For a fortnight or so the fighting in Poland continued to be of a very confused kind, the telegrams from both sides being most contradictory, but on the whole the advantage seemed to remain with the Russians, who recorded their victories in very striking figures of killed and captured during their defence of several rivers tributary to the Vistula on its left bank. Hindenburg the redoubtable--the only General worth a rap (or a "damn," as Wellington would have said), according to the German officer already quoted--promised to let the Kaiser have Warsaw as a Christmas present; but, according to all present appearances, he is no nearer the capital of Russian Poland than his comrade von Kluck (who is now said to have been superseded) was to Paris on the day of his being tumbled back from the Marne. <sc>London: December 28, 1914.</sc> [Illustration: A PRINCELY INDIAN GIFT: MOTOR-AMBULANCES PRESENTED TO THE KING FOR THE FORCES BY THE MAHARAJA SCINDIA OF GWALIOR. The Maharaja Scindia's munificent Christmas gift for the soldiers and sailors consists of 41 ambulance-cars, 4 cars for officers, 5 motor-lorries and repair-wagons, and 10 motor-cycles.--[_Photo. Illus. Bureau._] __________________________________________________________________________ THE ILLUSTRATED WAR NEWS, DEC. 30, 1914--[Part 21]--9 [Illustration: SHELLED, BURNED OUT, AND FINALLY TAKEN BY STORM: ALL THAT REMAINS OF THE FAMOUS CHATEAU OF VERMELLES.] Less than three months ago a charming French country mansion amidst its beautiful gardens and park, all that remained at Christmas of the Chateau of Vermelles is the shell here shown. Fate made the Chateau, with the small adjoining village, for upwards of eight weeks a disputed tactical point between the Germans and the Allies, a narrow strip of only 150 yards of ground intervening between the trenches. The Germans held Vermelles from October 16 until early in December, fortifying the Chateau and grounds. They had to be shelled out By October 21, the Chateau was only smouldering walls, and French engineers were mining approaches to it. Then an English heavy battery bombarded Vermelles. Finally the French "in a very brilliant attack," stormed and took Vermelles, village and chateau. __________________________________________________________________________ 10--THE ILLUSTRATED WAR NEWS, DEC. 30, 1914.--[Part 21] [Illustration: RULER OF EGYPT, THE BRITISH PROTECTORATE: SULTAN HUSSEIN I.] The new Sultan of Egypt, Prince Hussein Kamel, is sixty years of age and the eldest living Prince of the family of Mehemet Ali, the historic liberator of Egypt from Turkish domination. For years past, as head of various administrative departments in Egypt, he devoted his energies to improving the lot of the natives, by whom he is called "the Father of the Fellaheen."