A CAUSE OF WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2476, 1 June 1915, Page 5

A CAUSE OF WAR

ANNEXATION OF BELGIUM

DUTCH HINT TO GERMANY Amsterdam, May 30. The newspaper "Handelsblatt," in an outspoken article, says: "If Germany proclaims annexation of Belgium during the war, Holland should regard it as a casus belli, inasmuch as annexation wculd imply the extinction of Holland's independence." BATTLE OF FESTUBERT YOUNG OFFICERS TRIED 1 THEIR VALUE PROVED ("Times" and Sydney "Stin" Services.) London, May 30. The correspondent of the "Times" at British Headquarters, in his story of the battle of Festubert, says:— "The battle commenced on the night of May 10, with an advance on the German lines between Neuve Chapelle and Givenchy: The results of a fortnight's fighting are that we have driven baok the German front more than a mile. It now resembles a string of beads, each bead a fortress enfilading further advance. It will be necessary to destroy these pieoemeal before a connected forward movement will be possible. At the outset of our advance, tho encniv attempted to set up a barrier of fire behind us, making it perilous for us to send up men and munitions. Rain nullified the cannonade, numerous shells sinking into the earth without bursting. Bombs were used in a largo part of the attack for clearing tlio enemy's trenches. The Festubert" advance was due to the maenififloiit initial work of the engineers in working under heavy fire. The most important, lesson of the pic.sent phase is the value of the young officers. All the battalions that took part in the Feslnbert. battle, except, the Territorials, have been in all the fighting since October, including the first Ypres bellies. There were desperate losses, and ill consequence the new officer drafts seemed a risky experiment. Rut they worked perfectly. The voungsters

are popular, kecn,_ and highly competent. The Army is full of strenuous optimism and unshaken confidence, and is determined to finish the ioh.

at,!f.n woam'.n' ami rrnr.nnF.x lU'/PATniATKII.

London, May 30. f'pwflids of n thousand Austrian and OiraoH women and chiidroJi have heon