THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 February 1915, Page 3

THE WAR

j . Latest Cables [ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPY BIGHT. J I [PER PRESS ASSOCIAIION. J (Received This Day 6.10 a.m.) TiiJi MAIMED AND BROKEN. London, Feb. 16. 1 lie Jirst batch ol 00 incapacitated German.-, kft by the V ictoria yesterday ; practically each had lost a limb. Amsterdam, Feb. 1(3. The Dutch members «f the Red Cross Society Society at Oldenzaal presented tobacco, lruit and refreshments to 110 liberated British soldiers who are mostly maimed and blind. German ambulance men accompanied them across Dutch territory. THEIR. REWARD. The Emden'b landing party who ;s----oaped in the schooner Ayesha have "e----ceived Iron Crosses. BLIND LEADING THE BLIND. A vessel guiding Gorman torpedoors in the mine zone was mined and sunk at Borkiim Island. BETWEEN IMPRISONMENT AND THE DEEP SEA. A lifeboat at Schiennonnik Island answered distress signals and found a German waterplane stranded on a sand bank. The crew of the lifeboat -et'used to promise that they should not be interned and the airmen decided to wait their chance of rescue by a torpedo boat, and clung for live hours, in a rising storm, to their machine. They were then again compelled to signal to the lifeboat, but she was toa late to rescue them. (Received This Day, 9.50 a.m. THE POSITION IN BELGIUM. Loudon, Feb. 10. The report of Rockefeller's Commission which enquired into the position Belgium states that 320,000 Belgian refugees are in Holland and 100,000 in England, but many driven out of their iiomes are still in Belgium. The commission found people living in cellars, lofts ;ind cowstalls, and saw children that, had been born in fowl-houses and pig-stys. No estimates could be <>btained of the total German military requisitions, but they must be enormous, and covered all classes of goods anil live stock. The people were 'euied the use of the telegraphs and mails and had no means of communicating uitli the out.side world except through German channels. Alleviating circumstances were noted where all classes took a share in tho national trouble and the burden was automatically distributed. The poor tenants paid no rents, although the landlor Is were almost as impoverished as the tenants. Tho sale ol intoxicating liquor was stopped. THE AIR RAIDERS. Amsterdam, Feb. 10. A Dutch correspondent states that the raid of the thirty-four aeroplanes badly damaged the bridge at Ostend, cutting off the railway station trom the sea. The bombs destroyed the station at Blankenberge, the electrical works and coke facotry at Zeebrugge, also the workshops where the submarines were fitted up and twenty workman were wounded. They "totally destroyed a Zeppelin shed and its contents.

MORE TROUBLE FOR TURKEY. Athens, Feb. 17. Owing to the difficulties and nonI'ulfilment of the Porte's satisfaction to Greece, M. Panas has quitted Constantinople. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. London, Feb. 16, 7.45 p.m. The French reports state that since the British successes at La Bassee at the beginning of last week, there has been less activity in that area. Nevertheless further progress has been made in this quarter and a valuable point secured without loss. We have consolidated our hold on the ground gained and conclusive evidenco obtains of the enemy's losses. The recent fighting was severe in the v pres district where the enemy attacked our lines, succeeding in the first in gaining piossession of a few trenches. Our coun-ter-attacks reCbvered the ground lost. On tho remainder of the front there was some increase in tho intensity : n I lie artillery duel, the British shorwmarked superiority and direct hits frequently occurred on the enemy's guns and much damage being tw his defences. An aviator discovered a hostile ammunition column near La Bassee and dropped a bomb on it and exploded in ammunition waggon. SIR -JOHN FRENCH'S REPORT. Kir Jiihn French 's report states that since November 30th the operations have been limited by the weather conditions. Recent developments in irniaments and the latest methors of warfare have imposed great drawbacks to n vigorous winter campagin. The mists ami fogs mean an unnecessary waste of long range artillery ammunition. and also militated aircraft reconnaisance. but many aerial combats were fotighi and raids carried out to the enemy's detriment. The petrol depots wore bombarded and the enemy's a;rcraft material destroyed. The present accuracy and range of the rifles and quickiiring machine-guns require the Tire-swept zones to be crossed rapidly, an<t" this is impossible over ground knee-deep in mud without entailing iTnncessary losses. At the beginning of December a reconnaisanoe showed that much of the enemy's artillery had withdrawn, but there was no great diminution in its efficiency. Although there was almost continuous artillery and rifle fire, there were comparatively few operations calling tor special comment. The men weiv subjected to tlie severest trials; frost and snow alternating with rain, compelled them ;o stand waist-deep in the trenches for many hours in bitterly cold water, within 200 yards of a vigilant enemy. Unfortunately the circumstances prevent any accout of the many splendid instacas of courage and enduranoe n the face of unparalleled hardships reaching the public. The Territorials more than justified the most sanguine hopes, and the reinforcements have ■ rrived with remarkable promptitude and rapidity.