The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-03-17
germany DECLARES
WAR ON PORTUGAL
SEIZURE OF GERMAN SHIPS CAUSE
Of OUTBREAK BETWEEN CoUN.
TRIES, IT is CLAIMED.
VERDUN BATTLE CONTINUES
Great Struggle Near Verdun Continues
With All Fury, But No Apparent
Change Is Noted-Russians
on Offensive, Etc.
Latest War News From the Front.

Germany has declared war on Portu.
gal. Thus thirteen countries are en-.
gagged in the international struggle.
The declaration OF war was made by
Germany chiefly on account of the re,
cent seizure of German merchantmen
lnterned in Portuguese ports and Port
ugaIs refusal to resCind the action and
once more place the ships under the
German flag. A long series of alleged
breaches of neutrality by the Portu.
guese government also were cOntribut,
inS factors.
Fighting Of great violence between
the French and German infantry has
been in progress from Bethancourt
northwest of Verdun to the Meuse and
east OF the Meuse from the southern
slopes of the Cote de Talou to the
Douaumont region-battle fronts az.
( gregating about ten miles in length.
Spirited artillery duels continue along
the remainder Of the front about Yer
dun.
A continuation of the German drive
northwest of Verdun is declared by
Berlin to have Melted the Germans
French positions over a front Of near
~ four miles and virtually two miles
In depth and enabled them to capture
% officers and 1927 men. The vii
lagos of FORCES and Regneville the
heights OF Raben and the Cumieres
woods fell into the hands of the Ger.
mans
In the COrbeaux wood, which was
occupied recently by the Germans, the
French launched a heavy counter-at-
tack and drove the Germans out of the
greater part Of the position. A Ger
man attack with heavy electives
against the French BethanCourt lines
was repulsed
Trenches captured by the French In
upper AlsaCe, destructive lombard
ments Of German positions at several
points north Of the Aisne and the she'll
ing in the forest of the Argonne are
told Of In the French official communi-
cation. Sixteen French aeroplanes
have dropped large numbers Of shells
on the MetZ-Sablone station.
Russian warships are particularly
active in the Black sea bOmbarding
the coast towns and the continued
progress of the Russian forces is evil
denced by the capture of the town of
Ria, which lies about thrty-five miles
east of Trebizond, one of the impor-
tant detectives of the Russian army.
In Persia also the Russians are fore
ing their advance at lively pace and
have captured the town of Senha (Sen-
nah) to the north of Kermanshah.
Fifty large German warships, accom-.
panied by armed trawlers, Zeppelins
and submarines have been sighted
steaming west off the North Holland
coast, according to the report of the
captain of a steam trawler which has
arrived at Ymuiden.
Germany Wednesday made fur
Their explanation to the United States
Of the position it has taken in regard
to armed merchant vessels of the en-.
tente allies. C0uRt Won Bernstorff
handed Secretary Lansing a formal
memorandum, which, after reviewing
the events leading up to Germany's
recent decision to treat armed mer-
chant ships as auxiliary cruisers, con-
coded that existing international law
does not regulate the use of subma-
rines, indicated a willingness to con.
duct undersea warfare in accordance
with the law prevailing at the out
break of the war, providing Great Brit
ain and her allies would regard the
same laws and expressed the hope that
the people of the United States, re-
membeing the long existing friendly
relations between the two nations,
would appreciate the German position.
Owing to the heavy rains and ava
lanches, fighting has almost ceased on
the AustroItalian front.
Berlin reports that in the Zeppelin
raid over England Sunday night the
Hull naval depot was bombed with eff
feet. All the German aircraft return
ed safely. A British official report
says that Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Rut-
land, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Norfolk
Essex and Kent counties were visited.
Three men, four women and five chill
dren were killed by the bombs dropped
and thirty-three other persons were In
jured.
Russian torpedo boat destroyers
have bombarded Trebizond, the Turk
ish seaport on the eastern part Of the
coast of the Black sea, 120 miles forth
west of Erzerum, and have sunk sew
eral vessels. The Turkish batteries,
1t is announced, replied, but without
success.
The Russians under cover Of the
fire Of their fleet at last have been
able to make a landing on the Black
sea coast to the east Of Trebizond, cap
turing the towns Of Atina and Ma.