DASHING EXPLOIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 12 January 1915, Page 5

DASHING EXPLOIT

TRENX'H CAPTURED BY COLD STEEL. SUPERIORITY OE ALLIES' ARTILLERY. LONDON, Jan. 11. "Eye-witness," reverting to the British success on the- right of the centre oil January 3rd, when an officer and >25 . men attacked; a trench, surprising • the sentries and bayoneting twenty, says the attack .was well planned and dashing. The British crossed 200 yards of open ■ ground, passed sentries in the dark, and gained.-the trenches. Not a shot was fired, the work being done in grim si- > lerice with cold steel. The British then •diverted a- ditch full of water into the itrench, rendering it.untenable. The enemy are now experiencing to a ■greater extent- than before the devastating effect of high explosives, which in' this war have proved the chief agent in destroying resistance. Once an aerial observer notifies the ■ gunnel's of the position- of trenches, whole 'lengths of these are soon blownup, and entanglements and every form of 'obstacle swept awav. The Allies' artillery is gradually assuming a superiority over that of tho Germans.

A CHRISTMAS TRUCEAX IMPROMPTU DEVELOPMENT. LONDON, Jan. 10. '. A correspondent in Northern Franct describes a curious development of tho Christmas truce. British aud Germans sometimes now sit on tho ■ edges of their trenches under a mutual agreement not to fire. .The impromptu truce if) likely to become more frequent in places where the mud has .made progress impracticable. There, is also a strong inclination on both sides to remove their feet from the water in the trenches to avoid cramp and improve the circulation.

COURTRAi. A War tax. LONDON, Jan. 9. A war lax of 12,000,000 francs (£500,000) 'was imposed on the city ,of Oouitrai. Four millions were demanded ' instantly, but the municipal treasury was empty, and the town was suffering greatly. Wool to the value of 20,000,000 •francs was then soiizejl,