1917-12-15 — Page 5

Page

THE

WAR.

THE HONGKUNG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY

GERMANS ATTACK ON WESTERN

FRONT.

AUSTRO-GERMANS LOSE HEAVILY IN ITALIAN THEATRE.

BRITISH TRIUMPH AT JERUSALEM.

TEUTONIC DREAM DISPELLED.

Branco-Belgian Front.

LATEST CABLES. [THNOVOM REUTER'S AGENCY.]

BRITISH FRONT.

BITTER FIGHTING.

+

LONDON, December 14th. Reuters Correspondent at Headquar tors reporia: The Bavarian attack east of Bullecourt, mentioned last night, resulted in bitter fighting all day. The enemy retained possession of some of the early captured ground, but is encoun tering ceaseless and harassing fire in

As far as can be gathered, the Germans gul a sort of footing in about 300 yards of our front-line tronches before the

attack was arrested.

The artillery duel continued until 1.30, when it died down, bat the constant rattle of machine-gunning suggests that fighting is still in progress. Quite pos sibly we are counter-attacking.

It seems reasonable to believe that the German achievement does not represent any complete scheme of operations:

FIERCE FIGHTING AT BULLECOURT, Reuter's Correspondent at Headquar

EARLIER CABLES,{

ENEMY LOSSES FIFTY PER CENT

LONDON, December 13th. Reuter's Correspondent at Italian Headquarters states:The enemy com tinues to mass troops and artillery B the Trentino, especially on both sides of the Brenta river,

Allied aircraft regularly bombard the Austro-German reinforcements, but fresh contingents continually fill up the gaps.

The chemy's artillery, "

which is over- whelmingly superior, destroyed Italian defences, and many of the defenders were

killed, wounded or buried, but the an vivors reatt

so fiercely that the enemy's losses averaged fifty per cent of his strength.

The Near East.

DECEMBER 15гu, 17.

Its most sensitive points, and the vague. Teutonic dreams of a great extension of empire in the Near East have begun to melt away, dispelled by the British and Indian regiments and most efficient cavalry under the com mand of a brilliant General No Teu Lonic development in Mesopotamia ie possible unlesa Turkish rule is restored in Palestine,

the trun

JUSTICE FOR ALL. The Daily Mail says:True to their British baye immemorial principles. come to Jerusalem to maintain justice for all. Here, as in India, they will hold the balance even. Christinus, Jews have equal and Mohammedans, all reason to rejoice at our arrival. Fer they all 13

the past have been cruelly sacrified as pawns in the German game All three races can hereafter work in unison under a just and sympathetic authority for a great future.

AN AUGURY OF DELIVERANCE,

The Time saysWhilst the Germans have wantonly destroyed the noblest Christian churches on the false plea

EARLIER CABLES. (THROUGH REUTEN'S AGENCY.]

THE JERUSALEM VICTORY.

TURKS FOWEL AT AN END.

Lognos, December 13th: The fall of Jerusalem forms the subject: of leading articles in all the papers military necessity, the British General The Daily Graphic, says that whatever delays his operations to save the sacred may be its purely military value. General places in Jerusalem from accidental Allenby's triumph in the capture of hurt. That is a warrant of the care Jerusalem is an event that will thrill the which will certainly be taken to safe

LATEST CABLES.

BRITISH SHIPBUILDING. SPEECH BY SIR ERIC GEDDES.

RUSSIAN

PROTECTION OF

EXPENDITURE.

LONDON, December 13th.

LONDON, December The Maximalist decree also depriv In the House of Commons, Sir Eric Geddes stated that since the Admiralty the right to spend money at the cost of t Controller wae appointed in June the State by a number of Russian diplomatic output of ships repaired in drydock was representatives abroad, including Am- increased by 48 per cent, and of repairs bassadors in Japan, China, Egypt, Siam, aflout by 45 per cent. The repair and and the Consul Generel in Korea. salvage organisation had proved so successful that it was being extended throughout the work.

Referring to shipbuilding, Sir Erie Geddes stated that if the output in December equalled the output in Novem-

EARLIER CABLES. GENERAL NEWS.

PETROGRADE December 13th.

The Bolshevik News Agency announces that in the event of the majority of the Constituent Assembly not favouring the

ber, the British naval and mercantile authority of the Soviets, it is proposad kinnage completed in 1917 would equal to exclude such Constitutional Democrats, that of the record year 1913, when and also to hold re-elections because at 2,282,000 tons, of which 382,000 tons were many places the Constitutional Democrata suborned the Electoral Committees. Tho naval, was built

Bolshevik Commissioners have issued CONCRETE BARGES AND TUGS Mercantile tonnage was now being proclamation concluding. Down, with completed at the same rate as 1913, while the Bourgoisie. There must be no place the output in all classes of shipping in in the Constituent Assembly for land Detcher and November was actually 18 lords and capitalists!'' per cent. higher than the rate of output

There have been further arrests of

GERMAN REPORT.

in 1913, and the Government's plans pro. Cadet leadera. vided for a still greater increase. Fur- ther augmentations of our mercantile tonnage was being arranged throughout the Allied world in concert with our We are making great experiments with 1,000 ton concrete barges and tugs,

trying to dig himself under cover. The ters this afternoon sends all available imagination of the average man. It guard the rights and respect the suscep- Al"

A tremendous éneiny bombardment blazed up this morning, and we thunder ed a reply, bat nothing followed.

tibilities of avery faith

Priests and

alien enemies may confidently rely upon the countenance of the conquerors. The

ANTI-SUBMARINE WARSHIP

situation of the lost ground is such as particulars of the determined German represents the most successful blow yet

attack upon the sector cast of Bulle.struck at what may be called the moral ministers of all communions who are not but not in larger ships. not to afford any advantage.

authority of the Turkish Empire. Follow ing upon the declaration of independence by the Shereff of Mecca, the loss of Jerufall of Jerusalem is a sign that the ty-- salem means to the Turks notification

2

that their power as an imperiul race is hearing an end,

There are rumours that the struggle boiled up again in the afternoon, but Bo particnlars have been received. The Correspondent pays a

Warm tribute to our wonderful artillery firing in this sector, while the infantry dash is described as more reminiscent of football :ban on a battlefield with bobs.

BARLIER CABLES:.

court shortly after dawn, but he says that owing to the staunchness of our troops this was reduced to the limits of the smallest success at the most.

The

selected for attack the onemy elbow in the bend of our line between

Bullecourt and Queant. After the Ger mans set up an intense bombardment, to which our artillery replied with a barrage, assaulting waves of Bavarian troope ad- vanced in close formation, manifestly intending to overpower the defenders by sheer weight of numbers. Fierce fighting

The Morning Post anys the capture

ranny of the Turk is doomed and that the dawn of a new freedom is rising over his dominions. To all whom

ance.

op-

of Jerusalem crowns & brilliantly, compresses, Grecks, Armenians, Arabs, Jews, ducted campaige, in which the credit is and Syrians, it is an augury of deliver fairly due to all concerned. Jerusalem has fallen to gond organisation, good generalship, and good fighting The Russian Army in the Caucasus seems to be well affected towards the Allies and

TWO ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED. ensued, but it is too early to obtain still occupies Armenia. We may even

Field Marshal Sir Douglea Haig re- details.

ports: Accounts of yesterday's fighting show that the enemy, after heavy pre- paration, attacked from the north of our positions on the Hindenburg line in the cast of Ballecourt and also on a wider front from the east and north-east against the angle of our trench lines, to the south of Riencourt-lez-Gagntecure. We repelled both attacks with heavy enemy

Jorses,

The enemy subsequently attacked on the latter front, penetrating the obliter- ated trenches at the apex of the angle,

We killed or took prisoners a few Ger- mans reaching the trenches elsewhere.

There was local fighting throughout the day on a small portion of the trench is which the enemy gained v foothold, with out change in the situation.

We repulsed raiders to the south-west of Le Bassee and inflicted casualties as the result of patrol encounters, to the cast of Zonnebeke.

GERMAN REPORT.

LONDON, December 13th. A wireless German official report states-Wo captured several shelters eastward of Bullecourt.

The artillery duel between Moeuvres and Yendhuille increased in violence this morning.

ENEMY ATTACK REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSS.

LONDON, December 13th.

Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig ports. The enemy this morning deliver- ed a strong local attack on a mile front, eastward of Bullecourt and succeeded on the right in entering a short length of front trench which formed a salient and

LATEST CABLES.

FRENCH FRONT,

BOMBS DROPPED ON DUNKIRK,

PARIS, December 14th.

hope to see it basing itself between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, drawing its support through the British line of communications from the Ferrier, Gulf,

FAILURE OF GERMANY'S HOLY

WAR

The Daily Chronicle states: Political

MILITARY GOVERNOR

APPOINTED.

y

CONSTRUCTION.

LONDON, December 13th..

A wireless German official report states: The negotiations regarding the armistice to replace the existing truce begin to-day at Prince Leopold's Head- quarters. CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OPEN

PETROGRAD, December 13th.

LONDON, December 13th. The Atorning lost Correspondent at Petrograd reporta: It is not true that the Bolshevik fortes were victorious at Their attempt to intercept Bielgorod. General Korniloff from proceeding to Novotcherkask failed.

Sir Eric Geddes emphasised the neces- The Mayor declared the Constituent sity for developing anti-submarine war Assembly open at the Taurida Palace, a ship construction, otherwise we should handful of Cadets and Social Revolution simply be sending out vessels to be tor- aries attending. They approved the text The Assembly adjourned pending the pedoed by an ever-increasing fores of of a manifesto to the people.

arrival of a quorum, enemy submarines. A vast extension of shipbuilding facilities was necessary in

KORNILOFF FORCES SUCCESSFUL. order to successfully combat submarin- ism, and it was hoped to increase still further the output from the existing accommodation, but that was not enough, and private yards had heer authorised to increase their accommodation by 45 new berths. Three new national yards were under construction, seven to be used for the construction of more highly standard- ised ships than have yet been undertaken, It was hoped to lay the first keel early Cext year. Thirty-four berths are being prepared, and prisoners of war would be employed. The total cost is estimat- ed at $3,887,000. We

Borton Pasha, l'ostmaster-General in Egypt, bas been appointed Military Governor of Jerusalem.

serial Activities.

EARLIER CABLES-

[IENOUGH REUTER'S ADENOS.]

BRUGES DOCKS BOMBED,

LONDON, December 13th.

The Admiralty announce that Naral ly the fall of Jerusalem is an event of aircraft bombed Bruges Docks on Tucs A communiqué reports lively artillery immeasurable importance. The entry of day night.

The visibility whe bad. Bring on both banks of the Meuse the British arms into Jerusalem fol-ne of our machines is missing.

Aeroplanes dropped bomba on Dunkirk, lowing

of upon the ejection tho brought down an enemy machine during Ottoman Empire from the snored our patrols. but there were no casualties.

cities.

Hedjug will resound throughout Islam The German Press has foreseen this event and has done its best to depreciate its military in portance. Of its tremendous importance as

EARLIER CABLES.

PARIS, December 13th.

A communiqué sietes: Since the 10th inst. nine enemy aeroplanes were brought down. Our aeroplanes dropped 10,000 kilogrammes of explosives, especially on aerodromes at Colman and Scielstadt, the depot at Lugelbach, factories at Rombach and several railway stations The results were effective

Italian Front.

WAB

of

we

are

DOW

Russian Front.

SUBMARINES NOT YET.

MASTERED.

General Korniloff, on escaping tu Bikhoff, ordered half-a-dozen Generals who escaped with him to separate and o_vovotcherkask disguised proceed to

safely. as common soldiers, and they arrived

General Korniloff in command of a Eurce of 3,000 marched in campaign order Russia. He was opposed at through Russia. Bielgorod, where small part of his force sent in advance was defeated, but the remainder took the Bolsheviks in the rear, The sailors broke and fled Many soldiers joined General Korniloff, while the Bed Guards were surrounded and handled in a drastic manner. It is expected that General Korniloff will soon join General Kaledin.

THE HALIFAX DISASTER.

DEAD AND HOMELESS.

In summing up, Sir Eric Geddes said that the demands on our merchant ship EARLIER CABLES, ping were greater than they had ever been in the war. The submarine measce 【THROUGE - REUTER'S AGENCY. ]

was beld, but was not yet mastered. Our RUSSIAN FRONT.

shipbuilding was not yet replacing our politica event, however, the Ger

THE ROUMANIAN ARMISTICE. losses, but both the downward trend in man writers made no secret. It is a fact

the sinkings and the upward curve of LONDON, December 13th.

shipbuilding continued satisfactory. The too patent to be denied that Germany's

The text of the armistice on the Rou-

latter would undoubtedly be maintained. Pan-Islamic plan fell to the ground long and that' the Holy

Warmanian Front shows that the Roumanian The upward curve of the destruction of

LONDON, December 13th. ago,

failure

Sir R. Borden, who is at Halifax, har from the start. Army observes the armistice so long as submarines continued equally satisfac

What

witnessing the Russian Armin, on the Roumanian tory, and there was no reason to doubt telegraphed to Ottows that the dead will

that it would continue and gradually im- exceed 10,000 and the homeless 20,000. is not merely the defeat of Berlin's front do so. ambitious design; it the counter General. offensive, and its effect vil họ as far- reaching against Berlin and its Turkish vassals 5. the original dream of a Teutonised Islam and the so-called free. The read to India was against us British Government will be faithful to its pledge to set up in Palestine a Jewish An Italian official report states: We national home, but the terms of modern regained a great part of the trenches Zionism do not mean the fulfilment to the Moslems" or Christian in the Col Della Berretin

region, injure

condition of Palestine, which calle not for rivalry but for the co-operation of all reeds and races which the Turks oppres

LATEST GABLES. (THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCE.]:

ITALIANS FIGHTING

FIERCELY,

TRENCHES RE-OCCUPIED.

LONDON, December 13th.

which we were unable to re-occupy on

Tuesday,

We sanguinarily repulsed two violent attacks in the Calcino Valley.

The enemy attacked in force eastward of the Brenta at micklay, and the attack

had been demolished by the bombardment continued fiercely throughout the after-

of the preceding attack.

noon, bat ceased at Bight owing to the

sed.

TEUTONIC DREAMS OF EMPIRE

IN THE NEAR EAST,

LONDON, December 13th. The Daily Telegraph says-What consequences may flow from the fact that

EARLIER CABLES. (THROCOE REUTER'S AGENCY. THE GERMAN SILENT PENETRATION.

prove. If the country exercised rigorous economy and put forth all its powers to defent submarinis, he had no fear of the result. Men and women were urgent

CORRECTED REPORT.

LATER.

It is officially announced from Halifax that so far the fatalities number 1,22,

ly needed for shipbuilding, and unless The error in Sir Robert Borden's figures.

HOLLAND THE ALLIES

he entirely mistook the spirit of the was due to a telegraphic mistake. country the response would demonstrate to the world that our grip tightened as the struggle continued. (Loud cheers.) SUBMARINISM HAS REACHED

WORST STAGE:

LONDON, December 14th.

LONDON, December 13th.

In the House of Commons Sir H. S. King drew attention to the renewed dis cussion in Holland concerning the pos

LONDON, December 13th, The following concluding portion of Sir Edward Carson's speech was ro ceived too late for publication; —" There was no limit to what we could do by a proper league of British nations. He was not preaching the gospel of a boycolt after the war. When it came to peace terms know with certainty the German mini navigation and in Dutch territory, there would be time enough to talk of mum submarine losses, also their maxi- that. We ought to make it perfectly

clear to Germany that the longer the war continues the less change there is of her sharing in the much too short amount of raw material existing for reconstruction At all other points the attack was re-heavy enemy losses. pulsed

with heavy loss to the enemy,

A powerful attack at Caldipo and British troops are about to occupy the with devastated nations. He hoped nc great citadel of David and Solomon we shipyards would be allowed to build ships for any country until the whole of many of whose dead are lying on our Pappeyer broke down.

cannot yet tell. It is clear at all events

our grievous losses were replaced.” wire.

that the Zionists are welcoming the pos ibility of a Jewish restoration to DIRECTOR OF AIRCRAFT

PRODUCTION. the Holy Land under British pro tection,

We captured a number of prisoners.

AUSTRIAN CLAIMS.

Awirelesa Austrian official report The enemy's artillery was active in the states: We captured in four days' fight. ares of attack and has also shown some ing in the Melette region 020 officers, activity southward of Lens in the neigh 10,000 men,-193 guns, 233 machine guns, bourhood of Armentients and at Les four quickfires, 81 mine-throwers and thas

but one thing heary blow has

to the Turkish EmpirRIE one

LONDON, December 13th. Sir William Weir has been appointed Director-General of Aircraft Production

Reuter's Agency learns from well-sible intentions of the Allies regarding

informed quarters that the Government the fature of rights over the Schelde

Lord Robert Cecil replied There is mum output. It is believed that the not now, and there never nas boss, any latter has been renched, and since the intention to interfere in any way with monthly losses of submarines are now the independence or integrity of Hollud

or her possessions. approaching the monthly output, it seems that with the increasing means at the Allies disposal the German progracime of operations in 1818 cannot exceed what has already been applied. The situation of five million forius for the erection by calls for the exercise of the greatest the Telefunken Co, Berlin, of a nie economy in food, but it is justifiably to

WIRELESS INSTALLATION.

THE HAGUE, December 14th. The Government has asked for a credit

express the belief that the mense has les station for communication between reached its worst stage as an effective Holland and the Dutch Indies. The re force. There is every reason to believe that wring installation will be ready in the enemy submarine operations should

not only be held in the near future, but three months, and the sending in lin should be gradually repressed, as our tion in eighteen months, defensive work is mutralising the enemy. output.