"THIS IS A REAL BATTLE"

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 139, 12 June 1918, Page 7

"THIS IS A REAL BATTLE"

'{AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION

(Received June 12, 9 a.m.)

LONDON, 11th Jane.

Mr. Perns quotes a French Staff officer as saying : "This is a real battle," •meaning to contrast the present fierce fighting with the attack on the Chemin 'dcs Dames. The Allies' Noyon-Montdidier line is stronger, while the reserves are nearer than they were to the Chemin dcs Dames. The French batteries are so effective that at many points it amounted to the massacre of the columns of assault. There is unanimity of opinion among the prisoners, as well as our own combatants, that the ranks of the enemy were torn and (ploughed with shot snd Bhe". Naver,. p-er'naps, has "the Carman Army paid l<o dearly for an advance, which nowhere exceeded five miles. The smallness of the -enemy's .?ains is merely a sign that Yon Hutier has found that his adversary is .prepared, and is able to contest every yard. The fighting has been of the most sanguinary character—terrific hand-to-hand combats amid the ruins of every village. Violent struggles occurred at Courcelleß, only two miles from the old I

locked. Re flift not let-rim £r> the ■war«- ■ house until Tuesday morning-, and on entering noticed that some goods I;r.<l been disarranged, and that two full pieces of cloth and part of a piece were .. missing, lie found no signs of any doors or windov/s beip.e opsn ; but; l&terfound that the catch oi a window facing Wakefield-street had been recently broken. There were also some chaff cuttings on the counter.near, the window and i»i the floor. The rolls of cloth produced were the property of ' his" firm'; they bore the firm's tickets, with.his writ?Ji'j on them. Thar value wa^ £ICO 7s 6d. On Thursday, the Situ inst.,. the stock was checked, and it was found that two more rolls of cloth, valued at £49 4s 3d, were missing. Detective J. Torrance said that at 9.20 p.m. on the 3rd inst. he and Detec-tive-Sergeant Eawle s Torched the house No. 1, Edward-street, occupied hy the . accused, and found a roll of blue indigo serge, which was identified by the last witness as his firm's property. The roll '.7as covered with chaff. cuttings. When sroVen to on the subject, Selway askeel ii that was all they bed found there. jxUOUSeC i'ttaerv*n ilis <icieiitje ci,lld \vu.-e» Court. Bail was allowed in one sum of ■050.