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1 EUROPEAN WAR DEVELOPMENTS. The battle on which probably depends the fate of the German invasion of Belgium and northern France continues to rage with unabated fury. Do-spite the masses that are being hurled ceaselessly against the allies, and despite the attacks of utH exnmpled violonce the allies are forced to sustain, they are said to still hold the key position around Yprcs. The ancient city and villages of Zonnebekc, Pschendaele and Hollebeke, within a radius of sis miles, constitute the dagerous salient, or wedge, thrust into, the German line. While Ypres remains in the possession 6f the allies, military strategists say, the German advance toward the coast by Way of LaBassee and .Bcthuue will be impossible, siuto their north Hank would be threatened by the allies. If the allies should succeed in advancing further from Y.pres, according to these officers, tlw Germans would be compelled to abandon Lille and virtually give up hope of reaching the coast through Artols. Desperate lighting at close quarters, with infautry attacks being made under cover of terrific artillery lire, now marks the lighting from the coast to Ypres. The allied line, despite great pressure from; the enemy, still holds in the form of an obtuse angle, Its base resting upon Nieuport aiid Ypres with the apex at Dixniude. The craek first line troops of the Germans are now being hurled against the British and French disputing their advance" to the sea. It is admitted that the line. is being held only at heavy cost to the allies. Night attacks have been frequent during the week, but all have been repnlsed. The Russian general staff Issued the following statement: -In east Prussia on Nbvember 11, an action developed on the front of Stalluponen. Kroug-liunken, and the region of Soldau. Our troops occu-: pied Johannlsberg, a small town seventy miles to the southwest of Gumbinuen. Beyond the Vistula battles of secondary importance occurred in tin; region of Kalisz and Noscliava in Russian Poland, where advance guards of the enemy sought to progress. In the Carpathian region Austrian rear guards maintained at the crossings on the upper San in tin; region of Saiibk were attacked by our troops. The siege of Przemysl. which was. suspended during the period in which the Austro-German armies were on the offensive, has been re-established." A dispatch from Valparaiso says that the Japanese squadron seen recently off Easter island in the -Pacific by a merchant vessel consisted of eight vessels. The battle cruiser Konge was the flagship. It is reported that Premier Asquith. will ask the British parliaments sanction for the raising of 1,000,000 additional troops : for the purpose of the war, thus bringing the total up to 2,000,000 men. Much interest Is shown in the financing of the war. It is understood that the government intends to issue a war loan of ,000,000,000 or more, probably at 4 per cent., and redeemable within ten years. It is estimated that Great Britain is spending" 5,000,000 weekly on the way. In addition to t lie war loan the government may propose to raise a further 50,000,000 by increasing the income tax to half a crown on the pound. This would provide for the necessary expenditure till next March, the end of the financial year. An official Pretoria dispatcli says that Gen. Louis Botha came into contact with the rebel General De Wets command twenty-four miles east of Winburg, Orange River Colony, after a forced night march. The rebels were severely defedted, 250 being taken prisoners. Aii official dispatch from Lieut.-Col. Dirk Vandeventer concerning the defeat November S of a force of Germans and Boer rebels at Zaridfontelii, near the southern border of German Southwest Africa, has been received at London. According to the report, the union forces Inflicted a loss of 120 killed or wounded and captured twenty-five men. The union loss was twelve men killed and eleven wounded. German military headquarters gave out an official announcement as follows: "On the branch of "the Yser eaiial-at Nieuport our marines have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy arid we have taken 700 prisoners. In our attacks on Ypres, which have progressed favorably, another l;loo prisoners have .lieen taken. Fiandrcc Ff erich attacks to the west and east of Solssoris haYe Jeeii repulsed with heavy losses to ;thc" eneniy. On the East Prussian frontier, .at Eydtkuhpen, and also, farther south to the east of. the outlet of the Mazutiau lakes, fresh battles have ileveloped, but no . decision vet has been reached." The French official announcement given out in Paris says that from the "Lys to the sea the fighting was less violent thau on previous days. Several efforts of the Germans to cross the Yser were checked. Generally speaking, the French positions have been maintained and German attacks around Ypres repulsed. The French forces in the north are described as holding positions close to the barbed-wire entanglements Of the enemy. Sllgit progress- on other parts, of. the bnttle front is ro-iwrted, as well as the .capture of a German detachment by a surprise attack. The Gerrharis have crossed the Yser river, according to the latest Paris official communication and. although the invaders occupy only a few hundred yards on the left bank of the stubbornly contested river, the allies cannot be indifferent to this gain and desperate effoyts will be made to drive back this slight wedge. Ypres, extending like a fortress bastion into the lines of the invaders, is held by the British, and unless the flank attacks on this position are successful Dixmude may prove a barren gain, for the Germans, who still find the way. to Dunkerque barred. The campaign in northwestern Servin is proceeding successfully, the Atistrian reports declare. Trie heights of Misar, to the south of Shabats, were captured Nov. 10. the Austrians forcing the Servians to abandon their strongly fortified positions. The Austrian line has advanced to the eastward frorii Losuitza and Kroupani and continue to move forward. The heights to the eastward of Javlata have been captured. A total of twenty-eight cannon, eighteen machine -guns and 4,300 men were captured in the operations between Nov. 4 and Nov. 11. News reaches Berlin from Vienna that Austrian operations in the northeast are developing Without hiudrance from the enemy. The Russians have ad avuecd through the region of central Gulicia voluntarily evacuated by the Austriaus and have crossed the lower Vistula, occupying Rzeszow and the Llseo district. The fortress of Przemysl again is Invested by the Russians, but Russian forces In the Sfry valley were forced to retreat -with heavy losses by a surprise attack from an Austrian armored train and Austrian cavalry. A dispatch from Dunkirk states that a French torpedo boat sank a German submarine off West--ende. Belgium. The submarine, it appears, was trying to torpedo the French warship when the latters commander caught sight of her periscope, put on full speed and charged down oiv the enemy, which tlisappeared. A large quantity of oil rose to the surface, marking the spot where the submarine sauk. The torpedo boat sustained only slight damage and returned to .port for repairs. The London Express has received a dispatch from the frontier to the effect that the British fleet is shelling the German positions at Zeebrugge, the port of the City of Bruges, to which a number bf German submarines and Zeppelins have been sent for the purpose of establishing a naval base, evidently for the purpose of making a raid on the English coast. According to statements made by a diplomat at Athens, Turkey was compelled to enter the war by a secret treaty made some years ago with Germany whereby Turkey agreed to assist Germany if war "was declared on Germany by Russia. In return Germany likewise agreed to assist Turkey If Russia declared, war on Turkey. A dispatch from Stockholm says the captain of the steamer Norden declares he was warned by a German torpe.do boat to steer a wide course from, the vicinity of Gjedser lighthouse, on the southern; end of the Island of Laaland. In the Baltic, ns a; battle between Russian and German torpedo boats was in progress. , According to official information given to the Berlin press. German aviators have flown over the English seaports of Sbeeruess and Harwich. Sheer-ness is a fortified seaport in Kent at the mouth or the Thames. It is about forty miles from Loudon. Hnrwich Is in Essex and about seventy miles northeast of London. An official communication made public at Tokio savs that subterranean mines, which exploded at Tsing-Tau while being removed on Nov. 11, killed two officers and eight soldiers and Injured one officer and fifty-six soldiers. Pour hundred anil thlrtv-slx wounded Germans are In the hospital nt TsingrTau. Fears of a German attack on Victoria and Van. couver are felt In those British Columbia cities and the banks there are now shipping ti large amount of gold currency to banks in Seattle for safety. The victory of the German fleet In South American waters Is the occasion for the ajarm. Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar Is going to France. The official announcement of this fact says the famous general is going into the war zone "to see the Indian troops." Lord Roberts is S2 and was born in Cawnpore. India. The. cost of the war to Prance for the month of November amounts to 82,154,504, being a dally average of a little altove 1914.sh,000,000. The daily average for the first three months of the war was ,000,000. A dispatcli from Copenhagen to the London Times says: "Military exiierts here attach Importance to the .news that great uud unusual activity prevails among the . German warships and auxiliaries in the Kiel canal.". The German Admiralty announced that the northern part of the North sea was free of mines, and that neutral ships might take this route In safety, but that passage through the southern part is dangerous. The British casualties in the war up to October 31 were approximately 57,000 men of all ranks killed, wounded and missing. This estimate was given by Premier Asquith in the house of commons. According to a Petrograd dispatch the Germans suffered a severe defeat beyond Kalisz. losing twelve heavy guns und leaving many dead on the field. A Berlin dispatch quotes the Vossiche Zelflmg as stating that the Austrians have invaded Servia from the northeast, crossing the Danube near Orsbva. A telegram from Vienna states that 731 officers aiid 79;314 men are prisoners of war in the Austrian concentration camps. Two warships of German nationality have steamed into Valparaiso harbor. Their names have riot been ascertained. It is reportetttliat a Chilean collier has seen a Japanese squadron off Point Carrauza on the coast of Chile. It is rumored among shipping firms In London that the Gertnau cruiser Karlsruhe has been cornered.
