REPORTED COLLAPSE OF BERLIN STRIKE.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13859, 20 April 1917, Page 6

REPORTED COLLAPSE OF BERLIN STRIKE.

REDUCTION OF BREAD RATION CREATES PAINFUL IMPRESSION. ( and Ne\r Zealand Gable Association.! AMSTERDAM, April 18. An ,official message states that work has been resumed in Berlin;-except in the metal industries. , , The Dion-arrival of Berlin newspapers in, Holland has aroused suspicion. • The Koelnische Volkszeitung states that the reduction of the bread ration has created a more painful impression than any war measures. The Socialist newspaper Vonvaerts states that the strike emphasises the anxiety concerning the food demands, and realisation of the Kaiser's promised reforms indicates a longing' ' for peace.' ' , (Australian and New Zealand Cablo Association.) AMSTERDAM, April 18. A Vienna "telegram indicates increasing political trouble. Two more Ministers have resigned, supposedly because they gard the convocation of the Reichstag next montlr as inopportune, fearing that the Russian revolution will stimulate demands for reforms. (Reutor's Telegrams.) Received April 20, 1.40 p.m. AMSTERDAM, April 19. Serious rioting occurred in Constantinople last week, marking the return of the wounded men front Mesopotamia. The mob stoned the German officers' quarters. Turkish women whipped two German officers in the street.

ANGLO-FRENCH WESTERN PUSH. SEVERE PRESSURE OP INFANTRY AND MURDEROUS 5 FIRE OF ARTILLERY. FRENCH DASH OVERWHELMS GERMANS. OVER SEVENTEEN THOUSAND PRISONERS AND EIGHTY-FIVE GUNS TAKEN.

The. High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, April 19 (4;50 p:iiiV)" "

A French official report says: South of St. Qucntin, after a very lively bombardment, the Germans attacked our east of Gouchy. The first attempt was'stopped dead by our lire. This was-followed by a second and more violent attack, in the course of which enemy fractions who penetrated our advanced elements were immediately^killed or taken prisoner. Between Soissons and Auberivo we continued our action. On the west front of our attack these operations were brilliantly successful. North of Chavonnes, our troops captured the village of Ostel, and threw the enemy back a kilometre. Northwards at Breeay-en-Ceonis, all the ground 'eastward to the borders of Courncon is under the severe pressure of our infantry and the murderous action of our artillery, and the enemy recoiled in disorder, abandoning important material and depot provisions. One of our regiments captured prisoners belonging to seven different regiments. South of Laffoux, we captured Nanteuil-la-Fosse. Oii the south bank of the Aisne our attack gave us the bridgehead of Vailly. In the forest of Vieu-au-Bois we captured 1300 prisoners with 180 machine-guns, who were defending the wood. This afternoon a very violent counter-attack, with effectives from two divisions, against our positions at Juvincourt, on the Aisne, was broken by our barrages and machine-gun fire, the enemy suffering sanguinary losses. East of Courcy the Russian Brigade captured a fortified work. In this region the captured guns were turned on the enemy. The total prisoners'taken since the opening of the battle exceeds 17,000. We have taken 85 guns.

GERMANY'S CLUMSY SYMPATHY W,ITH AUSTRALIANS.^ ) .» CAPTAIN BEAN EXPLODES EXTRAVAGANT CLAIMS. nVh . (Australian and' New Zealand CaUo Association mid Router.) SYDNEY, April 19. Captain Bean, referring to the Germans' extravagant claims in conuection with the capture of Lagnieourt, says that the Germans for some reason are intensely anxious to aftect opinion in. Australia at this, juncture, and are expressing clumsy sympathy with the 'Australians. They eagerly seize and publish letters written during the Sonime winter in order to make it appear tlmt the Australians are anxious to desert the Allies. ' Captain Bean says that the Prussian Guards were ordered to cut through the Australians, to reach the guns, seize the village of Noreuil, and hold it for twenty-four hours, until special parties had destroyed the gunsaand ransacked headquarters for papers, and then withdraw. Large picked forces made the attack, and their sheer weight broke through the village of Lagnieourt and reached some advanced field guns, which the crews had dismantled. The Germans were actually placing charges 'under the guns when, the local commanders, without awaiting orders, counter-attacked. By the middle of the morning all tlie guns had not only been recaptured, but with the ex-ceptioii-offive,' "which the Germans had managed to destroy, were •, .firing 011 -the retreating enemy. ... - ;