THE WESTERN STRUGGLE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5355, 12 February 1916, Page 5

THE WESTERN STRUGGLE.

FIERCE AROUND ARTOIS.

ENEMY COMPLETELY REPULSED.

Paris. Last Night. A communique states: We continued to progress in the Artois sector by bombing. W T est of La Folie two German attacks west of Hill 140 were completely repulsed. The Germans exploded a mine north of the

i Neuville-Pheuls road, and we occupied the crater. The enemjl tried to i debouch south of the Somme but were driven back. London, Last Night. ■ Fighting with grenades, the French were enabled to drive out the enemy from some treniches they occupied , west of La Folie. The Germans dur-

ing the night, attacked positions on the road Neuville-La Folie. The attacks were repulsed, the enemy only taking foot in one crater, previously lost. South of the Somme, in the j course of minor actions on Tuesday and Wednesday, the French captured I fifty prisoners, two machine guns and 1 a larger piece. Amsterdam, Last Night. I A German communique states: We captured a largo section of a trench north-west of Yiinv wild re-captured in the neighbourhood of Neuville a crater after the enemy’s occupation, jWe captured twenty-two machine guns and repulsed local attacks south of the Somme. The enemy north </ Racquineourt obtained a foothold in a small section of our foremost trench. j Many trains tilled with troops pass.ed through Louvain. Troops are concentrating at Renders and Oourtrai, j mostly from the Balkans. Many.are mere boys.

FRENCH MUNITIONS

A COLOSSAL RESERVE

Home, La*t Night. The members of the French Cabinet were given an enthusiastic welcome.M. Thomas, French Minister of Munitions, in an interview, said that by spring France would possess a colossal reserve of munitions. The Allies were hastening the output to the utmost. M. Briand. the French Premier, in an interview, said that he was hopeful of securing the most serious support of Italian statesmen in bringing their joint work to a successful issue anti in t-stablishing closer an<l fuller co-operation among the Allies. GERMAN'S FLOODED OUT. Petrograd, Friday. Owing to the overflowing of the Oginski Canal (north of Pin.sk) as the result of a sudden thaw, the Germans evacuated, the whole of their second line trenches, and sacrificed great quantities of ammunition. ACTIVITY IN GALICIA. Vienna, Friday. A communique states: There has been increased activity in Eastern Galicia. Particularly fierce fighting has taken place north-west <*f Tarnapol. GREECE WILL KEEP OCT. EXPLANATION BY PREMIER. Athens, Last Night. Martin Donohue reports that M. SkouJoudis. Premier of Greece, made a statement in Parliament about the policy of the Government, which lie said had been endorsed by the Chamber. The keynote of the statement was that the evolutibn of events had shown that the neutrality was the best safeguard to keep the .country from disaster. He hoped to be able to save Greece from, dangers menacing her. Pressure had been brought to boar to induce her to depart from neutrality. Such pressure might increase but whatever influence and whatever coercion, it was the intention of Greece and her indisputable ‘right to remain outside the struggle which was foreign to her national interests. M. Skouloudis protested against, the violation of Greece’s sovereign rights involved in the occupation of Karabwin and Corfu. NO ATTACK ON SALONIKA. Athens. Friday. The newspaper Patnis learns from a semi-official German source that the German Headquarters Staff has decided to abandon the attack on Salonika, and instead will resort to trench warfare. German engineers .are being sent to Macedonia for that purpose. SAVING THE SERVIAN ARMY. Paris, Last Night,. M. Venn itch, the Servian Minister in Paris, in an interview, said that thanks were due to Frantss and the Allies for saving 1.50,000 men of the Servian larmy. The activity <«( the Premier of France, M. Briand, and General .Toffire had Manured for Franoe the devotion of the Slavs. Britain and Italy had participated in the marvellous operation of rescuing the Servian army, to which work they had brought an activity and devotion above all praise. Everything was achieved without a hitch and silently. ROT7MANIA SELLS CEREAL. London. Friday. Tlio Roumanian Export Committee has derided, to sell 100.000 waggonloads of cereals to the Central Powers.

RUSSIA SENDS COAL

Bucharest, Friday. The Russians are sending enormous quantities of ooal to ftouinania.

ATTACK ON MERCHANTMEN

ANOTHER GERMAN CAMPAIGN

Paris, Last Night. A Germaii memorandum to neutrals state that henceforward armed enemy merchantmen will be treated as oeTligerents, and warns neutrals not to trust persons and property in sujch vessels.

London, LartNight. Austro-Germany lias notified neutrals that the new policy regarding armed merchantmen will be effective from March 1. The newspapers interpret the German memorandum about armed merchantmen that she is about to embark on another campaign of piratical outrages The “Daily Mail” construes it as a reprisal against the Baralong. A “NOTE” TO AUSTRIA. Washington, Last Night. Mr Lansing, Secretary of State, lias demanded from Austria an apology for making an attack, without warning, on the steamer Petrolio, in December. He asks for the punishment of the commander of the submarine and an indemnity. The .submarine continued firing, although the steamer had stopped. The captain of the Petrolic refused to sell his provisions, and thereupon the crew of the submarine (forcibly helped themselves. APOLOGY TO THE DUTCH. The Hague, Friday. Germany has apologised for the torpedoing of the Artemis a Dutch od steamer, and lias offered an indem nity. TH p: R OON A F FAIR. NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION. New York,. Last Night -Messages from Hamilton. Bermuda. say that nothing is known of the battle between the Roon and a British cruiser. Hie vessels have not reached Bermuda, and advice has been received indicating that the prize has (>een taken elsewhere. On the other hand, a message from Washington states that the British Embassy received « report from, the men living on the island, the name of which is not disclosed, concerning the Roon. Sufficient, evidence was given to the report, to warrant the authorities handing information to the press, adding that, it had reached them unofficially.

THE GERMAN MAN POWER

FIGURES CRITICISED

London, Last Night. Colonel Repington’s figures have aroused a controversy. The military correspondent of the “Evening Standar<l } claims that Co loud Repington under-estimated Germany's losses hv a million. Quoting Hilaire Beiloc, the Swiss Colonel Fyler and others he directs his principal attack against Repington’s statement that GerJ lh^^rJ ot^es in January amounted to 36,000 men. The critics point out that the Germans are engaged in three theatres. In the bad weather the 1’ reneh aJone captured thirteen hundred unwoninded. men in Alsace The critics admit that the whole policy of the Allies depends on the extent of the German manhood, since the Allies when capable of making definite plans, embarked on a war of attrition AT IS FACTORY HARVEST London. Last Night, orwaerts” gives interesting details of the German harvest for 1015 which is unsatisfactory. The ciiltivate<l area has decreased and the rro I*» are suffering from the employment of inexperienced labour, substituted for agricultural labourers who have been taken away. , Jho military strain on the railways rs causing a shortage of seed and artificial manure. Many manufacturing firms are preferring to manufacture the more profitable machine guns instead of agricultural machinery. The tone of the article suggests that the food problem is becoming m o re corn pi icated. the truth will out. London, Last Night. A sensation scheme for the confiscation of textile goods' has greatly impressed German opinion and aroused suspicions of the Government and its confidence) in the probable duration oi the war. In a remarkable leader the “Cologne Gazette” disicreetly refers to these doubts and says that they must not remain unanswered. “ft is a mistake to regard the now economic restrictions as proof that the war is bound to last for a long time. Even the military authorities do not see the end, but the army and the people are in complete agreement that they will in good time lead us to the goal we all export. We lack neither resources, men nor economic armaments. The motto for us is to keep cool and to hold out.” A FRANK AUSTRIAN EXILE. WIPE OUT THE HAPSRURGS. Paris, Last Night. Professor Masnryh. a former member of the Austrian Roiehstmth, who was exiled at the outset. <jf’ war, ©m-

j phasises the necessity of wiping out 1 the Hapsburg dynasty. If Germany 1 is deprived of Austro-Turkish support she will be too weak to menace the Western Powers. Had the Allies at the outset declared the Austrian Slavs liberated and. the monarchy abolished. Austria-Hudgary would have been a millstone round Germany’s nock and the entire .course of . the war would have been /changed. It I was a fatal mistake to imagine that Austria would ultimately oppose. Germany. Par-Germanism was rampant in Vienna and Budapest, where its adherents out-number the Czechs and Slavs. Germany’s one aim was to j gain supremacy over Central Europe, effectively holding the Allies in cheek. If the Hapsburgs were wiped out Germany’s dream would be shattered, and the Berlin to Bagdad scheme would be a thing of the past She j never again would be able to devns- i tate Europe.