CONTINUED PROGRESS OF THE ALLIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2330, 11 December 1914, Page 5

CONTINUED PROGRESS OF THE ALLIES

ADVANCE IN NORTH FRANCE GERMAN WAR LORD SERIOUSLY INDISPOSED Tho following message (dated London, _ December 9,' 7.55 p.m.) has been received from the High Commissioner for New Zealand:— "Tho French artillery in the Argonno secured appreciable gains. Progress was made all along the Argonne front and the heights of tho Meuse." London, December 9. Private messages from Berlin declare that the Germans are preparing a violent attempt to break the Allies' line on the west wing—"Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services." FRENCH GOVERNMENT RETURNS TO PARIS. Bordeaux, December 9. Tho Government has returned to Paris. KAISER REPORTED TO BE SERIOUSLY ILL Paris, December !). The "Figaro" says that it has the highest authority for stating that the spirit of German Court oirclou is very downhearted, The future is viewed with ureat anxiety..

Amsterdam states that Berlin telegrams assert that_ the Kaiser's condition. is serious. He is suffering from pneumojiia and continued nervous depression caused by over-exertion. He has continual headaches and is extremely violent to those round him. The doctors advise that he should hot return to the front. His illness is causing uneasiness throughout Germany. A message from the High Commissioner of New Zealand, dated from London, states:— 1 "It is unofficially reported, that the Kaiser's condition is serious." SECRET VISIT TO EMPEROR F&ANZ JOSEPH. (Roc. December 10, 11.35 p.m.) Amsterdam, December 10.. The Kaiser caught a chill during a secret visit to the Emperor Franz Josef of Austria. He refused to take precautions, nnd secretly returned to Uerlin at midnight on Thursday. WAR LORD'S DISAPPOINTING RETURN TO BERLIN. Copenhagen, December 9. The Kaiser's unexpeot-ed return to Berlin from tho eastern zone caused intense disappointment, as the people hoped when he returned it would be at the head of a victorious army. It is asserted that the Kaiser's return is due to the uneaainess felt at the attention of Russian aviators, who obtrusively followed his every movement. POPE URGES A CHRISTMAS ARMISTICE. ' London, Deoomb'er 9. Rome reports that the Pope is urging the cessation of hostilities during Christmas. It is not believed his efforts will be successful. HEAVY FIGHTING ON THE DIXMUDE LINE FRENCH FRONT HARD PRESSED FOR TWO DAYS. ' ' (Rec. December 10, 9.45 p.m.) . London, Deoember 10. The "Daily Chronicle's" Dunkirk correspondent says that the German front has been bent back between Menin and Roulers (on the Dixmude rail- • way line), which they threatened to capture. The Germans attaoked ' the entrenched Forest of Houthen, which was cleared before they gave up their trenches to the relieving force. Th© onslaught was so furious that the advance penetrated to Becelaere and Gheluvelt (6 miles from Ypres). , The French were hard pressed for two days, but their counter-attack, commenced on. Monday afternoon, was entirely successful, and the .Germans were thrown back on Ghelure (11 miles from Ypres), within a short distance of Menin (on the same line of railway). CLEVER CAPTURE BY THE BELGIANS. (Reo. December 10, 9.40 p.m.) Dunkirk, December 10. The Belgians on December 8 cleverly captured several German trenches on the Yser. Noticing that the Taube aeroplanes were active, the Belgians prepared rafts, and ostentatiously placed soldiers on board, suggesting an attack across the floods. The Germans accordingly massed a strong force on the 'opposite side, and awaited events. The rafts commenced to cross in the afternoon and reached a farm-house ill the midst of the floods, where they exchanged shots under a heavy machine-gun fire! The plucky crows, only surrendered when an overwhelming force of Germans waded into the water. Meanwhile the remainder of tho Belgians crept up to the German trenches. Plenty of defenders remained, but the machine guns which were dispatched to meet the attack by the rafts wer? missed. The Belgians, crying "Remember Louvain!"' iarried the trenches with the bayonet, thus advancing the Belgian line about threequarters of a mile. Later, tho Germans, reinforced, sought to recaptrue the trenches, and the battle continued far into the night. But the Belgians at dawn were comfortably dug in, and maintained their position