BELGIAN GOVERNMENT MOVES TO FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2281, 15 October 1914, Page 5

BELGIAN GOVERNMENT MOVES TO FRANCE

CAPITAL AT LE HAVRE BELGIAN FIELD ARMY RETIRES INTACT (Rec. October 14, 5.66 p.m.) ''~-■' London, October 13. Offioial.—The seat of the Belgian Government has been shifted from Ostend to Le Havre, in France. ' Le Havre, after Marseilles, ia the most • important seaport in France. It lies about 160 miles south-west of Ostend, and is about 145 miles distant from the nearest point of Belgian soil. - •(Reo. Ootober 15, 0.10 a.m.) v Bordeaux, October 13. • The Minister for War is still at Ostend, and King Albert remains at the. head of the army. The Diplomatic Corps, accompanied the Government to Le Havre. The French Government settled the legal questions' involved in the transference of the .Belgian oapital to French soil, on tho linos of the arrangement existing between Italy and the Vatican. « 'After tho loss of the Pope's temporal power in 1870, the Italian Government, by a law passed in May 13, 1871, scoured to the Vatican tho Lateran, and tho Papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, the privilege of exterritoriality, and thus constituted the residence of the Pope virtually ah independent State. Under the same law the Italian Government voted the Pope an allowance of £129,000 per annum. This remains unclaimed and unpaid, and its arrears, without interest, would this year amount to £5,676,000, .GERMANS OCCUPY GHENT.Amsterdam, October 13. German cavalry entered the city of Ghent and hoisted the German flag, Ghent is the capital of East Flanders and lies about midway between Antwerp and Ostend. It has a population of about 170,000. HEAVY FIGHTING NEAR GHENT. (Rec. Ootobor 14, 10.30 p.m.) Amsterdam, October 13. The "Telegraaf" states the occupation of Ghent followed after heavy lighting on Saturday at Quatrccht and Molle. The Germans then marched towards Distend. Patrola wore soon at Kooloo and Üblaus near Bruges. The . Germans are bridging tho canal at 2?lswto, -

There was an enormous exodus front OateHdr-aad thousands stormed the mail boats after the Government's departure, Quatrecht is about six miles south-east of Ghent, -and'Helle is five miles south-east. Eecloo is twelve miles north-west of Ghent, Zelzaete is on the frontier, twelve miles norbhl of Ghenti . BELGIAN-FIELD AEMTr INTACT, London, October 18* "Hie Times" Paris correspondent reports that the Belgian field army Is totally intact, and has removed from Antwerp all its cannon. The "Daily News" Bordeaux correspondent says that the Germans en* gaged at Antwerp probably did not exceed sixty thousand, ANTWERP POETS STILL'RESISTING, • . •" Ostend, October 13. * Some of the Antwerp forts held out till Sunday;. 'j. Paris, Ootober 13. . Reports state that some of the forts along the line of the Scheldt are' ■ still resisting. General de Guise, the Governor sof Antwerp, commands one. . INTERNED TROOPS. The Hague, Ootober Is. There are 2200 Belgian and British 1 troops from Antwerp interned u& Holland. Eighteen thousand euooeeaed in joining the main Belgian army* ' London, Ootober 13. Thirty men of the British naval force, a portion of the two thousand interned m Holland, have returned to London, having been released because? " they were attached to tho Red Cross section. They pay a high tribute to courage of the Belgians, who were merely outclassed by the German artilleryjt (Reo. October 14, 6.25 p.m.) J' London, Ootober 13. ' % The Netherlands War Office reports that 860 British are interned atf.. ! V. Groningen, including 11 officers. Altogether 22,800 Britishers and -Belgians are interned in different'places, of whom 1560 are British.—("Times"- and ; Sydney "Sun" Services.) '..,?' (Reo. October 14, 10.25 p.m.) London, October 18. - o;" Lieutenant Dukinfield. who! has returned from Antwerp, Btates that the • naval contingent quitted the trenches at night. He considers that the-entry-' of two thousand of the contingent into Holland must have been the result., of the guide's treachery. • _ . BRITISH IN THE TRENCHES FOR FOUR DAYS.- .: London, October 13, Mr. Martin Donohoe (war,,correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle") 6tate'S. that the Naval Brigade was terribly cut up on Thursday night. Some of the sailors and marines had been in the trenches without relief for four-consecu- • - tive nights and days. Those who were not wounded were so exhausted 'flat' "'" they wore scarcely able to walk, but showed splendid courage and devotion; . They refused to evacuate the town when the general retirement was- or^ : dered, insisting cm. being permitted' to stay behind and fight to the bitter, end. ' - _ ■-..-'. The Belgians declare that when the main body of the Belgian army retired; the British were still holding out bravely, fighting in the most exposed positions, and disputing every inch of ground with the advancing Germans* - The British were subsequently driven back towards the city. ■".'-'' • BRITISH. CONTINGENT RETURNS. (Rec. October 14, 9.20 p.m.) ■ . London, October .13. - Five thousand of the British contigent helping in the defence of AntweTp returned to England, and had an enthusiastic reception at Deal—and- " Dover. V • ' ■■> "t GUN SITES PREPARED FOR GERkANS. ; Ostend, October .18-. Officials from Antwerp state that platforms of conorete, on which _ the " : German big guns were mounted, were prepared for the Germans- at Vieux . Dieux and Hove, which are suburbs of Antwerp, where German residents had villas with largo gardens. Other big gun positions were prepared in a German paper-mill. ' ' , FRENCH STAFF NOT SURPRISED AT THE NEWS. ■■X London, October 13. The fall of Antwerp did not surprise General Joffre's Staff. It was not expected that the city would withstand the heavy guns for more than a week.—("Times" and' Sydney "Sun" Services.) ! "' '' '" FUGITIVES RETURNING. ; ■' .-m" (Reo. October 14, 9.20 p.m.) Rome, October 13. Reports from Germany state that 38,500 fugitives are returning to Anl> werp. ' -, (Rec. October 14, 9.20 p.m.) . The Hague, October 18. , A, proclamation signed by the Mayor, Sheriffs, and the German Commander of Antwerp ha6-been published on the Dutch frontier, asking refugee's to return to the city, and promising that private property would be respeoted. SCHELDT BLOCKED BY SUNKEN STEAMERS. (Rec. October 14, 9.20 p.m ) Tho Hague, October 13. Dutch and German newspapers state the British sank the Gneisenau and other vessels in such positions in the. Scheldt as to have completely blocked it . for years. The Gneisenau is a steamer of 8185 tons gross, belonging to the . Norddeutsoher Lloyd line, and well known inthe Australian trade.