FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5363, 22 February 1916, Page 5

FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

JWPJMY ATTACK B BEATEN. Tx>ndon. Last, Night. Rir Drynglaa Haip; rviporta: Tho onfctriy on Saturday nifi^'ht raid**! our

trenches westward of Serre after a heavy bombardment, but failed completely. The enemy, south-east of Boesiughe, seized an important advanced post. Our aeroplanes, in a successful night raid on Oambrai aerodrome, exploded bombs inside the shed. Baris, Last Night. A communique states: The Germans violently bombarded our positions at Steenstraate and attempted to cross the canal. Some groups reached the first line, but were immediately ejected. GERMANS CLAIM SUCCESSES. London, Last Night., A German communique states: We stormed 350 yards of British positions on the Yser canal. Attempts to recapture them failed. There has been vigoroug fighting southward of Loos. RAID BY SEAPLANES. , ON THE BRITISH COAST. London. Last Night. The War Office reports that four seaplanes raided the east and southeast coasts about noon. Two appeared at Lowestoft and circled in the south side of the town for five minutes and dropped bombs. They rose to a great height mud disappeared eastward. Altogether seventeen small high explosive bombs were dropped. There were no casualties. A restaurant and two houses were damaged. Two naval seaplanes pursued the raiders without result. . Meanwhile two other seaplanes visited the British const. The first passed over ‘the light vessel of the Kentish coast, ■dropping bombs in the vicinity. The second made straight for Walmer, flying no higher that 3-50 (feet. It dropped six bombs and turned sharply east. Two bombs destroyed roofs and broke windows. One falling close to a church blew out the windows as the congregation were singing the To Deum. A third fell in the road wav along the beach. killing a. civilian and injuring o marine. Tin' total casualties were two men and a r>ov killed and a marine wounded. Two aeroplanes rust 1 over Walmer and pursued the raider, whom they were apparently tinablp to overtake. LUXEMBOURG'S TROUBLES. London, Last Night. Hie Duchess of Luxembonr has isstud a manifesto .suggesting a Coalition Cabinet. The country, she says, is faced with threat, perils and all [tarties should co-operate in an endeavour to .secure independence. GERMANS DRAINING BELGIUM. I s|\<; UP ALL MATERIALS. London, Last Night. Sir Edward Grey has issued a. memorandum, which Jbo has just sent to the Belgian Minister, in response to frequent repie.sentations alxnit the impending ruin of Belgian industries. Sir Edward Grey states that lie understands that there is a. strong feeljug among Belgians that the (hatreds is attributed solely to the action of the Allies in preventing imports. It is often contended that this action does not appreciably harm Germany, whde it involves a painful losh to the people of an ally. Britain is not convinced that Belgian industry can he maintained without considerable gain to the enemy. Still the Government is anxious to assist, and Has tHo-ro-fore permitted a certain amount of export from Belgium. and for the ■same reason has permitted the importation of raw materials into Belgium through the Belie l ' Commission. The undertakings demanded from tho Germans that they should permit of the free importation of raw materia! and the export of goods manufactured therefrom through the Relief Commission, ami also that the commodities should bo free from an emlsirgo. and be treated similar to tho raw materials manufactured and remaining in the country. Tho scheme was submitted to the Germans four months ago, but no reply has been received. The memorandum shows how Belgium is being used to supply Germany. Sir Edward Grey says : “The Germans are determined to enter into no arrangement for the relief of Bel. gium unt.i ltbey have taken from the country the last ounce of material and have caused widespread destitution. forcing Belgium’s labour to emigrate to Germany. The German policy should ho <fully exposed. Exports from Belgium, to Germany in November be one route were 74,000 tons of coal, 0100 tons of phosphates. lO Otons lead* 1350 tons of ore and 1000 tons of briquettes. Previous export's included 1000 casks of tanning extract. Half the output of the Belgian textile mills have been requisitioned. All the most essential materials in Belgium tiro controlled in. the German interest. It is now the fixed policy of the Germans to impoverish the country. Britain must disdain responsibility towards the Belgians for the evils, which the enemy has caused and refuses to move.”

OLATMS FOR EXEMPTION

TOO MANY GRANTED

Tvonldon, Last Night. The great, rush for exemptions from the Derby scheme has alarmed the authorities, who find that about 80 per cent, of the claims for exemption have been granted. Strong efforts are now being made for a strict, interpretation of the word “indispensable.’ ’The result is that, the tribunals are beginning to show sternness in their treatment of applicants. *

Typical crises came before the London tribunals, when remarkable claims were made. The Secretary ai wie Naval and Military Bible Society asked. for the exemption, of the superintendent of its packing department, ageefj nineteen, who claimed that Tie was indispensable, and “that it was impossible to find a substitute!” It was decided that a commercial traveller was a luxury in war time, and the appeal was dismissed. The application of “a distributor o f official photographs” was deferred for six months. A tribunal reserved judgment in regard to definitions of “news agency,” “military icap-cut-ter,” “scientific seedsman.”'