting for her across the world, without let or hindrance, own vital interests, and that Germany in perfect security and parade orders, as you know, being joined under the Here, once again, is the command of the ses made manifest.

supremacy

seriously intends, and is able to attempt. an attack upon these vital interests, will

THE ALLIED, FLEETA. On this occasion, I believe, I must report particularly the names of Vice Admiral Jerram, Commander of the British China Squadron, and of the battleship Triumph and the destroyer Usk, which were detach Kizochou Bay. The Triumph and, the

command of Vice Admiral Kato, took part in the blockading and the bombardment of the German forts for a long time and

SOLE AGENTS FOR

FALCON

LAGER BEER

GOOD

CHEAP

NOT MADE IN GERMANY.”

SAMPLES FREE.

WHY NOT TRY IT?