LATE CABLES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 13181, 20 June 1917, Page 3

LATE CABLES.

'By Electric Telsghaph—Copy right.] Per Press Association. SIR. DOUGLAS HAIG'S DESPATCH. Received June 20, at 0.15 p.m. Loudon. June 19. Sir Douglas Haig continuing his despatch says:— It was also evident, however, that t'hio enemy contemplated eventually evacuating the greater salient between "Arras and the Aisne Valley. The despatch then deals in detail wit-h the operations between 14th and 19th April. On April 19th the advance had reached a stage whereat the increasing difficulty of maintaining communications compelled a slackening of the pace of pursuit. South of Peronne the lack of bridges, which the enemy had destroyed, presented a formidable obstacle, while north of Peronne the wide belt of devastated ground over which the Somme battle had been fought offered even greater difficulties to the passage of guns and transport. We were advancing, therefore, over country in which all means of communications had been destroyed, against an enemy whose army was still intact and capable of launching a vigorous offensive should a favorable opportunity offer. A strong detachment of his infantry aud cavalry occupied vantage points along the line of our advance, keeping the enemy informed of our progress and screening his own movements. His guns had already been withdrawn to previously-prepared positions and were available at any time to cover and support a counterstroke.', -while the conditions of the country in. which we were moving made the progress of our artillery slow. The bulk of the enemy's forces -were known to be holding a formidable defensive system upon which they could fall back should his counter-stroke miss its aim. Contra-wise -as our troops moved forward they -left all the prepared defences further behind. In such circumstances caution was obviously necessary,. Meanwhile, despite the onormous difficulties wliich the condition of the ground' and the ingenuity of the enemy placed in our way, the work of preparing and constructinjg bridges, roads and railways was carried on with commendable rapidity. The despatch proceeds to describe how the enemy resistance increased .as wo ueared the Hindenburg line, emphasising the great costliness of his counter-attacks, particularly in attempts to recover Beaumetz.

Speaking of the outstanding features of the five months' fighting from 18th November, Sir Douglas Haig Kays: Despite the unusual severity of the weather, the winter campaign was conducted to a successful issue under most trying and nrduous conditions. The activity on our tattle front was maintained . from the conclusion of last year's offensive to the commencement of the present operations. The successful accomplishment of this part of our general plan has already enabled us to realise no inconsiderable instalment of the fruits of the Somme battle, and has gone far to open the road for their full achievement". The courage and endurance of our troops have carried them triumphantly throughout the periods of particularly trying lighting, in which they were subjected to the maximum of personal hardship anil physical strain. I cannot speak too highly of the qualities of all ranks, and the ability with which the troops on the Ancre were handled by General Gough, and further south by General Kawlinson, which in all respects were admirable. The retreat to which the enemy was driven by our continued success reintroduced conditions approximating open fighting, and in this the cavalry was given an opportunity to perform special duties. enemy's withdrawal enabled him to choose his own ground for resistance and to employ every device to inflict losses. Our casualties, which were exceedingly moderate throughout the operations on the Ancre, became exceptionally light during the retreat. The prospect of a general resumption of open fighting can be regarded with great confidence. Tlie systematic destruction of roads, bridges,,, and; railways made unprecedented demands on the Royal Engineers, who already wore heavily burdened by tlie work entailed in preparations', for the spring offensive. Our steady progress in face of great difficulties was at least a testimony of the energy and thoroughness with which those demands were met. The bridging of the Somme at Brie is an example of the nature of the obstacles with which we were confronted and the rapidity of their removal. In this instance six gaps had to be bridged across the canal and Somme River, of width over a' swift-flowing stream. The work commenced on the morning of 18th March; by 10 o'clock tlie same night infantry foot bridges had been completed ; by 5 on the morning df the 20th a medium type of 'bridge for horse transport and cavalry had been completed; and by 2 o'clock on the afternoon of the 28th heavy bridges, capable of taking all forms of traffic replaced the lighter type. /Throughout the winter _ transport problems: were serious both in the battle area and behind the lines. On the rapid" solution thereof successor failure

necessarily largely depended. At close of last year's, campaign the stsadyMjf - growth of our armies and the expansion of our material resources alwip ready taxed the roads and railways* td < the utmost, and the existing broad ftjs and narrow guage rails were insufficient;!?*, ' to deal with the increasing traffio, aft T undue proportion of which was throwij S upon the roads. With winter tions deteriorating the roads, the difAcuities of maintenance and 'repair, be--,| came almost overwhelming, and an in-?} crease of railway facilities of every Qtvpe and on a laiige scale was therefore •-* imperatively and urgently necessary.Vt Great quantities of material and rolliiur stock were required immediately, > while subsequently the wants were considerably augmented by Ihe large ,- programmo for new construction in •>' area of the enemy's withdrawal. Ihe task of obtaining such an amount of railway material as was required for the carrying out of the work of con- ,' straction at the rate our plans rendered nocessarv. besides the providing ot labor and material for the repair ot the roads was one of very- great difficulty, and its successful accomplish- - meat reflects the highest credit on the , transportation service. The report concludes: The loyal cooperation and complete mutual tinder- ~ standing between our allies and our- - selves throughout the Somme battle . continued to bo strengthened by the , events of the winter, and particularly tike circumstances attending the enemy's withdrawal daring the latter part of the period under review, * considerable tract of country wm back t<> France by the combined efforts of , the Allied troops is regarded wittt satisfaction by all ranks in the British . Armv in France. At the same time I wish" to express the feelings of; deep svmnathT and profound regret provok- ; T* sight of the destruction-the war has brought to a once fair and prosperous countryside.

ON THE WEST. (\ -uid N.Z. Cable Assn. and "Reuter.) Received June 20, ' A French communique reports _a violent artillery duel between Mont L-or-niflet and Mont Blond. Our Ere brokea strong counter-attack iipon the positions we won yesterday, the enemy surf(>rinrr serious losses. . A wireless Geranin official menage states: Eastward of Monchy we threw he English out of the trenches which; remained theirs after ««». he 14th We twice repulsed French ttompts to recapture the trenches noztwLtward of Hurtibiso Farm The enemy penetrated the salient,o Champagne, but his attempt to fur ther extend his. gams failed. (High Commissioner's Reports.) london, 19th June, 3.10 p.m. A. French official report says: Between Mont Blond and Mont Corhillet a strong German counter-attack against positions conquered wastatojMj lire with serious losses to %ho enemy. Some prisoners were taken.

RACING AT HOME. (Australian and) N.Z Cable Assn.) Received June 20. at 2.15 p.m. London, June 10. It is expected' that the Government will sanction eight further days of racing at Newmarket. DILUTION~OF LABOR. _ (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received June. 20, at 2.15 P.m. _ London, June 10. The engineering and shipbukMng trades announce that they have secured safeguards justifying their support of Dr Addison's Dilution of Labor am. They retain the right to strike on private work. THE KA~ISER MOVES.

(Australian, and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received June 20, at 2.15 p.m. Geneva, June 19. ■YcrViees f-iouv Munich state that aa the result of the Kaiser's and Hind-en-burg's visit to the West front, a commission is being appointed) to investigate the enemy's apparent aerial, supremacy. THE RUSSIAN CRISIS. (Australian and N.Z. Oaible Aesn.) Received June 20, at 2.15 p.m. Copenhagen, June 19. M. Thomas, French Minister of Munitions, has arrived from Petrograd. In an interview he said that in a few weeks- Germany would no longer be able to reckon on the present quiets on the Russian front. M. Thomas predicts that Russia after the war will bo divided into federal states in order to fulfil the different racial desires. (Reuter's Telegrams.) Received June 20, at 2.45 p.m. Petrograd, June 19. The Secretary of the Socialist Party wrote Captain Kalinsky, commanding the Russian cruiser Askold, asking him to convey Mr Ramsay Mac Donald and party, but Captain Kalinsky replied that his officers had unanimously decided that it was their duty only to act in accordance with the Provisional Government'.s. orders, and they did, not desire to carry deputies favoring immediate peace. A GERMAN STATEMENT. (Australian audi N.Z. Cable Assn.) Rotterdam, June 19The Kolnische Zeitung states that the Russian Minister for the Interior states that the decisive hour in the revolution is at hand, and the next fortnight will reveal with whom the reat power lies.

TWO MORE WINTERS OF WAR, (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.)

Received June 20, at 2.15 p.m. Rotterdam, June 19. Tlie Nieuve Courant's Vienna correspondent says that the Hungarian Defence Minister reckons on two more winters of war and is preparing for that.

REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA IN SOUTH AFRICA. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received June 20, at 2.15 p.m. Capetown, June 19. Mr Merriman will move in the Assembly that the efforts to carry on republican propaganda will inevitably lead to fatal dissensions and the ulti- : mate ruin of the European races--m..; ; South Africa. An important debate is expected:

ABOLISHING GERMAN NAMES(A. and N.Z. Cable Assn. and Router.) Received June 20, at 2.45 p.m. London, June 19. The Press Bureau states: — The King deems it desirable, in the conditions evolved from the present war, that the princes in his family and the whole of his subjects bearing German names should - respectively relinquish their titles and 1 adopt British surnames. Consequently the Duke of Teck and Prince Louis Alexander of Battenburg are created' marquises, and Prince Alexander of Teck an earl.