The battle, it is reported hero, is believed to have been directly due to the recent sinking of the German supply ship Ussukuma and the failure of another supply vessel, the Tacoma, to leave Montevideo owing to the presence of the British cruleer Achilles, 'The captain of the Graf Spee then decided to. seize supplies from a French steamer, the Formose, despite the known presence in' the' vicinity of the cruiser Exeter, She was about to seize the Formose when the erulser Ajax loomed up and opened fire, fat the same time calling the Achilles and the Exeter.
The Ajax manauvred to avoid the Graf Spec's fire and the action ceased for the greater part of the morning. The Achilles and Exeter chen joined the Ajax, which was Iving between the Graf Spee and the Plate Estuary. The Exeter closed in while the Ajax and Achilles stood off, their combined fire driving the Grat Spee towards the coast.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.