GENERAL WAR NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17938, 18 May 1917, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

EARLIER CABLES THE WEST rBOHT. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association). LONDON, May 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports ; Fighting continued to our advantage yesterday in the western portion of Bullecourt. After severe lighting we are progressing northwards of tlie Scarpe. PARIS. May 16. French communique: The artillery struggle was continued during the night. After a violent bombardment the enemy in the morning powerfully attacked on a four kilometres front in the Moulin-de-Laffaux district. We maintained our positions despite his repeated efforts. Fighting continues at various points. LONDON, IS. The correspondent at headquarters says : The Germans Hindi; their utmost efforts to regain the Initiative this morning, and heavily attacked the British positions on the Scarpe. northwards to the railway. The British mostly retrieved yesterday's loss at Bullecourt, establishing new posts westward. FRENCH ARMY CHANGES. PARIS. May 16. A sensation has been created by the Council of Ministers having appointed General Petain the new Commander-In-Chief of the northern and north-eastern armies. General Foch becomes Chief of Staff, and General Nivelle commands an army group. RUSSIAN SITUATION BAD. LONDON, May 16. A returned Petrograd correspondent says the Russian internal situation is bad, hut not desperate. The military situation was worse before the revolution than it is to-day. The army will continue to fight". The Austro-Germans have too much at stake in the west to permit them to strike a blow on the east front. The Coalition Government may save the situation. PETROGRAD, May 16. M. Miliukoff (Minister for Foreign Affairs) has resigned. M. Tereschenko, hitherto Finance Minister, succeeds him. M. Kerensky succeeds M. Gutchkoff as Minister for War and the Navy. The following are the three cardinal points whereon the Government Executive Committee, the Duma, and the Committee of Soldiers and Workmen agreed:— Firstly, unity of the Allied fronts; secondly, full confidence of the revolutionary democracy in the reconstructed Cabinet; thirdly, plenary power of the Government. THE POLISH QUESTION, AMSTERDAM, May 16. The Warsaw press demands an early settlement of the accession of tho Polish king. Radical newspapers demand a Republic. A deadlock exists between Vienna and Berlin over the kingship. The Emperor Karl's brother Max and Prinae Eitel are probable candidates for the Regency. AMERICA'S FART. WASHINGTON, May 16. The United States has notified the Russian Government that in order to remove possible misunderstanding the American mission is going to Russia interested in nothing but affording such assistance to the Russian Government and people as may be moat helpful. Through diplomatic channels President Wilson and Mr Lansing are doing everything possible to assist a settlement of the Russian position. Congressman Gardner has resigned his seat to enlist in the army and several others are entering the navy at the end of the session. LONDON, May IS. An American torpedo boat flotilla has arlved to co-operate with the British fleet. WASHINGTON, May 16. The United States has lent £20,000,000 to Russia. NEW YORK, May 16. Four were killed and three fatally injured in an explosion at Sault St. Marie. Michigan, which was Intended to destroy the Soo locks and interrupt navigation. The explosion wrecked the pier and docks. Escaped pro-Germans are suspected. (Sault Salnte Marie is the capital of Chippewa County, Michigan, situated at the rapids of St. Mary’s River near the outlet of Lake Superior. The population is over 10,000). WASHINGTON, May 16. The bill has been reported from the Senate Committee, providing £80,000,000 for merchantmen construction and £40,000,000 for the army. THE ITALIAN OFFENSIVE. ROME, May 16. The battle on the Julian front has assumed epic proportions. The Italians are attacking on a front of ninety kilometres. breaking the enemy’s lines despite the most stubborn resistance. The Italian action on the Julian front continues violently, and many fortified positions and trenches have been captured. Great Interest is taken in the Italian offensive in the province of Udine. They are advancing on a front of sixty miles from Tolmlno seaward. The sector Tol-mino-Sargano is the most difficult front in the war areas. Tolmino bridgehead bars the entrance to the valley leading to Laibach. HOLLER’S DISAPPOINTING SPEECH. AMSTERDAM, May 16. German newspapers generally are dissatisfied with Dr von Bethmann-Holl-weg’s speech. Comments show a general belief among the German people that the war will not end in 1917, and perhaps not In 1918. REICHSTAG CRITICISM. AMSTERDAM, May 18. A fuller report of the debate in the Reichstag shows that Herr Roesicke complained of the uncertainty of Germany's war aims. It seemed the Government was not convinced that the country was determined to win a victory. It- would be terrible If the Chancellor went to the peace conference with a plan to abandon everything. He declared : "We demand the abandonment of all idea's of an International renunciatory peace.” Herr Schiedmann said: "We also want something definite. Wc oppose all policy of conquest. The Conservatives want to conquer the world.” He said thousands had been slaughtered against the people’s will, adding; “You cannot achieve your purpose by throttling other nations.” Herr Schiedmann aroused a tumult by declaring that the German policy of conquest had resulted in Germany becoming regarded as a nation of robbers and a gang of thieves. Loud protests were raised, many demanding Schiedmann’s removal. Herr Ledebour subsequently in the debate caused a sensation in the House by declaring: “Things must happen in Germany as in Russia. We must soon introduce a republic, e shall propose a constitutional reform committee to take preparatory action to that end.” It is noteworthy that the German censorship deleted from the official wireless the following extract from Dr von Beth-rnann-Hollweg’s speech: “I won’t be diverted from the proper path by Herr Schiedmann’s threat of revolution. The German people will show that they don’t understand such a word. I am not going to tolerate the suspicion that I side with the Social Democrats.” Latest reports give Schiedmann’s actual words as: “If France and Britain renounce annexations and Germany insists thereon we shall have a revolution in the land.” TURKEY PROPOSES PEACE. ROME, May 16. The newspaper Idea Nazlonale states that Turkey, through a neutral Power, is proposing peace on the basis of opening the Dardanelles to navigation. She Is also prepared in a conciliatory spirit to examine the question of Armenia and make concessions on the principle of the recognition of nationalities. GENERAL ITEMS. AMSTERDAM, May 16. Herr Cohn, a member of the Reichstag, asked the Chancellor to impress on Turkey the necessity for stopping the mas-

sacre of Jews in Palestine. If Germany did not Interfere she would be morally responsible for allowing her ally to murder" and plunder Jews without protest. BERNE, May 16. Count Reventlow demands that Germany should immediately declare war on every neutral continuing to trade with England. It is also announced that the Pan-German League supports the demand in a petition it intends presenting to the Kaiser. LONDON, May 16. After the recent battle on the western front a German army order was picked up dated December 1916, requesting details as to unit, date of death and illness in connection with corpses sent to corpse utilisation establishments. The Paris Journal says that Dr von Bethmann-Hollweg’s speech indicates the strengthening, at least temporarily, of the German war party. Meetings of London munition girls resolved not to associate with any man under 41 years working or skulking in munition factories. Mesopotamia official : No important operations have occurred this month.