BATTLE OF THE AISNE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 July 1918, Page 5

BATTLE OF THE AISNE

THIRTY THOUSAND PRISQMRS TAKEN

WESTERN THEATRE

THE ALLIES' SUCCESSES

REJOICING IN AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY, July 19

News of the Franco-American success has created the greatest enthusiasm. Paper-sellers wore besieged. There were impromptu gatherings and songs and the National Anthem were sung with great ' fervour. Stock rose strongly.. The ringing of hells and blowing of steamers' whistles proclaimed the victory.

THE FRENCH ATTACK

GOOD PROGRESS MADT

LONDON, July 18

A French communique says: — We attacked this morning from the region of Fontenoy and Ogaisne as far as the region of Belleau- We advanced at certain points two or three kilometres. We have taken prisoners in the Champagne south-west of Monteuilfosse. We stopped violent enemv attacks north of Prosnes. An attack by the enemy guard troops failed completely.

BRITISH OFFENSIVE

SEVERAL POINTS ATTACKED

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

Received this dav at 2.10 a.m. LONDON. July 18, (7.20 p.m. The British have begun attacks at several points.

MARNE BRIDGES

BOMBARDED BY FRENCH

[Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

Received this day at 12.45 a.m. LONDON, July 18.

The French are still bombarding the Marne bridges. The enemy undoubtedly has an alternative plan in case of failure. It now remains to be seen what it is. He probably means to combine his present offensive with something else. Epernay is now in no danger, and is unlikely to be taken. The enemy is still half a mile from Pourcy. There was heavy rain yesterday.

FRENCH ADVANCE

man attacks misfired, and at-only one pout he succeeded in advancing. To-day, alter two unsuccessful attempts, the Germans at 11 this morning attacking on a sixmile front penetrated a depth of a mile and a-half. The deepest point is at Montague de Rheims, where an advance was made at an enormous cost. During the night the French repulsed two enemy attacks at Vrigny and Beaumoni-sur-Veslo.. The French re-entered two villages which had been strenuously disputed, including Mont Voisin. The French artillery dominates the Manic 'Valley, which is being heavily shelled. The French hold the whole of the high ground overlooking the valley with the exception of one point. 'The offensive, which the enemy hoped to develop, into a drive, is now reported a« a failure; and will become a scries of local disjointed actions. Therefore it can truly be described as a German defeat, but probably the battle will continue for some time with fluctuating results. The Germans still possess a large number of available reserves but it is believed likely, owing to this failure, that the High Command may determine to reorganise and use the reserves for an assault on another part of the line.

The increased German artillerying on the British front is regarded as significant in this connection. The enemy at no point advanced one-third of the programme distance, and he suffered colossal casualties.

The French are full of hope that the enemy will not succeed in taking- Rheims, though they anticipate the utmost efforts to capture the city by ramming tactics- In the event of the Germans gaining possession of Montague de Rheims the tenure of the city will become precarious.

AUSTRALIAN SUCCESSES

HOSTILE ARTILLERY" ACTIVE.

BEARING SOISSONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this tlav at 1 a-in. PARIS, July 18. Tke French are within three miles of Soissons. ATTACKS RENEWED. ENEMY MAKE NO PROGRESS (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this day at 11.45 a.m. EON DON, July 18. The enemy renewed the attack westward and eastward of Pheims salient, capturing the eastern portion of La Bourdounerri Village and the heights which the French re-took on Thursday. The French are again counter-attacking. The Germans remained unable to debouch from the Prunay advance posts at break-neck speed. A favourable sign is that the villages are changing hands repeatedly. The enemy during the third day succeeded in advancing their line towards important positions which he may subsequently capture, provided he possesses the requisite forces. On the other hand, the enemy failed to gain strategic advances which are a necessary pre- ! liminary to the vast covering ' westward movement, which was S the High Command's plan. The German pincers have slipped in • the Champagne between Prunay and Massigns, where a rupture would have enabled the enemy to ". cross the Roman Road and reach n Snfrmes and thence ChalonsHere our line holds. The Ger-

Received this day at 12.45 a.m.

It is evident that Ludendorff planned to rupture the Champagne front and isolate the French armies and exploit his success hy local battles. Further stern fighting is inevitable, because the enemy Avill be compelled to continue the attacks in order to save his face.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, July 18, evening. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The Australians were successful in an enterprise on the 17th in the neighbourhood of Villers Bretonneux, advancing their line on upwards of a mile of front. They captured two field guns. We slightly improved our positions eastward of Hebuterne- We successfully raided southward of Hehuterne and repulsed raiders southward of Bucquoy. There is considerable hostile artillery activity northward of Bailleul. AMERICAN VICTORY. NEW YORK JUBILATIONS. |Auslralian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this day at 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, July 18. The Americans passed beyond their objectives. Wall street stocks bounded many pouts. The City Hall bells tolled in honour of the victory. SEVERE FIGHTING. ALLIES' INTENTIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this dav at 9.30 a.m. WASHINGTON, July 15. General Marsh announces that there is the severest fighting on the Aisne. The forces do not exceed 60,000. The Allies have planned a greater drive earlier in the year.

THE ALLIES' DRIVE. ONE HUNDRED GUNS CAPTURED. (Australian'and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received tins day,at 9.30 a.m. LONDON, July 19. The Aisue battle is continuing" violently. The Allies captured one hundred guns- The French are again advancing' and the German lines are imperilled. A GREAT VICTORY. FRANCO-AMERICAN SUCCESS. THIRTY THOUSAND (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this dav at 10.15 a.m. PARIS, July 19. The French captured 15,000 Germans. VANCOUVER, July 19. The United Press Washington correspondent learns officially that the French have captured sonsWASHINGTON, July 19. Official advices state that the French and Americans have captured 30,000 prisoners. AERIAL WARFARE. BRITISH RAIDS. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. LONDON, July 18. The Air Ministry official report states that aeroplanes on Tuesday night dropped bombs on the aerodromes at Hagendinger and Burdagh. Good results were obtained. On Wednesday they successfully attacked the railway siding at Thionville. STRIKING PHOTOGRAPHS. RESULTS OF BRITISH ATTACKS. LONDON, July 18. The Press Bureau issues a striking photograph of the damage caused by the raids of the British Independent Air forces on the German railway system at Metzablon. It shows exceptionally destructive bursts at the engine sheds and workshops- The remains of two incinerated trains, great damage to the network of lines. The significant feature is the almost complete absence of rolling stock, thus showing that Ihc twenty-one raids since 21st June on this important junction, materially reduce the enemy's war traffic. GERMAN RAIDERS. DRIVEN FROM ENGLAND. (Australian and N Z. Cable .) Received tin's dav at 9.30 a.m. LONDON, July 19. The Press Bureau slates: Hostile aeroplanes flew over the Thanet at a great altiiude in the evening, but were immediately driven off. IN PALESTINE. AERIAL ACTIVITY. SUCCESSFUL O DERATIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this dav at 9.50 a.m. LONDON, July 19. A Pales!ine official report says: We bombed El Kutrani and Amman stations, hitting troop trains, camps and aerodromes. SUBMARINE CAMPAIGN BARQUE SUBMARINED. THE CREW SAVED. WASHINGTON, July 17. the Navy Department announces that the Norwegian barque Marosa was submarined and sunk in mid Atlantic. The crew were saved. STEAMERS SUNK. RESULTS OF COLLISIONS (Australian ami N.Z. Cable Association.) BUENOS AIRES, July 15. Tho British steamer Clan Robertson collided with another Britisher on the River Plate and was sunk. Advices from Monte Video say that the British steamer Indium was sunk off the Brazilian coast, "in a collision with an Italian vessel. TROOPSHIP TORPEDOED. ONE CASUALTY REPORTED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) • Received this dav at 12-45 a.m. MELBOURNE, This Day. It is officially announced that the troopship Barunga, formerly the German *Sum.at.ro, was torpedoed and sunk in European waters. All were saved. Renter announces one casually. IN EUROPEAN WATERS, AMERICAN VESSEL SUNK. (Australian and N Z. Cable Association) Received this day at 11.30 a.m. MONTREAL, July 19. The American steamer Wartover was torpodoed_ in European waters. Ten are missing-.

RUSSIA. INTERVENTION IN SIBERIA. JAPAN CONSIDERING THE "QUESTION. TOKIO, July 13. Confidential conferences oi eider statesman and military leaders and the Premier are considering Washington's proposal for joint AmericanJapanese intervention m Siberia. JAPANESE INTERVENTION. A DECISION ARRIVED AT. ("The Times" Cable.) Received this day at 1id.25 a.m. TOKIO, July ,18. The Council of Elder Statesmen considered the Government reports concerning' the despatch of troops and agreed to support unlimited assistance to the Czechoslovaks. (The cable news in this issue accredited to "The Times" has appea*-ed in that journal, but only where expressly stated is such news the editorial oninion of "The Times.") ALLIED INTERVENTION. AGREEMENT ARRIVED, AT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this day at 12.45 a.m. LONDON, July 18. The Daily Chronicle says: A diplomatic correspondent foreshadows immediate Allied intervention in Siberia following the Czecho-Slovaks' arrival at Vladivostok. President Wilson has modified his earlier views and no longer waits a formal invitation from the Soviet before considering Allied action in Russia justified. There is every reaso nto believe that an active agreement between Tokio and Washington is approaching. Japan, however, is not too, enthusiastic for intervention. As bofore, the Government is still, favourable, but there is opposition in commercial circlesCHOLERA IN PETROGRAD. THOUSAND CASKS IN THREE DAYS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this dav at 12-45 a.m. COPENHAGEN, July 18. Cholera continues to spread in Petrograd. There were a thousand new cases in three days. IRKUTSK CAPTURED. CZECHO-SLOVAKS SUCCESS. PEKING, July 18. The Czecho-Slovaks are in full possession of Irkutsk and are advancing along ihe railway, south of Baikal. The Bolsheviks arc concentrated east of Baikal. HORVAT D ENOUNCED. CZECIIO-SLOVAK OPPOSITION. (Australian and ,N.Z. Cable Association ) Received this dav at 12.45 a-m. HARBIN, July 18. The Czecho-Slovaks denounced M. Horvat as a traitor and reactionary. GERMAN COLONIES. AMERICAN DISCUSSION. /Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this day at 9 a.m. WASHINGTON, July 18. When the Senate resumed on August 24th, Senator Saulsbury will ask that action be taken on the resolution cabled on July 6thThere is a disposition among members of the Foreign Relations Committee to support the resolution. Several Senators on the Pacific coast are keenly interested, and conferred with Senator Saulsbury. Subsequently Senator Phelas, California, said that it was of the greatest importance that some arrangement or alliance should be formed by the Great Powers on the Pacific as a protection against German aggression in case of necessity these Powers should police the Pacific. There should be >a frank understanding of the Allies' respective interests and the combined forces should be bound to respect the status quo. Action was necessary in cases not only in Australia but on the west coast and the Island possessions of Africa. Germany will realise that a good understanding between the Powers in the Pacific will probably lead to a post-war trade 1 agreement against Germany. This may impel Germany to abandon their militaristic war aims, and seek an earlier end of the war. Senator Jones, Washington State, said that he agreed as to the importance of the question Congress should consider not only the keening of German raiders out of the Pacific, but whether any Germans in their former South Pacific possession's should return after ihe war. *

MISCELLANEOUS.. LOSS OF THE BIG DEATH ROLL. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this day at 12.45 a.m. TOiviU, July IS. The Ktmaesi .sank in lour minutes, possibly from an explosion oi oil- odO were saved out of Dot). BIG FIRE AT FEZ. INCENDIARISM S U'SPECTED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received this dav at 2.10 a.m. LONDON, July 13. Renter reports a disastrous lire at Fez, Morocco, winch destroyed nine thousand square yards in the centre of the commercial quarter, gutting a thousand shops. It is significant that the fire started during the Feast of Ramadan, when everybody takes deep sleep. The fire was only stopped by dynamiting" the surrounding buildings. Enormous stocks of silk, cotton and other goods were destroyed. German incendiarism is suspected. MILITARY SERVICE. NEW ZEALANDER IN TROUBLE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.^ Received this dav at 9.45 a.m. LONDON, July 18. Yeates's appeal was dismissed, with costs, but on Yeates's undertaking not to wear uniform, tke penalty was reduced to one shilling. Sir Joseph Ward and Sir Thos. Mackenzie gave evidence.