1917-01-03 — Page 5

THE HONGKONG. DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY BED

THE WAR.

ALLIES REPLY TO GERMAN NOTE:

AND OTHER COMMENTS.

GERMAN

STUBBORN FIGHTING IN ROUMANIA:

GAINS AND LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES.

THE GREEK SITUATION:

THE BLOCKADE MAKING ITSELF FELT.

Franco-Helgian Front.

LATEST CABLES. (THROUGH LAUTER'S AGENCY.]

BRITISH FRONT.

ENEMY TRENCHES ENTERED.

LONDON, January 2nd.

General Sir Douglas Haig reporta.- Patrols entered the enemy's trenches at

ROUMANIAN OIL-WELLS.

WORKMAN-LIKE DESTRUCTION.

AMSTERDAM, December 31st.

The Instest details of the destruction of the Roumaniau'oil-wells are contained. in the Munich Neueste Nachrichten. which saya that the surface damage is eight millious sterling. This does not include the loss of production and the

unestimated damage underground. All the engine houses, cranes, surface and underground machinery were smaaked and the old tanks were fred. The des- truction was not only workman-like but skilful,

GERMAN ADMISSIONS.

COMPELLED TO RETIRE. ·

Africa

LATEST CARLES.

(THROUGH REUTRE'S 400NOY.)

AN EAST AFRICAN

OCCUPATION.

THE BELGIANS ENTHUSIASTI- CALLY GREETED.

LONDON, January 2nd, The Belgian occupation of Febora, in

East Africa, was facilitated by the King of Uganda's provision of 15,000 porters. The column fought and marched for months through dense bush and swamps, from which the soldiers were sometimes inextricable.

Thousands of Africans and Arabe ITALY SENDS NOTE TO

enthusiastically greated the Belgians, A GREEK GOVERNMENT.

common cry was :-The people, of Afteen AMSTERDAM, December 31st. have departed, may they never return." ATHENS, January 1st.

A German wireless official message

*** Fifteen "* refera to the minimum Italy has presented a Note to the

says:We captured Russo Boumanian | number of lashes inflicted by the Germans, Government endorsing the views of the positions in the Oituz valley, General as punishment for trivial offences. The Triple Entente.

Mackensen encountered strong resistance, Germans attempted to characterise the to the north and cast of Riminicul Sarat.campaign as "Jehad," yet simultaneously In a strenuous attack we entered the ordered pig breeding.

EARLIER CABLES.

AFFAIRS IN GREECE.

several places cast of Armentieres. An ITALIANS DEMAND REPARATION,my's position and gained ground. Egypt..

enemy patrol reached the lines south- ward of Pilken hai was immediately

drven ont.

The enemy artillery, has been somewhat more active northward of the Anere, and there has been brisk reciprocal artillery- ing in the Loos salient, in the neighbour- hood of Fanquissart and Ypres.

FRENCH FRONT.

ENEMY COUP DE MAIN FAILS.

PARIS, January 2nd.

A communiqué states.-On the right of the Meuse a strong enemy coup de main, cast of Des Chambrettes, cum- pletely failed. The front has been rela- tively quiet elsewhere,

EARLIER CABLES.

BRITISHI FRONT.

SUCCESSFUL ACTIVITY.

LONDON, December 31st. General Sir Douglas Haig, in a com- munique, says :---- We bombarded the enemy youth-east of Le Transloy, blowing up an ammunition dump,

ATHENS, December 31st. The Italian Minister has handed the Government a Note demanding ropara- tion for the events of December 1st and 2nd, and also making other demands,

BLOCKADE EFFECTS.

SALONIKA, January 1st.

An enemy aeroplane has been passing over the town daily. Besides spying, it is supposed to be engaged in postal

service.

In Athens, which, except for wireless, is completely isolated, there are indica tions that the blockade is most effective.

after heavy fighting.

The enemy attempted to advance in Roumania, to the west of Brailov, but` our rifle fire caused a complete retire- ment in disorder and to entrench,

Twenty-three enemy battalions attack ed in the centre of the Dobrudja, and compelled us to retire to our next line.

FIERCE FIGHTING. ENEMY STUBBORNLY ATTACKING

PETROGRAD, December 31st.

A wireless Russian official, message says: There have been force battles in the Oituz valley. The enemy, reinforced,

FABLIER CABLES, [TanOUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

THE MAGĦDABAH VICTORY. "MASTERLY SURPRISE STROKE.**

LONDON, December 31st. Reuter's special correspondent in Egypt says that the Maghdabah victory, man- tioned on December 25th, was due to a

camel corps. The artillery covered twenty masterly surprise stroke by the mounted

miles of difficult ground in four hours, in B most rapid trot across the sands. A portion of the El Arish garrison had fallen back into a strong position at

JJ

SINKINGS.

Lozoon, December 30th, Among the sinkings reported aro the steawers Copse Wood (British), and Ida (Norwegian). Three British and one Norwegian sailing vessels have also been sunk.

The following sinkings are also report ed:-The British steamers Zoroaster, Astaby, and Oronsay, the Swedish steamer Sereddio, and the Norwegian steamor Nysgrand. ̧ General.

LATEST CABLES.

(THROUGH REUTER'S ADENOY.)

THE VENEZELOS GOVERN-

MENT.

APPOINTMENT OF BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE.

LONDON, January 1st.

An official announcement states that the Earl of Grenville has been appointed the British Government's representative on M, Venerolog Provisional Govern- ment, at Salonika, with the title of Diplomatic Agent.

GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF IRISH RAILWAYS,

LONDON, January 1st.

NEW YEAR MESSAGES.

THE ALLIES' CONFIDENCE IN

VICTORY,

LONDON, January 1st. The King has sent the following Now Your message to President Poincare:-

I am as confident as ever of a victories. issue to the struggle. I pray that the noble French nation, whose sons havo strikingly and freshly proved the will to victory, may, by the triumph of the Allies, re-enter the path of peaceful pro« gross, secured against aggression."

President Poincare, replying to the King of Italy, saya victory is assured in the New Year.

SHAMEFUL TREATMENT.

SERBIAN PRISONERS IN GERMANY.

CORFU, December 31st. Escaped Serbian prisoners from Ger- many tell of shameful treatment. They were not only put to the hardest tasks and insufficiently fed and clad, but there is corroborative and trustworthy evidence that the Austrians are employing them as combatants against the Russians.. Many of these succeeded in surrendering, and thus escaping.

The Government has taken over the (Other Cables will be found on paye 6) control of the Irish railwaye from to-day.

KAISER TO EMPRESS.

NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS.

LONDON, January 2nd. The Kaiser, in New Year's greetings to the Empress, speaks of clearing Rou- mania despite stubborn Russian resist ance, thanks God therefor, and expresses confidence that the Now Year will bring

LABOUR AND HIGH PLACE

IN ARMY AND NAVY.

The scarcity of eareals is beginning to has repeatedly attacked, and captured Maghdsbah, consisting of several well-new victories; but adds, in a minor key,just now, in view of the inclusion of more

be seriously felt in Southern Greece,

ENTENTE NOTE.

several heights.

LONDON, January 1st. According to Reuter's correspondent în the Piraeus, the Triple Entento's Notemanians being victurious. Many pri to Greece was presented to-day.

soners were taken.

1.

It demands the reduction of the Greek forces outside the Peloponnesus to number that is absolutely necessary to maintain order; the transportation to the. Peloponnesus of all arimanents and The enemy's artillery is active at munitions exceeding those corresponding Maritiupuich.

We successfully blew up a mine north- -east of Neuville St. Vaast.

to this force; the prohibition of meetings of Reservists and the carrying of arms by

civilians; the restoration, of Allied con-

We effectively bombarded positions introls; the immediate release of political the neighbourhood of Serre, and south prisoners; the indemniscation of those ward of Le Transloy we shelled places of who maffered unjustly in consequence of military importance.

the events of December 1st, the removal of the officer responsible for the orders given on December 1st, apologies by the Greek Government to the Entente, and a public salate to the Allied flags.

To the east of Arras, our fire destroyed the bridge across the Laies to the cast of Le Tilleloy, and to the north of Neuve Chapelle.

FRENCH FRONT.

YEAR'S CAPTURES ON THE SOMME.

LONDON, January ist.

A Paris communique says:-There is nothing important to report,

The French at Verdun and on the Bomime during the year 1916 captured 79,500 Germans.

GERMAN ATTACKS FAIL..

London, January 1st.

A French communiqué reports:--After a violent bombardment by trench engines, the enemy twice attacked an advanced

سلام

situated redoubts. The action began at

"We will hold on, as American telegrams

mediation is at present abandoned."

THE PEACE MANEUVRES. GERMANY'S OPINION.

A PLEA FOR PROGRESS.

(the official organ of the General Federa

Discussing recently in the Federationise tion of Trade Unions) the British army that Labour should be given opportunities of the future, Mr. W. A. Appleton urged for directing and leading both at head- quotations will be read with interest quarters and in the field. The following

Labour men in the now British Cabinet:--- "We can never go back to the old

saya). There are people who believe that at the end of this war formale will be invented to prevent all other Savagery and civilisation have always reacted upon each other, and will con- tinue so to act. The higher forms of civilisation must continue to defend them- selves against the lower. The millennium may come, all men may live together as in accelerating ratios, but humanity has brethren, peaceful tendencies may develop many morasses to cross before this goal are to maintain larger navies and larger is reached. If this is the case, if wo

amics, we should now be considering their construction and control and the part to be allotted to democracy.

WETE.

The enemy is stubbornly attacking on day-break, the artillery speedily demolish. indicate that the hope of American army construction and constitution (ho the Moldavian frontier, but his offerisiveing one redoubt. Others were in a mere north-west of Bovej has failed, the Rou-.

difficult position and resisted louger. The enemy hoisted the white flag at three o'clock in the afternoon. Our casualties

are comparatively inignificant,

The heights on the Upper Putna have frequently changed hande but nOW main in the enemy's possession.

rc:

The Russo-Rosmanians have dislodged the ebony from Bordeschi.

The enemy has repulsed the Rou manians'north-west of the Buzeu-Forsany railway, and in a third enemy attack in the Dobrudja, south-east of Brailov, has occupied a height in our centra front.

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE.

AMSTERDAM, December 31st.

A German wireless official message says: We throw back the Russians as far as the Braila bridgehead and gained positions to the east of Macin, in the

AUSTRIAN CLAIMS.

The Note intimates that Allied troops | Dobrudja. may shortly be landed at tea and con- veyed to Salonika by the Larissa Rail- way. Our reserve will have full liberty of action in the event of the Greek Gov- ernment's giving further cause for con- plaint. It pledges the Entrate not to permit die Venizelist forces to cross the

neutral zone.

The Note also declares that the block- ade will be maintained until the Bu- tenie's demands are satisfied.

ITALY ENDORSES THE NOTE. Armss, January 1st. It is understood that Italy has enders-

post west of Auberive, in f'hampagne, but cd the Triple Batente's Note.

completely failed before our machine-gun

fire and grenade-throwing.

A COUP DE MAIN.

LONDON, December 31st.

A French communiqué says --The sight wäg calju.

We captured some prisoners by coup de main south of Chilly.

The Balkans.

LATEST UABLES.

(THROUGH ZBUTKE'S AGENCY,] AUSTRIAN CLAIMS.

ENEMY DEFENDING EVERY FOOT OF GROUND.

AMSTERDAM, January 1st. ' An Austrian official wireless message states that the Austro-Germans are fight- ing their way forward in the upper valleys of the Zabala, Naruga and Patna. Our battalions stormed several successive positions in the Narja region, the enemy défending every foot of ground.

NEW GERMAN PLAN. IMPORTANCE OF MOLDAVIAN FRONT.

LONDON, December 20th. The fighting on the Moldavian front is likely to assume an increased importance. The German plan, apparently, is to com bine a frontal attack with an outflank- ing movement. Probably the latter has not yet been fully developed, but there

VIENNA, December 31st. An Austrian official wireless message says:--East and north-west of Kezdi and Vasarhely we took Nereju and Tulnici. MORE GERMAN CLAIMS,

AMSTERDAM, January 1st. A German wireless official message says:-We stormed several of the Russo- Roumanian bill positions between the Uz valley and the Putna valley.

The present position menaces the cuemny's railway communications, and the temaining enemy garrisons on the Binai. Peninsula are therefore rapidly with- drawing.

Naval Activities.

BARLIER CABLES.

(TABÒUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

TORPEDOED FRENCH

BATTLESHIP.

و دوره در بیار

ADMIRABLE DISCIPLINE AND

COOLNESS.

PARIS, December 31st. ; A naval communiqué reports:~Tho | battleship Gaulois was torpedood. by a

subirarine in the Mediterranean on December 27th. She sank in half an hour, Owing to the discipline and coolness of all on board, and the rapid arrival of patrol boats, only four of the crew were lost, two of whom were killed by the explosion which was caused.

TORPEDOED DANISH

STEAMER.

HARROWING DETAILS OF HUN

METHODS,

COPENHAGEN, January ist. The survivors of the crew of the Danish

We repulsed fierce counter-attacks, and again defeated the Roamanians in northern Great Wallachia. We drove back the enemy halfway between Rimni- steamer Hooptatyr states that the boat cul Sarat and Focseny.

was torpedoed by Uis, near Ushant on

We took a thousand Roumanians pri- December 2ud. They give harrowing soners to the east of Macin.

GERMAN OFFENSIVE

REPULSED.

PETROGRAD, January 1st.

A wireless Russian official announce-

details, and say that in a heavy sea the crew was ordered to leave the ship. The boats were lowered with difficulty and one got nipped between the submarine and the steamer. The Captain was crushed to

has been desperate fighting in the region ment says:-We repulsed the German death, his bead being severed from his

of the Ditur Valley, which, with those offensive southward of Pinsk, immediately adjoining converges Trotus, in the rear of the advanced

on

positions won by the Russians during

the past month..

The enemy strongly attacked the Rou- manians on both banks of the Kazino,

but eastward of the Moldavian frontier the Roumanians maintained their posi- tions.

budy. Another man was killed.

The sapmarine took the rest of the crew

aboard. Then a French destroyer rushed caped being shelled by inches. The up, and the submarine submerged and

submarine ultimately arrived Zeebrugge.

at

in the region of Patroan and to the NORWAY'S SHIPPING LOSSES,

It is also to be noted that the locality chosen for attack is that where the Russian join the Roumanians. The The Roumanians were obliged to relire. former are holding Uzul, while the latter occupy Oituz and the valleys to the south. So far, the Germans seem not to have progressed since Sunday, when the Rou- nianians lost some heights, most of which were recovered on the following day.

west of Focsany.

We took up now positions from Foe- sany to the Danube without enemy

pressure.

COPENHAGEN, December 31st.

Norway, during 1918, lost 272 ships, the total tonnage of which was 367,000, and valued at two hundred million kroner.

LONDON, January lat.

A wireless message; addresed to the German Embassy at Washington, states that the general impression in Germany is that, the Entente's Answer is verbose and flat. The refusal to end the war is especially regretted, for the sake of neutrals who are suffering the war's consequences. The message points out that it is remarkable the Answer men- tions the rights of nationalities despite the fact that the conquest of Constan- tinople and the Dardanelles was one of the Entente avowed objects,

BRITISH AND RUSSIAN RELATIONS.

AN INSINUATION REFUTED.

was

There is no position in the Civil, the colonial, or the foreign services, or in the navy or in the army, to which the poorest citizen ought not to aspire. The fact that he has hitherto been exeluded from the higher grades of these services affords no justification for his continued exclusion; yet to suggest that Labour should have a direct representative on the Army Council would probably stagger the Labour movement as much as it would shock the Army Council. But why not? "Labour finds 90 per cent, of the blood and sinew of the army, it makes its " equipment and munitions and it is mainly responsible for the creation of those financial resources without which armies are impotent, and, with equal training, it could hardly make more mistakes than. are made by the classes which have hitherto monopolised control. The British army of the future will probably be built

on a territorial basis, and efforts will be made to maintain compulsory ser vice. Equity and policy demand that Labour shall not only serve but. kavo opportunities of directing and leading, not only in the Territorial Associations, but at headquarters and in the field.

PETROGRAD, January 2nd, The British Ambassador, Sir G. W. Buchanan, speaking at the New Year's banquet, said that peace with Germany, whose hands were red with the blood of non-combatanta, was impossible until Germany's spirit of militarism exorcised. He refuted the insinuation that Britain was trying to thwart Russia,

"One of the finest scholars in the active declared that Britain whole-heartedly army is a workman's son. He is quite assented to Russia's aims regarding young, is a good soldier and a modest gentleman, but nothing short of a miracle Constantinople and wished to perman- could place him on the Headquarters ently consolidate the Anglo-Russian thousand interests oppose him,

Staff. A thousand traditions and a

Alliance, and pointed out that Britain had advanced C000,000,000 to her Allies for the purchase of war material besides what she had supplied direct.

CANADIAN ASYLUM FIRE. FORTY-SIX WOMEN INCINERATED,

MONTREAL, January 2nd, Forty-six women were incinerated by a fire which occurred at & Immatic asylum at St. Ferdinand, Megantic County, in the night time. There was uncontrollable panic among the inmates, many of whom were injured by jumping from the windows to water which was frozen.

EARLIER CABLES,

CANADIAN MUNITIONS. $80,000,000 PROVIDED.

"The interests of the Empirs demand demands of to-morrow can only be met extraordinary changes; tue competitive by the utilisation of the best brains and the most virile, constitutions. All men must start in the ranks, Aptitude dis- played must be noted and developed, and promotion depend upon capacity and devotion to duty. Pay, at least for the lower grades, must be increased, present discrepancies and anomalies must be swept away, and the private must start with a basic rate considerably in excess of the present shilling.'

A GOOD TEE H STORY.

Pepys Junior, ir Diary of the War in Truth, fell of of the best war stories yet recorded. His son, who was wounded at Thiepval, recounts how our soldiers write “all manner of jesta" on boards which they exhibit to the Germans, and adds :--” So one day they write up at one trench:- Don't shoot to-morrow afternoon; Asquith and Lloyd George coming': and, come the time named, baring got two men's hats, they pass them. that walk along our linen. Whereat the along on poles, as it were two civil men.

ten millions Germans to fire the fiercest volleys pön- sterling to purchase Canadian munitions sible; and, this done a board put up on for Britain, making a total of fifty millions thus provided.

OTTAWA, December 31st. The Canadian bankers have furnished

farther credit of

our trench whereon is writ, You fools! You have shot Ginnell and Bamsey Mecdonald.""