COMPARATIVE QUIET ON BRITISH FRONT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 25 May 1917, Page 5

COMPARATIVE QUIET ON BRITISH FRONT.

ONSLAUGHTS ON FRENCH SECTOES. DIRECTLY INSPIRED BY HINDENBURG. BELGIAN DEPORTATIONS RENEWED. CONSTANT ENEMY BOMBARDMENT OF RHEIMS. LONDON, May 23. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: Nothing of special interest has occurred. There has been less aerial activity, owing to the unfavorable weather. PARIS, May 24. Corespondents at French head-quart-ers state that yon Hindenburg has been visiting ( the French sector of the battlefront, and that he directly inspired the offensive, both on the wing aft the Aisne and at the Champagne. Apparently he was much concerned at the French ■capturing important observation positions. Enemy "assaults made on Sturmcopen were of the stoutest quality. The French, however, are well prepared, J&nd are gradually wearing down the on. slaughts. LONDON, May 24. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig has seat his greetings and admiration to the ralorous -Anzaos. PARIS, May 24. The Belgian Government has received information that the Germans have renewed the deportation of able-bodied men. Since the beginning of May 3000 men have been forcibly removed from Brussels.

A Government expert reports that Rheims Cathedral will probably collapse. The edifice is tottering. The central transept has suffered severely from the bombardment in recent days.

Thousands of shells have been hurled into the city daily. Over half the members of the fire brigade have been killed or wounded. Almost all civilians have evaouated the city. Thousands remained since early in the war, sending their children daily In gas masks to underground schools. A great underground city existed, wherein manifold activities, municipal and otherwise, were conducted. Now all ia changed under the systematic Hun bombardment.

A French communique states: At the Chemin-des-Dames the enemy bomlarded positions we occupy in the region of the plateaux of Vauclere and California. The enemy artillery was brisk in the region south of MoronTillers. Our fire broke an attack on High Mount.