THE WEST FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16873, 9 December 1916, Page 9

THE WEST FRONT

A FRENCH RAID,

.SOME PRISONERS TAKEN,

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.

LONDON, December 7.

The French communique reports nothing except a coup de main east of Metzersu (Alsace), in which the French took some prisoners.

THE LULL EXPLAINED,

FOG AND DISCOMFORT.

CANADIANS' UNPLEASANT ADVENTURE.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON, December 7.

Mr Philip Gibbs states : " While this moist fog overhangs the west front the men look like ghosts. They are having a hard time, being without comfort or shelter or rest, and enduring the cold and foul conditions following the November rains. It is a sffoer fight for life against natural hardships. The inhumanity of the weather seemed more important to them than to fight the enemy.

" The Canadians had a hideous adventure at Courcelette, the men bringing up supplies falling into ice-cold water. In the recent fighting they carried- on unbeaten, despite their surroundings being a morass of misery."

DEPORTATIONS OF BELGIANS.

THE TAPAL PROTEST. NEW YORK, December 7,

The New York Times Rome correspondent states that the Pope's allocution in the secret Consistory was so couched as to convey impartiality, reprobating all violations by belligerents of human and divine laws, but making' direct reference to the deportations of Belgians as a war measure unprecedented in the history of civilised nations. ARTILLERY STRUGGLES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, December 8. (Received Dec. 8, at 10 p.m.) A Paris official report states : Loft of the Meuse there is a lively artillery strugde in the region of Hill 304. (Received Dec. 8, at 10.55 p.m.)

Sir Douglas Haig reports considerable reciprocal shelling in the vicinity of the Thiepval ridge.