Loading...
The Exeter Advocate, 1915-6-17, Page 74,500,000 IN FRENCH ARMY Joffre Has now in Hand the Most Formidable War, Machine Ever Existed. A despatch from Paris says: Of the allies fighting against the Austro- German block, it is certainly the French who, in proportion to their population, have thus far made the greatest effort, After nine months of war the French army is more redoubt- able than at any time heretofore, The troops have passed a hard apprene ticeship in war; they are well equip- ped and thein morale is in general ex- cellent. Tools, artillery, war material and provisions have been massed in unbelievable quantities, The Germans' great fault has been their seven months' stagnation on the banks of the Aisne and the Yser. Af- ter the defeat of the Marne they should have tempted fate again at all costs. They preferred to entrench themselves in their mole hills and wait for some vague favor of destiny. LEMBERG SAVED FROX TRE ENEMY Russian Infantry Defeated Germans in Galicia with Surprising Ease. A despatch from Petrograd says: Russian infantry with surprising ease has inflicted a succession of great de- feats on the Germans in East Galicia. The main attack of the enemy was conducted at Mosziek with heavy guns on the railways, but it was spent before the Germans reached the barb- ed wire entanglements in front of the main position. They retreated in ut- most.disorder, leaving thousands of dead. Simultaneously the Russians start- ed an enveloping movement against Gen. Linsingen's army which had crossed the Dniester River, The Rus- sian infantry with magnificent dash attacked the Germans, who had a quantity of three-inch guns, and drove them from the woods. They annihi- lated one division and captured be- sides 261 officers, 9,300 znen, 17 field guns and 49 machine guns. The fight- ing lasted two days. The Germans are now entirely southward of the Dniester. Evidently they intended to develop in enormous Force here. They were headed by Prussian Guards, and advanced rapid- ly towards Halicz, from where they proposed to conduct the main attack on Lemberg. All the movement, how- ever, was easily frustrated. The Ger- mans are now gathering south of the Dniester, apparently waiting for re- inforcements. They have lost in the past six weeks more lives in Galicia than in the previous six months against Russia. Everywhere the Bus-,sians are in close contact with the enemy. There are signs that the Germans are developing great activity north of the Pilica, in Poland, towards the Niemen, with heavy artillery and a chemical laboratory, in the hope of drawing the main Russian strength there. The latest Russian success has been achieved solely with bullet and bayonet. Scarcely a shell has been fired in the last fortnight. The stra- tegy is regarded as a triumphant vin- dication of Gen. Ivanoff. BRYAN ATTACKS S WILSON' NOTE Hands Out Long Statement, Comiili- eating.the Already Critical Situation. A despatch from Washington says: While the President's note to Ger- many was being handed to the news- paper correspondents at the State De- partment, Wm. J. Bryan was passing out at his home a statement attack- ing ' the communication sent by Mr. Wilson on behalf of this Government.. In the statement Mr. Bryan de- scribes the President of the United States as an exponent of the old sys- tem in dealing with disputes between Governments, the system that has war as its cornerstone. Not only in this assertion, but in others, Mr. Bryan showed that he fears the pos- sibility of war between Germany and the United States as the result of Mr. Wilson's note. - Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, issued a statement whioh•was interpreted by Washington to mean that the Federa- tion of Labor, while doing everything possible to maintain peace, will stand firmly behind the President in his in- sistence that American lives shall notbe unnecessarily and unwarrantably jeopardized on the high seas. King of Belgium Wrote To Frontenac Woman A despatch from Kingston says: Mrs. Stover, of Violet, Frontei5ac county, who is past eighty-three years of age, has' received ',a letter from• King -Albert of Belgium, thanking her in the name of the Belgian people for her donation of fifteen pairs of socks which she knitted. herself. The case was brought to the King's attention iy friends of the aged lady. These seven months have allowed the French, and also the British, to perfect their armament and to drill their new units. The commander-in- chief of the Franco -British armies has now in hand the most formidable war machine that has ever existed. Certainly the French have suffered losses, which, if smaller than those of the Germans, are yet heavy. Since the start of the campaign about 1,- 300,000 French have been put hors de combat. Of these there have been about 360,000 killed and 280,000 pri- soners or missing, Of the total French loss of 1,300,- 000, about 180,000 have been dropped out, either for wounds causing perma- P nent infirmity or for serious illness. From 300,000 to 400,000 men cured of t wounds or illness have returned to their places in the ranks. MEN BURIED ALIVE HEAVY:MILTING IN TIIE- TRENTINO Shells from the Italians Cause vulnerable" Fort to Disap- pear in Clouds. The Rome correspondent of the Daily Mail telegraphs • Gorfizia, one of tie Austrians' most srongly fortified frontier points, is being heavily bombarded by the Italians from three sides. The Sagra- do dike on the lower Isonzo has been destroyed by the Italians. Its de- struction resulted in the flooding of the surrounding area almost to the coast, The Austrian salient of Playa (8 miles north of Gorizia on the rail- road), which the Italians have cap- tured, was shelled for some time by the Italians in their effort to cross the Isonzo at that point, and it was finally carried at the point of the bayonet. Above Tolniino a regiment of Ber- sagleri covered itself with glory. It was isolated on the eastern bank when the enemy destroyed three pontoon bridges over which supporting troops 'ere to cross the river. Instead of waiting to be attacked, the Bersagleri IJ liE 8 ELTE fl fitmgtrenchesthe, mseakinlvesg against mpossitheblforomostefox [) mthe enemy to employ his guns against --- - them: The Bersagleri' held almost all th The Terrible Effect on the Enemy of The French Artillery Fire, A despatch from Paris says: The French official "eye -witness" in an article on the fighting in the vicinity east of Tracy -le -Mont gives the de- tails of the capture by the French forces several days ago of the Quen- nevieres farm, "Throughout the day there was a heavy bombardment of the entire German position, which was evontin- ued during the night by aerial torpe- does and musketry. Our fire was very effective, the two battalions which held the position suffering heavy loss- es, many of the men being buried alive beneath their bomb -proof cel- lars. "We attacked with four battalions, composed of Zouaves, Tiraillours, Mo- roccans and Bretons, who, without haversacks, carried three days' ra- tions, 250 rounds of ammunition, hand grenades and a sack filled with earth to serve as a temporary shelter in the captured trench. "When the command to charge was given; the whole line, as one man, rushed across. Slight opposition was encountered. Only one ugick-firer was used by the Germans, which occasion- ed small losses. The attack was be- gun at 10.15 o'clock, andhalf an hour later the first prisoners were brought to the officers' headquarters. "The `clean sweep' ordered had been rapid and complete. Two hundred and fifty prisoners were the sole surviv- ors of the two battalions. The rein- forcements which the Germans endea- vored to bring up were mown down by our 75s. Two thousand of our ad- versaries were placed out of action. "The Zouaves continued on past the second line of trenches toward Tout - vent ravine. All at once the patrols, which were ahead of the main body of troops, were seen to sway and fail, although no shot had been fired. The Germans had placed a low barbed- wire entanglement in the high grain field to stop them. Our men soon severed the barbed wire and succeeded in capturing three German 77 -cannon, which had beeneffectively hidden be- neathe bomb -proofs a few yards far- ther on. "The whole position was captured and quickly fortified to withstand counter-attacks and communicating trenches with the main position were prepared. Our aviators reported that fresh reinforcements had been rushed up from Royal in auto -busses. Dur- ing the night the fresh troops'attack- ed, but were regalsed each time. "At dawn the enemy again attacked desperately our two wings, but by rain or hand grenades his fire was effectively stopped. "We counted on the ground where the counter-attacks took place ap- proximately two .thousand dead. The total estimate of the enemy's losses is three thousand dead, not counting the wounded. We lost two hundred and fifty men killed and 1,500 wounded. We captured 20 quick -firers and also a great quantity of trench materials". Planned the Escape of Zeppelin Prisoners A despatch from Copenhagen says: It has been established that two Ger- mans arrested on Sunday at Saeby, Denmark, who described themselves as C. Gumprecht and T. Hauff, of New York, are not Americans, although they had visited New York. These men, with H. Haan, of Copenhagen, were arrested on the charge of hav- ing been concerned in a plan'toeffect the escape of the interned German officers of the two Zeppelins wrecked last February off the Danish coast, Two• other Germans have been ar- rested on the same charge. ' It 'is as- serted the men had arranged to con- vey the interned German officers in automobiles to the coast, where a steamer was waiting to take them to Germany. First Figure :- Are you a pillar of the church 1, iSeioond Figure No, I'm a flying buttress—I support it from the outside. • e trenches until the pontoon bridges were reconstructed. For this action Col. de Rossi, who was in command, was decorated to the rank of major -general. There has been severe fighting in the Trentino in an attack on the fort called Il Padre Eterno, owing to its reputed invulnerability. The garri- son held out until, as an eye -witness says, the fort disappeared in the clouds.Trees around the fort could be seen thrown into the air, and it rained rocks. The fort replied all through a day and night, falling only at dawn. h+ W ARNEE ORD WINS LEGION OF HONOR France .Bestows .Decoration .on the Airman Who Smashed the Zeppelin. A despatch from Paris says: A. J, Warneford, the young Canadian avia- tor in the service of the British navy, who destroyed a German Zeppelin from his monoplane while the airship was flying over Belgium, has been given the Cross of the Legion of Ho- nor for his exploit, on the recommen- dation of General Joffre, commander- in-chief of the French forces. Warneford was given the Victoria Cross by King George for his achieve- ment. Relatives of Lieut. Warneford, V.C., who single-handed destroyed a Zeppe- lin in Belgium, have been discovered in New Brunswick, Rev. Mr. Warne- ford, of Johnston, N.B., is a cousin, and Dr. P. H. Warneford, of Hamp- ton, N.B., is an uncle. The latter says that Lieut. Warneford is the son of a military man, and was born in Eng- land. The doctor does not know whe- ther Warneford had been in Canada, though despatches relating to the young aviator referred to him as a Canadian. German to Testify At Lusitania Enquiry A despatch from Cincinnati, Ohio, says: Heinz Hardenberg, said to be a member of the aviation corps of the German Imperial Army, and possibly the army of German secret service agents of Germany, and who is be- lieved to be wanted in connection with the investigation into the Lusitania disaster by the special grand jury in New York City, was taken into cus- tody here by special agents of the De- partment of Justice. Serbian Aeroplanes Bring Down Austrian A despatch from Nish, Serbia, says: Three Austrian aeroplanes dropped bombs on Kragojevatz, kill- ing or wounding twelve persons. Ser- bian aeroplanes pursued the hostile machines, bringing one down. Another aeroplane with two German officers was taken 'at Gripalanka. Grampian Arrives With Canadian Troops A despatch from Ottawa says: The Militia Department was. advised Thursday of the safe arrival of the Grampianat an English port. She carried 1,038 officers and men from the 48th battalion of Winnipeg, 500 from Winnipeg and Brandon, rein- forceinentsto the 79th, and a party of 33 doctors. 3,. Slow Fathers. "Mamma, I'm 'afraid papa was pretty slow when he was a young man." . •.• "Perhaps he was. He always paid his debts and used good English and knew nothing about cigarettes and never saw a taxicab and hadn't any clubs, and Was able to support a wife before he married. I guess he was. pretty slow. GER PIAN AGENTS FO ENT STIRKES Aim Is to Render Idle Big Factories In the United States Who Are Supplying Arms to Allies, A despatch. from New York says: Agents of Germany, it has been learn- ed in reliable quarters, have taken, steps with the aim of starting strikes in the big factories that are supplying arms ,ammunition and other war sup- plies for the allies. They have worked out with minute detail a gigantic plan by which they hope to prevent the filling of many of the contracts .through strikes of the employes. While they may not expect to stop entirely the shipment of the orders that are variously esti- mated at between $300,000,000 and perhaps $500,000,000, they are hoping for a breakdown in the immense buss - fess now being done in this country, It was not decided to tamper with labor until many other schemes, aim- ed to cut off the war supplies business in this country, had failed utterly. Various efforts have been made by German sympathizers or agents of Germany, either known or concealed,. to stop the export of vast quantities of supplies from the United States for the soldiers of the allied countries. First there was attempted rational legislation; then a personal appeal by Count von Bernstorff, the German Ambassador, to Secretary of State Bryan; next a big scheme of Germans to buy up the big plants; next an ef- fort to swamp these same factories with orders for German supplies that never would be shipped from this country. All these schemes having failed, plans are now being set on foot to start labor agitation in the different plants that have received the greatest amount of orders. It is said now that money is not lacking for the spread- ing of the propaganda by which the Germans hope to cause generalwide- spread labor discontent and bring about strikes. The scheme has been evolved by a master mind, but the head workers in the conspiracy are not expected to come in touch with the workingmen. By working through various channels they are said to have succeeded already in influencing local labor leaders in the different cities and towns unwittingly to formulate demands on the employers. MOST VULNERABLE CITY. Venice Has Poorest Chance in War of Italy, With ftaly in the war, a spot dear to the tourist, the traveller and the lover of the artistic and romantic is in peril. Venice of all the Italian coast towns is the most vulnerable, When she was mistress of the sea and her merchantmen sailed the waters of the known world, while her colonies spread over the Levant and her war- ships humbled the Turks, the lagoons and the long sandbars were effective protection. But to -day these waters are too shallow for the Italian fleet, and her protectors must come from the nearest naval base at Taranto to save her from the modern long-range guns of the Austrian ships that could attack from Pola, less than 150 miles across the Adriatic. All the world that travelled for pleasure or instruction went to Ven- ice. The continental tour of every American or Britisher was incomplete without a sight of the Piazza of St. Mark, and the honeymoon of every prosperous German couple was lack- ing in true sentimentality if it did not include a gondola ride on the Grand Canal. The city's situation, art and romantic history, told in the winding waterways and palaces, made her uniuqe among all resorts. Un!tcdStatcs 1otc to: Bcrlin President Wilso Notifies Kaiser That Laws Must be Respected. A despatch from Washington says: ing to make to the other, and his in+. President Wilson called upon Ger-1 vitation to the Imperial German Gov-' many for an expression as to whether ernment to make use of the services or not she intends to abide by the of the United States in this way, principles of international law as res This latter proposal is in answer' to gards American lives and American the reference in the German note to ships. He has asked in effect for a the efforts already made by the prompt response, and on the reply to United States to bring about a modi- this question probably will depend fication of Germany's submarine prom whether or not the cordial relations gramme through obtaining Great Bri- between the two Governments are to tain's :consent to importations of food continue. This demand is regarded by cargoes into Germany for the civil official Washington as the crux of the population. This effort on the part of note which President Wilson despatch- the United States came to naught, ed to Germany. All other points in and instead of acting upon Germany's the communication were intended to intimation that it might be renewed, be subordinate and incidental to this. ` the President now lays upon the Kai - Two features of the note, while in ser and his advisers the responsibility no wise modifying the demand for ass of making any proposals to Great surances as to the future, hold the Britain. door open to Germany for a possible The kernel of the President*s note alteration of her submarine pro- to Germany is found in this eonclud- gramme. One of these is the Pres'. ing sentence: dent's invitation to Germany to sub- "The Government of the 'United mit any "convincing evidence" in its : ,States deems it reasonable to expect possession that the United States- that the Imperial German Govern - officials failed to perform their duties': ment will adopt the measures neces- in examining the Lusitania before she sary to put these principles (those of sailed, The other is the President's international law) into practice in re - offer to convey to Great Britain or spect to the safeguarding of American Germany any intimation or sugges- ships, and asks for assurances that tion either Government may be will- this will be done." RUSSIANS TAKE THE OFFENSIVE Attack the Invader in Both Galicia and the Baltic Pro- vinces, A despatch. from London says: Russian reinforcements arrived in the Baltic provinces and in Galicia, and it became their turnto attack. Accord- ing to the German official report, part of the German force on the Dubyssa River, in the Baltic provinces, threa- tened by an encircling movement, were obligedto withdraw, although in the region of Shavli and on the Nie- men they claim to be making pro- gress, despite a stubborn Russian re- sistance. More important, in the belief of military observers here, is the appar- ent change that is taking place in the Galician battle. Here again, accord- ing to the German account, the Rus- sians are advancing to the south and south-east of Lemberg, and also are attacking Gen. Linsingen's force which crossed the Dniester near Zur- awna. In Eastern Galicia and Bukowina, however, the Russians are falling back between the Pruth and Dniester rivers with the intention, it is believed here, of making the Dniester their line of defence from the Roumanian frontier to the south-east of Peremysl. They have very strong positions along this line, and military experts say that if they can drive back the Germans who crossed the river near Zurawna, Lem- berg will remain in their hands, and they will be in a position to deliver a vigorous offensive, at any rate as soon as the Austrians and Germans begin to withdraw troops for their western and southern campaigns. God Is On Our Side, Read German Orders A despatch from Petrograd says: The Russians have obtained copies of the following German staff order is- sued to the troops on the River Bzura in Central Poland: "God Himself is on our side and fights for us in - our conflict against the whole world. We, by the Will of the Almighty, have had put into our LOST 258,000 MEN IN 10 MONTHS hands a new and mighty weapon— those gases wherewith we have de- feated our enemies. The power and domination of Germany over all Europe are our only aims in this war, and we must allow nothing to stop us Premier Asquith Gives List of Casu- alties in the British Army. A despatch, from London says: Pre- mier Asquith announced in the House of Commons that the total of British in gaining a final and now assured casualties from the beginning of the victory. Ere two months have passed war to May 31st was 258,069 men in our foes will be beaten into the dust." killed, wounded and missing. Divided a • - into categories of killed, wounded and missing, officers and men, the list shows the folowing:— Killed. Wounded. Missing. Officers .... 3,327 6,498 1,130 Other ranks. 47,015 147,482 52,617 Total .. 50,342 153,980 53,747 The losses in the naval division are - not included in this list. Mr. Asquith's statement of losses was for the Continental and Mediter- ranean forces editerraneanforces of the Empire. He pro mised togive the losses in the naval division later. Neither did the list in- clude the forces of Great Britain en- gaged in the various small wars in Africa and the Near East. To Punish Murderers. A despatch from El Paso, , Texaa, says: H. C. Myles, British Vice -Con- sul, telegraphed Gen. Villa demanding punishment of Villa soldiers responsi- ble for the recent killing of four and the wounding of one British subject at Tuxpam. The message was sent on instructions of Sir Cecil Spring- Rice, British Ambassador at Wash- ington. Canadian Nurses Off For Firing Line A despatch from London says: Mme. Casault, daughter of Judge Cas- ault, and 35 other French-Canadian nurses, have proceeded to France for service in the British base hospital, where their proficiency in the dual languages will make them exception- ally useful. Five New Zeppelins Fly Over the North Sea A despatch from London says: A Copenhagen despatch to the Daily Mail says that five Zeppelins of the newest type left Schleswig and flew toward the North Sea. GRADISCA FALLS TO THE ITALIANS Successful Operations on All Three Fronts Against Austrians Have Been Made. A despatch from Rome says: An official statement made at the main headquarters of the Italian army says that the Italians are naw solidly es- tablished in the Austrian city of Gradisca, which, it is stated, has been held by the Italian advanced troops for some days. The full statement which is signed by Lieut. -General Count Cadorna, chief of staff of the Italian army, follows: "Some progress has been made of different points along the front. A reconnaissance party beyond Monte. Hero found in the gorges recently ex• plored by our fire the wreckage o� rifles and machine guns abandoned bs the enemy, and the bodies of forts Austrians. "Enemy forces comprising six bat. talions, coming from Plezo (in Aus. tria, 89 miles north-west of Gorizia) attempted, according to statement; made by prisoners, to take our troops, in the region of Montenero in the rear. The attempt was frustrated by the energetic resistance and =pie manoeuvring of the bersagliere and AIpine troops. "We are now solidly established ir the city of Gradisca, which has beer held by our advanced troops for some days." Successful operations announced b. General Cadorna in three sectors o' the war theatre have a definite value to the invading army. On the Tyrol. Trentino front the Italians, thanks tc the latest victorious achievements now occupy the principal dominating positions everywhere. The Italians have steadily maintained a forwarc movement. At Cortina d'Ampezzo one of the most northerly points ir. the Trentino sector, our allies have repulsed the Austrians who opposed their passage into the heart of the country. The roads leading from Fal- zarego to the valley of Drava are now commanded by the invaders. Very se- vere fighting preceded the driving out of the Austrians from unusually strong positions. In the forefront of the struggles were the Alpinists, whose splendid re. cord already in this war has sheet fresh glory on the military annals of Italy. Broken by artillery fire, the Austrians nevertheless tried conclu- sions with the Italian infantry. Des- perate fighting lasted two days and culminated in dislodging the Aus- trians, who retreated in some confu- sion, abandoning artillery and muni- tions to the victors. No Fear of Cholera, French Doctor Says A despatch from Paris says: Dr Louis Legroux, of the Pasteur Insti- tute, has made the declaration that neither soldiers nor civilians in France need have any fear of the cholera. Cholera microbes are destroyed, the doctor says, by other microbes that develop during the process of the do composition ..of bodies in the open air. This and other reasons, according to Dr. Legroux, removes all danger of cholera from decomposing bodies, ' Only ten per cent. of the flowers that grow in Europe are odiferous. GERMAN TROQPS for FRANCE A despatch from London says: A. new Germanarmy of about 500,000 men, some of them first-class troops, is moving west, according to the cor- respondent of the Daily Mail at Aix la Chapelle. Dutch corresponS,.nts also report the arrival of large nuin' hers of troop trains in Belgium. Along most of the French front the fighting is of a character similar to that which has been in progress fol; many months.