War News.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 41, 29 May 1917, Page 6

War News.

ITALIAN OFFENSIVE, AUSTRIAN ATTACKS FAIL. LONDON, May 23. The Exchange Telegraph Agency's Rome correspondent says the Austrian counter-offensive in the Trentino yesterday increased in violence. All the infantry efforts failed. There was a most determined attack in the afternoon, after an intense bombardment. Dense columns of picked troops were repulsed, suffering heavy losses. They readvanced after midnight, and gained a temporary footing in advanced trenches, sustaining tremendous losses. The Austrian attack, which was one of the fiercest of the whole war, aimed at seizing Pasubio, to relieve the pressure on the Isonzo, but the pressure is unabated. AUSTRIAN RIGHT WING. NEW LINE PREPARED. LONDON, May 23. • The “Daily Telegraph’s" Romo correspondent says that having lost the chief point d'appui on the Isonzo, the Austrians have established their right wing on the heights of Tirnova forest, where they have prepared a new and formidable line. The Austrians continue to destroy Gorz, realising that they have lost hope of retaking the town. WESTERN OFFENSIVE. SUCCESSFUL BRITISH RAIDS. LONDON, May 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We made successful raids north-east of Epehy and northward of Armentieres. The Gorman artillery is active eastward of Bullecourt, southward of the Arras-Cambrai road, and also westward of Lens. We destroyed a large ammunition dump north-east of Queant. RAIDS AT VERMELLES. LONDON, May 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports successful raids on trenches eastward 'of Vermelles. There is nothing to report on the rest of the front. TRIUMPH OF BRITISH ARTILLERY. GERMANS UNABLE TO RECOVER LOST GROUND. PARIS, May 22. The “Matin" states that the Germans, despite the most desperate coun-ter-attacks, are unable to retake an inch of ground. In the last 24 hours they did nothing beyond losing prisoners and leaving a multitude of corpses before the British positions. The British artillery is truly marvellous. Its barrage crushed any offensive. French experts are elated at the triumph of the British artillery, which in less than a month has cracked a barrier which took the Germans a year to build, and on which hinges all the enemy’s future manoeuvres. Already there are signs of preparation for a retreat to a new system, which is the only alternative to a decisive defeat, namely, a system of switch trenches zigzagging to rallying points.

FRENCH SUCCESSES. 1000 PRISONERS TAKEN IN ONE DAT. LONDON, May 23. A French communique says; There is violent artillery fire at Yauclere and California plateau. Rheims was heavily bombarded. We took 1000 unwounded prisoners on the 20th. SUBMARINING. ENGLAND'S POSITION SAFE. PARIS, May 23. Lord Milner, in a statement to “Le Temps," said: “England's position owing to submarines cannot become critical, even if the sinkings are not diminished. Whatever happens we are able to preserve the tonnage necessary for food and the war by suppressing dispensable exports. We are even considering the creation of a reserve of tonnage by keeping back ships carrying unessential existing supplies, which will assure linking up with the next harvest. Submarines will never force us to abandon the vigorous prosecution of the war." SECRET PEACE PROPOSALS. REPRESENTATIONS FROM CENTRAL POWERS. NEW YORE, May 24. The “New York Sun's" Rome correspondent says that peace proposals were made secretly by the Central Powers through neutral diplomats in Switzerland. The representations point-

ed out that peace would prevent resort to such desperate measures as the devastation of occupied territories, the death of prisoners, and death from starvation of non-combatants, whom it was’impossible to feed. The Allies unconditionally rejected the proposals, stating that peace was impossible unless it was sought publicly on acceptable terms. The “New York Sun's” London correspondent questioned a high British authority, who did not admit the accuracy of the story, but said that such a move was likely to bo made at any time. RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. SOLIDARITY WITH ALLIES' CAUSE. SEPARATE PEACE A CRIME. PARIS, May 22. M. Ribot, in the Chamber of Deputies, announced that he had received a telegram from the Russian Government expressing complete solidarity with the cause of the Allies, and declaring that Russia was not ungrateful. She wouuld not forget France's efforts to contain the enemys forces, whereby Russia was enabled to organise herself. It would be a crime to-day to talk about separate peace. GERMANY'S VAIN HOPES. > BRITISH PRISONERS. EMPLOYED BEHIND THE GERMAN LINES. LONDON, May 23. Jn the House of Lords, Lord Newton, replying to a question, stated that one or two German prisoners had been wounded by long.range shell fire. Germany demanded that all prisoners be removed thirty kilometres behind the line. The Allies complied, but the British Government discovered that for many months 500 British were employed behind the German lines. They demanded that the practice be discontinued. Three Britishers who escaped in April stated that hundreds of Britishers had been employed behind the German lines since November. They were treated with great brutality, their food being only sufficient to sustain life. They were given no change of clothing. Many died. Lord Newton added that unless the Government received an assurance that this had ceased it was hoped that the War Cabinet would take drastic action.