France

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 54, 20 October 1914, Page 5

France

GERMANS DRIVEN BACK OVER 30 MILES.

United Pkess Association,

London, October 18

The Press Bureau states that the Allies have driven back the enemy over 30 miles in the northern area. Paris, October 8.

Official.—The Germans attempted two violent attacks east of St. Die, but the attacks were repulsed with serious loss.

The Germans recently threatened the northern French coast. Besides suffering heavily, they are now short of ammunition and stores. Heavy rain for the past few days has rendered parts of the zone between the two armies a morass. ' The Allies' strong progress on the left compelled the Germans to retreat, and the re-occupa-tion of Estaires forced the Germans hurriedly to vacate the plain of Beyer, Hazelrock, and Lille. The Germans have withdrawn to the uplands to the south and south-east. The Germans are occupying Warneton. They burned half-a-dozen houses on the pretext that civilians fired upon their troops. They ordered a levy, but were not satisfied with the sum raised, though it largely exceeded the official demand. Whereupon they tied M. Godschalk, the septuagenarian Burgomaster, to the beam of a charred house" and riddled him with bullets.

BELGIAN NEUTRALITY, FRENCH FRATERNAL ARDOR IN THEIR SACRED DUTY. (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, October 19. M. Poincare, welcoming the Belgian Ministry to Havre, said: "We were guarantors of Belgian neutrality —not of those who disown their signature; but the heroism of your nation has rendered our duty still more sacred, and we will carry it out to the end with fraternal ardor." THE SPY FEVER. STARTLING REVELATIONS IN COUNTRY AND CITY.

(Received 10.0 a.m.) London, October 19. The Express's Paris correspondent states that fifteen spies at Sillery, a village in the Rheims district, were shot in twelve days. The majority were French workmen who were receiving 100 francs a, week. The epidemic of espionage has been traced to M. Mumm, of champagne fame, who told the employees that the industry would shortly be German, and that if they cared for their own interests they would do all to help the Germans. Mumm -was taken prisoner. A German bought the property adjoining the Chareton quarries in Paris. The building, which was erected by tender, and was the work of German architects and manufacturers, was of reinforced concrete. Recent visits revealed that a sixty-foot shaft was sunk into underground quarries, where military material and explosives sufficient to explode the town was stored.

GERMANS SURPRISED. FRENCH TERRITORIALS MAKE SUCCESSFUL SORTIE. (Received 9.45 a.m.) London, October 19. Details of the engagement at St. Mihiel on October 3rd show that a battery of mountain guns on mules, and a battalion of Territorials with searchlights advanced during the night through forests guided by foresters, and encountered German outposts two miles from a bridge. The Territorials surprised the camp, and the searchlights lit up the bridge, which the guns destroyed, many Germans being bayoneted and many drowned in the river.

WOE TO ENGLAND! A PICTURE FROM BERLIN IN NATURAL COLORS. Times and Sydney Sun Sehvioes. * (Received 8.0 a.m.) London, October 19. A Times neutral correspondent in Berlin writes: "There is no boasting over the German successes. Berliners sav: 'Yes, we've had victories; but what of the dead.' The theatres are open and are crowded, the pieces being patriotic plays. Traffic is regular, the wives of soldiers acting as tram conductors. The streets are brilliantly lighted. Sport is reviving. The universities are open as usual. The whole population is confident of victory. They have been educated to consider the retention of Belgium as unlikely, the difficulty of ruling it being said to be greater than the advantage. The populace is not discouraged by the failure to reach j Paris, but is confident that the city will yet bo taken. Armed invasion I of England is not mentioned, but confidence is reposed in Zeppelins, of which a large number are being constructed with all speed. The bitterest hatred is shown for England, whose only motive for participating is said to be jealousy of Germany's industrial development and a desire ,to cripple German trade. 'Therefore,' say they, 'Woe to England!' "