OFFICIAL NEWS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2243, 1 September 1914, Page 6

OFFICIAL NEWS

,HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLES LORD KITCHENER'S REPORT CERMANS PAY EXTREME PENALTY. The following telegrams were received yesterday by the Prime Minister from 'the High Commissioner's Office:— . London, August 30y 8 p.m. Official. —Lord Kitchener reports bat ties on 23rd, 24th. 25th, and 26th. During this period the British were occupied ih resisting and checking the German advance, and withdrawing on new lines of defence. Tho battle began at Mons on Sunday. During the day and part of tho night the German attack, stubbornly pressed and repeated, was completely checked on the British front. On the 24th the Germans made vigorous efforts in superior numbers'to prevent the withdrawal of the British and drive them into- the fortress of Maubeuge; The effort was by the steadiness and skill of the British retirement, and on the previous day very heavy losses, far in excess of thoso suffered by us, wore inflicted upon the enemy, who in dense formation and enormous masses marched forward again, and yet again, to storm the British lines Tho British retirement proceeded on' the 25th, with continuous fighting. By tho night, of tho 25th the British ocoupied lines from Oambrai to Imndrccies and Le Gateau. It was intended to resume tho retirement at daybreak on the' 29th, but a German attack in five corps was so close and fierce that it was impossible to carry out the intention until tho afternoon. The battle' on the 26th was of a . most severo and desporato character. The troops offered a superb resistance against tremendous odds, and finally extricated themselves in good order, but with serious losses under the heaviest artillery firo. Tho guns wero not taken by tho enemy, except, where the horses wero killed. General French estimates that from the 23rd to tho 26th the British losses were from five to six' thousand. The German losses in tho attacks across the open and in dense formation were out or all proportion to .ifewa K9 la Imnoreciea alons

on tho 26th' the German Infantry Bri- i gade advanced in tho closest order in a C narrow street. Our machine guns swept ti away the head of the column, and a r frightful panic ensued. It is estimated v that there wore 900 dead and wounded s Germans in this street alone. The Ger- t man Guards Cavalry Division charged 1: tho British 12th Intantry Brigade. The j Germans were thrown back with great t loss and in disorder. Similar incidents c happened over tho whole front during I tho engagements. The Gonnans pay I tho oxtremo price for every forward t march. Sinoe the 2Gth, with the excep- i tion of cavalry fighting the British havo 1 not been molested, and have rested and \ refitted, so as to do ready for the next j encounter with undiminished and tin- a daunted strength , c London, August 31, 12.45 a.m. j The Admiralty reports that in tho 1 action on tho 28th off Heligoland the ? Arethusa., and not the Amethyst, play- 1 ed tho principal part. Tho principlo of c the operation was'a. scoopSig movement. J by a strong force of destroyers, headed by ttie Arethusa to cut the German f light craft from home and engage them at leisure in the open sea with the battle cruiser squadron, when the op- " portunity arrived. Intercepted German signals confirm the sinking of a third 1? German cruiser by tho Ariadne. The t British destroyers exposed themselves t to a considerable risk in saving German * sailors. Britis'h officers vouch for the P fact that they observed German officers r shooting their own men in' the water. u The complements of tho five German e vessels 'known to be sunk total 1200, * and with the exception of 330, have perished.. The total of the British casual- ? ties was 69. The success of tho opeT- 11 ation was due to information brought to t the Admiralty by submarine officers.! P To-day's reports justify neither pes- S simism nor over-confidence aa to the e position of the Allies. t London, August 31, 6.40 a.m. Jj The French Embassy states that the left wing cf the Allies has taken the • offensive and driven tlho Prussian guard j. back to . Guise. There is 'heavy right- k ing south-west of Mezieres, due to an j. advance by an army under tho Grown v Prince. The French are taking the of- j fensive in Lorraine. ' Hie enemy has pushed back intact the allied lino from the Sambro and the Somme, and overrun north-west Franco with cavalry. jj The Russians arc. approaching the a fortresses of Thorn and- Grauden'z. The j Austrians invading' Russian Poland are advancing towards Lubin. a — 1 ' ' C