FIERCE FIGHTING BY ALLIES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2251, 10 September 1914, Page 5

FIERCE FIGHTING BY ALLIES

•' —— <h -■ ;: THE COUNTER-STROKE .DRIVING ATTACI IN PROGRESS GERMANS FALLING BACK AMAZING RUMOURS ; RUSSIANS IN FRANCE. \ FALL OF AUSTRIAN FORTRESS RUSSIANS' VICTORIOUS MARCH. MESSAGE FROM KING GEORGE. To-day's ■ newß from the French theatre of the European war 'shows that the Allies' counter-stroke, in the shape of a strong and persistent offensive movement against the enemy, is being steadily pressed home. The German left has been compelled to fall back, the centre is being'vigorously attacked, while / the advance against the enemy's right is being successfully developed. There are indications of a perceptible tendency on the part of the- Germans to retire without serious opposition from point to point before the concerted pressure of the Allied armies right along the line. The Russians, continuing their apparently irresistible advance from the east, have captured the great triple-ringed fortress of . Nikolaieff, at , the point whero the Austrian. German,'' and Russian Empires meet, and an important movement is in progress to cut off the retreat of the Second Austrian Army.' The appearance of air-scouts on the Russo-Gcrman frontier is interpreted as an indication that the Germans, are coming :np in;force to meet the , Russians;.'' ', From /'various -. .•'■'.'!■!',:! sources there have emanated extraordinary rumours of the appearance of Russian troops in France, many having been 6een in Scotland, it is stated, passing through on a route from Archangel to the British coast. The very improbability of this actually having happened-sug-gests that the messages referred to should be treated with some caution. There are also rumours—to be regarded with similar sus- ' picion—of a serious conflict of opinion beftrcenthe Kaiser and his two leading Ministers—the Imperial Chancellor and the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. In New Zealand His Excellency has read, from ' the steps of Parliament House, a'glowing nwftottge from King George, 'to the accompaniment of cheers and the singing of the National - Anthem. ' > i OFFICIAL SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION ALLIES'OUTLOOK SATISFACTORY GERMANS DRIVEN BACK ALL ALONG THE LINE The Prime Minister last night received the following summary of the Situation from the High Commissioner:— •' ft*. ■ i im.'"' London, September 9, 1.5 a.m. Official.— LTxe general position continues to be satisfactory. The Allies 'rhave gained ground on their left along the line of, Ourcq and Petit Morin >The British have here driven the enemy back ten miles. Fighting has been in progress further to the right along the line of Montmirail and Le Petit Sompure, neither side gaining the advantage. Further to the right the enemy have been pressed back in the direction <of Reims. ' . ■ . - In the vicinity of'Luneville an attempt of the Germans to advance was , repulsed. Pressure against the enemy continues all along the Allies' front. The ' British Force has been engaged all day. The enemy opposed to it, after a stubborn resistance, /retired, and /is now crossing to the north of the'Marne. The Fifth Frency Army advanced with equal success. There are'reports of ; many, captares. .('■ The Sixth French Army on the Ourcq has been heavily engaged, and here also the enemy was driven back, and the" Germans suffered severely. The advance everywhere was resolutely pushed home. The British again sustained some casualties, but the number was small in. relation to the nature of the fighting. ALLIES TAKE A VIGOROUS OFFENSIVE GERMAN TROOPS DRIVEN BACK ENEMY SUCCEEDS ; NOWHERE IN FRANCE • ByTelflßraph-Frwa Assoei&tion-Copyriffht '■.'.. ' ' . Paris, September 8. A communique states: "On. our left wing the Allies have advanced without meeting serious resistance. 1 ."In the centre, in the Verdun districts, our forces have alternately, advanced and retired, and the situation remains unchanged. "On the right, in the Vosges district, we have gained several partial successes. , ' London, September 8. • The Press Bureau states that Gene ral Joffre's plans' arro being steadily carried out, and the Allies aro acting oft tho offensive. The Bureau confirms the Bordeaux official statement of the successful forcing back in a north-easterly direction of the Gorman right wing. ' ' " Paris, September 8. Tho Paris edition of the "New York Herald," referring te tho fighting on Sunday, states that at one point the French defended the passage of the Marne, and carried tho German entrenchments with tho bayonet. A fifteenpounder gun silenced a German battery of quick-firers. The Germans constructed a bridge of boats, but it was destroyed by shells in five minutes. ALLIES MAKE CONTINUOUS PKOGEESS. (Rec. September 9, 3.30 p.m.) Paris, September 8, evening. It is officially stated that the Allies aro making continuous progress from the banks of the Ourcq as far as tho region of Montmirail, and the enemy is retreating -'n tho direction of the Marne. A communique says that' German divisions attacked tho line from Cha-t.eau-Salins to Nancy, and were repulsed to the north of the Champenoux fortst The Allies have recaptured Mavdray and the crest of the Fourneaux Pasfi.

Tlio Ourcq is a tributary of the Marne which it joins at a point about 25 miles east of Paris. Montmirail lies about 14 miles south by east of Chateau Thierry, or about 25 miles south-east of the junction i f the Ourcq and the Marne. Ohateau-Salins is in German Lorraine, about 18 miles north-east of Nanoy, and the village of Champenoux is about half-way between the two [;laces._ The Foumeaux Pass is not shown on the maps at our disposal, but there is a German village called Haut-Foumeau in. the Vosges near Mount Donon, bouth-west of Nancy. \ ——— GERMANS FAIL ALONG THE LINE. (Reo. September 9, 6.15 p.m.) Paris, September 8, 9 p.m. 'An official communique states that the enemy is retiring in the direction of the Marne, between Meaux and Sezanne. The Allies have captured' many prisoners, including an infantry battalion, a quick-firer company, and a number of caissons. There were violent engagements between Fere-Champenoise and Vitry-Ie-Francois, in the southern extremity of the forest of Argonne. The enemy did not succeed anywhere, and .fell baclt from Vitry-le-Francois. (Reo. September 9, 10 p.m.) London, September 9, morning. The Press Bureau confirms the statement that the Allies are gaining ground. The British drove the enemy back ten miles. , MAUBEUGE STILL HOLDING OUT, Paris, September 7. The Minister of War has telegraphed to the garrison of the northern frontier fortress of Maubeuge, expressing admiration for their heroic defence. ■■ GERMANS CALLED BACK FROM BELGIUM STREAMING OF TROOPS RETURNING HOME ENEMY'S SUPPLY OF ARMS SAID TO BE ' EXHAUSTED ' Antwerp, September 8. Germans are streaming from Liege towards Germany. The inhabitants of Liege were forbidden to leave their houses for three days. Sailors are guarding the railways, which seems to indicate that the supply of-reserves has been exhausted. 1 Rotterdam, September 8. The rifles borne by the German Landsturm (reserves) in Belgium are of an old type, and the force is insufficiently supplied with ammunition. Some of the troops are armed *with rifles taken from Belgians. It is stated on good authority that the supply of German arms is now exhausted. KAISER'S TROOPS SEEKING FOOD. London, September 8. .. The Burgomaster of Ghent negotiated conditions avoiding the entry of German troops, mainly by the provision of food. ' The Germans are endeavouring to occupy fresh provinces to secure fresh food. I (Rec. September 9, 9.30 p.m.) The German General informed the Burgomaster that he has no intention to take the town, and no money war tax will, be levied. About two million pounds worth of forage and automobiles are on the Alost and Oudenarde and Belleghen road, which runs down to the French frontier near Lille. " TWO OHUROHES BURNED IN DINANT. (Reo. September 9, 9.30 p.m.) • The Hague, September 8. The Germans have burned the two famous churches in Dinant, including St. Joseph's, in which was a Rueben's altarpiece. 'ALLIES' BANKS TAKEN OVER. , , ; Berlin, September 8. The "Vossische Zeitung" asserts that Germany is taking control of the Allies' banks in Belgium as a counter-move to Britain's attempt to starve Germany. RUSSIAN TROOPS SENT TO AID THE BELGIANS MOVEMENT VIA WHITE SEA REPORTED (Reo. September 9, 7.45 p.m.) Sydney, September 9. . ' Official sanction is, now given for the publication of the following mes-' sage, dated New York, September 4:~ "Incoming American tourists report that a large number of Russian soldiers arrived m Scotland via the White Sea and were brought by the railways through England and shipped to Ostend to reinforce the Antwerp garrison. The story was not believed-when first published owing to the Yellow Press activities, but the Ottawa Military Department states that it has now no reason for doubting that.apparently the Allies are meditating a move based on Antwerp."- •. . (Rec. September 9, 6.15 p.m.) New York, September 8. Mr. Oscar Straus, formerly United States Ambassador to Turkey, who has arrived here from England, states that it is an undoubted fact that Russian forces have reached Antwerp through England. The distanco by sea from Archangel to the north of Scotland is about 2000 miles. Archangel is also about 700 miles distant by (fail from the nearest centres of Russian population. REPORT RIDICULED IN LONDON. (Rec. September 9, 11.10 p.m.) London, September 8, evening. There have been persistent rumours for the past fortnight that a large force of Russians, via Archangel, traversed England and landed on the Continent. The idea is ridiculed locally owing to the magnitude of the alleged fcrce,' but a Berlin telegram, published in Rome, states that a Russian force has been landed in France. - AUSTRIANS SUFFER MORE REVERSES ) RUSSIANS ..JAKE NIKOLAIEFF TWELVE DIVISIONS DESTROYED AT LEMBERG I Petrograd, September 8. The Russians have occupied Nikolaieff, which lies at the point where Russia, Austria, and Germany meet. Strongly fortified positions with guns mounted in armoured cupolas were captured by. the Russians, and the Austrian ■ fort with its guns and a quantity of ammunition was seized. The Anstrians are in full retreat. An official message states that altogether twelve Austrian divisions (about , 200,000 men) have now been completely destroyed near Lemberg. Another Austrian army is operating on the Krasnostau front, in the Lubin district. It has sustained serious losses, and is now on the defensive, having been compelled at some points to retreat. Russia is experiencing great difficulty in disposing of her 82,000 Austrian prisoners. They have been sont to the interior. * ' . RUSSIANS WELCOMED IN GALICIA. Petrograd, September 8. . Thanksgiving services were hold throughout Russia to celebrate the reunion or Galicia, wliero Count Bobrinsky 3ms been appointed GovernorGeneral. Eye-witnesses report that the Russian advance into Galicia was first preceded by a wholesale flight of tlie peoplo, who, however, soon learnt better, and displayed tho greatest friendliness, welcoming the Russians with open arms. The troops were greeted by processions o£ priests with banners and crosses. Women brought provisions and declined payment.—("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ' GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVING. London, September 8. The "Daily News" correspondent at Petrograd states that many German aeroplanes are appearing on the Russian frontier, heralding tho arrival of a • lama reinfoMoment of German troop?.in tho.Posen district. .