GENERAL WAR NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17786, 15 July 1916, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

EARLIER CABLES TSBsnr battue (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Cdpyrlght) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) PAIUS, July is. L« Petit Parislcn says: "The Germans, hoping to surround Seuville Fort, subjected the whole of the Verdun front to a 36-hours’ bombardment. "Their infantry attack began at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, ami 18,000 Germans were employed on a three-kilometre front southward of the village of Fluery. They faced a rapid curtain fire, but, regardless of losses, they crossed the barrage of fire and advanced towards Souville, and after a hard struggle were compelled to halt by a storm of bullets from hundreds of machine guns placed on the slopes of Souville Plateau. "The nearest that the German line got was 800 yards from Souville Fort. The German front at some other points advanced 500 yards, but this gives ( no cause for uneasiness." The Fleury - Souville lino lies parallel to the Douaumdnt-Vaux line, and is roughly two miles nearer Verdun.) THE TRENCH LINE PARIS, July 13. A communique states: — On the Somme there has been an intermittent cannonade. In the Champagne, on the borders of Prosnes, wo penetrated a salient of the German lines, bringing back prisoners. In the Argonne two enemy coups de main on part of the north-east salient at Solanto failed under our fire. At La Fille Mortc (west the Meuse) we exploded a mine and occupied the edge of the crater. On the east bank of the Meuse there has boon no infantry action, but during the night there has been an intense bombardment at Souville, Chenons, and Laufee. In the Vosges an enemy attempt on one of our trenches southward of Carspach was repulsed after lively grenade fighting. OVERSEAS TROOPS LONDON, July 13. The Daily News, describing the fighting at Mamet-/., Contalmaison and Ovillers' says that some overseas troops we.re engaged, and formed a wave of attack on the most formidable of the whole German front. RtJSSIAR CERTRE KOVEL ARE BABAKOV ITCHX LONDON. July 13. The Daily Telegraph’s Potrograd correspondent sends the Russian Staff’s explanatory statement of the eastern situation. The Stokhod battle front stretches over 100 miles, mostly coinciding with the valley of the Stokhod (a tributary of the Pripet from the south). Both banks of the river, between the two railways converging on Kovel, are in Russian hands. Further north the Germans in some places retain a hold on the eastern bank. The indications point to five additional German army corps having been deployed along the, Stokhod. Of those reinforcements three army corps came from France, and the other two from other parts of the Russian front. The fight for Raranovitehi (an important railway junction north of Pinsk) covers a front of between 30 and 40 miles. The Russians aro firmly established on their newly-won ground, but their progress is being retarded by the strength of the enemy’s lines and the obstinacy of the defence. The Russians hold positions within six miles of the Baranovitchi railway junction, which is strategically almost equal to Kovel. PISS IP ATE D ARCHDUKES LONDON, July 13. Upwards of 3<>,o<)o Germans have been taken prisoner since the beginning of the Russian offensive. The newspaper Le Matin’s correspondent, reports that, when Brusslloffs offensive began, the Austrian Archdukes Frederick and Ferdinand were in the midst of a half-drunken revel at Lutsk, celebrating the former's birthday, and neither was in a tit condition to conduct operations. The Emperor Franz Josef refuses to give, audience to Archduke Frederick, holding that ho was mainly responsible for tile reverses at Lutsk. TREATMENT OP PRISONERS MORE GERMAN XMHDDENCE LONDON, July 13. Lord Robert Cecil, Foreign Undersecretary. in the House of Commons, read a lengthy German reply categorically repudiating his charge that they had not recognised their obligations regarding (he food of British prisoners. The British Government had sanctioned the despatch of collective consignments to prisoners in Germany on condition that they did not contain a predominance of those commodities which arc only obtainable to u limited extent by the Germans in consequence of the British blockade. If, as reprisals, the rations of German prisoners were reduced, the Government propose not only to withdraw the collective consignments of parcels, but also the reception of individual parcels. Lord Robert added: The last part of the German reply regarding the exchange of civilian prisoners appeared to mean that we should release all German civilians in exchange for all British civilians, regardless of the respective numbers. >Vc proposed to reply (had

this could not be accepted: it meant sending 36,000 Gormans in exchange for 1000 British; He would propose to repatriate civilians over e0 years and all over 17 years who are unfit for service. Of the remainder, equal numbers of each nationality should be interned in neutral countries. in reply to a query as to whether this meant tlie abandonment of a policy of reprisals. Lord Robert Cecil said the Govei nment would hold a free hand to retaliate if it were the only way to secure justice. more toy cargoes COPENHAGEN. July 13. The German newspapers state that SO submarines of the Deutschland type will tie built at Kiel and Bremen. It is expected that 33 of them will bo completed in August. EXPENSIVE WORK THE BEUTSCHEAKB'S SCOUT NEW YORK. July 13. Tlie submarine Bremen is expected to arrive in July. She is said to bo larger than the Deutschland. She will be followed by the submarine America. A hydroplane is concealed at the Deutschland’s wharf at Baltimore. It is believed it will be used in reconnoitring when the Deutschland dashes to sea on her return trip. OUR TURKISH CAMPAIGNS LONDON, inly 13. Mr Asquith will make a full statement on the Dardanelles and Mesopotamia operations on Tuesday. WORK POR VICTORY IT IS nr SIGHT (Reuter’s Telegrams.) LONDON, July 15. In the Commons Mr Asquith announced that owing to war needs tlie Government proposed the postponement of all holidays. * The Allies’ offensive, which was only beginning, required a great and continuous supply of munitions. We held ample supplies at present, but the daily consumption was enormous. Therefore, he appealed to the patriotism of the workers and the public generally to postpone their August holiday in order that the attack so brilliantly begun might be carried to a triumphant conclusion. RETRIBUTIVE JUSTICE. LONDON, July 13. Reuter’s correspondent at British Headquarters tells a story of the shameful conduct of the Germans on the Somme. A wounded English officer was brought into a German trench. The popular idea was to despatch him forthwith, but ultimately the suggestion of two German officers was adopted, and the helpless officer was hoisted and tied to the parapet, amidst Jeers, and was informed. "Now, see what your cursed bombardment is like.” The Germans descended to a dugout, where the correspondent believed they were all bombed to extinction by the British infantry, who stormed the place and rescued the British officer. CKAHHEE TUJUMEX. PARIS, July 13. In the opinion of French authorities, 30,000 troops and 30,000 tons of war material could be transported daily from England to France if a Channel tunnel were in existence. The French Minister of Commerce told the chairman of the Paris Economic Conference that the full execution of the conference's decisions largely depended on the construction of the tunnel. (There has for very many years been a Channel Tunnel Company, at whose annual meetings, held in London, the keynote has ' always been enthusiasm and pertinacity, and the hope. has been regularly expressed that Government and official opposition to the scheme would ultimately be worn down.) BUEOAR MUTIEEER* ' f BUCHAREST, July 13. Recent Bulgarian arrivals here state that a Bulgarian regiment mutinied and murdered its German officers. Another regiment was sent to punish the mutineers, but joined them instead. GEHEBAE TOWHSKEKD LONDON. July 13. Tlie Daily Mail publishes a letter from General Townshend to a friend. The captured general says he is living at a chaining villa in a most beautiful island in tlio Sea of Marmora. He has free use of a yacht to visit Pera and Constantinople as often as he likes. He is treated as a guest, not as a prisoner. Enver Pasha has granted permission for General Townshcnd’s wife and daughter to join him.