1917-03-05 — Page 5

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THE WAR.

THE GREAT

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. MONDAY MARCH 5TH.

GERMAN RETREAT:

GERMAN EXPLANATIONS.

THE GERMAN TREACHERY IN MEXICO: INGENIOUS ATTEMPT TO JUSTIFY IT

CHINA AND

GERMANY:

MEMORANDUM BY THE ALLIES.

MESOPOTAMIA CAMPAIGN.

Franco-elgian FrOTUL

LATEST CABLES. {THROUGH REVISK'S AGENÖZ,]

THE GREAT GERMAN RETREAT.

GENERAL NEVILLE'S

CONGRATULATIONS.

LONDON, March 3rd. General Neville, Commander-in-Chief on the Western Frout, has congratulated General Sir William Robertson, Chlef of the General Staff of the British Army, on the splendid fent of arma by the gallant troops under General Maudo in Capturing Kut-el-Amera, and also upon the important brilliant successes on tho Ancre which he says, briliantly open the campaign of 1917;

MORE INTERESTING DETAILS.

LONDON, March 3rd.

The Correspondents at the Britiole

· Headquarters, writing on Friday night, emphasise that the enemy carefully con- conled from his troops the fact that they were retreating. Prisoners taken at Gonmecourt refused to believe that their comrades had gone and that the fortress had been surrendered. A dense white fog to-day, succeeding a night of frost,

BLINDERS FOR GERMAN EYES.

WITH ONE INSPIRED ACCORD.”

AMSTERDAM March 3rd. Now that it is impossible any longer to conceal the retreat on the Anere, the German Press with one inspired accord, has begun to publish explanations in- tended to reassure the population, which has been disquieted for weeks past by

rumours of evacuation. The papers now declare that they knew all about it since. February 20th. Hence they are delighted

to observe the enemy's astonishment."

HINDENBURG'S HAND.""

Tho" Frankfurter Lestung concludes with assurances that the thing is that Hindenburg has a hand in the game, and so fer everything is going on exactly as he wishes."

“ACCORDING TO PLAN. Finally, a long semi-oficial account, given in a commumqué, says the posi- tions, which had been shot to pieces, were evacuated according to plan, unnoticed

by the enemy and without losses, while heroic rearguards inflicted heavy losses on the immensely more numerous British. It concludes by saying: The Germans have withdrawn to higher ground from hav

DEPRECATED

ber of heavy guns, that the retreat is not 1 MESOPOTAMIA CAMPAIGN. strategia but forced, and that the now FURTHER ADVANCE line the Germans are reaching is in nowise strong. It is calculated that it will take the enemy three weeks to com-,, plete Their withdrawal to the Atras Cambrai line, if such as their intention, Gernian ingenuity and energy in kamper. ing pursuit has been successfully coun fered by the British engineots buildingREA new roads and restoring railways behind the advance, most as fast as they had been destroyed. The British at one point

are now almost on the outskirts of Bapaume, pushing towards Loupart

Wood, which is a network of wire in-

tended to offer a strong resistance.

RENCH FRONT

SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL RAIDS

LONDON, March 3rd

A Fronchcommunique states: Wo carried out several successful raids on German tronches near Moulinsonston vent, cast of Hill 304, and at the Forest of Apremont, bringing back prisoners and material

BRITISH REPORT.

MORE PROGRESS

LONDON, March 4th. Fold-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, in a communiqué, says: After stubborn re

sistance, we made further progress on the north Paisieux au-Mout and on the cast of Gommecourt. Our line was ad vanced a quarter of a mile on a frontage of five miles

An enemy bombing attack forced us to evacuate a trench on the cast of Sailly Saillisel. We regained the ground by an immediate counter-attack,

Russian Front.

LATEST CABIES.

{THROUGH EEUTER'S AGWOY;}

GERMAN CLAIM.

LONDON, March 3rd,

· A German communiqué státes: - The

A

LONDON, March 3rds

The Jurning l'ort expert deprecates any further advance from Knt. He says it is fine to redu to a minimum the forces dugaged in distant operations and to concentrate to defeat Germany,

BRITISH PRESTIGE COMPLETELY RESTORED

In the Times Colonel Maude siya we

have completely restored British prestige in the Middle East, and even those who look askance at the Mesopotamian ad venture are bound to asknowledge that the achievement is of solid value and ons that may have far-reaching results.

MR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN'S

CONGRATULATIONS

LONDON, March 4th. Mr. Auston Camberlain has heartily congratulated Genera, Maude on his brilliant success, and the gallantry and endurance of his troops.

MATCHLESS DASH AND

GALLANTRY General Maude, in replying, says that the devotion to duty and the dash and

gallantry of the troops, both British and

Indian, have been matchless.⠀

THE IMPROVED TRANSPORT.

In the House of Commons Mr. Forster stated

that the improvement in the transport was largely responsible for

success in Mesopotamia, where the the

medical conditions are now generally satisfactory, There was necessarily some considerable sickness in the summer, but the ratio has since steadily diminished. RIVER GUNBOATS IN ACTION:

LONDON, March 4th.

The Admiralty Lanounces that a Messopotamia message states that the river gunboats Tarantulu, Mantis and loth came in contact with and passed the retreating Turkish army, west of hamrat, on 26 February and inflicted

AMERICA AND GERMANY, NAVAL BILL AMENDMENTS

ADOPTED.

Canother"

naval

HUNGRY GERMANS

RUHLEBENT

SCRAMBLE FOR PRISONERS LEAVINGS

WASHINGTON March 3rd

· [FROM " THE TINES CORRESPONDENT. 1 The amendments to the Naval Bill have

Wearing the white crose, superimposed on the red disc- the distinctive badge of been adopted, making all appropriations available immediately matead of on Julyull civilians returned from Germany 1st, and establishing yard on the Pacific coast.

A GERMAN PRECAUTIONS

WASHINGTON, March 3rd, The State Department has been inform ed that Germany is detaining four Ameri-|-

can Cousuls until officially advised that the United Sates is allowing German Consuls to proceed to their posts in South America to which they have been assigned.

Irritation is felt at the continued deten tion of the Americans who were on hoard

the Farradale.

_____ INTRIGUE IN MEXICO.

INGENIOUS GERMAN JUSTIFICAS

TION.

AMSTERDAM, March 3rd.

· Germany justifies the intrigue in Mexico against America on the ground that it constituted intelligent anticipation, sub sequently justified, of America abandon jug neutrality

Germazy is, angry at the “tratchery

by which the intrigue was discovered. GERMANY AND JAPAN.

BARON MOTUNO REPUDIATES.

INTRIGUE

A tressage from Tokio states that Baron Motoho told an Associated Press corres-

pondent that Japan had received no pro- posal to join in a possible war against the United States. The idea, he said, was ridiculous, and was based on the outrageous assumption that Japan would abandon her allies. NATIONALSHIPPING COMBINE

ALL LINERS TO BE

REQUISITIONED..

LONDON, March 3rd,

1 is understood that the Shipping Con- troller is contemplating a scheme for re-

bampered observation and delayed the the horrible, bottomless marsh where the Germans broke into a Russian position heavy Inss also captured or destroyed quisitioning liners.nder which

drying of the ground and the progress of the British advance. The German retreat is necessarily slow, but the Brish

the west of Luck to a depth of 1,500 metres

and a width of 24 kilometres, destroyed four Turkish steamers and a number of owners will constitute Committee

dugouts, and captured 3 officers, 978

RUSSIAN GAS ATTACK.

PANIC IN ENEMY'S TRENCHES.

LONDON, March 3rd.

harges containing ammunition.,

PRISONERS-OF-WAR IN TURKEY

EXCHANGE BEING CONSIDERED

LONDON, March 3rd.

villages are heaps of ruins, the walls filled up and the roads nonexistent, Here the British are exposed to the in- nemy position of clemencies of the weather and the fire of men and 7 machine guns have reached the Achiet-le-Petit, the first of the two re- German batteries trained on overy point. maining trench systems before Bapaume. Therefore, all the trouble of the British has been in vain. They can only consoli- Close fighting is proceeding in Loupart

E date the ground and bring up artillery Wood, north of Warlencourt, in conse-

A Russian official wireless message: at the cost of heavy sacrifices from the quence of the enemy trying to recover the

states-Our gas attack on the north of in strong positions

stuted that the Government was doing position, which he lost too goou, The Germans, secure

The Bavarians also whence they await new attack, unweak Lake Narotch provoked a panic in the attempt failed,

enemy's trenches. We drove ong the Gerite utmost to trace British and Indian prisoners-of-war in Turkey by means of mans, who entered first line trenches to counter-attacked on Thursday night wear ened and unshaken,

the south-west of Broberany.

enquiries through American and other Transloy, but, were driven back bofore

channels, Teaching the British Division, leaving

Naval Activities, fifty dead

The enemy how are approximating to the general line which probably they will defend with a show of force, His pre- sent positions are most uncomfortable. Many are filled with water but defended

by foresta and wire.

MAXIMUM CONCENTRATION, The Vossiele Zeitung explains the re- treat by declaring that Hindenburg's policy has been a maximum concentra tion in order to force a final decision in

the Spring.

Tronch warfare will soon end, when the Germans will prove im- measurably superior to the Britiub

MODEL OPERATION.” The Vossieche Zeitung describes the re- treat as a model operation

The advance has wonderfully stimulate ad the British, who are eager to show their skill in the open, Mer actually request to be kept in the live when they fear they will be withdrawn to the rest

billets.

Mr. Beach Thomas (one of the corres-

pondents) denies that the retreat is due to British gas-shells. He says these are undoubtedly superior to those used by the enemy, but the retreat is the result of the general superiority of the British artillery, our strategic plan and the German soldiers fear of another Bomme

offensive.

He mentions that among the German traps abandoned were watches and sauce pans lined with fulminate of mercury.

GERMAN REPORT.

VIOLENT INFANTRY

ENCOUNTERS.

NOTEWORTHY.

It is notworthy that coincident with

LATEST CABLES. {THROUGE ESUTKR'S AGENOT.]

"LACONIA" OUTRAGE,

CAPTAIN'S SUCOESSEUL RUSE.

LONDON, March 3rd.

The Captain of the Laconia donned mufti before the vessel sank, bence the pirates search for him proved fruitless,

SINKINGS.

the Press explanations, the Military NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN DETAIL Governor of Cologne threatens with

severe imprisonment those spreading absurdly exaggerated rumours. GERMAN VIEWS CONTRADICTORY,

LONDON, March 3rd.

Views of the great retreat, of which it noteworthy the German people are still

unaware, are most contradictory

LATEST SUGGESTION:

The latest suggestion, based on Berlin reports transmitted by a Berne corres

the

of

Management on which the Controller will be represented. The profits, above those yielded by the requisition rates, will accrue to the State. All competition will be eliminated. The scheme will at firat

he applied in Australasin

CHINA AND GERMANY,

...

|

nine move repatrinted prisoners arrived here by the Flushing boat this evening (January 18in). All are over 25, and low are under bb. All men of 65, except a ship's captain, are discharged; the mis tress of the seas must not have, the benefit the navigation of a ship. of the services of a man who understanda the men,

I talked with half a dozen of all of whom desired that their names should not be mentioned, as the Germans read the statements in the English papers and retaliate on those known to be their friends. One told me something of the conditions of Rubleber camp during the two years he was a prisoner there. He was first sent to Giessen, where he came into contact with some of our own soldiers, all of whom were treated with stant consideration. Afterwards be tras removed to Bubleben, where the conditiong for the first 12 months were horrible. They Improved about 18 months ago, about which time parcels began to arrive from England. People wonder why wo look so well, when the German folk to thin, pinched, and starved," said one of the returned men, but it is not a matter for surprise when it is remembered that wo have been kept by our own folk ut home."

Life in the camp was made tolerable by the general cheerfulness; the British were never down-hearted. But, according to the members of the party, a wonderful change has come over the Germans. The arrogance of the carly days of the war has entirely disappeared No longer do the guards hustle the captives, no longer do they threaten them, or boast of what they are going to do to the hated English. Clicy are distinctly friendly and, what is more, longing for the war to end. Every guard has seen service at one or other of the fronts, and the experience of the might of the Allies has been disciplin- |ary But there is one thing at Ruhlchest almost unendurable, and that which is the mud. va

MAN NOT "MEDICAL COMFORTS.

All the half-dozen who told me their stories have been for various periods in

the sanatorium at Ruhleben, a place more tolerable............... Here Germany', DOVEELY 18 strikingly revealed. There are absolutely no medical comforts of any descripting. The nurses, are very kind and solicitous, but they are not on duty in the institution the whole day. They will not talk of affairs outside, but one of the officials, who was communicative, remarked again Camel an. The conditions in the Father-

horrible.

fond of

boasting of how they have broken the British blockade with the Deutschland submarine, and declare that 140 vimilar U-boats are being built to carry on Germany's trade and commerce The British are fond of making the inquiry, Where's the Bre Cohen 1 ", hut the only auswer the Germans

make is a shrug of the shoulders.

land

are

The Germans are very

The Ruhleben Sanatorium is in a risi— dential quarter fabich, well-to-do people live. At first these people were very Carrogant towards the prisoners, and the children especially taught by the clders, were most insolent. They are now glad, to linger around the compounds and eagerly snatch the bits of the food sont out from home, which the English togs over the 8ft wire fence to them. That incident was even more eloquent of Car- many's eul economic condition than the long quines of people standing outside

they saw na they came along in the trans from Ruhleben to the railway station.

In the House of Commons, Mr. HopA MEMORANDUM BY THE ALLIES the shops waiting for food sight which

LONDON, March 3rd.

The Times correspondent at Peking

states that the Allied Ministers have pre sented a memorandum to the Chinese

The question of an Anglo-Turkish ex. Government sympathising with its at titude towards Germany, and promising questions con favourable consideration of questions con

change of prisoners was being considered

INDIAN REPRESENTATIVES IN certed with the suspending of the Boxer indemnity during the war and revising THE WAR CABINET

the tarifi in the event of China effectively severing relations with Germany and Austria.

CAIRO, March 3rd. A garded party was given in honour of E. H, the Maharaja of Bikanir &t the

British Residency.

LONDON March 3rd. Sir James Meston and Bir 8. P. Sinha are visiting Luxor in Upper Egypt.

LONDON March 3rd France has decided to follow Britain's COTTON GOODS DUTY. example by suspending publication of the names of ships aunk, giving instead a weekly statement of submarinism

General.

LATEST CABLES (THROUGH EBUTER'S LORNOY.]

EXCITEMENT IN MANCHESTER.

LONDON March 4th, Considerable excitement has been caus ed in Manchester by the raising of the duty on cotton goode emported from NEW ZEPPELIN DESTROYED.India while the countervailing exci "HUSHING UP" THE BISASTER duty remains unchanged. Protests will promptly be made on the ground that LONDON, March 3rd.

the change imposes 4 per cent of protec According to Belgian correspondente, a

tive duty against Lancashire. the West and attack the Russian northern new Zeppelin, which was making speed fronts The Correspondent, however, points out that the reports may be in tended to divort Allied guns and muri- tions to Russia, so rendering an Anglo- French offensive less formidable.

pondent of the 7'smes in that, the enemy

niter all, set on the defensive in

may

A German communiqué says: Strong British reconnortring detachments which VIEWS OF BRITISH AND FRENCH

attempted to penetrate our trenches ab Hulluch and Levin, wore rapuled.

CORRESPONDENTS.

While the British Correspondents are. There were removed violent infantry most cautious in their statements regard- encounters on both banks of the Ancre,ing the retreat, French writers asert the British sustaning sanguinary losses that the Germans have destroyed a num

trials at Ghent on February 9th, caught - PROMOTION OF OFFICERS. fire and exploded, the crew being burat to death

Belgian eyewinesses of the disneter were arrested and taken to Germany.

AUSTRIAN COMMAND:

NEW CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFFS

COMMISSION TO DEAL WITH ANOMALIES,

LONDON, March 4th Hour of Commons Mr Mac home snoouboed the eppointment of

AMSTERDAM, March 3rd

ssion, under the Chairmanship Baron Arz von Straustenborg auper of Col. Churchill, to examme the ques codes Barot von Hootzendorf as Chief of tio of oficers promotion and deal with the Austrian General Staff

medies m the existing system.

SILVER MARKET.

LONDON, March ard. Silver du quoted at 37 There, 12 an absence of competition, and the market is quiet

MONTAGU'S REPORT.

LONDON, March 4th, Mosare Montagu's report states: The supply of new silver is of the scantiest Arrivals from America are unusually small. The general demand is alight, though the coinage demand continues China, exchanges are still appreciably below parity:

(Continued on Page 6)

BANDMAN OPERA COE ARRIVAL DELAYED

One of those I spoke to, who knowa Germany well, declared there is no move- ment to force pence, but it is the only drilled however, that there is not the thing the people want. They are so well slightest chance of any rebellion o uprising. The mass levy has begun, but. in some places only voluntarily. It is the big towns which suffer from the scarcity of food in the South of Germany, it is more plentiful, but the South will not let it go. There is no business in Berlin- it is exceedingly quiet, Everything is deteriorating

A

COMPULSORY CLOSING OF

* GERMAN FACTORIES/

In an artico on the chects of the German Auxiliary Service law the Frankfurter Zeitung says that experts are surprised at the ease with which the peop are accommodating themselves to the new conditione. The paper save:-

Exceptionally important will be the elősing and amalgăination of existing concerns. The first fuclerics to be closed in the next few weeks will be those which from lack of raw materials would other wise undergo a restriction of their sa- tivity. In the textile industry. 11,000,000 spindles will be reduced to 2,000,000; 1.400 bact factories only 200 will remait working at full pressure. The work of the oil mills will also be greatly simpli fod, only those mille lying ment good. traffic" roads or waterways being con. sidered

The Auestion of compensation closing factorfes down immediately ariza. According to recent discussions in Gov- ernment circles, this problem will fad solution in the hands of individual manu. facturers, but a thorough examinatio of the principles of estimating compen Ration is still proceeding. As the Gor Owing to the fact that the steamer by ernment has not promised official co-ope which the Bandman Opera, Company 15 Reichstag Committee will bare to make ration, in this important matter, the

travelling will not arrive here until the further demɛion upon it... 8th instant, the performance of High Jinks, advertised for Wednesday, the 7th instant, has been unavoidably can celled. All the other performances will remain as advertised. Ticket holders for the original first night can have their money returned on application to Messrs Moutries or cau exchange their tickets for any of the other

ised nights.

ORIGIN OF THE BRAIN

Professor Sherrington, at the Royal Institution said that if they traced back the history of the new brain it oddly enough seemed to have sprang from the organ of smell, so that it seemed quite clear that the search for food by the orgens hidren the soUICE DE OUT menta?