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Nelson Evening Mail, 31 May 1916, Page 4

The work of 'German' agents in endeavouring to create discord, among the Allies and causing trouble in India, Africa' and in neutral States, is revealed from time to" time. Rumours, ' for instance, have been set going that the Japanese are weakening in their attachment to the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. But all the German machinations accomplish is to call sforth statements such as that recently made'by Count Okuma, Premier of' Japan. He said :-*- "Any allegation that Japan is. insincere in her .friendship for, or disloyal to her treaty with, Oreat Britain, is utterly, false-.' ... I assert positively, -without any fear of successful contradiction, that' Japan is loyal to her alliance, friendly,, to /Great Britain, and faithful to all her undertakings. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance is.just as strong to-day as ever it was. Japan- benefits by the alliance, and eo. does Gi'eat Britain. We must; stick together—Great Britain and Japan, Russia and France, Italy and all others —in order that we't'mayi crush Germany—our common foe." A small section of the Japanese Press, it is time, has taken up an anti-British attitude. It was suggested, to Count Okuma .that such newspapers should be' suppressed, but he preferred to leave

the l'l-oss free, being content- with the fact that l the offending newspapers did ! ridtrcprosoiit more than a smalk-minority. i ".Just as a 'few Japanese newspapers," he very sensibly observed, "say unfriendly tilings about Great Britain, we find some of the English or American newspapers saying unfriendly things about Japan. But we do not regard such irresponsible and petty utterances as representing the sentiment of a majority.'' As was anticipated., the lull on the Verdun front has been followed, according to the Petit Paristen, by a new German offensive on the Mort'' HomweCumieres sector. The scene of the operations' is shown on the map on the : adjoining page. @fbws- Wood will be seen oar the German side of the lin?. This is an area where the-Germans have generally assembled l their troops for an attack on the French line. It. is clear from the message that the French still hold the 'Mort Homme Heights and the southern portion of Cnmieres. The enemy attacks, according to the message, were most persistent, and although they have succeeded! in securing 300 yards of trenches at Cumieres, their position is stated to be precarious. This is naturally so while the French hold Mort Homme. There are, it will he seen from the map, two peaks, Hill 265 and Bill 295. The messages have not been clear regarding various positions on the Mort H'omme elevation, but on the evidence available be stated witli certainty that the Fmu-hTstill hold' the dominating positions. ' ■■