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GENERAL NEWS NOTES OF THE DAY There is every indication from reports reaching the British war ollice that the German forces about Yprcs have been heavily reiforced. The attack the Germans contiuues with unabated ferocity and the troops which have beeu on constant duty in tlie trenches in this region are, believed to have been relieved from a second line which is pressing forward with the greatest determination. The most desperate lighting is reported all along the line. The Germans are attempting to take small towns and villages at the point of the bayonet. The heavy artillery tire from both the allied and German lines has become more violent. Unofficial dispatches assert that great masses of German troops are being withdrawn into Germany from tne extreme right wing of the kaisers army in Belgium. They are supposed to. be those who recently attempted to break through the allies line between Dixmude and Nieuporr. The Central Xews Company lias received a message from Amsterdam naying that the German army headquarters has been transferred to Alost, which is only fifteen miles west of Brussels and forty miles east of the lighting area around Dixmude. This dispatch also asserts that many traiuloads of German artillery are being taken eastward from the valley of the Lys river. The communication issued by the German army headquarters at Berlin says: "Our attacks near Ypres are progressini slowly. More than fitKl French colored and Kuglish prisoners have beeu taken and several machine guns captured. Further south our troops also are advancing, the strong counter attacks of the British forces having been repulsed. In the Argonnes the fighting is progressing favorably, hostile attacks being repulsed." Petrograd reports that another great raid by Russian cossacks in East Prussia is in full swing. The dashing cossacks of General Bennenkampf are repeating the drive of devastation that early in the war cut the German line of communication. This time the cossacks have invaded East Prussia at the southwest of the ilazurian Lake region instead of at the north. Russian cavalry has already reached the outskirts of Soldau. Three railroads in that region have been torn up and more than a dozen railroad bridges destroyed. Continuation of this raid iuto the district north of Solduu will cut off the German army that Invaded the Smvalki district and was driven back upon the Mazurian lakes. At the same time the Russian army in Western Poland is continuing its campaigning for the capture of the mighty Austrian fortress of Cracow. The AustrO-Germau forces driven from Czestochowa have rallied upon the upper Vistula, and hard lighting is going on there. Dispatches reaching London from Russian and German sources are widely different as to which side has gained the advantage in the recent lighting. Petrograd claims to have won another victory in East Prussia in the Lyck region, and Berlin reports a defeat for the czars army south of AVir-ballen and the capture of 4.000 prisoners. The Russians also give details of their alleged advance iu Galicia and Bukewina, while the Germans say they have won a cavalry engagement in Poland. A wireless dispatch from Berlin says: "It is officially reported that after two days heavy lighting ou the Caucasian frontier the Turkish troops have completely defeated the Russian army and cau-tured the Russian positions. A Turkish lleet has pursued Russian ships which were bombarding Koslu, but the ships escaped in the fog." Russian naval headquarters reiwrted the sinking of four Turkish transports. The report says: "The Russian fleet approaching Sangouldak sent vessels with torpedoes to destroy buildings and warehouses. This was successfully accomplished. Our guns also sank a steamer. One of our scouts saw a Turkish transport full of soldiers standing out to sea. The transport on perceiving us tried to regain the coast, whereupon a cruiser pursued and sank it. The fleet then stood out to sea. Two transports Hying the Ottoman war Hag were seen to our left. Torpedo boats which were sent to destroy them discovered a third transport. All were loaded with ammunition, motor cars, aeroplanes ,and guns. All the transports were sunk. We rescued and tooc prisoners 24S men. Several of them were German officers. One was a staff officer who was carrying dispatches. The prisoners declared the transports were making for Unier. whence they were to transport troops to Trebizond." It Is estimated by Germans that the war is costing the German empire .5,000,000 a day. A Bucharest correspondent says a deputation of uuversity professors, former cabinet ministers and politicians, following an audience with King Ferdinand, organized a committee to prepare the country for intervention in the war. The official list of German casualties in killed, wounded and missing officers and men gives a total of 509,000. A citizen of Lille reports the town was captured by British troras Oct. 20, but retaken by the Germans Oct. LVJ. Afterward it was repeatedly lost and recaptured. In the bombardments the St. Sauveur quarter, between the passenger station and the city hall, was destroyed. Altogether 1,200 houses were razed. Vice Admiral Count von iSpee, commander of the German squadron that encountered British warshins off Chile Nov. 1. has been decorated with the Order of the Iron Cross for his victory. A large number of these decorations have been distributed also to officers and men of the squadron, as well as to the captain and crew of the cruiser Karlsruhe. A message from Constantinople states that Russian cruisers bombarded the Bosporus coal magazines at Eraclea. sinking many merchant steamers. The Turkish lleet sailed out. but withdrew without offering battle. The British admiralty made an announcement of a flight of Lieut. Beevor with Sub-Lieut, the Earl of Anuesley as a passenger, during which lwth men were probably lost. They left Eastchurch to fly abroad on Nov. 5. The Indian forces In France have made good, but havo achieved none of the extraordinary exploits attributed to them, according to an official Briti;-h statement, which emphasizes the difficulties under which the Indians are lighting because of their ignorance of the French, German and English languages. Repeatedly the Germans have played tricks on them. "The Germans are full of resource," says the account, "and it Js one of their favorite plans to lure the allied troops into attacking them by various devices, of which an indicated intention of surrendering is the most common. If this deception is successful a skillfully concealed machine gun turns .1 murderous lire upon those who have advanced." It is officially announced at London that Carl Hans Lody, alias Charles A. Inglis. who was found guilty by a court martial of espionage on Nov. 2. lias beeu shot as a spy. Lodv met his death in the tower of London. Lody died bravely, refusing to the last to reveal the name of tin; superior officer from whom he received his instructions to spy on the British navy. This was the first execution in the tower of London since 1700. The scene of the execution was the tower barracks, not far from the spot where Anne Bolevn and other persons famous in English history were put to death. Lody, who was about 2S years old, once was employed as a guide by a tourist agency in New York, and also worked for the Uuion Pa-cilic railroad in Omaha. He was arrested late in September in London charged with espionage and sit his trial testified that he was a former lieutenant in the German navy, but that he had been transferred to the reserves. In his canaeity as a reserve officer, Lody said, lie was ordered to go to England and keep track of the movements of the British lleet. but was warned not to do. any Miyinir. He was told to .travel as an American citizen and was given an American passport. He claimed membership in several New York socities. Assurances of the loyalty of Mohammedan subjects of Kiug George, despite Turkeys entrance in the war. have been received at the British colonial office. The governor of Sierra Leone, the British possession ou the west coast of Africa, has transmitted to the colonial office letters from various Mohammedan chieftains, all of whom declare the loyalty of their people. Official announcement Is made at Tokio that torpedo boat No. 3S of the Japanese navy was stink by a mine at the mouth of Kiauchau bay while dragging for mines. A majority of the crew was rescued. It is reported that after a council of war presided over by the kaiser, the crown prince was appointed commander in chief of all the German and Austrian armies operating against Russia, witli General von Hindenburg commanding the left wing ami General Dankl the rlirht. Many of the men aboard the German cruiser Eindcn. which was beached and burned on one of the Cocos islands in the Indian Ocean, after a tltht with the Australian cruiser Sydney, were killed or wounded in the battle, according to an announcement made at Tokio. The whole Rhine valley has been closed by the military, owing to the discovery of a case of suying at Basel against Germany. Official information given to the German press says the western campaign is making satisfactory, albeit slow progress. Major Moraht declares in the Tageblatt that the German army on the eastern frontier is stronger than ever and can stop any advance the Russians may make in an effort to invade Germany. Contrary to the German report that the Russians had been checked ou the frontier of East Prussia. Petrograd declares that a brilliant success in that region has been succeeded by an actual invasion of German territory. An equal triumph is rejwirtctf from the other end of the long Russian battle line. With Cossacks raiding within twenty miles of Cracow; the commandant of which fortress has ordered the civilian population of the city to leave. Przcmvsl is said to be fully invested again, and the reduction of thl fortress is likely to precede any further advance bv the RnsIau left wing. The French official statement issued yesterday says that the lighting was resumed with great severity between Nieuport and the Lys. The French forces generally were successful in maintaining their front, but it is admitted that the Germans toward the end of the day succeeded in taking possession of Dixmude. The British troops are described as having repulsed the enemy at several points. At other points on the line the French claim slight progress. It is reported that eighty traiuloads of German cavalry, drawn from France and Belgium, have left Berliu for Posen during the last three days. This weakening of the Germans cavalry is due to the fact that the fighting in Flanders is confined largely to the artillery and infantry, while cavalry reinforcements are needed to deal with the cossacks, who arc advancing with menacing rapidity on the east eru frontier. The Turks are meeting with considerable success in their operations in the Caucasus and on the Egyptian frontier, according to official announcement made by the Turkish government anil given out In Berliu. In the Caucasus the Russians have been forced to retire to their second line of defenses. Turkish troops have occupied Shelkzar fort at El Arisli, Egypt, and taken four field guns from the enemy. El Arish is on the Mediterranean near the boundary of Egypt and Palestine. It is of importance as a point of water supply. Capt. von Muller of the German cruiser Emden, which was attacked by the Australian cruiser Sydney and driven ashore iu the Cocos islands, where she was burned, and Prince Francis Joseph of Hohenzol-lern, one of his officers, are prisoners of war and neither is wounded, according to an announcement by the British admiralty. The admiralty adds that the losses on the Emden are unofficially reported as 200 killed and thirty wounded. The admiralty has given directions that all honors of fvar be accorded to the survivors of the Emden and that the captain and his officers are not to be deprived of their swords. The capture of :!,rO0 soldiers of the allies and twenty-one machine guns, in the fighting in France and Belgium, is annouueed in an official statement issued at Berlin. The statement reported the capture of Dixmude, and gains west of Lauge-marck in Belgium, and success in the vicinity of i La Bassee, France. Premier Asqulth stated iu the house of commons yesterday that he doubted that the war would last as long as people had originally predicted. A battle to decide whether General Carranza or General Gutierrez shall be provisional president of Mexico is expected to take place at Queretaro. where General Pablo Gonzales is waiting with 40.-000 troops loyal to Carranza for the appearance of the Villa foices that are backing Gutierrez. General Carranza has ousted the generals commanding 50,000 troops in the vicinity of the capital because they refused to nullify their agreement to abide .by the choice of the Aguas Cahentes convention In naming Gutierrez for the presidency. These included Generals Boimvldes, Antonio Villareal and Juvenci Robles. It was reported soon afterward that Villas advance guard of 15,000 men was ou tlie march south of Encarnacioa de Diaz under orders to capture Mexico City in the name of Gutierrez. In the capital there are 27,000 troops under Generals Alvarado and lUanco, but the latter commander is in Aguas Calientes. Fighting continues in the suburbs of Mexico City. Persisteut attacks are being made on Xochiinilco and San Angel by the followers of Emiliano Zapata. During the lighting Sunday it" is reported there were 300 casualties. The Carranza forces have been victorious everywhere iu the suburban fighting. Governor Maytorana troops are bombarding tne Carranza garrison iu Xaco, Sonora. Five hundred fresli troops are reiorted to have arrived at Nogales on the way to reinforce Maytorena. Shipping men estimate that the volume of the worlds maritime commerce has been decreased iu the neighborhood of 25 per cent by the war. The heaviest part of the loss falls on Germany and Austria, but there is hardly a nation which does not feel the restrictions imjiosed upon shipping by the hazards of war aud the falling away of international trade. Forced withdrawal of German and Austrian essels has led to the creation of new trade routes. Business formerly held by these nations has beeu taken over largely by the allied nations and by United States, Dutch, Danish aud Scandinavian vessels. The British ambassador has informed the state department that he had been advised by his government that while Italy prohibited the exportation of copper, it did not prevent its transit over Italian territory. Consequently, the ambassador said, the British government would feel compelled to detain copper shipments to Italy unless, assured that they were for domestic consumption or were in transit to Switzerland. The navy department has been advised that a secret wireless station at Ensenada, Lower Califor nia. had been ordered closed by the Mexican au thorities. The station, which was erected on. Mexican territory, close to the American border, is one of the several stations from which, according to British officials. German cruisers have been receiving information concerning English vessels. General Carranza has sent from Cordoba to General Eulalio Gutierrez, a message suggesting that they hold a personal conference in an attempt 10 avert the new war that is threatened In Mexico. No repiy has been received from General Gutierrez. In the meantime the Carranzaista troops are preparing for a defense of the Mexican capital. Another bomb attack by Chinese revolutionaries occurred yesterday outside the residence of Gen. Chi Kuaug Lung, who is in charge of the Canton district. Thirteen persons lost their lives. An attempt was made to assassinate Gen. Lung a year ago. He has beeu active in recruiting for the Chinese army in the province of Kwaugsi. Missionaries and mission workers in Turkey are fully safeguarded in spite of the fact that the Ottoman Empire is at war, said a cablegram which reached the American board of commissioners for foreign missions from W. W. Peet of Constantinople, treasurer of the boards Turkish interests. Former Speaker Cannon, who will return to Cou-gress next March, may be assigned to the appropriations committee, of which he was chairman for ninny years. Chairman Fitzgerald and most of the others members of the committee have been re-elected. The food situation in Belgium is daily becoming more critical. Even Antwerp, which is the best supplied of the Belgian cities, is clamoring for the provisions brought into the country by the American commission. Louis Wessels, until recently head of the commission firm of AVessels. Knlenkampff and Co.. of New York, was committed to the high court at Kingston, Jamaica, for trial under the military secrets act. Bail was refused. American troops probably will be ordered out of Vera Cruz soon, leaving tho Mexican factions to srettle their own differences, as a result of the recent developments, which have brought the guaranties the Washington government demanded. Gen. Venustiano Carranza has acceded to all the demands of the United States government in connection with the evacuation of Vera Cruz by the American forces, according to private advices received here. The Duke of Teck has lieen promoted to be colonel in the British First Life Guards in succces-sion to Colonel Edwin B. Cook, who was killed in action. The Duke of Teck is a brother of Queen Mary. The peace commission treaty between the United States and Great Britain became operative upon the exchange of ratifications between Ambassador Spring-Rice and Secretary Bryan yesterday.
