STATE ASSISTANCE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 147, 21 June 1917, Page 5

STATE ASSISTANCE

IN ESTABLISHING INDUSTRIES. (Received 10.55 a.m.) LONDON, June 20. The Melbourne correspondent of the " Daily Telegraph" states that the Federal Government is considering the expenditure, over a term of years, of ten millions in the establishment of certain factories under joint Government and ] private supervision. The scheme will be' controlled by a National Industry De-j partment, which a group of experts has : proposed. If application be made for! financial assistance the experts will ad-i vise as to the capitalisation, tariff aid, and organisation. It is proposed to have a Government' representative on the Board of Directors and to limit profits, the proportion to shareholders not to exceed seven perl lent, and the excess to be paid into the! consolidated revenue. The promoters will obtain 75 per cent of the net pro-1 posed capitalisation at five per cent.] It is estimated that a million will be advanced for developing the wool industry, half a million for new chemical industries, and a million for iron and steel process works.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) UNREST IN SOUTH AFRICA. THE REPUBLICAN MOVE CONDEMNED. CAPETOWN, June 20. The Hon. J. X. Merriman (Premier of Cape Colony) has given notice to move in the Union Assembly that the efforts to carry on a republican propaganda will inevitably lead to fatal dissensions and the ultimate ruin of the European races in South Africa. An impo-tant debate is expected.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) I.W.W. AND PRO-GERMANISM. (Received 10.30 a.m.)" NEW YORK, June 20. The Government of the State of Minnesota has decided to arrest two thousand I.W.W. agitators whose activities have resulted in the closing of many iron mines. The authorities believe that a systematic pro-German attempt is being made throughout the country to restrict the output of copper and ir#n (Reuter.)

COMBATTING THE PIRATES. •(Received 11.45 a.m.) PARIS, June 20. A special department for defence against submarines has been established, under Rear-Admiral Meriacilleux Vignaux.— (Reuter.)

COST OF VICTORY. BRITISH EOSSES AT MESSINES. LONDON, June 14. Renter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing this afternoon, dissects the German communiques on the Messines fighting, which, he says, contain an extraordinary number of mis-statements and belittle the brilliant British results. Referring" to the assertion that the British losses exceeded those of the Germane, the correspondent mentions that 10,000 British had failed to respond to the roll-_6.1l up to Friday evening. Baaing his computation on past experience, the correspondent says that GO per cent, would be walking iwounded, and a large proportion of the remainder would be able to rejoin later. The fact remains that owing to the overwhelming effect of the artillery upon the enemy gunfire and the 'comparatively weak infantry resistance Mes--1 sines Ridge was captured at an extraordinarily light cost. On the contrary,, j the extent of the enemy losses is proved ! Iby the fact that there were only three survivors of half a battalion from one lof our explosions. I I "We know that four utterly exhausted Bavarian divisions had to be relieved on , .Thursday," the correspondent proceeded, i I "We know that whole terraces of dugouts are smothered under perfect little avalanches of churned earth, and these are probably full of Germans sheltering from the shells, which destroyed themt in a still more horrible manner. Many dead machine-gunners, chained or strapped to their machines, were discovered among the debris, bearing out the previously discredited statement. Anzacs, Irishmen, Highlanders, and the backbone of the Army, 'the good old English line regiments,' did magnificently at Messines, but the palm of victory goes to the Royal Artillery. So perfectly to timetable was the whole attack carried out that there was not an interval of ten seconds between the time the infantry was scheduled to follow the barrage into the enemy trenches and tho sending up of rockets denoting that the objective had been attained.'' Writing on Saturday night the correspondent said: The Vimy and Messines victories have changed the whole aspect of the situation north of Arras. It is reasonably safe to say that these two "impregnable" positions are ours for all time. The most amazing feature of the fight at Messines was the rapidity with which the decision was gained. The fighting was little more than a minor feature. The men themselves admit that the fight was won by the gunners and the miners before they went forward. Whole companies reached their objectives without suffering a casualty. The enemy losses were appalling, and were quite out of proportion to the average ratio based on the number of prisoners. Probably we will never learn of the number of German guns lost. A large number are known to be buried. The work of the airmen baffles adjectives of admiration. A pilot, seeing a German staff car, dived within four feet of it, his Lewis gun buzzing all tlie time. The vehicle, in its efforts to escape, swerved sharply, and its live occupants were flung out. Subsequently four officers, riddled with bullets, were found dead alongside the overturned car. The situation last night was relatively quiet, save for incessant gun-fire, in which we greatly preponderate. The Germans massed repeatedly, and attempted a general counter-attack last night, but the smartness with which our artillery supported the infantry in repelling the attack was beyond praise.

The lesson has been re-emphasised at Messines that no can withstand a sufficient weight of artillery. We now have that weight, and a bit to spare.

In a later message the correspondent reports great aggressive activity on our front. "It is safe to say." he says, "that the Germans were never so" harried. There were four raids along the front of the first army last night, and they were most successful. The Canadians southwest of Lens established a new raiding record, bringing back 150 prisoner*;.