THIRD PHASE OF THE BIG OFFENSIVE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 212, 27 May 1918, Page 5

THIRD PHASE OF THE BIG OFFENSIVE

— / ' MR. LLOYD GEORGE CONFIDENT OF RESULT SUBMARINE MENACE NO LONGER A PERIL ' Uy Telegraph-Press iesocution-Copyrißht. (Reo. May 2G, 5.5 .p.m.) London, May 24 Tne Prime Minister (Mr. Lloyd George), when receiving bho Freedom of the City of Edinburgh, said the collapse of Russia was an enormous help to the enemy at a time when the innn-poiver of the belligerents was almost at the point of exhaustion. American help could not be reckoned on for somo time. America, nftor all her exertion, cml not at the present moment occupy what was equivalent to one-fifth of the necession cf fighting strength wliioli (ho enemy had received owuig to the Russian collapse. A second adverse circumslanco was Germany's unexampled submarine warfare, which was unprecedented in the wholo history of piracy. If it had succeeded it would have cut off tlio transport of men, suppliea. and munitions. Tho British mercantile marine was tlio Allipd armies' windpipe. Wo employed every resource of tho Government to t'eal with the menWo had to reorganise the merchant shipping, which task was ■brilliantly aohieved. Wo had next to cut' down imports and increase home products, and since IDIC we had increased our tillage by four million acres and doubled tho output of shipping. Ho hopad this year would treble, if ;.ot quadruple, it. ' Tlio Submarine No Longer a Peril. The Naval Stall was now confident it u-as sinking more submarines than the enemy was ablo to build, and we were building merchantmen quicker than Iho Germans could uinlc them. The Admiralty's returns for April show a record for destruction of submarines. Tho sub'marino was still a meiince, but it was not a peril. As a means of inflicting injury it was still -formidable, but us a (lunger which might cause t'.e winning or t.ho losing of tho war we can rulo out tho submarine. The Germans had recognised its failure. /That accouuled for tlio present Western offensive. Tho enemy had bten driven to it as a Inst resort. Unity of Command Adds to our Fighting Strength. We were on tho evo of ii great attack. Ho was able to tell them that thoso who best knew the prospects felt confident of tho rosult. Ho felt happier than he had felt since the commencement of tho war. Hβ had tried repeatedly to achieve a unity of command. It was incredible that they had had for months to fight every inch of tho way for unity, but it was now a fact, ami it added mightily to their fighting strength. General Ecch was ono of the most brilliant strategists of tho age. They wero now approaching the third eiago of the greatest battle over fought,' and he waa glad to think, they had a man of General Foch's genius. ■ Race Between Germans and Americans. For the Germans as well as for us, tho next Saw weeks 1 were a race between ?on Hiwleuburg aud President Wilson, and tho Germans were 6t'-aininjj every muscle lo reach the goal first before American help was available. The Prussians did not intend to end tho war until their basket was as full as it could hold. Those who imagined they could, without breaking Prussian militarism, achieve a freedom securing the world should remember what befel the- Russian democracy.—Ails.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' . ■ AWAITING THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE . RESPITE WELCOMED BY ALLIED TEOOPS. Mr. Percival Phillips writes: "We aro still awaiting the great German offensive. The respite has been welcomed by the Allies' troops. Artillery has poured in steadily to the front area of the British zone, and trains laden with timber and wire have been brought up. The infantry has had a much-needed rest. The new drafts have had field training." , —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. '■ SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORTS n- t. 'i tt • , • London, May 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports: 'The enemy's artillery was active during the nightwest of lens and jn the neighbourhood of Givenchy and Festubert,' and our positions in the Nieppc Forest were shelled with gu3."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable AssnPeuter. (Rec. May 26,, 5.5 p m.) „. „ , „ . , ~tt , , ' London, May 24 (10.40 p.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports: Under a heavy barrage the enemy raided in tho neighbourhood of Bucquoy.-'-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. (Bee. May 26, 5.5 p.m.) ' Sir Douglas Haig , reports: "Wo raided trenches in the neighbourhood" 0 'of Hamel, and also conducted a successful raid northward of Lens. There has been hostile gas shelling eastward of Bethune, and increased enemy artillery activity in the Strazeele sector."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assu.-Keuter. VIOLENT ARTILLERY ACTION ON THE BELGIAN FRONT

...„,. . , , „„„ . London, Mav 21 A Belgian communique states: Ihere is fairly violent reciprocal artillory action at Langemarck and Mercken. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ON THE FRENCH FRONT London, May "1. 'A' French communique states: There is intermittent artillery activity at some points south of the Avre, but no infantry action has taken place."—Uls • N.Z. Cable Assn.-Kouter. (Rec. May 26, 5.5 p.m.) London, May 21 A French communique stales: Enemy raids south-oast of Mesnil-St Georges and west of Noyon broke down under oar fire. Wo penetrated tho oneiny linos south-east of Coucy, in the Champagne, aad in tho Vosges. There- was intermittent artillery Jirins at various points on tha front/'-r-Ans.-N.Z. Cablo Aesu.Reutcr. (Rec. May 26, 11.15 p.m.) ■r, . London, May 25'A French communique states: "Enemy raids eouth of Kangard and in the Vosges wero repelled. Wo successfully raided tho onemy lines west of Noyon and in the Woevre."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable A6sn. . (Rec. May 27, 1.10 a.m.) London, May 26. A French official conimumque states: there is nothing to report except intermittent artillery activity north and south of the Avre."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. RAIDS BY BRITISH AVIATORS MANY ENEMY TARGETS BOMBED. London, May 24. Sir Douglas Haig's roport on aviation says: "Our night-fliers dropped eleven tons of bombs upon aerodromes, tho Bruges docks, and billets in the Soranio area, We- again attaoked Mannheim, and dropped twenty-four heavy bombs on tho chlorine "faotory, 'causing two largo fires. The aviators clearjy observed the

blackened K'.rdors of the buildings gutted by the fires caused on tha preceding irght. t'.'« ai&> rli'-j'pecl lour tons of Iximbs on rm iiuportant electric rowerstation :jt ICreusowiild. All our machines returned. On Thursday moruiug Ihi) ll'ot/.-3ab!oi!s railway station was heavily bombed, and bursts were observed on tho 'engine sheds.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable, Assn.-K-euter. (Rec. May 26, 5.5 p.m.) London, May Zi (10.40 p.m.). Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Before tho weather brqke mi May 23 we dropped eight tons of bombs on aerodromes near Tournai and on billets. Wo brought down five enemy machines. Three British machine.-; are missing. \Vt> also dropped seven tons of bombs on billets in the neighbourhoods of I'eromie, I'ricourt, and Uapaumo, Mid on hutments in a wood in tho Sorame area, and u toil of bombs on factories and a railway at •Hngcndenjcn, northwards of iletz."— Aiu.. N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. HEAVY BOMBING WORK BY FRENCH AIRMEN. London, M:\y 21. A French communique stales: "Our bombing.squadrons, by day and night on Monday, dropped soventcen tons of bombs in tha region of St. Qncntiu, Xoyon, and Tergnier, upon the stations of Pcronne, Rosieros, and Xeslo, and aerodromes at Villeselve. Thirty tons of explosives were dropped in tho same region during the day and night of May 21, in addition to cloven tons dropped on cantonments and stations in tho region of Ville-au-Eois, Hirson, Lo Cateau, and Aulnoyc. Italian airmen toolc part in these operations."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.