1918-07-31 — Page 1

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The Hongkong Telegraph

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1881,)

Copyright 1918, by the Proprietor)

July 31, 1918,

Temperature 6 sim.

Humidity

79 2 p.m. 78 91

Temperature & mom,

91

8003

日四廿月大

WEDNESDAY,

JULY 31, 1918.

July 31, 1917,

三拜禮 號一卅月七英港香

Humidity

ม่

79 3 90

83.

73

11

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REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.

EARLIER TELEGRAMS,

188 GERMAN RETREAT.

REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.

VIOLENT FIGHTING NORTH OF THE Marne.

GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE ALLIES.

French Advance Further and Take Prisoners.

London, July 29. Field Marthal Sir Douglas Haig reporte :-In a successful minor operation on the night of Jaly 28 in the Morlancourt sector we took 143 prisoners and 36 machine guns. We gained all our objectives and best off three counter attacks, inflicting losES.

More French Captures.

BRITAIN'S GREAT WAR EFFORT.

'The Allies' Clothier, Banker, Almoner and Universal Provider,

London, July 30,

Lord Carson, speaking at a banquet at Gray's Inn, said that at the beginning of the fifth year of the war the purpose of the nation and Government showed no signs of weakening, abatement or modification. He believed that in the meetings of the Imperial War Cabinet lay the solution to probleme which had bewildered them for years. This machinery must now tɩke a more permanent shape. Sister nations of the Empire must continue to have a voice Despite low clouds, on July 28 we dropped ten tons of bomba in the great decisions of the Council Chamber, just as their soldiers on dumps, railway stations, and billets at Donai, Armentieres, participated in the decisions in the field. The events of the past Bapaume and Obsulces. In early morning fighting we brought fortnight were probably destined to exercise an influence on the down nine seroplanes. Four British rasabines are missing. We whole course of the campaign not lees remarkable than the battle of bombed at night Bapsome and active batteries corth of the Sommie.the Marne in 1914. Lord Curzon emphasised the particulars of the enemy'e failure, bis lose of initiative and the importance of the blow "All the machines returned.

ir cted upon the moral and prestige of the enemy troops. Although it was early to imagine that the enemy was besten, the Allied forces London, Jaly 30. A French communique states:-Daring the day there has been had found a genius in General Fooh. Lord Carzon described the xory violent fighting on the whole front north of the Marne. The addenness of the Ameriosa entry into the fields of France a enemy, whose resistance has strongly increased, disputed every foot electric, reducing the enemy superiority to equality, while the moral of the ground and attempted to drive as back by nameroas counter-ralne of the enemy's ultimate numerical inferiority would be attack. We repulsed all assaults and made a further advance. On cumulative as time passed. Great Britain during the war had been the outskirts of the village of Buzancy, the Scottish captured a park the clothier, banker, simoner and universal provider of all, the and chatean and maintained their positions, despite repeated Allies. The supreme efforte of France would have been impossible German assaults. East of Pleeeeshala and Ouchy-le-Chatean we but for us. Therefore, in view of the industrial services we had passed the Chateau Thierry Road and captured Grand Bazog and performed it was remarkable that our armies were not so small bat Cagay, also Batte de-Chaimont, sfter a brilliant action, capturing o large. 450 prisoners. North of Fere-en-Tardenois we extended our gaina Sir Robert Borden re-affirmed Canada's determination, despite and entered Sergy. Further south, Roncheres fell into our bands. all sacrifices, to fight to a finish to justify her entry into the war.

On the right we passed the Dormans and Rheims Road south of Villers Egron. We gained ground west of Bligay and St. Eupharsise. A German attack in Champagne, in the region south of Mont Sananom, failed.

Severe Fighting Beyond the Ourcq,

London, July 30. An American official message states:-There is severe fighting beyond the Oureq, Sergy, after changing banda four times,

remains ours.

A German Story,

London, July 29.

A German wireless official message states:Severe attacks on our new positions at Fere-en-Tardenois failed sanguinarily.

British Operations.

London, July 30. .....

Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, in in a communiqas, states: We took a few prisoners in a successful raid in the neighbourhood of the Ayette. Australian patrols entered positions about Merris and took forty prisoners. These is bostile gse-sbelling north-west of ➤ Albert.

The Allies' Pressure.

Paris, July 29.

General Smate paid a tribute to Britain's mighty effort which were not given aufficient pablicity. Daring the four years that bad passed she had raised eight millions of men, Britain had the greatest Army in the field of all the Allies and was the only country which ic war-time had increased its food producing capacity. Her sobiere mente had been done silently with characteristic caltanees and dignity. The country had become the mainstay of the whole Allied resistance. It was impossible to prediot the fatore, but whatever intervened we were determined to preserve the British Empire and the civilisation of the world.

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Debate la the House of Commons.

London, July 29.1

In the House of Commone, Mr. Dillon moved the motion bon. demning the Government's Irish policy se alienating and exserering the Irish people, and declaring that the only true solution of the problem "is to put in operation without delay the principles laid down by President Wilson in his historic alterance at Washington's grave." He declared that the Irish were holding back from the wer because they believed that the Government was determined to bresk A Havas Agency message states-The Garasa retreat ia in faith with Ireland sad that conecription was to be imposed on Irelan fall swingall along the line. The enemy is pressing north. Breaking in order to torpedo Hame Rale, He proposed that the Irish question Mr. Short, replying, declared that Ireland was infinitely more the rearguard resistance, General Foch's victorioas troops crossed be referred to jary of Americane appointed by President Wilson. the Ourcq yesterday and occupied Fere en-Tardenois, a very important road janction, Ever since the beginning of the German quiet since the Sian Fien leaders had been removed from harm's rotrest, the tauka, have done remarkable work. After breaking iny. The authorities had discovered an elaborate military system in the enemy front lines and preparing the war for infantry, the teaks parte of Ireland, including instractions to the people how to destros communications and to prevent the movements of troops. Explosives throughout continued to exploit the saccess gained. Some even had been secretly brought from Glasgow. The Government had been He declared that the Nationalist attacked, enemy artillery batteries and killed all the gunners, thus forced to take strong measures. permitting the advancing infantry to captare many guns.

members themselves were to blame for the situation. The Nation- · The Germans retreating from the Marne admit the collapse of alista, instead of taking Sinn Fein by the throat, tried to go oze their gigantic offensive opened on July 15. This was to have cat the better. They had not helped Lord French, who wanted to avoid French armies in two and be followed by an advance on Peria. In onscription. Be seserted that Mr. Dillon would have adopted the it a million men were employed by the enemy. In whatever way we measures if he had been in his (Mr. Shortt's) shoes. The General Ladendorff explains this retreat to the German pablic, it was imposed on him by the victorions pressure of Allied forces general feeling in Ireland had vastly improved. Seditions feeling operating between Soissons and Rheim. The order had been given had largely disappeared. He hoped to restore a state of feeling which The High Command would make Home Bale not only possible but desired by subitantially the German troope to resist at all costs. attached grest importance to keeping and supporting the positione everyone in Great Britain. Irishmen had only themasives to blemst Mr. Asquith believed that nothing had been done as regarde on the River Marne, which would have eventually set up a fresh if they rendered this impossible; attack from the starting point. Evidence of this is to be the suggestions to consult the leading Dominion representatives in

the following document found on

Morsover he found in prisoner belonging to the 42nd Infaatry Division: The England" with a view to arriving at a solution.

appreciated that the Dominion representatives might be reluctant to positions north of the river must be defended and kept at all costs undertake responsibility. The Irish question could not be submitted Every position abandoned will be immediately recaptured. The to President Wilson. Cocolnding, Mr. Asquith emphasised the High Command attaches the greatest importance to the possession necessity to the Empire and the Allies of finding an ultimate Settle of the heights commsading the passages of the Marae."

IMPORTANT RUBBER DECISION.

How Companies May Benefit.

"

an officer

London, July 27,

ment,

Mr. Bonar Law emphasised that the real difficulty was not between Englishmen and Irishmen but between Irishmen and Itish- mea. The same right of self-determination elsimed by the Nationalists ould be claimed by the Ulstermen, and antil Mr Dillon was prepared to publicly recognise the difficulty, a settlement was impossible Mr. Dillon himself admitted that the majority of the people in Ireland The Rubber Share Brokers' Association states that the Merliman sided with the Germans. How, therefore, could Home Rule be given decision, cabled on July 28, given the Merliman Company a statutory to there circumstances? He believed that not merely the Irishmen ten per cent. on "recurring "expenditure in development since the in the trenches bat Irishmen throughout the world were willing to inception of the Company. It is estimated that the Merliman fight for liberty and he would ask whether the men who held brok Company will thus aave £25,000 upon 289,000. Every Company in the greatest struggle in the world's history really represented the which is affected by the Valiambrosa decision for income tax purposes race for which they were fighting and willing to dis.

Mr. Dillon's motion was rejected by 245 votes to 106. will benefit similarly to the Merliman Company if the decision is upheld.

THE ALBANIAN CAMPAIGN."

Allies' Pressure løcreasing,

London, July 20.

Au Austrisa official message etates:-In Albania the enemy's counter-premeure strengthened. Five violent enemy attacks in the Semini salient broke down sanguinarily,

MUNITION WORKERS RESUME,

London, July 29,

The Press Baresu says that the Minister of Munitions announces that work has been generally resumed at Birmingham and Coventry, He is immediately appointing's Committee of Engairy. -

THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN,

Some Successful Raids,

London, July 29.

JI

A Pelestine official message state-In the coastal sector the Sikha successfully raided, esptaring prisoners and material and inflicting losses. East of the Jorden, Indian cavalry raided a post, killing end taking prisoners. Aeroplanes bombed camps at Ammso," Shunet and Nimrin. The Araba eurprised a Tarkish detachment in Southern Hedjaz, killling and taking prisoner all of them.

THE WIGAN STRIKE SETTLED,

London, July 27.

The Wigan strike, particulara of which were cabled on July 17, has been settled. It has been agreed that a twenty-five per cent. advance is to be paid on current wagen.

Extent of the Allied Advance.

London, Joly $2.

The net result of the German retreat hitherto has been. an Allied advance of from seven to eight miles on a front"" of twenty miles and the capture of a score of villages and sororal important forests. The most valuable result strate gically is the restoration of the Allies' great Paris-Chatean Thierry-Chalons railway whereby the Champagne front can best be revictualled and which is a most important factor in future developments. The action may now slow down and even become stabilised for a time between Soissons and Rheims where the Germans are apparently concentrating in great force, but the fact remains that the enemy has been badly besten. He not merely does not hold a singla înch of the ground gained on 15th July, but within a fortnight bas been forced to abandon nearly half the advantages gained by his offensive of the 27th of May. The question now is will the enemy settle down to resistance on the plateau south of Vesle or continue his retirement to the heights between Vesle and the Aisne. The answer will de- pend on the extent of his 'losses and the number of his reserves and indications hitherto are that his losses are not excessive. It is regarded at least as certain that the salient will be flattened to a straight line from Soissons to Rheims which alone will shorten the Allied line by thirty miles and lessen the demands on the Allied reservės.

Causes of the Retreat,

London, July 29,

The French papers are discussing the causes of the retreat Some attribute it to the fall of Qulchy-le-Chateau while others state that the brillizat British attack on Mar. faux and Chaumazy is responsible because it increased the threat on Fismes which was the key to the whole salient.

AD Immense Set-back.

London, July . Reuter's correspondent at American Headquarters, writ- ing on the afternoon of July 9, says: Thanks to the dense woods the enemy has been able to delay the advancing. armies and hold up thousands with rests of machine-guns. Hence the enemy's losses are infinitesmal, compared with " the time gained. He has saved most of his guns although he has been obliged to destroy &mmunition. With the aban donment of the Marne, however, which the enemy held as long as possible in order to keep the important railway from Epernay to Chateau-Thierry, observation will.con- siderably accentuate our progress. Indeed the pace Eas already quickened. It is already certain, that the enemy will not stand on the Ourcq and doubtless when we reach his prepared positions we shall find the enemy in great strength. What the Germans have chiefly suffered is the immense setback of plans and they will possibly be unable to recover before the end of the campaigning season

Enemy's Position Mede latolerable.

London, July 29. Reuter's correspondent at American Headquarters,, wir- ing on the 28th at nine in the evening, says: The Germans desperately resisted on Villeneuve plateau, which was swept by gun fire after the French drove off the defenders. Even- tually car batteries turned the balance of gunpower and with the plateau won we had an ideal gun platiorm which made the enemy's Ourcq line intolerable. The Franco- Americans were then able to advance on the open slopes at a rate hitherto impossible and through the woods. Mount- ed troops proved most useful, but armoured cars and light tanks were ideal weapons for clearing out nexts both on the ground and in the gun platforms on the trees. The trees served the enemy admirably in the forest country. American marksmen made sport of bringing them down. As an officer remarked it was like capercailzie shooting.

Large Boaty,

London, July 29. A Paris semi-official message says: The number taken prisoner in the retreat is not very high because the Allies can only advance most cautiously in a variegated country which is favourable for defence by machine-gun Dests, while the Germans left only, weak detachments with orders to bold on to the last in order to enable the main body to get: away. Thus the enemy losses are relatively higher in killed than the prisoners. Contrariwise the booty is large especial- ly in engineering machinery. The Germans were able to remove light artillery but had to abandon heavy guns and also most of their ammunition.

Four Hundred More Prisoners.

London, July 29, A French communique states that north of the Marne there was no change during the night. We prisonered four hundred bere yesterday.

A Real Allled Victory.

London, July 20.

the line The enemy has definitely abandoned

of the Ourcq There is little Zonbt that be will retreat behind Veslo which will give him a pretty straight line between Soissons and Bheims. This very good line is probably well entrenched, has good communications to the rear and also has three railway lines behind the front Villages between Soissons and Bazoches are afre apparently indicating that the Germans are about to retrost farther. The Gorrann withdrawal from the salient is a real Allied victory but in nowise a rout. Hitherto only one hundred have been prisonered and four guns taken.

British Successcy,

London, July 29. Field Marshal 'Douglas Haig says: The Australians in the Morlancourt sector captured two lines of trench on a two miles front astride the Bray-Corbis road prisopering one handrod and capturing a number of machine-guns... The enemy's casualties were heavy while ours were light. The Canadiane twice successfully raided in the neighbourhood of Gavrelle. In a successful minor operation on the night of the 28th in Morlancourt sector we prizonered 143, cap- tured thirty-six machine-guna, gained all our objectives and beat off three counter-attacks inflicting losses.

STATUS OF ICELAND.

Stockholm, July 49. Denmark has acknowledged Iceland as a sovereign state under their common king,

(Continued on page 8.)

TELEGRAMS;

*

(Beater's Service to the "Telegraph.")

THE SILVER MARKET.

Landam, July £7

The silver market is quiet.

SINKING

AN AUSTRIAN DREADNOUGHT.

Account of Heroic Raid on Pola.

An account is published here by an eye-witnews who took part in the heroio raid on Pols on May 13, when an Austrisa dread nought was torpedoed myúu sorrespondent in the Daily Chronicle.

The Italian force was composed of a section of armed motor launches. I had been agreed that when nesr the part the torpedobost under Lient-Com- mander Pellegrini, with three comrades, should lesya the sup- porting convoy and pass alone Through the final barrage to carry out the action sa arranged.

The posat from. Point Faneda to Point Compare is protected by a sea wall one mile long, Coming ia eight of this obatsole and the presence of a cosatguard station between the end of the wall and Point Cristo, Commander Palls grini left his escort and prossed- ed towards the island of San Girolamo. It was then 2.18 s..

For a long time there was dead.

| silence at ses and inside the part, and the only sign of life was an occasional searchlight beam. At the end of 58 minutes, at 3.18 am., two load explosions, typical of torpedres, were distinctly heard one after the other.

An alarm gun was fired from Point Cristo, there was some machine-gun and rifle fire, then there was a terrific. barat of artillery fire.

Special signals were arranged. to make known the result of the attack, for it was foreseen that if Commander Pellegrini and his companions, were not able to return they had still the same orders to abandon their ship after having accomplished their

mission.

The operation proceeded exactly scoording to plab. At 1.30 on May 14 our ships picked up the Istrian Coset, and then the detachment under Commandera: · Pellegrini, Ciano, and Berardilli proceeded towarda Pola,

Namorous marchlights were ased by the enemy, but only to light up the interior of the port. At the beginning of the artillery fire there was clearly seen in the distance the luminous eignal agreed upon, by which Lieut,-* Commander Pellegrini indicated to his comrades "I have tar- pedoed a ship," followed im- mediately by another signal which signified My ship has been destroyed. All help is asaleen." Having thas completed ita tank, the convoy made towards its base where it arrived safely at dawn

The enemy's reaction W&5 limited to an attempted serial attack against the convoy, but even that failed, thanke to the opportune" intervention of equadron of our chasing sesplans, which after a desperate fight, and. in spite of its numerical inferio- rity, scosceded in driving off the enemy machines and in bringing down three.

8

The luminous signals made by Commander Pellegrini show that his"- mission

wae succes:fal jast se the sound of the gnofiça. and the eesrohlights which re- mained in sotion for nearly two hours, until 5.15 s.m., and which were continually directed towarde a point in the interior of the bar- bour, exolade all doubt so to the authenticity of Pellegrini's signsle. It inthus beyond all doubt that a hostile vessel was struck by two torpedoes and was suck, or at least. put out of action for a considerable time.

Lient.Commander Pellegrini and his: valiant" comrades:AID prisoners **Benter.