VERDUN DEFENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 16091, 17 April 1916, Page 6

VERDUN DEFENCE.

SMART FRENCH SALLY EAST OF THE ?*EUSE. Tho High Commissioner reports, London, April 16 (4.45 p.m.):—On the left bank of the Mouse tho bombardment continued all night in the sector between Avocourt and Caurettes Wood. On the* right bank the French, launched late yesterday a lively attack on tho German positions south of Douaumont, occupying parts of tho ■enemy trenches. Two hundred Germans were token prisoners.

PETAIN'S TACTICS.

GERMANS DELUDE PEOPLE. PARIS, April 16. (Received April 17, at 8.50 a.m.) A semi-official message points out tli.it the, German communiques persistently ailege that General Pct-aiii has been counterattacking, of course unsuccessfully, bub sufficiently violently to explain the protracted Tiature. of the. operations round Verdun. In reality General Retain is still on tnc defensive, and will remain so as long as he thinks fit.

ANOTHER GERMAN ATROCSTY.

FRENCH PRISONERS BUTCHERED. AMSTERDAM, April 16. (Received April 17, at 8 a.m.) Two German deserters informed the Dutch Press correspondent that they were glad to escape from the hell on the Verdun front. They witnessed the fight at Tcrmiten Hill (south of Haueourt) on April 7. According to the German report of that fight a French detachment surrendered, but resumed their amis and attacked the Germans in tho rear, involving-a necessity for the Germans to take drastic measures with them. In reality, however, some French troops were cut off, but refused to surrender, and they inflicted terrible losses on the Germans who had passed on. Eventually the French, finding it impossible to cut their way through, surrendered. Thereupon the' Germans, after the men had been disarmed, commenced a wholesale slaughter of them, many of the Germans being disgusted at the butchery.

THREE GENERALS KILLED,

A ROME REPORT. London 'Times' and Sydney 'Sun' Services. LONDON, April 16. Rome reports state that a near relation of tho Kaiser was wounded and three German generals were killed in tho Verdun battles.

A GERMAN COMPARISON.

BRITISH BELITTLED. FRENCH TECHNIQUE ADMIRED. London 'Times' and Sydney 'Sun' Services. LONDON, April 16. ' The Times' has received a letter of Tecent date, written by a German Staff officer to a neutral diplomatist. It is obviously intended for neutral consumption. Tho writer declares that "the British are just as inefficient as tho French are efficient. The French anti-aircraft gun 6 are marvellous, and outclass the German guns. They cost us 95 peT cent, losses, whereas tho British cost us only 5 per cent losses. Tho latter arc thoroughly deficient. "The English air pilots only excel in their contempt of risk and indifference to danger. The French, in regard to technique, skilled engine designing, and aeroplane construction are ahead cf all the combatants. "A perusal of the English newspapers is vastly entertaining. They are all absorbed in politics, and are apparently unable to grasp the fact that, if we have not yet won the war, wo aro unable now to lose it. "England may still take pride in being Mistress of the Waves, but she is a mi& tress past her prime. Her fleets keep neutrals off our harbors and prevent our merchantmen from leaving them, but our submarines sweep the seas, and the ocean bed is strewn with the wreckage of British ships. "Our Zeppelins sail unmolested over the Midlands and over Scotland. "Wo smile when recalling Lord Curzon's prophecy that the pennons of the Bengal Lancers would flutter in the breeze at Berlin when the Indians marched alone Unter den Linden in tho wake of the conquering allied force?."

PRIVATION m GERMANY.

HOW TO CHEAT HUNGER. AM STEED Ail, April 16. (Received April 17, at 8 a.m.) Food mastication drill is the latestGerman weapon against England's starvation plan, according to the ' Kolnische Volkzzeitung.' That journal started a discussion on how to induce people to eat less, and it exhorts its readers to take heart. It publishes a schoolmaster's letter showing how he drilled his pupils to eat nnbultered black bread so slowly that their hunger was satisfied by a quarter of tho. usual amount, and they preferred it without butter.

CASSEL CAMP.

REPLICA OF WITTENBERG. TYPHUS DELIBERATELY CULTIVATED. LONDON, April 16. (deceived April 17, at 8.50 a.m.) A British prisoner at Casscl (in Hanover) describes in a letter the conditions there, which recall those at Wittenberg : " The camp is overcrowded; no one was able to wash for five months, and the sanitary arrangements are horrible. Typhus broke ont among the Russian prisoners, and the .authorities deliberately mixed up the Russians and the British in order to infect the latter. There were many deaths daily, and only the efforts of two English doctors prevented the disease wiping out the whole camp."

ATTEMPTED ESGAPE FROM MALTA.

_ MALTA, April 16. (Received April 17, at 8.40 a.m.) An officer of the Emden and another prisoner, wearing French uniforms, commandeered a boat and escaped from captivity. They were recaptured off Sicily. They were liberally provided with money to carry out their plan of escape.

A KRUPP PATENT

NEEDED FOR MUNITION WORK. London c Times' mid Sydney £ 3un' Services. LONDON, April 16. Two munitions firms at Birmingham and Sheffield have applied to the Patent Court for permission to manufacture a Krupp machine aftw the model, exhibited

in the Royal College of Science at South Kensington. This machine is used for magnetically separating wolfram from ore. Krupps' agents opposed the application. The applicants offer to pay Krupps 5 per cent, royalties, stating that the machine is urgently needed in connection with the manufacture of munitions. The Comptroller of Patents decided to recommend the Court to grant the applications.

COMPULSION.

ITS APPLICATION-DEFERRED. FALLIATP7ES ADOPTED. LONDON, April 16. (Received April 17, -at 8 a.m.) The Cabinet Recruiting Sub-committee conferred yesterday with the Army chiefs. It is generally understood that Cabinet decided, for the present at all events, against general compulsion, preferring three modifications of the existing system : —(1) The compulsion of all youths as they reach the age of 18; (2) the'further limitation of reserved occupations; and 15) the continuation of time-expired men in the Army. It is estimated that tho first method will bring in 500,000 recruits a year. RETURNING SOLDIERS. LIST OF OTAGO MEN. WELLINGTON, April 17. The. Ulimaroa, which is due shortly, is bringing 223 soldiers and six nurses back to New Zealand, including the following:— —Ota go Infantry Battalion.— Lance-corporal Thomas Cubitt. Privates Alexander Bowden, Adam R. Donaldson, Trooper George J. Elliott, Privates Bertram 0. Gibson, Percy Hamilton, Samuel Holden, John Jollv, James Jordan, Andrew J. Middlemiss! John Milier, Jonathan Oliphant, Thomas Prior, Albert Whittington. —Ota.go Mounted Rifles.— Privates James T. Brown, Herbert Geo. Christie, William Collett, William Davies, Albert E. Ellison, Samuel Henry, George Laidlaw, James W. Smith, William Wilson. —Returning for Duty.— Lieutenant-colonel Edmund R. Bowler. Majors Charles E. Maguire, John H Moir, Henry S. Orbell, William M'Ara. Captain Daniel F. Myers. Lieutenant Thomas Christopher. Sergeant-majors Charles 11. Skinner Frank Wiseman. ' Sergeant James 11. Straw. Corporals Harold F. Eatton, Lancelot D. Hapget. Lance-corporal Matthew Edgar. Privates Laurence C. Brown, Percival Little, Frederick W. Saxton, Fred Smith Parlane R. Walker. ' —Returning for Commission.— Sergeants John B. Austin, Ewen P. Pilling. Navigation Officer, C.P.L., John Brown. —Field Artillery.— Q.M.S. Leonard Geo. Dawson. Sergeant John Macaregor. Corporals Thomas Fordyee, Alexander W. Rottero. Bombardiers Frederick W. Smith, Alexander N. Tweedie. Acting Bombardier William J. Bailey Gunners Sydney Thos. Davis, Albert's Gulbranson, Albert Toga-. Frank H Humphreys. George Kinr. Charles A. Porter, David 'Sinclair, "Daniel Skinner Frederick R, Smith, Daniel Sullivan Bernard D. Thomas, Cecil Treloar. —Army .Service Corps (Divisional Train).— Sergeant Stanley Foote. Private John Burns. —New Zealand Veterinary Corps.— Privates Christopher Do. B. Galwiv Thomas Lamport. —Army Pay Department.— Jesse Butler. —Army Nursing Service Staff.— Nurses Edith Martha Brawn, Elizabeth M'Bride Goldsmith, Aileen Holwood, Elizabeth A. Wilson. Sisters Samson, Mary Watt. —Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion.— Riflemen William Agnew, Jesse Buttler Caryl J. Hay, John H. Hill, John Jardine, Frank H. Rix. —Rifle Brigade, Ist Battalion.— Second Lieutenant William L. Mitchell Buglers Ernest E. Dawe, Albert t! Dimmock. Riflemen William J. Comber, William R. Ellen, Albert Franklin, Charles Harris Walter E. Nicol, Thomas .Nimmo, Thoma< O Grady, Walter R. O'Toole, Wm. K Stone. —New Zealand Medical Corps.— Captain John S. Beedie. Sergeants Charles B. B. Richardson, liios. C. Tester. Corporal John E. Cook. Privates William F. Anderson, Harold A. Cave, Alfred C. Dcdds, Isaac J. Hardley, V\ illiam 11. Hellier, Leo T. Hodrson Jack A Montgomerie, Frank J. Tooman! Albert M. Wonson. —New Zealand Field Engineers.— Sergeant William 11. Dav. Corporal William J. Courtney. Farrier Patrick Bradley. Sapper Georco H. Buckingham. Privates William R. Crosan, Wm A Greenslade, Wm. H. Shaw. —Army Service Corps.— Lance-corporal E. Tohill. Privates William Archer, Percv E Clark, John Collins-, AVilliam E. Jolly John L. Scott, Ernest Stuart. Driver Harvey M. Clothier.