British Attack on Wide Front.

Mataura Ensign, 24 April 1917, Page 4

British Attack on Wide Front.

Per United Press Association. (Aastralian and N.Z. Cable Association.) By Electric Telegraph Copyright.

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

ATTACK ON WIDE FRONT.

BRITISH PROGRESS.

LONDON, April 23

The High Commissioner reports 1 . Sir Douglas Haig attacked at dawn on a wide front on both sides of the Scarpe. Fighting is proceeding and satisfactory progress is being made. Southwards of the Bapaume-Cai *>rai road we captured the remainder of the village of Trexault last night and gained the greater part of Havrincourt Wood. 1000 PRISONERS, MUCH BOOTY.. Later. Between Lens and St. Quentin there have been important advances at numerous points, and prisoners to the number of fully 1000 are already leported, as well as a quantity of booty. Guemappe and Gaxrelle are understood to have fallen to the English.

THE FRENCH OPERATIONS.

GERMAN ATTACKS BROKEN

LONDON, April 23

The French official message states : There was great artillery activity southwards of St. Quentin, between Soissoris and Rheims, and in the Champagne. A strong German attack yesterday north-eastward of Monthaut was broken by artillery and machine gun fire.

IN THE EASTERN THEATRE. FLOODS NEAR RIGA. NO FIGHTING POSSIBLE. Received April 24, 11.35 a.m. PETROGRAD, April 23. Inundations on the Riga front separate the adversaries, and fighting is impossible. There are heavy German concentrations below Riga. ANZAC DAY. THE WAR CHEST MEN. LONDON SERVICES. Received April 24, 11.30 a.m. LONDON, Apirl 23. The Australian chaplains, in conjunction with the Bishop of Willesden, will hold a memorial service in connection with tlie War Chest Club on Anzac Day. : There will also be a service in the Westminster Catholic Cathedral, a matinee in Prince’s Theatre, and a concert in the evening by British artists. The ‘‘War Chest Men” is the name applied by the people of New South Wales to the men at the front in charge of the Australian Comforts Fund. They are not a part of the Army and cannot gain any honor excepting that which comes from the hearts of the soldiers, but it has always been their boast that an hour after the Australians captured a trench the War Chest_ coffee carts would be in evidence. When an Australian battalion marched into Bapaume the other day with banners and a beating drum, close behind it came the War Chest men. Little explanation has been given of the cause of the explosion which smashed the Bapaume town Hall and destroyed many courageous and unselfish lives. General Birdwood cabled ■to the hon. secretary in Sydney : “Cannot tell how extremely sorry 1 am to inform you of loss of life incurred by your men in an explosion. Have no definite details, but tear it is possible some six or seven of our Comforts men have been killed. 1 exceedingly regret this, and no one knows better than I the real good work they have done fo rus since the start, and no one more fully appreciates the self-sacrifice shown in their work on behalf of the men.” A later cable from the London Commissioner of the Australian Comforts Fund states that there were seven casualties, and that arrangements are being made for a suitable memorial. ON THE SEAS. GREAT SUBMARINE CAPTURES. CREW’S GLADLY SURRENDER.

Received April 24, 1.45 p.m. WASHINGTON, April 23. A member of the Balfour party admitted that 20 German submarines had been captured on the day previous to 31 r Balfour’s departure.' The U boats were ■ searching for a destroyer base and were unable to find it, and the starving crews gladly surrendered. “Britain,” he added, “is capturing and sinking more submarines man anyone imagines. The bases are sought out and destroyed almost as soon as established.” GERMAN WOUNDED LAND. Received April 24, 11.35 a.in. AMSTERDAM, April 23. A number of the German wounded men irom the recent raid oil’ Dover have arrived at Bruges. BRITISHNEWS. MR WELLS’ REPUBLICANISM. A REBUKE FROM INDIA. Received April 2<. 11.30 a.in. LONDON, April 23. Tin' Maharajah of Bikanir, in a speech on receiving the Freedom of Manchester, speaking as one. from India, where the teaching, traditions and sentiments are deeply inspired by veneration for and devotion to the Sovereign, said: “Mr H. G. Wells’ views and suggestions will be repudiated with scorn and repugnance throughout India.” The Maharajah of Bikanir is India’s representative at the special sittings of the War Cabinet. He is an aide-de-camp to the King, has a yearly income of £200,000 and rules over 700,000 natives.

GAINS IN PRISONERS AND BOOTY. FRENCH ADVANCE AT MANY POINTS. MR BALFOUR MEETSJHE PRESIDENT. FURTHER GAINS IN MESOPOTAMIA. ANZAC DAY IN LONDON. STRIKES IN GERMANY AND POLAND.

AMERICA AND THE WAR.

MR BALFOUR AT WASHINGTON.

MEETING THE PRESIDENT.

Received April 24, 10.45 a.m. WASHINGTON, April 23' v,. lit. Hon. A. J. Balfour, accompanuM by his suite, drove to the State Department to call on Mr Robert Lansing (Secretary for State). Sir Cecil Spring Rico (the British Ambassador at Washington) iliade the presentation, Mr Lansing laying aside his pipe hurriedly. _ , Afterwards Mr Lansing and Mr Balfour called on President Wilson, Mr Balfour smiling as he noticed the Suffragette pickets oh either side of the White House entrance.

The meeting, in his office, between the President and Mr Balfour was simple but extremely cordial. Meetings of the naval and uiilitary members of the entourage were held with the American Departmental heads.

ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. i

Received April 24, 9.40 a.m.> WASHINGTON, April 23. A wonderful wave of spontaneous enthusiasm greeted Mr Balfour and party. Thousands lined the streets.

FOOD ONLY WANTED. SOLDIERS? CAN WAIT. Received April 24, Y0.45 a.m. WASHINGTON, April 23. The Allies’ immediate demands from the United States are for food alone. The despatch of our Expeditionary Army to Europe is unnecessary in the immediate future. BOND BILL PASSES. Received April 24, 10.45 a.m. WASHINGTON, April 23. The Bond Bill has passed the conference of the House and Senate and awaits the President’s signature. FIRST ELECTRIC BATTLESHIP. Received April 24,' 10.45 a.m. . NEW YORK, April 23. The super-Dreadnought New Mexico, the firsf electrically-driven battleship, has been launched at Brooklyn. DEBATE ON CONSCRIPTION BILL. LIKELY TO BE CARRIED. WASHINGTON, April 23. The debate has been commenced on the Conscription Bill. Varying reports from the committees were presented, recommending, volunteering versus the Presidential plan. The Administration is bringing pressure on members to induce them t& support conscription, which is now likely to pass the House of Representatives, and its passage is practically assured in the Senate. DEMONSTRATIVE PARISIANS. Received April 24, 11.35 a.m. PARIS, April 23. There were great demonstrations on Sunday in honor of America’s intervention. . Tiie crowds gave an ovation to the Ambassador. LES DARCY TO FIGHT.

Received April 24, 1/45 p.m. WASHINGTON, April 23. Les Darcy, the well-known ex-Aus- . tralian boxer, has enlisted at Memphis , in the United States Aviation Reserve i Corps, unconditionally. Darcy previonsly stipulated for enough furlough , for two fights pending, but abandoned the stipulation latex’. <; IN MESOPOTAMIA. ISTABULAT POSITION CARRIED. RIGHTING PROCEEDING., LONDON, -.April 23. The High Commissioner reports:— A Mesopotamian official message states:— On Saturday night the enemy vaouatod the remainder of the Istabulat position, portion of which we stormed; We consolidated our gains bn Satui’day and at daybxoak on Sunday pi'essed the pursuit, capturing prisoner's aiid a Gin howitzer. . The enemy having been found to he occupying another position to the rightwards of the Tigris, six miles nearer Samaria, the position is being attacked. GENERAL NEWS. THE SITUATION IN GREECE. IRREGULARS ARMED IN ATHENS. Received April 24, 11.30 a.m. LONDON. April 23. In the House of Commons Lord Robert Cecil, in reply to a question, said the irregular Greek hands committing depredations upon the Venizclists were armed and organised in Athens. Ho added that General Sarrail was taking measures to abate the trouble. ARGENTINE DEMONSTRATION. AMERICA’S~ALLIES.. Received April 24. 11.40 a.m. BUENOS AYRES, April 23. Filly thousand people demonstrated in the streets and sang patriotic songs, claiming to be America’s allies. JAPANESE ELECTIONS. SUPPORT OF ENTENTE. Received April 24, 11.40 a.m. TOKIO, April 23. In the elections the Government was victorious. It is estimated that the Government has 217 and the Opposition I G4 seat's This is interpreted as showing confidence in the leadership of Field-Marshal Terauchi,.and is expected to emphasise Japan’s support of. the Entente.

GERMANS AND CATHEDRALS.

* DAILY MAIL’S ’ SUGGESTION

Received April 24, 9.40 a.m

LONDON, April 23. ‘The- Daily Mail’ states that unless an ultimatum is sent to the Germans Laon Cathedral will be destroyed within 10 days. The paper proposes that Germany be informed that Cologne Cathedral will be destroyed as a reprisal. STRIKES IN GERMANY. FURTHER DEMONSTRATIONS. OUTBREAK IN POLAND. Received April 25, 11.35 a.m. ZURICH, April 23. The munitioners at Berlin made fresh demonstrations during the week-end, although the military posted notices in the Spandau .factories declaring that the strikers were punishable under the Military Code. The railway workers at Warsaw, Lodz, and other Polish towns have also struck. The Germans have threatened to deport them, but in spite of this the number is increasing. THE AIM ACCOMPLISHED. Received April 24, 11.35 a.m. AMSTERDAM, April 23. Trade union leaders at a meeting at Berlin declared that 400,000 workers had participated in the strike and had secured the Government’s promise that a labor committee should co-operate in future in the rationing. The aim of the strike had been attained. SEIZURE OF FOODSTUFFS. Received April 24, 11.35 a.m. AMSTERDAM, April 23. The ‘Vorwaerts’ states that the police at Cologne confiscated quantities of hoarded corn and potatoes, closed 68 bakehouses, and summoned 300 bakers in connection with hoarding supplies. WITH THE ENEMY. TO FOLLOW VON BiSSING. Received April 24, 9.40 a.ra. ‘ AMSTERDAM, April 23. General Falkenhausen has been appointed Governor-General of Belgium.