AN IMMENSE BATTLE PENDING

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9824, 22 November 1917, Page 5

AN IMMENSE BATTLE PENDING

ANTICIPATION OF GERMAN ATTACK IN WEST HINDERBUEG POL'RING TROOPS FROM AUSTRIA INTO FLANDERS Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. Australian nnd Now Zealand Cablo Association. (Received November 21, 9 p.m.) PARIS, November 20. _ “Le Matin” says that von Hindcnburg is pouring troops from Austria westwards. Divisions and artillery are arriving in Flanders. Hindenbiirg estimates that ho has sufficient force available for an attack. No scrap of paper will deter him from attacking the French flank through Switzerland. France must find that she cannot overlook tho drain on. her strength required to conduct the immense pending battle. BRITISH CARRY OUT SERIES OF OPERATIONS CONSIDERABLE MATERIAL AND MANY PRISONERS CAPTURED. ENEMY HAS TO ADMIT THE LOSS OF GROUND. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association nnd Router. . - LONDON, .November. 20. .... Sir Douglas Haig reports: —We made a successful raid east of Fampoux. (Received November 22, 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports to-day:— , , . , ~ , Soon after daybreak we carried out a satisfactory senes of operations between St. Quentin and tho river Scarpc. Wo captured a considerable amount of material and a number of prisoners, who have not yet been counted Tho woatiher has become stormy, rendering the action ol aircraft difficult. Tho hostile artillery is active, particularly in tho neighbourhood of ZonnebokVvurcicSClGerman'official report states:—The English, attaching with strong forces, gained ground between the roads Irom Bapaumo, Pcronue, and Cambrai. Our counter-measures are in full swing. UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON FRENCH LINE OPERATIONS ALONG RIGHT BANK OF MEUSE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received November 21, 8.5 p.m.) \ v LONDON, November SO. A French communique announces: —On the right bank of tho Meuse, after =n intense bombardment on the Bezonvaux-Chaume Wood front tho Germans on a front of a kilometre. The attack was broken It only reached our .advanced 1 lino over a small area and enemy dotechmonte whic£ obtained a footing were mostly hnven out by an immediate counter-attack. official report:—There is a violent artillery duelfrom Houthoulst Wood to Zanidvoorde. Wo repulsed an attack at Clha.ume Wood. • ARRIVAL OF AMERICAN TROOPS CONTINUES NOT a SINGLE CASUALTY FROM SUBMARINE ACTION. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. (Received November 21, 7.30 p.m.) PARIS, November 20,. General Perching, Commander of the United States Expeditionary Force, informedwax correspondents that owing to tho efficiency of the the British French and American navies, enemy submarines failed to inflict a h Lglo equity among the American. emWkedfor Franco. Troops and war material continue to arrive tUjlj •

SUPREME WAR COUNCIL LLOYD GEORGE'S SPEECH. “BRILLIANT AND SUCCESSFUL” REPLY TO CRITICISM. By Telegraph - Press Association— Copyrlst* 1 ' Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, November 20. The newspapers unanimously insist on the brilliance and success of Mr Lloyd George's reply to Mr Asquith a criticisms. Even his explanation ol certain debatable passages in the Pai'is speech are accepted, as having been necessary to arouse public opinion during the Allies' crisis. The speech has undoubtedly strengthened the position of the George War Cabinet. AMERICA'S REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE COUNCIL. Banter's Telegrams. LONDON, November 20. In tie House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law stated that the Government had been officially informed that President Wilson had selected Colonel House to participate not only in the inter-Allied Conference hut in the Supreme War Council, with General Bliss as military advisor. ■'GREAT COLONIAL EMPIRE” A GERMAN DREAM, DOMINATING SOUTHERN AND MIDDLE ATLANTIC. LONDON, November 14Dr Karl Peters, the weii-known German explorer, writing in . the ‘‘Dusseidorfer General Anzeiger,” states; —“lt is unsafe to feel justified, in pointing with pr.do to the war map. vV'o forget Mesopotamia, Armenia, Egypt, Palestine, New Guinea, SouthWest Africa-, and most or East Africa, together with all Germany’s foreign markets. “1 do not advocate our insistence on tho return of our old colonies. Thero are ways, and moans of effecting a wise exchange. I’ruo, our old friends, the colonists in the Pacific and SouthWest Africa, would bo glad to see us return, but they must be subordinated to the interests of the entire Fatherland. We must admit that possessions which lie in the spheres of interest of our present enemies cannot be reconquered. Japan cannot consent to our re-occupation of fxiaChou and the Pacific Islands, and Australia will object to the return of New Guinea. South Africa objects to the return ’of territory adjacent to her own.” , Dr Peters proposes that German East Africa shall have the central position in a great Colonial Empire, to which the Congo State must be added.

EMPIRE PROBLEMS INDIA AND AUSTRALIA. LONDON, November 1 S Lord Carmichael, who was Governor of Victoria from 1908 to 1911, and who has also had Indian experience, in an address at the Colonial Institute, entitled “Empire Partnership,” said: “The most essential Imperial aim is the effective union of the self-govern-ing States rather than the development and retention within the Empire of dependent portions. No Empire partnership is worth, having which does not strengthen the union. Nevertheless, the loss of India, which is the •moST""' important of the dependent portions, Wua.a oe a calamity which would sorely weaken tho power for good of the self-governing communities. When I discussed India with, Australia!® K found that they know' little and cared little about India. Generally. they thought it well ■ that* Australia should not have a share in Indian affairs, as they had a vague suspicion that India must be dealt with on lines inconsisttent with Australian ideals.

“When I got to India I found then B universal contention that it would bo calamitous to give Australians any voice in Indian matters. This attitude of Indians and Australians may ere long change. Some Australians are already claiming consulted treatment for certain parts of the world not embraced in their territory. We must look forward to the colonies more clearly appreciating the value of India. Many well-informed Indians are curiously similar in their attitude towards public problems to tho typical Australians. Any success I had in understanding the leaders ' of Bengal thought was largely due to what” I learned in Melbourne. I often "wished that the more thoughtful Indians could discuss matters with the members of the Australian Natives’ Association. “I do not believe that it is possible to form an Empire partnership which professes to treat the self-governing and non-self-goveming partners equally, but India deserves to' attain selfgovernment w'ithin the Empire. It may be a long time ' bn*, it should be aimed at. The spirit of discontent _is. _ growing in India daily among all classes. What is most needed is tho wise guidance of that spirit of discontent. otherwise it will lead to disaster; but it will lead to triumph if it teaches the Indians to share in Imperial partnership. “For a long time the self-governing Dominions must be expected to watch India with a jealous eye, but a due recognition of India’s claims will lead to granting India her opportunities. The Dominions, on the other hand, will be convinced that India appreciates the , value of Empire partnership, and is deserving of a share of it.” Sir Gerald Strickland, erstwhile Go- . vernor in several Australian States, in... participating in the discussion, , said that it ill became him to touch on politics unless authorised by his Ministers; but he believed that the mandate received when he was goodbye in Australia justified him in saying that the White Australia pohev- - was stronger than a mere policy, and might almost bo described as a religion.

“Bren if England seeks to hinder tho return to Germany of the tuliinandjaro district,’ 1 he adds, <r there are 60 enormous territories adjacent ivhich wo can secure by the proper use of our good sword in Europe. i'he most valuable of these territories are Uganda and the Upper Nile, “Such an Empire will dominate the southern and central Atlantic and cripple the influence of the United States and England in those waters for evermore.”