PRESIDENT WILSON'S REPLY TO AUSTRIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17425, 20 September 1918, Page 5

PRESIDENT WILSON'S REPLY TO AUSTRIA

BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AMERICA'S CONDITIONS ALEEADY STATED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. 'Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LATEST BRITISH ADVANCE. IMPORTANT POSITIONS CAPTURED. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. ' OTTAWA, September 18. (Received September 19, at 7.45 p.m.) The United Press correspondent at the west front states: The British between Homon Wood and Gauzeanconrt advanced three miles, and captured 10 towns; they also captured 6000 prisoners, a number of guns, and important positions. HOW THE GERMANS SURRENDER. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 7.45 p.m.) _Mr Philip Gibbs states: The Australians encountered and ' overcame stiff resistance at Hargicourt, Le Verguier, and elsewhere, while in some cases Germans rushed out of the trenches and surrendered before the Australian barrage reached them. The Australians, at an early hour, had taken prisoner 500. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 7.45 p.m.) German official: The French, by a strong thrust in the direction of Pinon and southwards of Laffaux-Chavignon road, temporarily penetrated our /lines; but our counter-thrust drove them back. AN OVER-RUNNING MOVEMENT. NEARING THE HINDENBURG SYSTEM. DEALING WITH DIFFICULT TERRAIN. .Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 7.45 p.m.) Reuter's correspondent at the British Headquarters, states: This morning's attack, extending southward of Gouzeaucourt to the junction of our right flank with the French army, partook of the character of an over-running movement carrying the line well into the enemy outposts' zone, and bringing us nearer the Hindenbure system over a wide stretch. The country hereabouts consists of little ridges, gullies, and woods, and lends itself to "elastic defence," which the Germans 6I ?P 1 y e at . moved ln P ro S ress ™ stages, as it was necessary to pause while the enemy pockets, were mopped up. The French progressed well in conformity with our advance. _ Rain was falling when the attack was launched, and aeroplane observation was impossible. The weather has smce improved. AMERICA'S REPLY TO AUSTRIA. CURT, DIGNIFIED, AND UNAMBIGUOUS. Awtralian and New Zealand Cable Association. WASHINGTON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 10.20 p.m.) Mr Lansing, in his official reply to Austria-Hungary, recapitulates briefly the, tw P em *. M ™ mca " o "' and fsponds with a couple of sentences to the effect that President Wilson believes that only one reply is possible—mm P lv the terms upon which the United States will consider those whtb already with entire candour, it has stated publicly. Therefore the United States can and will consider no proposal for a conference upon a matter in which it has made its position and purpose so plain. THE NEW AMERICAN LINE. • Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, September 18. ((Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) r £ en £ll S rorrespondent at the American Headquarters, writing on the evening of the 17th, states: The line of the St. Mihiel sector how rans° Rnnvanx S heulles, Pingseville, St Hilaire Doncourt, Woel, Hautmont l" wet S y and Rembercourt, just north of Vandieres and south of Hampey, to the old line <Lt of Pont-a-Mousson. The enemy has been continuing a general wUhdrawal toward ■ positions which now constitute his line. iov>aias BRITISH ATTACK. AIMED AT SIEGFRIED LINE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Renter. • Im . LONDON, September 18. ((Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) ' The object of the latest British attack is probably the Siegfried line of wh.Vh we are within a mile, and beyond it in one or two places. " ' The Times. im ■ac. . v -,„ ~ £°NDON, September 18. ((Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) The British advance has so far reached between two and three miles, and thev nave captured many guns The Anglo-Australian offensive aims at regaining the ine held prior to March. 21 winch fronts, but nowhere crosses, the feindenW line. That objective has been already attained on alO miles' front- and it some points we are beyond the March line, which now runs west of Gouzeauconrt-Villers-Guislain east of Lcmpire, and inclusive of Hargicourt, Villoret Lever-user Berthancourt, Frcsnoy, and Holnon. The Germans are fighting well. ' ° ' FIGHTING NEAR ST. QUENTIN. TOUGH ENEMY RESISTANCE. IMPORTANCE OF POSITIONS RECOGNISED. Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, September 18. (Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) Eeuter's correspondent at the British Headquarters, writing on the eveninc of the 18th inst., says : In to-day's fighting near St. Quentin the enemy fought doggedly, evidently with a clear conception of the great strategic importance of the ground. Weather helped them in some measure by decreasing observation in the early stages, so that wo were occasionally almost on top of the enemy before they observed us. Contrariwise the rain rendered the ground mushy and created difficult going in the gullies. Tanks contributed to the progress. 'The Germans have assembled considerable artillery along the front of the attack, backed by lonerange guns firing from,well behind the Hindenburg line, although the latter had to restrict their shooting to comparatively few targets previously registered There were no serious obstacles to the advance. A German Alpine Corps, carrying the brunt of the resistance, is putting up a stout straggle around the key to the position at Epehy. The moralo of some of the other enemy divisions is poor and although the machine-gunners generally stick to their guns to/the last, the infantry shows a readiness to surrender. The Australians made good progress on the ri<dit ■capturing Ascension Farm, which was a strong redoubt. north of Fresnov and Villeret, upon a spur dominating the St. Quentin Canal. The general impression is that it lias been a good day for the Allies. One spot at which comparatively little progress was made is around the point of the Franco-British liaison; but our guns, coming more and more into action in this section, are taking a heavy toll of the concentrated- infantrv. The jrround is everywhere wall adapted tor defence. J . THE GERMAN VERSION. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, September 19 (0.10 a.m.). (Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) A Gerenan official, issued in tbe evening, states: The Anglo-French attacked on a wide front, from Havrincourt Woods to the Sonune. Counter-attacks are progressing Tha .wwvmy penetrated in the centre, between Hargicourt and Emienonbrookj olaow ncre ail attacks tailed.

SIB DOUGLAS HAIG'S OFFICIAL REPORT. IMPORTANCE OF THE SUCCESSES. • ALL TROOPS PARTICIPATE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Renter. LONDON, September 19 (0.10 a.m.). (Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) Sir Douglas Jlaig reports: Troops belonging to the Third and Fourth British armies attacked with complete success at 5.20 this morning on a front of about 16 miles, between Holnon and Gouzeaucourt. Our troops on the whole of this front, advancing in heavy storms of rain, captured enemy positions by assault, swept over the old British trench systems of March, 1918, and reached and captured the outer defences ol the Hindenburg line in a wide sector. English and Scottish troops on the right captured LVesnoy, Le Petit, J3erthaucourt, and Pontru, meeting and overcoming strong resistance, particularly oil the extreme right. In the right ccnfcro two Australian divisions captured Lc 'Verguier, Villa-ret, and . Hargicourt. Pushing forward with great determination, they established themselves in the old advanced German positions west and south-west of Belleeourt, having penetrated the enemy's defences to a depth of three miles. In the left centre the 74th Yeomanary Division and other divisions composed of Country and London troops, captured Templeux lc Cuerard, Ronssey, Epehy a' l . . Peizeres, also penetrating to a great depth northward of Peizeres. The 21st Division attacked over the northern portion of the sector defended bv it so trallantlv on March 21-22. J Having captured its old front trenches, with the strong point of Vancelette Jjarm, and beaten off a counter-attack, it pushed forward more than a mile beyond this line, capturing several hundred prisoners and a battery (complete with teams). On the left English and Welsh troops carried the remainder of the high ground southward of Gouzeaucourt, reaching the outskirts of Villers Guislain, and capturing Gauch Wood. We captured over 6000 prisoners"and a number of gnus in the course of these successful operations. FRENCH CO-OPERATION. ADVANCE WEST OF ST. QUENTIN. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, September 19. (Received September 19, at 11.30 p.m.) A I'rench communique states: During the day our troops, operating in conjunction with the British army, progressed in the region west of St. Quentin, between Holnon and Essigny-le-'Grand, on a front of 10 kilometres. Notwithstanding desperate resistance, we advanced our line an average of two kilometres, and reached the western outskirts of l'rancilio Sileircy. We captured Savy Wood and Fontaine-les-Giearch. farther south we hold the southern outskirts of Contescourt, and approached Essigny-le-Grand. We took several hundred prisoners. North of the Aisne we continued our progress west of Jouy. The enemv delivered strong counter-attacks on the plateau east of Alleraant; but oirr counterattack drove the enemy back, and resulted in fresh gains of ground and prisoners.