OPERATIONS AROUND GAZA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1015, 7 November 1917, Page 5

OPERATIONS AROUND GAZA.

i TANKS PARTICIPATE. 1 Australian-New Zealand Cable Association (Homer's Telegram-) ■Received November 7, 10.20 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 6. An official message from Egypt «iys; The Gaza operations continue. We are in contact with the enemy northward of Beersheha. The prisoners j.aken m these operations are now 207 officers | anc i 2429 men. Tanks participated in ' the attack on November 1. 207 OFFICERS AND 2400 MEN CAPTURED. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association ! LONDON, Nov. 5. I A correspondent at Headquarters in Palestine reports to-day that counter-attacks on the west flank of our now positions were I repulsed with heavy loss. We are now bom--1 barding strong points in this part of the ! enemy’s second line. Our captures sinci the beginning of the offensive are 207 officers and 2400 men. Our aviators are very active and naval ’planes bombed railway communications and stores, also a bridge at Wiljulio, 15 miles north of Jaffa, with good i effects. Our airmen also bombed the station ! and stores at Tel Slieria. on the Beersliebn 1 railway. Another well has been captured north-east of Beersheha. All our men are splendidly fit, and keen, in spite of the great heat and dust. CONSTANTINE’S DUPLICITY EXPOSED. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. I LONDON, Nov. 5. The Daily Chronicle’s Athens correspondent savs a lurid light has- boon thrown on Constantine’s and Ids wife’s activities by the publication of 49 decipored despatches between the ex-King and Queen and the Kaiser, through Theotokis, the Greek Munster in Berlin. The correspondence began in December, 1915, and relates to the German forty million francs loan to Greece, and Constantino’s suggestion that Germany should attack Ra’rrail’s army, a proposal which Skouloudis, the then Premier, was aware. The plan failed owing to llunionthe publication of 49 deciphered despatches | emanate from the Queen. _ whose role in connection with the formation of bands in the neutral zone has aroused the keenest indignation. EX-QUEEN SOPHIE’S CORRESPONDENCE. Received November 7. 11,25 a.in. ATHENS, Nov. 6. The ex-Queen Sophia’s correspondence is incomplete, as the wireless telegrams are ' missing. Sophia describes the bloody events at Athens on December 11, as a splendid victory over four great Powers, asking when the Gorman and Bulgarian forces would be . sufficiently reinforced to take the offensive I against the Entente. The Kaiser replied. , urging Constantino to attack General Sar- . rail. I The Entente’s blockade followed, and the Queen then telegraphed to the Kaiser, saying. “No food or munitions to enable Constantine to attack Sarrail,” and again imnloring him to hasten to the Greek’s assistance. The Kaiser replied with a blank refusal. When the Crown Council mot at Athens and was finally forced to accept the Entente’s ultimatum. Sophia telegraphed to the Kaiser that the Allies were"^infamous swine.

The telegrams will he used at the impeachment of the Gounaris, Skouloudis, and Larnbros Cabinets.

M. VENIZELOS, Received November 7. 11.25 n.m. - ROME. Nov. 6. M. Venizelos is conferring with the Allied Premiers and generals.