, 1915-01-20

by Germany, and has intimatsd 10 Eng .r1
that she is ready to hand them over 70 -
Australian force. England having = pesn a! y
formed of Australia's intention to acLhaccIHe0
fngly, she has so informed Japan, and ) 6Oree
will he despatched to remain in occnlratiof
until the end of the war, when the ulti1Aatt
disposal of the islands will be o question foi
the consideration of the Allied Powers.
Commander Pethebridge Secretary to the
Department of Defence, will accompany the
force as officer in charge, and has been ap-
pointed Australian Commissioner for the
North western Pacific.
Dispatches from Rome state that the Pope
has opened negotiations with the represen-
tatives of the nations at war, with q view to
procuring an extension of the agreement for
the exchange of wounded prisoners, and has
suggested that this agreement be modified
to include certain classes of civilians de-
tanned in various countries, particularly wo-
men and children, the aged, and men ply
sicnlly unfit, although of military age.
Advices from Toxic state that a movement
has been started there for sending an army
corps of Japanese volunteers to the war at
private expense. The promoters issue a
statement III which they appeal both to Japa-
nese and foreigners for the necessary funds.
The statement says that the Japanese are
following the example of Lafayette in his
assistance given to the American Colonists,
and of Garibaldi in his present assistance TO
France, and that they wish to assist the
AL les in Europe to end the misery of war
aud restore peace.
Washington advices state that the British
Embassy has received "a despatch from the
British Minister in Mexico City stating that
TIE embargo on the expectation of oil from
the Tampico district has been raised by
General Carrauza. This is a result of the
United States representations, upon Sir
Cecil Spring Rice's protest that the British
Naval supply Of oil fuel was being embar-
raised.
A Russian official communicate says: "On
the right bank of the lower Vistula we are
still making successful progress. On Satur-
day our advanced parties d~islodged the enc
my from the villages of Budy and Sulkow-
ska. On the left bank of the Vistula on
Saturday the enemy delivered q series of
fierce attacks against our lines in the region
of the village of Gumine, the German forces
including six regiments, but after seven sue
cessive attacks and a desperate bayonet Gu
gagement they succeeded in capturing only
one trench occupied by one of our advanced
posts. In the other sections we fepulsed
the enemy and forced him to fall back on
his positions. The Germans supported these
attacks with violent artillery fire. employing
heavy guns to search out the positions where
the attacks were to be ~inaugurated. At the
village of Honopnitza the enemy, having
approached by sapping to within about thir-
~ wards of our trenches, was met with a
storm of hand grenades which checked him,
and some volunteers a~vailing themselves of
the confusion thus created, hurled grenades
into the tunnel, which the Germans wers
forced to evacuate. In the region south of
Pinczow, in Poland, the enemy opened q
violent artillery fire and made three attempts
to attack our advanced lines. but were re-
pulsed. Our artilleTists silenced the Austri-
an heavy battery as soon as they discovered
the range. In Bukowina our advanced COL
umns captured by storm the Kirlibnba pass,
on the Transylvanian frontier, situated on
the road from Kimpolung, in the southern
part of Bukowina, 10 Mnramaros Sziget in
north eastern Hungary. Ia The region of
Karaurgan the fighting is developing, with
the advantage resting with our troops. By a
bayonet attack we annihilated Il Turkish
regiment. the survivors of which, including
the Commander and several officers, were
made prisoners. In one direction where we
were pursuing the defeated Turkish troops we
took over five thousand prisoners, fourteen
cannon, an enormous quantity OF supplies
and nearly ten thousand cattle. A report
received from Tiiis says that the army of the
Caucasus has covered ita flags with glory by
fresh and heroic exploits, having COM
-pletely@ aBBiAiIated the Eleventh Turkish
Corps, except several insignificant elements
who are fleeing III disorder, and we have cap
tured all the artillery of this Corps"
An Austrian official despatch states: t'The'
situation 10 Poland is unchanged. On the
Donaiec river, south of Tarnow, an artillery
combat continued during the entire day.
In the Carpathians everything is quiet