GERMAN STEAMERS CAPTURED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2270, 2 October 1914, Page 5

GERMAN STEAMERS CAPTURED

The general air of optimism that pervades to-day's news of the position in France indicates that a very critical phase of the operations , has been passed through, to the marked advantage of the Allies. Dev spite" the desperate efforts of the Germans to guard their Right Wing, , by heavy reinforcements and stubborn fighting, the .steady pressure of the Allies' Left has turned the 'flank. A late message from Mr. , Maxwell, the "Daily Telegraph's"-correspondent, states that the Allies have won all along the line. The attacks by the Belgians operating. l .from Antwerp have been very useful in hampering the dispatch of reinforcements to the sorely-pressed Right Wing of the German Army in France. Further along the line the Allies have compelled the Germans to give ground 4t St. Mihiel, north of Verdun., Earl Kitchener's > view of the . .military situation is expressed in. a farewell speech ,to departing Territorials. He does not . think; that the war will last long now, and adds that the ' German food supply is becoming a very 6erious and pressing question. In the Eastern theatre, tie Russians, operating with great rapidity end energy, are, reported to have surrounded the fleeing Austrian Army ■ pear the Dukla'Pass, ,in the Carpathians,'while further north the operations aga'inst the; Germans have been attended with serious disaster to. the enemy. Two entire divisions, we are told, have been annihilated, and their army is in retreat. Along the Cracow line the Germans , have effected a. junction with the Austrians in that region, and are ; preparing to resist tho Russian advance.. The approach' of winter is: aaid:to be in favour of-the'Russians and against'the Germans'^'who' are not so used to of winter campaigning as are their adversaries. From the sea'comesi news of the capture of several German merchantmen off tie Cameroon coast in West- Africa. In, the Far East a naval bombardment-of*.the Tsing-Tau fortj has taken place, Japanese and British ; co-operating in a destructive fire on the fortified works of the German base at Kiao-Ohau. .