THE WAR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLV, Issue 13438, 1 May 1918, Page 2

THE WAR.

ANOTHER GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVE. GERMANS BEATEN AT EVERY POINT. WITH APPALLING LOSSES. "THE GRAVEYARD OF GERMAN YOUTH." IBr Electbio Telegraph—Copyright.] Pi;e Press Association. (The cabl& news in this issue accredited to The Times, London, h&B appeared in that journal, but only wb.? re stated is such news the editorial opinion of The Times.)

THE WEST FRONT.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) London, April 29. The Germans have been repulsed on all fronts. (High ' Commissioners' Report.) Londbn, April 29 (10.30 p.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports: Very heavy lighting is taking place ou the whole of the Allied front, the enemy being everywhere repulsed with heavy losses. (Australian and' N.. Cable Assn.) London April 80. Mr Philip Gibbs writes:—The battle continues, but the first phase has been decided in our favor. The Germanhave still many unused divisions, but if they are spent like they have been to-day, the enemy's plans for a decisive victory will -be thwarted for ever. Surely to God, the German people wii: tire of making the fields of France and Flanders the graveyards of their youth. Mr Gibbs, in a later message, writes: It becomes clearer every hour that the enemy has suffered' a, disastrous defeat. Our artillery and infantry smashed attack after attack. The enemy did" not capture a single post. The United Press correspondent says: The artillery is roaring frani Ypres to Meteren, but our low-flying aeroplanes report that the infantry attack is less furious than this morning, when wave after wave broke against the Allied resistance. The German High Command has ordered the capture of the nest of hills from Kemmel ta Monte des Catts, also Ypres. at ai. costs, but the French and British have not- yielded ground'. The German den.! lie thick at Mont Rouge .Mont Nuir, and Scherpenberg, testifying to the French tenacity. ' Similarly, further north the British took a terrible toll of the attackens around Yoormezeele. The Belgians also threw back an attack on their front. New York, April 29. The United Press correspondent on the American front in Picardy states: The Americans have taken over a. sector east of Amiens. They entered th. new position at nightfall under heavy enemy fire. The French General is-; . sued an Order of the Day stating: "We congratulate the Americans, who are now writing their first page in the history of the battle of nations. . America will play a glorious part in the battle for the triumph of liberty." (A. and N.Z. Cable Assn and Reuter.) Loudon. April 29. At 11.20 this evening Sir Dougia.Haig reports: Following an intense bombardment, strong enemy forces violently attacked the French and lir.tiah positions from the neighborhood i,i Meteren to Ziilebeke. The enemy aisa attacked the Belgians north of Ypres. The severest fighting has developed on the whole Allied front. The 25th, 49ih, . and 21st British Divisions, completely repulsed all attempts to enter the./ positions, despite the constant succession of determined attacks in great strength, maintaining their line intact. The enemy losses were very heavy. Tiie French repulsed heavy attacks on th. hill about Scherpenberg and MomRouge. At points where the enemy penetrated a short distance "fhey were quickly driven out and the greater par." of the .ground was regained by counterattacks. The Belgians repulsed all attacks after sharp fighting, inflicting severe casualties. The fighting is being continued at certain points along th. Allied; battle-fronts. Owing to" bad weather our aeroplanes diropped only .«. few bombs on various targets. A French communique .states: There is reciprocal artillery activity north and south of the Avre, in the region of Plemont. An enemy detachment attempted to cross the Oise. east of Waresnes, and was caught by our file and dispersed. ' , A wireless German official report says: The total taken prisoner at Mont Kemmel -was 7100 men, 53 gun>. and 233 machine-guns. (The Times' Service.) London, April 29. Renter's correspondent at Briti.-h Headquarters says: The battle is notyet over, but of the attack, which has now been in progress for seven or eight hours without making any headway, i, is not premature to say that it" ha - failed. The German Army will b weaker, by many thous'ancls. by suns.oi to-day, for they" have been lighting ail day in the open, while the French an;. British have scarcely anywhere lei; their prepared defences. (Reuters Telegrams.) London, April 30. Apparently a further readjustment o; the British position has been effecte;:-1 eastward of Ypres. A Paris military expert states that ] the enemy i 9 now two miles oa.-.t an-., two miles south of Ypres. The front runs to Langemarck. on the western bank of the Steenbeek, via Verlorenhoek, Hooge, Ziilebeke. and Yoormezeele. (Renter's Telegrams.) London, April 29. Renter's correspondent at British Headquarters, writuig on Monday evening, says:—The enemy's infantry attack developed over a mile front, extending north of Voormezeele, nearly to Meteren-. The strategic object wa" ■apparent, a crab-claw movement c;;n\\rging upon the hill chain towardMoute des Catts. This front is held by the French in the centre, with ot;-.' divisions on the flanks. The enemy'.-.-failure to make progress at Locro has undoubtedly influenced the enemy to resort to crushing tactics, l?ufc the news so far is eminently .satisfactory. Up to this afternoon the day was in our I'ayor. The infantry attack began at 6 o'clock with an attempt to advance towards Scherpenberg. This was completely held, up during the morning. The battle extends above Voormezeeie. Though "Ypres' lias not been attacked, the bombardment has extended to th::. sector. An enemy reconnaissance in force against the Belgians was repulsed. Krerywhero on the battle front terrible .punishment is being inflicted on the iiiemy, who has thrown in divisions: with lavish disregard for the sacrifices, and l is once again paying a full pricefor no result., The Germans, realising that they are making no progress., hare, modified the crab-claw idea and the fighting has developed into a. dirrrst attempt against Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge. The Germans are 'making intense use of theia- -great artillery •strength, but the French garrisons oil the'halls have splendid cover for their 75's, and our-field guns furiously reply. The air is full of aeroplanes, mostly doing observation work. It is abundantly clear that the day's story, toldl, will be all to the glory* of the French and British arms. "LE BONNET ROUGE" CANC. (The Times Service.) Paris, April 29. The court-martial of the notorious "Bonnet Rouge" gang has opened. . There are seven defendants, including Duval, charged with trading in in- , telligence with the enemy; Marion, charged with complicity with Duval, and with publishing documents con-, cerriing the defences of the country. '.; The witnesses include M. Malvy, M. Viviani, M. CaUlaux, and JVf. Painleve. It is expected the trial will throwimportant light 6n M. Malvy's alleged, 1 connection "faith. German spies and the j transmission to Germany of plans of j the Champagne offenstTe. j

RUMORS OF RUSSIAN MONARCHICAL REVOLUTION. (A. and N.Z. Cable Assn. and Reuter.) London, April 30. The German Government has taken, up the Swedish press reports of <listurbances in Petrograd, and the restoration of the Monarchy. Herr Bussyche, Foreign Under-Secre-tary, has telegraphed to Dr Mirbacli. Ambassador to Moscow' and mentions the Swedish reports. He says he has received a letter £rom Petrograd, dated. 13th April, stating that a Monarchist pronunciation v is imminent, and General Alexieff, M. Butchkoff, M. Miliukoff, and M. Dodzianko are in Petrograd. Herr Bussche suggests that the reports are not improbable, and asks for a telegraphic reply. CANADIAN LINER TORPEDOED. (United Service.) London, April 30. The Canadian liner Oronsa, en route to England, has been torpedoed. Her passengers were saved. TORPEDOING OF THE ORISSA. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) London, April 2!). The Y.M.C.A. steamer w-us the British steamer Orissa, not an American. She was torpedoed at night, and her boilers blew up. MR HARRY HOLMES. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) « Sydney, April 30. Mr Harry Holmes, mentioned in the loss of the Y.M.C.A. steamer, was formerly general secretary of the YALC.A. in Wellington.' JAPANESE MINISTER FOR FOREICN AFFAIRS. (The Times Service.) Tokio, April 29. Baron Goto has succeeded Baron Motono as Minister of Foreign Affairs. NEW APPOINTMENT. (A. and N.Z. Cable Assn. and Reuter.) London, April 29. Lord Milner has appointed Mr J. 1. MacPherson, Vice-President of the Army Council, -and Acting-Deputy War Secretary, thereby giving Lord Milner much-needed assistance in the administrative business of the War Office. THE AIR SERVICE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) \ London, April 29. In the House of Commons Mr W. M. 11. Pringle raised the question of tin; resignations of Sir David Henderson and Sir Hugh Trenchard from the Air Force. He declared that the House should be informed-regarding the differences between Lord Rothormere and Sir Trenchard. Lord Hugh Cecil protested against the amateur strategists in the Cabinet. Mr Lloyd George denied that members of the Cabinet suggested the strategy to Sir Hugh Trenchard. Lord Hugh Cecil replied that Mi Lloyd George cared only for his own retention in office. Mr Lloyd George again denied that there had been any Cabinet interference with Sir Hugh Trenchard. and demanded that Lord Hugh Cecil should withdraw his offensive suggestion. Lord Hugh Cecil refused to withdraw. He declared that Sir Hugh Trenchard was indispensable. Mr Lloyd George admitted Sir Hugh Trenchard's remarkable services. He denounced the members of the House of Commons serving with the I'Yihos I using service information for the purpose of criticising the" civil and mili-I tary command. Many disputes would be 'settled but for political interior-i ence. , I Mr Lloyd George said that Sir Hugh Trenchard was not the best Cliiet ot Staff, but he would be given a -position of considerable power in the An Force. . . Major Weir concurred in this decision. Mr Asquith regarded Sir Hugh l renchard's resignation as a regrettable iii.eident, which the Government should have avoided. Sir Edward Carson declared that Mr Hugh Trenchard had been driven out Many air officers had told him so, and they'had left the Air Service when Mr Hugh Trenchard went. Major Baird (Secretary to the Air Board) made a reassuring statement The number and quality ot Bnlisli pilots were steadily increasing. Ihe losses in March equalled those in April, 1917, when British aircraft were engaged winning the air supremacy on the Somme. Germany's sure losses were three and a-half times as many as in April, 1917.