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Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, 16 February 1917, Page 4

The overnight es. which alone of the cables as yet before us to-day contain any news of military events, disclose continued activity on the part of fhe British not only on the Somme' front, but at several* points further to the north. None of these incidents is, however, of any outstanding individual importance. but, at the same time, they indicate an incessant harrying of the enemy that no doubt is having its intended effect. The French reports ’are of like -purport, the raids still taking place mainly in the sector south of Verdun, although a message just received tells us of similar movements east of Rheims, in the .Champagne district, and on

the Meuse. The Germans, on their side, claim to have repulsed two British attacks at Serre, at the northern end of the Somme front, while the French communique speaks of German air raids indicating revival of enterprise on the part of the enemy aircraft, 10-aay we are given a more extended report of Sir Douglas Haig s interview by French war correspondents, which shows him as speaking in a definitely confident tone with regard to the final issue on the western front, where he seems to think the ultimate decision will be found. The Germans have renewed their attacks in the lake region southward of Dvinsk, but, although they succeeded, with the aid ol poisonous gases, in penetrating the Russian lines, they were at once driven back. In the south-western Bukowina, however, the Russians admit that they were not able to withstand strong German forces that attacked along the Kimpolung Jacobeni road and had . eventually to be left in possession of two heights they had captured, the Russians retiring to new position twothirds of a mile back. The German message with regard to the ‘‘storming of several Russian positions ’ has probably reference to the same incidents, although the place-name given—so far unidentifiable by us — is different. In any event it is clear that the Russians have met with a minor reverse. In the Monastir too, the Germans hate admittedly gained some little ground, and a Dutch message indicates that considerable eneffiy reinforcements have been sent in southerly direction from ' some part of the eastern front. British aircraft have been busy near Constantinople, and are reported to have done considerable damage to the railway on the other side of the Bosporus.