War News.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 37, 15 May 1917, Page 5

War News.

THE BRITISH FRONT. LOST POSITIONS RECOVERED. SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON HINDENburg line. LONDON, May 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy early this morning launched a third attack, using flammenwerfers, southward of the Souchez river. After three hours’ severe fighting the av eight of repeated assaults compelled our posts to withdraw from a portion of the front. Our counter-attack this afternoon recaptured the whole of the lost trenches.

The enemy’s losses in the three attacks were heavy. Our positions are unchanged.

Wo very successfully attacked the Hinclenburg line in the neighbourhood of Bullccourt, and also astride the Ar-ras-Cambrai road and northward of the Scarpo, gaining all the objectives.

We took some hundred prisoners. Local fighting is resulting in our favour eastward of Lempire. The Allies made successful raids eastward of Yprcs. FURTHER BRITISH SUCCESSES. BULLECOURT VILLAGE OCCUPIED LONDON, May 14. Sir Douglas Haig says further details of last night’s attacks confirm the success of the operations. Considerable enemy forces were observed last night massing for a coun-ter-attack in the neighbourhood of Bullecourt. They were effectively dealt with by our artillery, and their attack did not develop. We attacked later, and after allnight fighting established ourselves in Bullecourt village. The fighting continues. The enemy’s attack upon our new positions was scattered by the artillery. We captured astride the Arras-Cam-brai road 1200 yards of trench, including a strong cavalry position. We stormed last night the Rouex cemetery and chemical works. Further northward we continued our advance to-day, carrying positions in this neighbourhood on a front of half a mile, and taking many prisoners. SUBMARINE SITUATION. NOW UNDER CONTROL. VEILED ANNOUNCEMENTS IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. LONDON, May 13. French and English newspapers make veiled announcements that the Allies during the past week have got a grip of the submarine situation, and can face the future without undue apprehension, MUNITION WORKERS’ STRIKE. A GOVERNMENT PROCLAMATION. MEN ORDERED TO RESUME. LONDON, May 13. The Government have exhibited in centres affected by strikes the following notice: — “A serious stoppage of work by engineers engaged upon vital munitions occurred at a moment when, in view of the present offensive on all fronts, there is greater need of all munitions than at any previous time. The strike is alleged to be a protest partly against the abolition of trade cards, and partly against the Munitions Amendment Bill, It continues despite full explanations of the effect of these measures, and despite its being completely unauthorised and condemned by fifty trade unions in the engineering and shipbuilding trades. The strike, therefore, is clearly as much a protest against the executive authority of trade unions as against the Government’s action. This is fully confirmed by telegrams from the strike leaders in the Manchester urea, stating that the joint engineering shop strike committee repudiates any interference by official executives of workers in the present dispute. The Government cannot permit the strike to continue. They therefore summon all loyal citizens to resume work immediately, and point out that all inciting any stoppage of munition work are guilty under the Defence of the Realm Act, the penalty being pe'.al servitude for life or such lesser punijhment as may be awarded.” FRANTIC GERMAN EFFORTS. TO REGAIN THE INITIATIVE. LONDON, May 13. A correspondent at Headquarters says the Germans arc making frantic efforts to regain the initiative. Prince Rupprecht is hard pressed, with his back tight against positions which, if lost, would be fatal to his plans. Ho is launching attack after attack at Hindenburg’s bidding against the British, with little result. The Germans were hurled in heavy masses against St. Crucrs, between Gavrelle and the Souchez river. The British artillery and machine gun bar-

rage, despite the darkness, tore the at-1 tackora to pieces, and threw back a I strong attack eastward of Arleux with considerable losses. The Germans failed in the evening attacks against our positions southwards of the Souchez river. The Prussians, aided by liquid fire, again struck, but by the light of their own devilish machine were mown down and defeated. The* Germans attacked fiercely eastward of La Coulotte. The fighting continues, GERMAN TYRANNY AT BT. QUENTIN. CHILDREN FLOGGED, PARIS, May 13, Commandant Gloss, administering 25 communes in the St. Quentin region, issued a decree in 1915 which has just been discovered, compelling all workmen and children over 15 to work in the fields seven days a week. Idlers were to bo punished with six months’ imprisonment and allowed only bread and water every third day. Children shirking work were flogged. The commandant reserved the right to administer 20 strokes a day to all labourers shirking. The decree concluded by stating that labourers in the commune of Vendelles had been severely punished.