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i , , I , I , GENERAL NEWS NOTES 0E THE DAY. The German official war statement of yesterday says: in Flanders, especially in proximity to the coast, artillery duels have appreciably increased in . violence. They have become more violent in the region of Boxe and Ville-Aax-Bois. In the Cham- , pagae the Fn nth. after persistent artillery preparation, made a number of attacks, all without success, on our position south of St. Sonplet and west of the Somme Py-Souain road. This caused us few looses, whereas theirs were numerous. We took there two officers and 150 un wounded prisoners and captured two machine guns. On the left bank of the Mouse, further attempts made by the enemy to dispute our possession of the height of ; Le Homme Mort Dead Maul and our positions in ; the wood to the north of it were frustrated at the outset. Between the Mouse and the Moselle ; the position is unchanged. South of Niederas-pach upper Alsace our patrols, after an effective bombardment of enemy trenches, penetrated the latter, destroyed the defensive positions and returned with a few prisoners and some booty. In an aerial encounter a French aeroplane was shot down southeast of P.eine. in the Champagne. The | occupants were incinerated. Emin.v airmen last night again attacked the German hospital at Labry, c a-t of Conflans. The first attack was made during the night of the thirteenth. No military damage was done. Of civilians one woman was seriously injured and one woman and two children slightly injured. A Petrograd dispatch of yesterday says: The Russian troops in Persia are now so far advanced . toward the M •sopotamian frontier that they may be said to be in virtual co-operation with the . British at Kut-el-Amara. where General Town- . ■heads forces have been cooped up for several months. The campaign against Bagdad has now become twofold, with the likelihood of the Rus--i.iii- being as important a factor in the Mesopotamia operations as their allies. The latest news of the success of the Russians in working their way through the passes of the formidable range which acts as a natural boundary between Persia and Turkey shows that the Russians are in a position to convert their potential threat against Mesopotamia into a positive menace. The Turkish reinforcements which were sent from Bagdad and Mosul by way of Suleimanieh and Sehna to threaten the flank of the Russian forces at Ker-manshab and make a further Russian advance dangerous have been compelled to withdraw. This was on account of British pressure from the south and Russian activity in the north, which some time ago resulted in the capture of Bitlis. The Russians, therefore, are now opposed only by frontal resistance. The French war office report of yesterday says: In Belgium French patrols have been able to ascertain that the destructive fire directed by our artillery yesterday evening against the German forces at La Place, in the reigion of Nieuport, resulted in the complete destruction of the Gorman communicating trenches and killed a number of the enemy. In the region to ths north of Verdun there has been reported no infantry engagement during the coarse of the night. The bombardment iias continued, but not very strongly, on the left bank of the River Meuse; it has been more intense on the right bank. In the rt gion of Haudre-mont and of Damlonp our artillery has cannonaded violently the country to the west of Douaumont. M hue the enemy was engaged in perfecting defense works. In the Woevte we have bombarded several provision trains of the enemy. To the east i of the forest of Apremont a surprise attack against a German trench resulted in our inflicting some losses on the enemy and of bringing in some prisoners. In the Yosges, to the south of the Thur, the Germans delivered an attack against our positions near Burnhaupt. Checked by our curtain of , fire, the enemy found it impossible to set foot in our trenches. A dispatch of yesterday from Amsterdam says: "The big Batch liner Tubantia has struck a mine in 1 the North sea and is reported to be sinking off North Hinder lightship. Her wireless calls for " help were received by several Dutch vessels, which 1 are hurrying to her assistance. A large steam life-bolt left the Hook of Holland in search of the Tubantia. Several torpedo boats have put out from 1 Flushing. The Tubantia sailed from Amsterdam 1 yesterday noon for Buenos Aires carrying a miscellaneous cargo, and it is reported a large number ; of passengers. She is the largest and fastest liner in the South American servce. It is believed possible the liner struck one of the mines the Germans -re reported to have been sowing recently in the I North sea. The Tubantia displaces 13.911 tons and 1 , - owaed by the Royal Dutch Lloyd. She was com-, pleted Is- than a year ago and has been in tic s-rviee only a few months. She is 540 feet long, • has a tio.S-foot beam and a depth of 35.3 feet.
