OVERNIGHT NEWS.

Mataura Ensign, 25 April 1917, Page 5

OVERNIGHT NEWS.

THE WAR IN THE WEST.

THE BATTLE OF ARRAS.

SECOND PHASE OPENED.

N 81 ELKOTKIG TELEGRAPH COPTEIGHT

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) LONDON, April 23. Mr Philip Gibbs says that the battle of Arras has entered the second phase, which will be harder than the battle of the 9th.

This morning, before 5 o’clock, English, Scotch, and Welsh troops attacked eastward of Arras on the Gavrelle-Gue-mappe-Fontaine-Croiselles line, which is the last switch line hereabouts between ajs and the main Hindenburg line. So far the day has been in our favor. We gained important fround, and inflicted great losses. We took 1000 prisoners in the neighbourhood of Fontaine.

Everywhere there was hard fighting, as the enemy were aware they would he attacked as soon as the guns moved up. The Germans were told to hold on at all costs. They brought up many new batteries, and massed machine guns in the villages and trenches covering the line of advance.

Fighting progresses at all points. Sometimes our men are beaten hack, men re-attacking go forward. Gavrelle is certainly ours, thus breaking the socalled Oppy line northward of the Scarpe. We are now . beyond Guemappe, soumyard of Croiselles, where wo captured and killed many. At the outset the enemy resisted fiercely. Last night was terribly cold. Our men lay in shell holes and shallow trenches, and suffered severely.

HURRICANE BOMBARDMENT. BRILLIANT CAPTURE OF GAVRELLE. LONDON, April 23. Mr Philip Gibbs continues: —The ■-bombardment which had been steady throughout the night, broke into a hurricane of fire at dawn. The artillery barrage was brilliantly successful directly the attack commenced, but the British had hardly risen from the shell holes and ditches before the German counter-barrage started, and furnace blast of machine gun fire from two small woods in front of Monchy and V Guemappe also commenced. The enemy trenches below Monchy were defended by enfilade fire from redoubts along the Cambrai Road . When the Britishers swept down the Germans quickly fled to the cover of the wood at Bois de Sart. The Britishers elsewhere along the Scarpe were held up for some time by intense machine gun fire, and had to await the arrival of tanks. Still further north the Scottish battalions quickly advanced towards Roeux passing a fortified farm and chemical works, where the enemy lost very Heavily in trying to escape from the ruins. The capture of Gavrelle was the most brilliant episode on the left side of the attack. The Germans set great store by Guemappe, which is a heap of bricks, deriving its importance from its position upon the • Arras-Cainbrai Road. The Third' Bavarian Division held the village and there was. deadly hand-to-hand fighting. The 101st Pomeranian Regiment held the neighbourhood of Fontaine lez Crosilles. The Pomeranians for several days were heavily bombarded, and their nerves were so shaken that they came but of their dug-outs, and 500 surrendered without attempting to ! fight. , Between the Cojeul and Senee rivers wrehe the British advanced along a curved line following the shape of the rising ground, we took at least 1200 prisoners and a-hattery of field guns.

HEAVY, CONTINUOUS FIGHTING. COUNTERATTACKS STOPPED. , LONDON, April 23. Sir D. Haig reports:—There has been heavy continuous fighting all day on both banks of the Scarpe, and important positions have been gained. A marked feature of the operations is the frequency of violent counter-at-tacks, in which there are very heavy enemy lossqs. We captured Gavrelle village, and two and a-flialf miles of defences to the southward of the village. AVe fought our way forward on the right bank of the Scarpe on a wide front southward and eastward of Monchy le Preux. and captured Guemappe, taking over 1000 prisoners. AVe also progressed south-west of Lens. There was great aerial activity on Sunday. Fifteen German machines, also four kite balloons, were brought down, and four British machines are missing. A GARRISON BAYONETTED. LONDON, April 23. Mr Beach Thomas, describing the new British offensive, tells of the great concentration of new German reserves and batteries on both sides of the Scarpe to meet the renewed attack. He says that one officer _ rushed his men past the German curtain fire, and then paraded them up close to our own barrage. The moment ' the curtain lifted the men were in the enemy’s tienches,' and bayoneted the whole garson, save a handful of prisoners. The Germans fought to the death, till the group, nearly surrounded, held up their hands. But as the British rose from their 1 shell-holes the machine-gunners behind, pretending to surrender, opened tire in all directions. “I never met Britishers coming from battle with such passionate words of fury.”

Much air fighting prefaced the battle, and six German machines were brought down. 2000 PRISONERS TAKEN. DEFENCES IN THE REAR. . LONDON, April 21. Correspondents at British Headquarters state that three days’ fine weather preceded the Scarpe attack, which was made on a front of 12.000 yards. - At least 2000 prisoners hare been taken. . The attack was considerably less important than that of the oth April, because it had no definite .objective like ■the old German first line. Instead of a continuous trench system the British were facing rolling country dotted with nianv isolated posts and short lengths of trenches. Such country offered the artillery no definite target, or object of attack, Many Germans in the .second hue fought stubbornly and there was considerably bayonet fighting. It is evident that the Germans artmaking every effort to delay the advance in order to-'gain time to complete their defences in the rear. the german report. LONDON, April 33. A wireless German official message states; — A new British assault at Arras broke down with heavy enemy Josses. French operations. SUCCESSFUL AIR FIGHTING. LONDON. April 2-1. French communique:—We completely "repulsed several attacks at various points between the Somme and the Our batteries threw a destructive, fire against the German organisation at the Chemin des Domes.

We progressed north of Saucy. The artillery duel has been particularly severe in the sector at Hurtebise farm. - There has been successful aerial fighting. THE NEW RUSSIA. WILL NOT ABANDON STRUGGLE. ARMY DETERMINED. WASHINGTON, April 23. A message from Russia received by tiio State Department declares that Russia is no more likely to abandon the war without achieving its object tiian the United States itself. The revolution aimed at the defeat of Germany, not to make a separate peace. The new Government of Russia is organising itself on the American Republican model; while the Army is determined and is rapidly becoming efficient. GERMANY’S DILEMMA. LONDON, April 24. The Petrograd correspondent of the ‘Daily News’’ says that M. Muliukolf, speaking at Moscow, said: “I possess secret documents showing that Germany is debating whether to attack Russia immediately or wait until internal disorders should put Russia at Germany’s mercy.” RUSSIA'S LLOYD GEORGE. DEFENSIVE WAR ONLY. PETROGRAD, April 24. The ‘Daily Express’ correspondent had an interview with M. Kerensky, who is the Lloyd George of Russia, dominating the political situation. He said that the people went to war to defend themselves, and were now determined to wage only a defensive and not an aggressive war. They desire no annexations.

“If President Wilson is expressing the will of the people of America, and not merely making a diplomatic move, then I am in complete symapthy with his statement regarding the; -objects of the war. I have no objection to the principle of compensation in order to give reparation to Poland and Belgium. The British people are' held in great esteern in Russia, hut their connection with Czar ism had an effect en popular feeling. The attitude of America as shown after the overthrow of Czarism

had given America a popularity that

Britain rarely enjoyed

If Czarism had continued when Germany commenced her spring offensive the defeat of Russia would have been inevitable. The troops in January were gradually deserting their regiments, and the armies had only two days’ food supply. Many soldiers were starving. Only 70 per cent, of the blast furnaces were working, and the output of minerals had fallen to one-quarter the normal amount. The workmen now are all striving to increase the output. Particular attention is bestowed on transport at Vladivostock to secure American supplies. '

GENERAL NEWS.

PAN-GERMAN AGITATION.

BACKED BY CROWN PRINCE

LONDON, April 23

Pan-Germans, headed by Count Reventlow and backed by the Crown Prince, are fiercely assailing the Government’s attempt to secure peace with Russia, fearing that the elimination of the Russian danger would weaken Germany’s war spirit, leading to peace without victory. The Pan-Germans have bought a syndicate of newspapers in order to advertise the Crown Prince whilst attacking the Kaiser.

TRANSFERENCE OF PRISONERS.

PROPOSAL MADE TO GERMANY

LONDON, April 23, It is officially announced thaT a proposal for mutually transferring conjbatant prisoners who have been in captivity for over two years, to a neutral country, has been made to Germany,

PORT OF LONDON RATES.

LONDON, April 23

The Port of London Authority has raised the dock and warehouse charges 15 per cent, to meet, the cost of increased ivar bonus to employees and other expenditure. PRIZE COURT CLAIMS. LONDON, April 23. At the Prize Court Commanders Fitzraaurice and Maxwell claimed £6OOO head money in connection with the capture of Tsing-tao, where after the bombardment they found seven German warships sunk. Commanders Fitzmaurice’s and Maxwell’s vessels were the only British representatives with the Japanese Fleet, and it was impossible to say whether the ships were sunk by gunfire or were scuttled. Commander Fitzmaurice, in evidence said he was unable to give particulars as his papers were lost when the Triumph foundered in 1915. Judgment was reserved.

STARVATION IN RUMANIA.

GERMANS SEIZE SUPPLIES. ' ZURICH, April 23.

A wireless German report statps that the military seized the whole Rumanian stock of wheat, giving the Rumanians bread tickets entitling them to just sufficient to keep body and soul together. They also removed all cattle and coal. NEW ZEALAND & THE WAR. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. NEW REGULATIONS GAZETTED. WELLINGTON, April 24. A ‘Gazette’ extraordinary issued last night contains additional regulations under the Military Service Act regarding religious objectors : 1. In these regulations “religious objector” means a reservist who lias been called for service under the Military Service Act, 1916. or has been required to -show cause why he should myt he 'called for service under the Act, and whose appeal to the Military Service Board has been allowed on the ground specified in paragraph (e) of section 1.8 of that Act. 2. The nou-comhatant work or services to he required of a religious objector shall lie such nun-combatant work or services in tin* employment of the Government as may from time to time lie required of him by the Commandant or by an officer of the public service authorised in that behalf by the Commandant. either generally or in respect of any specified religious objector. 3. Every religious objector employed on nou-comhatant work or servicer pursuant to these regulations shall he paid therefor at the rate of 5s a day and in addition receive such lodging and rations and hi' entitled to such allowances as are provided from time to time for n private soldier of the Expeditionary Force.

•I. A religious objector shall not he compelled to wear a uniform. ; 5. (a) A Military Service Board shall not allow an appeal on the ground set out in paragraph (e), section 18, of the Act of 1916. unless the reservist has signed an undertaking signifying his willingness to perform nun-combatant service; (b) clause 12 of the regulations made under the Act of 1916 on October 10, 1916, are revoked.