THE FRENCH FRONT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16785, 29 August 1916, Page 5

THE FRENCH FRONT.

COUNTER A'JTACKS REPULSED. Australian and N Z. f"'al>lo Association. PARTS, \ugiii-t 27. A commuivrpio slates : Had weather con tiit'tos to hamper operations 'I ho Gemiani tin no List, night attacked tho wood Van l : Chapitie (Virdun ;iira), ami were lcpulsod witfi heavy ]om>. We lepiilsed many roups de mam m Ixrrrainc, and checked an attack along a lront of 800 metres at Croix St. Jean. GFIRMAN SEMIOFFICIAL NOTE. RETIREMENT HINTED AT. PARIS. August 27. A .semi official Note published in the German newspapers attempts to re.a'-siiio tho public regarding the Fianco Biitish offensive. It says : "Fiance and Biilain ha\o used against us everything they possessed in tho way of men, guns, and ammunition, but tho only result, after a fight lasting 48 days, during which they have eiirluicd very heavy satnfices, is tlio bending in of our line, iivKhmg, at its mo«t pronounced point, only half a centimetre on the map. Tho worst tliat could happen to us is that we might be obliged, a-s on tho Marno, to abandon portion of tho conqueied territory m order to straighten our front, and thus enable us to offer, in tho well-organ-ised positions which wo hold two centimetie.T to tho eastward, tho Mine resistance as wo aro maintaining on tho Somme." 'L'his is tho first German semi official admission of the possibility of on abandonment of their present lines. BELGIUM'S FATE. A GERMAN THREAT. NEW YORK, August 27. M. Huysmans, an expert munition maker, has escaped from Belgium, and has arrived in the United States. He says that the Germans have mined tho whole country of Belgium, including towns and cities. Bombs liavo been placed everywhere, which aro electrically controlled. A German officer boasted to him that if the Germans are forced to retire from Belgium they will not leave anything standing. He also stated that if the Belgians 'refuse to perform munition woik their wives and daughters will be deported to Germany. CARDINAL MERCIER. A DEFIANT SPEECH. NEW YORK, August 27. The New York Times has published a translated report of a recent defiant speech by Cardinal Mercier at Brussels. Heedless of his German listeners, the cardinal glorified the deeds of the Allies, and predicted tho speedy delivery of Belgium, saying that King Albert will soon reign again at his capital. Cardinal Mercier regretted that it was impossible for him to clasp a nation of heroes to his arms. ON THE BELGIAN FRONT. GERMA~ ATTACK REPULSED. LONDON, August 27. A Belgian communique states : The Germans attempted to cross the Yser Canal near Hetsas, but were repulsed with heavy losses. GHENT BOMBED. ENEMY MUNITION DEPOT DAMAGED. Reuter's Telegrams. AMSTERDAM, August 27. The Echo de Beige states that an allied air squadron bombed the neighbourhood of Ghent on August 25, and caused two big explosions. It is believed that two munition depois were destroyed, and it is rumoured that the damage done and the number of victims was very great. A gunpowder depot at Meicelbeke was also destroyed, and a Zeppelin was damaged. WEATHER PREVENTS OPERATIONS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, August 27. (Received Aug. 28, at 8.5 p.m.) A communique states : Bad weather prevails; there is nothing important to report.