GENERAL WAR NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17967, 7 March 1917, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

EARLIER CABLES THE WEST FRONT. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 5. The French communique states : After an intense bombardment in the region of Courleres Wood, on the right bank of the Meuse, the enemy violently attacked on a front of three kilometres between Chambrettes Farm and Bezonvaux. Repeated assaults between Courieres Wood and Bezonvaux failed. The enemy obtained a footing in our advanced elements north of Courieres Wood, but our Are smashed all attempts to penetrate the wood, with heavy enemy losses. German official : The English attacked southward of St. Pierre Vast Wood, and captured a trench sector on the Boucha-vestres-Maislains road. We stormed and captured a French position in Courieres Wood, on a front of 1500 metres. We repulsed nocturnal counter-attacks, and captured an important position at the south-east corner of Foyses Wood, taking prisoner 578 and capturing sixteen machine guns and twenty-five quick-fir-ers. There have been numerous air flights. The enemy lost eighteen aeroplanes yesterday, while we lost four. ITALIAN ATTACK. LONDON, March 5. Italian official : We brilliantly attacked and occupied a strong position of 2700 metres altitude in the Costa Bellae Group, in the Avisio sector. AMERICA AND GERMANY. SENATE MINORITY'S POWEB, AMENDMENT OP BULBS NECESSARY NEW YORK. March 5. President Wilson’s statement at the termination of the session disclosed a situation unparalleled in the history of the country. In the immediate presence of A crisis fraught with subtler possibilities of national danger than the Government has ever been faced with. Congress, he said, has been unable to act as a safeguard to the country or vindicate its elementary right. The Senate is unable to act because eleven Senators objected. The Senate has no rules whereby debate can bo limited. It was therefore proved impossible to extend the powers of the Shipping Board or increase the gold reserve to meet the needs of the new situation. If the President called an extraordinary session the Senate paralysis would remain, as the majority is powerless. Thus, midst a crisis of extraordinary peril, when only definite and decided action can make the nation safe and shield it from war by the aggression of others action is impossible. The impression abroad will be that other Governments can act as they please with no fear of our Government acting. The explanation seems incredible. The Senate is the only legislative body j.n the world which cannot act when the majority wishes. A little group of wilful men have thus rendered the great Government of the United States helpless and contemptible. The remedy lies in altering the rules of the Senate so that it will be able to act. It Is believed the Senate can be relied on to do this and save the country from disaster. What rendered the situation graver was the discovery that while it had been thought that the President could do much of what he asked Congress to do certain old statutes raised insuperable practical obstacles virtually nullifying his powers.

Thirty-three Senators have given a pledge to amend the rules, thus preventing filibustering, Messrs Taft and Wykersham have made statements contending that Mr Wilson possesses power to arm ships.

PRESIDENT'S POWEE NULLIFIED. WASHINGTON, March 5. In a later statement the President added to his reference to old statutes which now reads : ‘‘May raise insuperable obstacles, and may nullify the President’s power.” The Senate minority comprised six Republicans and five Democrats. When the Senate met on Monday for the inaugural ceremonies an attempt will probably be made to amend the rules. Meanwhile the matter is not discussed to the disappointment of the public, which expected the President to act on his own responsibility. New York and other newspapers vehemently condemn filibustering. AMERICA FIRM FOR ARMED HETJXBALITSr. FURTHER EMBROILMENT POSSIBLE. WASHINGTON, March 5. President Wilson, in his inaugural address, said the blood of all nations now fighting made Americans a composite, cosmopolitan people no longer provincial, but affected as to their minds, industries, commerce and social action by great world currents. America, however, would demand nothing herself that she was unwilling to give other nations deeply wronged upon the seas, but she refrained from wronging or Injuring in return. She was now compelled to stand firm for armed neutrality, but may be drawn on by circumstances to the more active assertion of her rights. America in peace or in war stood for principles. All nations were equally interested in the world's peace, in the political stability of free peoples, and were equally responsible in their maintenance. He contended that the essential principle of peace is the actual equality of nations in all matters, rights or privileges; that peace cannot rest upon the balance of armed power: that Governments not deriving their powers from the just consent of the governed ought not to be supported by common thought, purposes or the powers of the family of nations; that the seas ought to be equally free and safe for the use of all peoples under rules set up by common agreement and consent and as far as practicable equally accessible to all; that national amendments should be limited to the necessities of national order and domestic safety: and that one State ought to strongly discourage anything likely to encourage revolution In other States. Referring to the prospect of war. he said : "We may be even drawn upon by circumstances not by our own purpose or desire to a more active assertion of our rights as we see them, and a more immediate association with the great struggle itself. Any such step, however, will be with unselfish purpose and not with any view of conquest or national aggrandisement.” miU9 RETAIL PRICES.

LONDON, March 5,

The Daily Telegraph says Lord Devonport will probably take important and far-reaching steps this week regarding food supplies and prices to meet traders who request higher prices in view of the restriction of imports. Lord Devonport has decided in the event of officially scheduling prices to take the prices prior to Mr Lloyd George’s speech as a standard unless good reason to the contrary exists. It is fully expected that the fixing of retail prices will further hit small suburban shops, who already find it difficult to get supplies.

azsKßXAxrr’s offek to Mexico,

WASHINGTON, March 5

Cyril Brown, cabling from Berlin, says news of the German plot was received in Berlin with the utmost calmness. The newspapers say the betrayal of Germany’s offer of an alliance with Mexico was made capital of by Mr Wilson. The press contends that Germany was within her rights in proposing the alliance. The law of 1819 forbids merchantmen attacking warships of an unhostlle lO "° r ‘ LONDON, March 5.

Count Beventlow says Germany’s offer to Mexico is incomprehensible because Mexico would be unable to seize or hold United States territory The Frankfurter Zeitung admits that it is particularly unfortunate that such very secret documents fell into trencherous hands. f The Cologne Gazette says Germany s step was conditional on the United States declaring war. It was generally known that the United States had been long engaged provoking neutrals against Germany. UOZTASTIB SHETiXiEX). LONDON, March 5. Reuter’s correspondent at Serbian headquarters says the Bulgarian trench-

es at Monastir are snbwed up. It is officially estimated that the enemy dropped 2627 shells and bombs on Monastir in three months. Forty-three houses were destroyed and three hundred damaged. Thirty-two men and forty-five women an children were killed and thir-ty-seven men and seventy-five women and children injured. GERMANY'S MAXIMUM INFAMY. LONDON, March 5. By the German War Minister’s direction thousands of war prisoners will be employed in the German lines as a reprisal. The Dally Mail describes this as the maximum infamy. It Is doubtless intended to use the prisoners as screens in coming battles. Similar assertions preceded the previous use of Belgian screens and gas. Paris newspapers urge neutrals to intervene. GREEK SITUATION UNSATISFACTORY. ROME, March 5. The Tribuna says Greece’s economic situation is drifting towards starvation. The Entente is still dissatisfied with the political situation. Violent hostile articles appear in the newspapers and the League of Reservists exists clandestively. GENERAL ITEMS, NEW YORK, March 5. At Hoboken Fritz Kolb was arrested in a hotel room which was filled with bombs and explosives. The police assert that Kolb confessed that he Intended to make an attempt on President Wilson's life. WASHINGTON, March 5. The Federal Trade Commission has fixed the price of news printing paper at 250 cents per lOOlbs. MADRID. March 5. The Government has prohibited the publication of shipping arrivals, departures and losses In order to hinder the activities of spies. PARIS, March 5. Regardng the Gorman employment of French prisoners behind the lines the Government has given Germany a brief period within which she must reply. WASHINGTON, March 5. Although the Chinese Cabinet has decided to sever relations with Germany, the President did not approve, and the Premier resigned. LONDON, March 5. Mr Neville Chamberlain, speaking at Whitefield’s Tabernacle, said he had little doubt voluntaryism would provide sufficient men workers. Already they had enrolled 100,000, and they were determined to get 500,000. The Press Bureau states that a prisoner was court-martialled in London and sentenced to death for espionage. The finding was confirmed, but the sentence was commuted to life servitude. ATHENS, March 5. The French Minister discussed with M. Lambros a payment of damages arising out of events connected with the Greek rising on December 1. M. Lambros preferred counter-claims for damages allegedly duo to the Allied occupation of certain points of the city. PETROGRAD, March 5. The Czar, in a message to the armies on the south-western front, expresses profound satisfaction at their steadiness and excellent condition, and adds : "When the time comes to. make the supreme effort they will definitely defeat their adversaries. LONDON, March 5. Germany has divided Belgium into two provinces—Flemish and Walloon — whereof Brussels and Namur are the capitals. AMSTERDAM, March 5. Belgium remains under a GovernorGeneral. The new provinces will have a status similar to Poland. The Cologne Gazette says the step will prove Germany’s best intentions towards the Flemish and adds ; "This is now annexa. tion."