1914-12-30 — Page 3

THE

WAR.

RUSSTAN

[THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY:]

IMPORTANT

SUCCESSES.

GERMAN ATTACKS IN POLAND EVERYWHERE

REPULSED.

ENEMY RETREATING PRECIPITATELY IN THE

CARPATHIANS.

A Petrograd communiqué says:

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30TH. 1914,

LONDON, December 29th.

2.15 a.m.

The German attacks in Central Poland have been overywhere

repulsed with heavy loss..

The enemy are retreating precipitately in the Carpathians. On the

23ch inst, 5,000 officers and men were captured.

Vistula.

The Russians took 10,000 in a week's fighting south of the Upper

The enemy's attempt to reinforce the troops in the Carpathians

was frustrated.

THE OPERATIONS IN FRANCE

AND BELGIUM.

BONDON, December 29th.

4.55 p.m.

To-day's Paris communiqué says:-

We continued to advance west of Lombartzyde, and reached the

foot of the dunes on which the enemy had established a line of resistanco.

We lost a section of trenches south of Ypres, near

but Hollebeke, in the Lens region, near Caroney, we captured 800 metres of the enemy's

first line of trenches.

There has been intermittent cannonading along the Aisne and in Champagne, Cannonading was especially intense in the districts around

Rheims and Perthes, the enemy devoting special attention to the positions

we had captured.

We progressed slightly along the whole front on the heights of

the Meuse.

The enemy bombarded the railway station at Bt. Die, but the

railway service was not interruptedik

A German counter attack north-east of Steinback was repulsed.

THE FIGHTING LAST WEEK.

LONDON, December 28th. 8.25 p.m.

The Eye-witness at Headquarters says that fighting on the 21st December continued with determination. Our efforts were directed to the Jessening of a small gap in our Contro. The Germans were gradually driven back, but made a fresh effort in the afternoon, and our men, in face of a severe three-sided fire, were compelled to retire from the village which they were holding. The British were reinforced, and stormed the village, firmly reestablishing themselves in the trenches. The French troops 20 operated, rendering most valuable assistance,

The next day, after an all-night fight, we advanced and seized a German line of trenches. The position being too cxposed, we retired to our original line, and secured a firmer hold on the village.

The fighting throughout was over & veritable quagmire.

It was evident on the 23rd inst. that the force of the enemy's attack was spent. They did not attempt a further advance, having suffered severo luss.

Action on the 24th inst. was confined to

Mortars and hand grenedos, but the Belgians and Frenchmen progressed a several points between the British forces and the sea.

PROMOTIONS FOR DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT

LONDON, December 29th.

The London Gazette announces that temporary Brigadier-General C. B. Haking, C.B., commanding the 5th Infantry Brigade, and temporary Brigadier-General F. C. Shaw, who was in 1919 General Staff Officer, 1st grade, to the Scottish Command, have been promoted Major- Generals for distinguished conduct in the field.

TRAFAS TELEGRAMS]

THE QUESTION OF JAPAN'S MILITARY INTERVENTION IN EUROPE.

Paxis, December 27th..

The Temps, commenting on the dissolation of the Japaneso Parliament in consequence of its refusing to vote credits proposed for

increasing the garrison in Korea, declares that the crisis has nothing to

do with the forwarding of Japanese troops to Europe, but diplomatic

moetings 2nd conversations regarding the intervention of the Japaneso army in Europe, it says, are being actually pursued.

ĮTHROUGH REUTER'S AGENCYJ

FIERCE GALE AND SNOWFALL IN ENGLAND.

LONDON, December 29th.

This has been the wettest December on record. It culminated last night in a very fierce gale and fall of snow.

Three houses were wrecked as Clapham, one person being killed and three injured. Many casualties are reported in the country.

A terrible ses is running in the English Channel.

TELEGRAPH SERVICE TO THE CONTINENT INTERRUPTED.

The hurricano has interrupted the telegraph service between England and the Continent.

BRITISH PUBLIC WARNED AGAINST AN AIRCRAFT

RAID

LONDON, December 29th,

The Naval and Military Authorities call the attention of parsons

using the streets to the danger of fragments of shells and bullets from gans that may be used against hostile aircraft attempting to raid Loudon.

Civilians are warned to keep under cover, preferably in the basements of

houses on hearing the sound of firing.

GERMANY AND THE AMERICAN CONSULS IN

BELGIUM.

LONDON, December 29th.

A Washington telegram: reports that Germany has furmally notified the State Department that American Consuls in Belgium must be acceptable to the German military authorities and that it is desirable that. some Consuls should be withdrawn temporarily

[OFFICIAL TELEGRAMS FROM THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE.]

THE NOVEL COMBAT OFF CUXHAVEN.

SOME FURTHER DETAILS.

The Admiralty announce that on 24th instant German warships lying

in Schilling Roads off Cuxhaven were attacked by seven British naval seaplanes. The o attack was delivered at daylight, starting from a point in the vicinity of Heligoland. The seaplanes were escorted by a light. cruiser and destroyer force, together with submarines. As soon as these ships were scen by the Germans from Heligoland, two Zeppelins, three

or four hostile seaplanes and several hostile submarines attacked them. It was necessary for the British ships to remain in the neighbourhood in

order to pick up returning airmen, and a novel combat ensued between the most modern cruisers on one hand and the enemy's aircraft and submarines on the other. By swift manevring the enemy's submarines were avoided and the two Zeppelins were easily put to fight by the guns of the Undunned and Arethusa.

The enemy's seaplanes succeeded in dropping their bombs near to our ships, though without hitting any. The British ships remained for. three hours off the enemy's coast without being molested by any surface. vessel and safely re-embarked three out of seven airmen with their machines. Three other pilots, who returned later, were picked up according to arrangement by British submarines which were standing by, their machines being sunk

Six out of seven pilots, therefore, returned safely. Flight Commander Francis E. T. Hewlett is, however, missing. His machine was seen in a wrecked condition about eight miles from Heligoland, and the fate of this daring and akilful pilot is at present unknown.

The extent of the damage by the British airman's bombs cannot be estimated, bus all were discharged on points of military significanco.

BRITISH AIRMAN DROPS BOMBS ON AN AIRSHIP SHED IN BRUSSELS,

On Thursday last Squadron Commander Davies of the Naval Air Service visited Brussels in a biplane for the purpose of dropping 12 bombs on an airship shed reported to contain a German Parseval. Eight of these bombs, of which six are believed to have hit, were discharged at the first attack and the remaining four on the return flight. Owing to the clouds of smoke which arose from the shed the effect could not be distinguished.

LOST REFUGER SHIP.

DELIBERATELY BUNK BY GERMAN TORPİDO.

The Press Bureau on the 26th ult. issued the following announcement made by the Secretary of the Admiralty-

On October 26th, 1914, the French passenger steamar rural Ganteaume was on passage from Celais to Havre, with upwards of 2,000 unarmed refugees, including a very large proportion of women and children on board, when a violent explosion occurred.

J

By pure chance and the grostest good fortune the British steamship Queen was wilhin a short distance of the Amiral Gunteaune, and succeeded in rescuing most of the passengers, only about forty being killed.

Subsequent examination of one of the damaged lifeboata of the vessel has led to. the discovery of a fragment of a German torpedo.

The presence of this fragment proves that the vessel was torpedoed by a German submarine.

-

This action of destroying with aim and deliberation in broad daylight a defence less passenger ship fall of refugees. is, on the whole, the best specimen of German methods yet recorded.

SHIPPING NOTES,

SHIPPING IN HONGKONG HARBOUR.

Yesterday at noon there were 70 merchant ships in the harbour, not counting the prizes captured during the war. The total, which is a record since the war began, was made up as follows: –

British Japanese Norwegians Fronch Chinese

ABIorican Russian...

Portuguese Dutok

37

..

This is a larger total than was usual in the months preceding the war. No warships are included in the above figures

NEW STEAMSHIP LINES TO MANILA

A Manila contemporary reports that Mr. J. P. T. Walen, of the Royal Nether land and Rotterdam Lloyd Steamship Compan

announced to Governor- General Harrison that the lines which he represents intend to establish a regular trade route between. Jaya and New York via Manila and the Panama Canal. It is expected that at least one ship a month will be placed upon this run and some of those vessels aro ás largo as twelve thousand tons. These companies have recently taken over the Standard Oil con tracts for transportation from New York to the Dutch East Indies.

Mr. Walon was presented to the Governor-General by P. K. A. Meerkamp van Embden, the Consul for the Nather lands in Manile

SUBSIDIES.

THE RAID ON THE ENGLISH

COAST.

LONDON, December 17th: It is understood that soon after the Germans started shelling Hartlepool, four British destroyers, steamed out and engaged them. ANYW

An eye-witness at Scarborough says there. is much debris in the square near the railway station. The enemy also evidently attacked the wireless station. The mili- tary were well prepared. Artillery was ready and the infantry were entrenched. Numbers of houses were destroyed; Tho historic Abbey was partially wrecked. The cruisers disappeared to the north- eastward.

Hartlepool telegrams say that much damage was done there. One shell hit the Basometer and set. the gas ablazo.

The warships are variously estimated at from two to six. They were visible for twenty-five minutes.

A Redcar message states that the forms of three cruisors wore discerned looming through the hazz. The flashes of the guns were easily observed from the promenade, from which the public were oventually removed by the military. It appeared as if the warships were attacking the fonta on the Tees, Distinct double fashes could be seen for two minutes. Considerable alarm was felt ab Redcar.

THE TSINGTAO, CUSTOMS.

DISPUTE BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN.

WHICH 19 TO APPOLET. THE STAFF ?

The Peking correspondent of the W.-G. Daily News writing on the 22nd inst says:

No settlement has yet been reached in connection with the controversy which has arison between the Chinese and Japanese Governments regarding the staff and con- trol of the Maritime Customs at Tsingtao.

Japan having objected to China's appointment of Mr. Tachibana, Commis- Eioner of Customs at Tairon, to be Com- JAPANESE SHIPPING LINES AND missioner of Customs at Tsingtao, demanded the right to nominate her own candidates selected from Japanese bot in the employment of the Chinese Customs. Sbe therefore submitted the names of eight Japanese for appointment as Commis sioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assis tants, but China refused to accept them on the grounds that Japan has no right to make such appointments or expect their acceptance.

According to the Tokyo Asahi, the Government's decision to grant subsidies to the Osaka Shosen Kaisha and the Nippon Yusen Kaisha for operating ser vicos to Puget Sound, from the next fiscal year, has caused surprise to the former Company, which was under the impression that it would be the only concern to receive a subsidy for operating on this route. The Osaka Shosen Kaisha has, therefore, addressed a letter to the Government, demanding a change in its programme, but the Government has signified its inability to make any change. Under those circumstances, the Company, sub- mitted a petition to the Government on the 17th instant, explaining the disadvan- tage at which it would be placed in case the present programme is enforced, and asking, in case the Government is unable to make any change, that it be given a subsidy for a service to Europe, which it. will operate with four steamera

The paper explains that the decision of the Government to grant subsidies to both companies on the new northern route is the outcome of the abandonment of the proposed Panaraa Line, which has neces- sitated changes in the original plans of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha.

FIRE ON ANY.K. LINER.

The Nippon Yusen Kaisha steamer Kawachi-maru, which is engaged in the Calcutta service, left Moji recently for Singapore direct, but fire broke out in her bunkers and the vessel had to put into Nagasaki. We learn from the agusaks reas that no damage was sustained by the ship and the voyage was to be resumed after only a day's delay.

JAPANESE STEAMSHIP SERVICE TO TSINGTAO.

The Osaka Shosen Kaisha, noting under Government orders, is about to inaugurate A steamship service between Osaka and Tsingtao, v Kobe and Moji. The fares will be as follotra:

First-class Single, Y30; return, Y50; Second-class-Single, 20: return, Y26; Third-class Single, Y10; return, 218.

MERCHANT SHIPS WARNED.

OREDIENCE TO ADMIRALTY ORDERS.

The Board of Trado remind owners and

In order to meet Japan to some extent, China has expressed her willingness to appoint to the vacant posts eight Japanese on the understanding that they enter the ervice at the bottom of the ladder, Mr. Tachibana, however, to be Commissioner. at Tsingtao.

This proposal had been telegraphed to Tokio, but Japan's decision has not yet been received.

If Japan persists in her endeavour to 8 outsiders into important Customs posts, thorny questions concerning the status of the service will be raised.

As the Customs revenues are pledged for the payment of foreign indemnities and Icans, Japan's demands threaten China's credit and will certainly, if pressed, raise far-reaching international complications.

SHANGHAI TRADE.

Messrs. 1lbert & Co.'s latest Piece Gooda, Market Report says:-

Another thoroughly dull week has to be recorded, with a general falling off in clearances all round.

The estimate of the American cotton crop by the Agricultural Bureau is 15,970,000 bales, excluding linters, which are estimated at 500,000 beles. India also will be a large contributor this year to would have been welcomed by the cotton the world's huge supplies of cotton, which

industries in any but the present times of war, poverty and dislocated trade.

The news of the further frosing of the seus to commerce, owing to the destruction. of the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Leipzig. by the British squadron in the South Atlantic, with but little damage to then- selves, is welcomed by mercantile interests with great acclamation,

INTIMATIONS

CALDBECK,

merchants that MACGREGOR&C.

It is an essential feature of the Guvern- ment. War Raks Insurance Scheme that all insured ships must obey implicitly all orders and directions given bay the Admiralty as to routes, poits of call, stoppages etc

To avoid aisapprehension on this point, the Board wish it to be clearly understood. that this provision is intended to secure the safety of both ship and cargo, and that any deviation which may be rendered pocossary in consequence of Admiralty rders or directions is in the interest of the cargo as well as of the ship. It is important that this fact should be borne in mind by all parties concerned in the shipment or carriage of goods on insured ships, and that in contracts of carriage the shipowners' obligation to comply with. the Armiralty requirements should be fully recognized.

GERMAN AIRCRAFT.

Aircraft builders in Germany have com There is, unfortunately, reason to pletely given up constructing monoplanes believe that many merchantsazid of the Taube type and are now building merchant charterers have boon declining nothing but biplanes of designs based on to permit a deviation clause" to be French mode's. The three most important inserted in their charter parties and bills German builders are turning out 14 of inding, says the Times. Euch action machines a week. The German aeronauti has interfered with the working of the cal lowes since the beginning of the war War Risks Insurance Scheme because a have been considerable. Un to October ship in respect of which a policy has been! 15th, 52 pilots had been killed or were issued would be uninsured if the captain missing and over 100 machines had been failed to follow the instruction of the put out of action,

Admiralty, I can only be described as shortsighted and unpatriotic Some-in- convenience may be caused by the deviation Hon. Mr. E. A Hewett, CM.G., has of ships under naval instructions; but private considerations in this matter been re-appointed a member of the should be entirely subordinate to publie Sanitary Board for a period of three interest the safe conduct of British

years.

commerce.

(ESTABLISHED 1864)

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