, 1916-07-15

EstreS they were compelled to turn back I'M
der our curtain OF fire suffering the most
severe sanguinary losses. The British have
established themselves in Contamination. East
of the Meuse, artillery fighting continues
active. Infantry positions won have been
consolidated. The number of prisoners has
increased by IL officers and A43 men and
now stands at Sc officers and 2,349 men.
Near Freilingheim on La Bassee canal, on
La File Mort height, east of Badonvillers
and near Hierzbach, German patrol engage
ments were successful. Eastern theatre:
Army group of General Won Bothmer: Ger
man troops by an encircling ounter-attack
carried out near and to the north of Odessa
to the northwest of Buezacx. drove back the
Russian troops which had pushed forward
and more than 400 prisoners were taken.
London, July 13th-The Allied offensive
on the Western front is only in it's beginning
declared Mr.. Asquith to-day, in announcing
to the House of Commons that the Govern
ment had decided to ask workers to forego
their August holidays because of the de-
mund for munitions in France. He express
ed the conviction that the workmen would
cooperate in this plan so as to make it plain
to Great Britain's foes that the offensive's
present intensity of bombardment and assault
would if necessary be continued indefinitely.
The Premier also announced that by Royal
Proclamation the August bank-holidays
would be postponed,and appealed to all class
es for postponement of oil holidays until fur
Their and definite progress of the offensive
had been secured. He recalled that the
June and July holidays had been postponed
in view of the urgent military requirements
of the movement and be had to acknowledge
on the part of the Government q very full
response by the workers to his appeal at that
tame. Since then, he added, a great and
very favourable change in the military situa-
ton has been produced by the Allied often
sive now in progress. That offensive, he
continued, is only in its beginning and ne
c~essarily requires for it's success a continuous
supply Of munitions of all kinds. From the
success achieved, we have been able to gauge
the paramount necessity of avoiding even the
slightest risk Of restriction of the use OF mu-
nitions in the field, not merely in the weeks
Immediately before us but until our objective
is achieved. In the opinion of the Comman-
der-in-Chief there must be no slackening in
the output not even for q moment. I there
fore appeal to the patriotism of the workers
ana the public generally to again postpone
their holidays in order that the attacks so
brilliantly begun may be carried through
to a triumphant conclusion. Where health
required, he continued, leave of absence
would be granted ard the Government held
themselves responsible for seeing that the
holidays were merely postponed and rot
abandoned. Representatives of the Admi-
rally and the Ministry of Munitions, he
added, would meet representatives of the
workmen and employers to secure their CO.
operation, and he was sure this would be
forthcoming and that the forces in the field
would be given encouragement in the GER
tain knowledge that the present intensity
of commandment and assault will if neces-
sary be continued indefinitely.
Madrid, July 13th-In view of the Railway
strike, the Government has suspended the
Constitutional Guarantees and martial law
was proclaimed throughout Spain tonight
King Alfonso has arrived at Madrid from
Lagranja. A general strike is announced
for July 18th. The strike began on the
northern railway on June 11th. and is re-
ported to have spread, not merely to other
railways of Spain, but to the industries in
the great industrial centres of Barcelona,
Madrid, Valencia, Bilbao and Ovidee. The
primary cause of the strike was the refusal
of the Northern Railway Company to increase
wages, but there has been growing unrest
and serious disturbances in most of the
provinces of Spain as the RESULT of the in
creased cost of food caused by the War.
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