Cunard Bulletin. R. M. S. " ANDANIA. " MONDAY, OCTOBER 8th, 1917. BRITISH SUCCESS ON WESTERN FRONT. Gains on an Eight Mile Front. BRITISH OFFICIAL. London, October 5th. At last the censor has raised the veil, and has published an official report departing from the usual bulletin relating to "intense artillery duel on the Western front, etc." Last night's British official reports that our attack on Thursday morning was launched on a front of over eight miles from the south of Tower Hamlets to Ypres Straden railway and has everywhere been completely successful. All our objectives have been gained, and positions of the greatest importance have been won, and over three thousand German prisoners have already reached our collecting stations. We are now in possession of the main ridge up to a point one thousand yards north of Broodseinde. Our attack was anticipated by the enemy by a few minutes with an attack made by five German divisions, from Polygon Wood to Zonnebeke. This attack was blotted out by our artillery tire, and those of the enemy's infantry who escaped this shell fire were overwhelmed by our infantry. So mangled were the German troops in this district that no counter attack had developed up to last night. LOSS OF A BRITISH CRUISER. London, October 5th. The British Admiralty report the loss of H. M. S. "Drake, " a cruiser of 14,000 tons, 30,000 indicated horse power and completed in 1903. The "Drake" was torpedoed on Tuesday morning off the north coast of Ireland, but managed to reach harbour, finally sinking in shallow water. One officer and eighteen men were killed by the explosion of the torpedo, but the remainder of the officers and crew were saved. Mr. Baker, American Minister of War, announces that twenty thousand aeroplanes, authorized by Congress are already under construction and that the necessary motors are also being built. FRENCH OFFICIAL. London, October 4th. The French official communique reads: "The enemy unsuccessfully attempted several surprise attacks during the night in Champagne and in the upper Aisne sector. " RUSSIAN OFFICIAL. Petrograd, October 5th. Russian official report states that on the Roumanian front south of Radantz, Bukowina. the enemy attacked in dense waves, but the attack was stopped by our artillery fire. On the Caucasian front, our detachments took by assault a village south-west of Oromaru. CUNARD BULLETIN SUBMARINE WARFARE WEEK'S REPORT. LOWER AVERAGE AGAIN. London, October 4th. The number of British merchant vessels lost during last week is again below the average. Eleven vessels of over sixteen hundred tons were sunk against a total of thirteen the previous week, and only two ships of lower tonnage. FRENCH AIR RAID ON STUTTGART. Paris. It was announced officially that on October 1st, French airmen successfully bombed military buildings, and munition works in the German city of Stuttgart. By way of reprisal our bombing aeroplanes during the nights of October 1st. 2nd and 3rd, bombed Fribourg railway station, factories at Volkingen and Hoftenbach, and on the railway station at Brienville and points at Metz. On October 4th, French official reports add that French airmen bombarded with success by way of reprisal, Frankfurt and Rastadt. The British Admiralty reports aerial bombing again of Saint Denis, Westrem, Zeebruge loch gates, Bruges dock and other numerous targets, also Thourant railway junction. All of our machines returned safely. CONCERT. On Wednesday evening last, a most enjoyable Concert was held in the Dining Saloon. In response to an earnest appeal by the chairman, Colonel G. VV. Bunnell, the very handsome total of 52 12s. 5d. was subscribed for the Seamen's Charities in Liverpool. Our thanks are due to the artistes who so ably contributed to the success and enjoyment of the evening, and to the ladies who collected. THE BRITISH IN MESOPOTAMIA. Amsterdam. Consternation has been caused in Berlin by the fresh advance of the British along the Baghdad railway in Mesopotamia according to dispatches from the German capital today; about three hundred and twenty miles of actual railway line or ballasted right of way between Basra on the Persian gulf and a point about sixty miles northwest of the city of Baghdad, are now in possession of General Maude's forces and they are still moving forward driving the Turks before them in spite of German advice and assistance with officers and munitions. GENERAL SMUTS ON THE WAR. London, October 4th. General Hon. Jan Christian Smuts, Minister of Defence, Union of South Africa, speaking today in London at the Annual Meeting of Association of Chambers of Commerce, said: "The enemy with one or two exceptions was everywhere now on the defensive, everywhere slowly retiring, and that the manhood of Germany was bleeding to death. Long before the Rhine was reached Germany would have sued for peace. Referring to air raids, the General went on to say that we were now reluctantly forced to apply to the enemy the bombing policy he had applied to us for so long. The German policy of bombing women and children would prove a terrible boomerang to the enemy. The General concluded his remarks by asserting that the Germans are already beaten, and that their leaders knew it. "