GENERAL WAR NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17919, 26 April 1917, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

EARLIER CABLES BRITISH PRESS FORWARD. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON. April 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports; Severe fighting continued on Monday evening and during the night on the whole front from Croisilles to the northward of Gavrellc. The enemy constantly repeated unsuccessful counter - attacks. The Germans fought with determination, regardless of losses. We maintained the positions gained on Monday and further progressed eastward of Monchy-le-Preux, and also in the neighbourhood of Rouex. We successfully beat off a violent counter-at-tack at Gavrelle. The prisoners exceed 1500 and many more are coming In. We gained ground during the night on a wide front eastward of Epehy, and reached the St. Quentin canal in the neighbourhood of Vendhuile. We captured the villages of Villers-Plouich and Beauchamp further north.

SEMX-CIBCLE HOUND LENS PARTS, April \ 24. The Petit Parisien states that the British semi-circle round Lens was drawn closer yesterday, they holding a majority of the suburbs. The enemy has concentrated important forces eastward of Arras, and is determined at all costs to bar the way to Douai. FIGHTING IN THE OPEN HTCBEiSED EBXU7 ABTILLEBY LONDON. April 24. Correspondents comment on the greatly increased German artillery fire in the second phase of the Arras battle, the German gunners returning shell for shell. The ground is alive with snipers, and many British were shot from behind after entering the German lines. The heaviest British losses were due to barrages and machine guns, and not to the infantry, who preferred surrender to hand-to-hand encounters. The fighting disclosed the immense strength of the Oppy line, which is shielding the Hindenburg line, but the capture of Gavrelle puts us astride the former. Reuter’s headquarters correspondent says the Germans continue to throw in a largo reserve of fresh guns, and probably realise that the battle may assume a decisive character, therefore they are resisting desperately. This is exactly what the British wanted. The Germans certainly are now accepting battle In the open. FBENCH VIOLENTLY ENGAGED LONDON, April 24. The French communique states; Two German reconnaissances endeavouring to reach our lines in the direction of Hancourt were repulsed witli heavy losses. There has been a violent artillery struggle in the regions of Hurtebise, Foulon, and the Valley of Craonne. Minor actions enabled us to advance and improve our positions on the plateau at Chemin-des-Dames and in the direction of Juvincourt, where we carried a German post. We successfully bombarded the enemy lines of communication in the Champagne.

EZCTDEETBUBG FOBESTALLED. PARIS, April 24. Documents seized on prisoners established the fact that the German High Command selected for attack the front on which the French took the offensive on the 16th, seriously upsetting Hindenburg’s plans. NXVELLE'S TACTICS LONDON, April 24. A correspondent gives a typical instance of General Nivelle’s tactics in the capture of Braye heights. Soupir Plateau Is densely wooded and ravined 600 feet In height, and provided with a network of trenches. A division fe.lnted a frontal attack. Next day five battalions from different points worked their way through the woods and outflanked the Germans, who fled hurriedly. They had no time to bring up their gun teams, and the French captured 50 guns, many machine guns, much material, and 2000 prisoners. The hurriedness of the retreat was' shown by the uneaten cooked meals and half-finished letters.

DEVASTATED FBANCB AMSTERDAM, April 24. A Berlin official message announces that the reason for felling the fruit trees In the evacuated territory in France is to prevent the enemy using the leaves in summer for cover. MESOPOTAMIAN PROGRESS. LONDON, April 24. General Maude reports; The battle on the right bank of the Tigris between Samarra and Istabulat was continued on Sunday night, severe hand-to-hand fighting and numerous enemy counter-attacks occurring. We drove out the enemy, who stubbornly defended the position, which was provided with elaborately prepared , iron-roofed dug-outs. We pursued the enemy and occupied Samarra station, about 75 miles north of Baghdad, on Sunday. The enemy hastily destroyed everything possible. Our captures include sixteen locomotives. The enemy casualties on the 21st and 22nd were heavy. DEALING WITH GEBMAN STRIKERS ZURICH, April 24. The German Government warned the strikers in Berlin, Spandau, Leipsig, Chemnitz, Stettin, Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, and Essen, and the Industrial districts of the Rhine and Westphalia, that they would be sent to .the front unless they returned to work by the 23rd. The military has assumed control of the factories.

GENEBAL ITEMS LONDON, April 24. Sir Thomas Mackenzie has compiled a list of 800 New Zealanders fighting in tho Army and Navy outside the New Zealand forces, and has arranged to supply information to the next-of-kln. He is also presenting gifts similar to those given to the Expeditionary Force at Christmas. The night sessions of the War Conference begin to-night. The conference sits all day to-morrow and is hopeful that the work will be completed within a week or ten days. Mr Kenny Jones declares that the submarine menace will become greater than ever. Unless the people further reduce the consumption of foodstuffs they may be brought to the edge of disaster before next harvest is gathered. General Jurgens, a Dutch margarine merchant, who expended £17,000 on a house at Egham, was fined £SO and two builders were heavily fined for luxurious building expenditure under the Defence of the Realm Act. The Stock Exchange closes on Saturday to enable members and clerks to engage in national service. Natives In Orissa, Bengal, where German missionaries worked for many years, were discovered invoking the Kaiser as a native deity. PARIS, April 24. The Government has notified Germany that it is embarking German prisoners on hospital ships. AMSTERDAM, April 24. The Cologne Gazette states that Spain's Note to Germany emphatically repeats the demand that Spanish lives and ships be respected. WASHINGTON, April 24. General Joffre and M. Vivian! have arrived. WELLINGTON, April 25. The Imperial Government advises that the war risk on produce has been raised to five guineas per cent.