"COLOSSAL TRICK"

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13858, 19 April 1917, Page 5

"COLOSSAL TRICK"

HUNS ARRANGING SHAM REVOLUTION HOPE TO EXCITE ENTENTE PITY I " T..,T..j ■'■';. <\'. SERIOUS DISTURBANCES IN BERLIN FRENCH OFFENSIVE FURTHER BRILLIANT SUCCESSES ANGLO-FRENCH PRESSING FORWARD r : . EXCITEMENT" IN AMERICA '•;■ .v , SUBMARINE OFF NEW YORK HARBOUR

PEACE PROPOSALS AUSTRIA DEFINITELY BENT ON PEACE ■.•:'::■■• ' \Vif 0»l>l j—Pre**''Association— Copyright.) . '>■■ ..... l:. .. ANGLO-FRENCH WESTERN PUSH. BRITISH DRIVE OFF ALL COUNTER OFFENSIVES. RENEWED SUCCESS OF GREAT FRENCH OFFENSIVE. IMPORTANT POINTS CAPTURED BY THE ALLIES. (Reuter's Telegrams.) .Received April 18, 8.10 p.m. LONDON, April 17. - Reuter's correspondent at Headquarters, telegraphing on the 17th, says: The Germans could not have timed their effort to-retake the village of Monchy more opportunely. At the very moment we were ready to advance, they were massingatoo in adjoining woods, which were hotly bombarded, the advance from the south being beftten back before it came within 150 yards of our position. The Germans emerging from Vert Sart woods 'Were eaught hy our bombardment, and the shells devastated - tHeir ranks. They gained our front trenehes,->before the village,, after, fierce hand-to-hand fighting. The British were ordered to allow the Bodies to enter a long narrow trench as thickly as they pleased. Then they we r e terribly enfliladed by a withering fire*,and .fled in disorder. They lost 2500 killed alone. One , officer "claims to have shot forty Germans before they bolted. The High Commissioner reports : j- ' LONDON, April 18 (2,40 a.m.).

j A French official report says: To-day our action extended e&st.of Rheims, and we are attacking the enemy lines between Prunay-Saint Hilliare and Saint Soupplet road, capturing; the ifirst German position on a fifteen kilometre front. South of Moronvillers and beyond this position, we captured the enemy line, and have solidly organised the heights on an eleven kilometre front from Mont Cornillete to Yudevincourt. We captured the village of Auberive and a powerfully fortified salient pti a front of three kilometres around'the village. The enemy counter-attacks at Mont Cornillete were smashed. On this part of-our front we took over 2500 prisoners. A-stroug enemy counter-attack at Huterbise farm we repulsed by fire and 'bayonet. A second violent enemy counter-attack also failed. New reports show that the enemy employed nineteen divisions in the battle of the 16th instant, between Soissons arid. Rheims, where the prisoners already taken now total 11,000. ONE OF GREATEST BATTLES IN HISTORY OP THE WAR. ; ' ■ ' . ' - : '-V/' ■.' ' FRENCH ATTACK ON THE AISNE POSITIONS. /. ■ . - ■ (Amtfallan and New Zealand Cable Association and Heuter.) ' NEW YORK, April 17. A wireless Germ'an official message says: One. of* the greatest battles in this mighty war, land therefore in the world's history, has been in progress on the Aisne since the 6th April. Aiv tillery action and mine-throwing have been proceeding in;unprecedented duration, mass, and intensity.•■■■■• Yesterday mornin:; 4he French, in deep columns, attacked, and during the afternoon threw in fresh masses, carrying ; out lateral attacke between Lithe

Boise and, Conde-stir-Aisne: The artillery action; contiiiut'il loil.iy, levelling our positions find rendering the obstinate del'erfeo no longer possible, lighting no longer ugiu'jwl a line, but oVer a deep, irregular fortified zone, the battle swayed backwards , and forwards around the foremost position, our object 'being, \ even if war material was lost, to spare the lives of our forces and inflict losses on tlio enemy. This ; has been achieved, and, thanks to our heroic men, tlio French attempt to break through ' failed. We'inflicted sanguinary losses and took over 2100 prisoners. Where the enemy Ims penetrated our line fighting' continues, and fresh attacks are expected. The fighting between ' Pruny and Auberivc has developed, and the battle lines from that point extends from the Oise into the Champagne. We have en-''' tire confidence as to the outcome of the coming heavy fighting. BRITISH MAINTAIN STEADY ADVANCE. ' ' i GERMANS CLAIM HOLD-UP OF FRENCH .OFFENSIVE. « (Australian and New Zealand Ca))l& Association and Beuter.) Received April 18,7.20 p.m. LONDON, Auril 38. ' Sir Douglas H'aig reports: We made further progress northward of Gouzeaucourt, near Havriuco\rrt Wood.. . Encounters occurred throughout the day westward and north-westward of ' Lens, where we continue to press the enemy. Hostile attempts to drive back our advanced troops failed. Our aeroplanes per-, |' formed much useful aerial work on Monday, despite, the un- | favourable weather. Three German machines were brought down, and damaged. In most of the cases the enemy avoided I combat. Five of our machines are missing. ' A wireless German official report says: After their failure, with heavy losses, to break through the lines on the Aisne, the ' French did not renew their attacks. Bitter fighting has. continued all day on both sides of the Auberive and in the Champagne.

GERMANS PREPARING FOR TREMENDOUS STRUGGLE. FRENCH ATTAOKSLSEVERELY DAMAGE POSITIONS AND TROOPS. ALLIES' SPLENDID FIGHTING DURING EIGHT DAYS. —^—— ! i (Renter's Telegrams,) '<"•%. LONDON, April 17. '* A semi-official message from Paris states that the Germans had massed.at least twenty divisions and all their available.batteries on the l Soissons-Rheims front. The French advance reached a depth of from three to four kilometres. "; Altogether; the Allies. have' placed hors de combat' 100,000 Germans in eight days. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.) PARIS, April 17. The Petit Parisien states that French offensive followed a bombardment lasting for one month. The attack swept everything away. Hundreds of prisoners were arriving at the depots half ail hour after the attack was launched.. Eastward of Craonne the enemy were terribly battered, and retreated along the whole line in panic. Their entire first line had been captured by noon; then the artillery resumed work and the German lines became an inferno. The French advanced, and, seized the second line. Westward of Craonne the elite of the' French troops, after several hours''terrific struggle, entered J;he enemy's first line, which the enemy had boasted was impregnable. In an extraordinarily violent counter-attack in the afternoon the enemy employed the greater part of their reserves. The 'French ad-vance-at some points exceeded four kilometres (two and'a half miles).

■-. (Australian and New Zealand Catle Association.) LONDON, ApHl 17.

Sir Douglas Haig reports: In the neighbourhood of-Epehy we captured Tombois Farm, on the Lempire-Vendhuile road, and made progress along a, spur north-eastward of Epehy station. The weather is stormy. A French communique says: We have the position won between Soissons and Rheims. A strong German counterattack on our new line in the region of Ailles was broken, while heavy attacks on our sector at Courcy also failed. The weather continues very bad. There is an artillery duel in the sector west of Auberive, in the Champagne. Nine enemy aeroplanes were brought down, Captain Guynemer securing his thirty-sixth machine. •

GERMAN EMPIRE ON THE YERGE OF •■m. DISASTER. GENERAL STRIKE AND RIOTING IN BERLIN. -' ■■ • ; (Auitrallan and New Zealand Gable Association,) AMSTERDAM, April IC. Travellers report that a general strike commenced in Berlin ' to-day. . v The strikers are already: rioting. ' ' lAiuiralinn and New Zealand Oable Association.) AMSTERDAM, April 17. Berlin officially admits that a strike has occurred. Troops are in readiness at barracks, concentrated at danger points. \voiuen attended the workmen's meeting, which discussed the fcod and political situations. - a (Australian and' New Zealand Cable Association and Renter,) COPENHAGEN, April 17. - . The Berlin correspondent of the Politiken states that workmen in all the factories dropped tools at nine o'clock in the' morning and demanded' a general strike throughout Germany. Similar, demonstrations are reported at Hamburg. ; ; ,