OFFICIAL NEWS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2391, 22 February 1915, Page 6

OFFICIAL NEWS

The Prime Minister has received the following messages .from the High Commissioner:— London, February 19, .4.30 p.m. , Paris reports: We are organising and consolidating the. positions gained. We captured a mortar at Quartro-En-fants Bridge between the Argonne and tho Meuse. In the Vosges wo lepulsed two enemy infantry attacks north of Wisembach, in the region of Bonhomme. London, February 20, 6.15 p.m. Paris reports: The enemy bombarded Nieuportsains and the dunes, our batteries efficaciously counter-bombarding. The Germans had import-ant forces engaged in yesterday's attack cn the trcnches east of Ypres. The bayonet attack after-the bombardment was repulsed, the Allies' artillery preventing reserves supporting tho attack. The German losses were high. It has been confirmed that tho German losses in Champagne and in the recent days' fighting were considerable.' According to. prisoners, a battalion was annihilated. On the heigths of the Meuse on Friday night the enemy delivered his fourth counter-attack against the trenches captured at Lesetarges, but was thwarted, like his previous attacks, by artillery. In Sattel, south of Laseght, the enemy succeeded in getting a footing on the eastern spur at Reicbackerkolf. The struggle is continuing.',

London, February 19, 10.25 p.m. ; Important memoranda from Sir E; Grey to Mr. Page, American Ambassador, on'the flag incident ,on the Lusitania and the seizure of the Wilhelm-' ina's cargo. AVith respect to the Lusitania,. Sir. E. Grey states that , the British Merchant .Shipping Act makes clear 'that the uso of the British flag by foreign merchantmen is permitted in Avar time for the_ purpose of escaping capture. It is unreasonable to expect tne Government to pass legislation forbidding the use of foreign flags under these circumstances while the Government does not intend 1 advising merchantmen to use foreign flags as a general practice. He points out the obligation of a belligerent warship to ascertain ■ definitely the nationality and character of a vessel before capture or destruction is universally Tecognised. That obligation fulfilled, a neutral flag on a British vessel could not possibly endanger lieutral shipping. Tho British Government holds that if neutrals have incurred loss, the responsibility lies" with tho enemy. With respect to' the Wilhelmina, the German Government claim to treat practically all towns aiid ports on the English coast as fortified places, as the ground for bombarding open towns like Yarmouth, .Scarborough, and AVhitby. Vessels bound to English towns on the east coast, with cargoes the Germans list as conditional contraband, have been seized. The Dutch vessel Maria, from California to Dublin, with a cargo of grain, was sunk by the Karlsruhe. The Gorman Government cannot have it- both ways. The British Government must have'liberty to treat Hamburg as a fortified place. Sir E. Grey recalls attention to the propriety to await the result of the Prize Court before diplomatic action. The. Govornment so far has not .declared-foodstuffs as contraband, and have not interfered with neutral ships with food cargoes, except when destined to the Government of tho enemy. The principle that civilians should not be exposed to treatment of combatants interfered with the. novel doctrines of the German Government. If the Government' hereafter is constrained to declare foodstuffs absolute contraband, it expects that such' action will not be challenged by neutral States, so long as- they cannot compel Germany to abandon her methods of warfare, which have not the sanction of either, law or humanity-

London, February"2o, 5.30 p.m. The British Admiralty announce that yesterday morning at 8 o'clock a British fleet of battleships and battlecruisers, accompanied by a flotilla, aided by a strong French squadron, the wholeunder the command of Vice-Ad-miral Sackville H. Carden, attacked the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles. The forts at Cape Helfes and Sum Kaleli were bombarded with deliberate long-range fire. Considerable effect was produced on ike two forts. The two were frequently hit, but being open earthworks, it is difficult to estimate the damage. The forts being outranged, were not able to reply to the At 2.45 p.m. a portion of the battleship force was, ordered to engage the forts at closer, range with their secondary armament, r The . forts on both sides of the entrance opened fire, al }d were engaged at moderate rango with the Vengeance, Cornwallis, Triumph,' Suffren, Gaulois,. and Bouvet, supported by the Inflexible and Agamemnon, at long range. The forts on the European side were apparently silenced. One fort on the Asiatic side was still firing when the operations were suspended owing to failing light. Tho ships of the 1 Allied fleet were not hit. The action was renewed the next morning, after aerial reconnaissance by His Majesty's aeroplane Arkroyal, in attendance with a number of seaplanes and aeroplanes of tho naval wing:

London, February ,20, 4.45 a.m. Fetrograd reportsOn the front between the Niemen and the Vistula, tlie Russians' in tho region of Augustowo are gradually leaving the sphere of fighting, and action is developing near Osowiec. In the Carpathians, a aeries of hostile attacks were repulsed. The Russians, by a dashing bayonet attack, captured the heights east of the Lupkow Pass. At daybreak oh Wednesday the Russians captured a small fortification in the region of Zavadok, killing all the German defenders. The German counter-attacks in massed formation wero repelled with great losses. At Wyszkow sanguinary fighting continues. Two thousand prisoners wero taken in two days.

By special advertisement, Messrs. C. Smith, Ltd., announce their first autumn show in the new premises. Judging from the splendid premises and the fine assortment of new season's? novelties now displayed there, we consider it will worth whilo for every lady to pay a visit to that show. . i , Entries for Messrs. Abraham and Williams's stock sale at Johnsouville on Wednesday are advertised elsewhere. Mr. James Penney, land agent, of Feilding, announces the sale or exchange of 1600 acres of farm land. A special announcement by Mr. H. Davidson, auctioneer, sets out farther particulars of tho continuation of the unreserved sale of JS.tOOO worth of articles.