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Show AUSTRALIAN TROOPS START FOR WAR I I GERMANS REPORT STEADY ADVANCE 1 w AGAINST ALLIES IN WEST FLANDERS Roll r . 1 . '6 U,- 1 GERMAN TROOPS ARE NOW LESS J THAN FIFTY MILES FROM CALAIS -T!i, ich 4 ter o! Conflict in Belgium Continues With Deadly Fury Kaiser's Soldiers Evidently Determined to Keep Up Struggle to m Reach Coast or Be Utterly Crushed British and tnl French Warships Are Standing Guard Ready alc to Do Effective Work at the Proper Time. 1 BR- C BERLIN REPORTS GENERAL ADVANCE aim Statement From Headquarters Alleges Victories East of Ypres and Capture cf French Soldiers, Cannon and Machine Guno Servians Put Austrians to Rout, One Thous-and Thous-and Killed, Two Thousand Captured and Many in. I Drowned in the Danube British Parlia- JjJJ ment Facing Severe Criticism. a St ppera Petrograd. Nov. 12 A dispatch received here from Con stantinople says that the Turkish cruiser Goeben was pene- ulroe trated by a shell at her water line during the recent bombardment bombard-ment of the Dardnaelles. by the allied Anglo-French fleet. The refiK.-. damage inflicted is described as serious The Goeben is one of the two German cruisers taken over by Turkey after the 2 outbreak of the war. e dor. ma Berlin, Nov. 1 2, via London, 6 p. m. German general 1 headquarters issued the following: "The enemy advanced from Nieuport as far as Lombaert-zyde, Lombaert-zyde, bul was driven across the Yser. The eastern bank of the ser as far as the sea is now clear of the enemy. "Our attack across the Yser canal to South Dixmude is 1 progressing. "In the region east of Ypres we have advanced further and captured 700 French soldiers, four cannon and four ma-j ma-j chine guns. London, Nov. 12, 3:30 p. m. A report was current in the lobbies of the house of commons this afternoon that three German cruisers had been sunk in the Pacific at a place not specified. No confirmation however, of this rumor is obtainable. obtain-able. J Berlin, Tuesday, Nov. 10. by wireless Turkish official jrf report received here from Constantinople and given out today, rH says that the Russians have been completely defeated on th; S Caucasian frontier after a fight which lasted two days. The positions of the Russians now are occupied by the Turks. A U I urkish fleet pursued the Russian ships which took part in the jffidl bombarding of Koslu on the black sea, but the Russians es-caped es-caped in a fog. Nish, Servia, Nov. 12, via London. 1 1 : 52 a. m. The six battalions of Austrian infantry with quick firing guns which crossed the Danube near Szedrove, under cover of artillery fire on November 9, have been annihilated by a Servian counter coun-ter attack according to official information given out in Nish today. All the men not killed, wounded or drowned in the 11 Danube fell into our hands, the Servian announcement con-iiac con-iiac v tinned. "We made 2,000 prisoners and captured two quick m firing guns." I Paris. Nov 12. 2:45 p m. The Preach official statement siren out In Paris this afternoon says that the lighting on the left wing continues with violence and characterized with alternate advances and retirements without importance. Generally B peaking peak-ing the statement declares the battle bat-tle front shows no important changes K9H since the tenth of NoTemhei )QP The 1 1- t of the communication fol- I lows "On our lef: wing the fighting still continues with violence and baa ijgdt Won conducted with alternate ad a4tL vances and reUrements without Im portance. Speaking broadly, the bal front hap not varied greatly Zl since the 'entli oi November. The ening of yesterday It extended sB aloriv the line i tween Lorabaertzyde PrCDl ' "'J sl' ,Jl'(,rt ""' N'euport canal to SruM! ' l-res ; the approaches ol Ypres. in II the reBon of Zonnebeck'e, and to th east of Armentieree 'There has been no change in the L Positions here by tbe British army I Ol I v'blcn repulsed the attar-hs of tin lit NT, etny and repelled an offensive move-Ill move-Ill v ment undertaken by a detachment of . i the Prussian guard. 1 "From the canal or LaBassee a-s flQV(. ar a8. and up to, the river Oise. 00 '"iere have been minor engagement s "In the region of the rler isn In the neighborhood of Vailly, we retained re-tained our position and we strengthened strength-ened our position In the territor previously pre-viously conquered by us. "In the region of Craonne and on the Heurteblz farm, our artillery succeeded suc-ceeded In reducing to silence the can-SB' can-SB' Ln of the enemy Soseral ot their 1'leees were even destroyed. We alii al-ii e made some progress In tbe vicin- 11 y of Berry' Au Bac In the Art'onne, In the Woevre district. dis-trict. In Lorraine and in the Vosges. fie respective positions show no change." Allies Fall to Dislodge Germans Paris. Nov. 12, 1 a m. The battle in Flanders is as for as ever from a decision, according to the official communications and Judging from stories told by eye witnesses arriving from the battle front. The Germans have given an emphatic emphat-ic denial of the reports that they wen in retreat, by carrying Dixmude on the Yser, twelve miles north of Ypres and on the road to Dunkirk, which the Hermans arc Striving to attain. French bluejackets fit Dixmude Dix-mude had held the town against them In the face of fierce attacks for the Inst week, but were finally compelled to give way. The allies' attempts to drive the Germans out again have thus far failed. On the rest of the front, as far as tht river Lys, the situation, according accord-ing U) latest advices, remains practical', practic-al', unchanged. . the principal action latterly has centered to a larpe extent around Dixmude. the Germans are entitled to i aim the advantage, but the French are strongly posted in the vicinity, and the possession of the village so far has availed them but little. Belgian Flanking Movement. The setback at Dixmude. In the opinion expressed here. Is somewhat compensated for by the progress made bj the Belgians along he NleU" port-Ostend road If followed up this - advance apparently would threaten the German flank East and south of Ypres the Germans Ger-mans seem to have found fresh masses mass-es of troops to hurl into the murderous murder-ous fray but the allies seem to be holding their own. The country' here is undulating, well wooded and covered cover-ed with a multitude of farms which are surrounded by large olms. The villages are few and small and mo6t of the population Is centered on these farms which are distant from each other, at the most, from two to throe hundred yards These innumerable and solidly built brick houses, with their walled country coun-try yards and sometimes with deep ditches made excellent bases for small detachments and play an important im-portant part in the long battle The .struggle is taking place among tht farms in the direction of the border towns of Comines. Wervlck and Me-nln. Me-nln. No Change Near Arras. The combat around L: Bas eo and Arras, where the Rrltlsh are operating, operat-ing, have shown no decisive change. ! The ground here has been successful-y successful-y and steadfastly maintained, the British repelling attack after attack Aviators report the movements of troops and heavy guns on a large scale In the interior of Belgium, some going go-ing towards Germany, others toward Antwerp, and yet others toward Cour-tral. Cour-tral. The explanation of this movement move-ment appears to be that solid troops capable of operating in the open are being sent to Eastern Prussia. th-Mr places In the trenches being taken by less trained men. The guns going to Antwerp, it is believed here, are due to a desire to have a strong flank position against the allies in case they advance on Brussels. Strategy of Germans. The object of the continuous German Ger-man attacks In Belgium and In the Armentleres region, according to some of the Preach military critics. Is to achieve a real victory which will oblige the allies' left to fall back In order to reorganize and repair Its losses. loss-es. The Germans would then leave as small n force as they deemed sat to hold the allies and send the rest against Russia. London. Nov. 12 1 30 p m The Russian successes in the east, which for a time were predominant features of the war news, must again divide space with the accounts oi reainuieu I activity on the part of the Hermans I In West Flanders, where the forces jof Emperor William have dh proved the contention of the allies that their I attempt to force their way to Dunkirk Dun-kirk or Calais had finally failed With Dixmude in their possession, the Invaders today are less than 50 miles from Calais and much nearer Dunkirk, and the ficht they have ben putting up in the face of tremendous Morses seems to bear out what had alfo been said that they will not abandon this strupgle to reach the coast unless they nre utterly crushed The English and French theory Is that the holding of Dixmude is only temporary; that Its history will be much the snme as that of other towns whit h l ave been taken and retaken in the fighting on the Yser. In certain places north of Dixmude the Germans are at the least on the left bank of the Yser that Is on the side nearest the French coast towns and their attacks Instead of concentrating concen-trating to the southward below Ypres. apparently have been renewed almost on the coa?' line Here thoy drove the allies from Lorabaertzyde, only In turn to he driven out themselves The official announcement given out by I'arls this afternoon says that the Germans again are trying to retake Lombaertzydc which is north of 1 ilMiiudc and wit hin .i stone's thru of tbe sen. How they can operate In this localitv where British ami French warships are still standing guard off shore is not quite dear to British observers For some time past there has been no mention of naval activity on this coast, hut It has been assumed that this was explained ex-plained by the reported Herman retirement re-tirement from the coast of France and Belgium and the news that they were delivering their attacks further to the south. Fighting Continues With Deadly Fury Over the long battle lines of Eur- ope comparative quiet prevails today, except in Beleium, where the still undecided un-decided conflict continues with deadly fur' , . On the Servian border sharp flxht- Ing Is In progress and the Turks are In action against the Russians but on the main positions throuch Prance, along the East Prussian border, ami in Galicla there apparently is B lull On the success or failure of Uie German Ger-man attempt to force a way to the English channel at whatever coot, may depend the future of the campaign no1 only m Belgium, but elsewhere Austria's recent assertions that her troops had defeated the Servians and were earning the fighting well on Servian BOil, found partial confirmation confirma-tion In official information from Nish. where it Is admitted that the Servians abandoned some positions along the northern border "for strategic stra-tegic reasons." A decisive victory, however Is claimed by the Servla.is in one of the numerous engagement? now in progress along both the western west-ern and northern boundaries. forco of 5000 Austrians who crossed the Danube at a point thirty miles from Belgrade, the Servian war office says, was put to rout, one thousand being killed. 2000 captured and many drowned in the river. Russian Pursuit Slackens. The Russian pursuit of the Germans Ger-mans along the Sllesian frontier has i kened. and the Germans are r.ncthening their positions along the line of border fortresses In expectation expec-tation of an attempted Russian invasion. inva-sion. With the reassembling of the British Brit-ish parliament it becomes apparent that the government will be heckled, notwithstanding the decision of the opposition op-position to support the premier on major ma-jor policies during the continuance of the war. The government's conduct of naval matters probably will be the subject of the most pointed questions which the cabinet members will be called upon to answer The success of the German spy system sys-tem and the sending of a British force to doomed Antwerp also hnve given rise to criticism of the government. England's recent feeling of optimism opti-mism was altered by the latest German Ger-man feat of sending a submarine to the shore of England and sinking th" torpedo gunboat Niger In the Downs. |