GENERAL WAR NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17755, 5 September 1917, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

EARLIER CABLES ITALIAN OFFENSIVE, (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Sept. 3. Italian official: We have advanced further eastward in Brestovizza Valley. ROME, Sept. 3. The Italians are furiously bombarding Mounts San Gabrielle and San Daniele. The former has been completely isolated for the past week. The mountain batteries' reply is feeble owing to the heavy artillery being removed to Ternova Plateau. Austrian prisoners now coming in belong to reserve units. The Germans have enabled the Austrians to transfer five additional divisions from the eastern front. The Austrians are depleting some garrisons to provide further reinforcements. General Koevess is succeeding General So roe vie, owing to the failure of the eleventh Isonzo battle. Bad weather is interfering with the Italian advance. The enemy is rushing up reinforcements. WESTERN FRONT. LONDON, Sept. 3. The French communique reports; There has been a violent artillery duel between Cerny and Hurtebise. The Germans attempted four attacks west of Hurtebise but were everywhere checked by our fire. An attempt on Allies plateau also failed. There is great artillery activity on the SamogneuxBeaumont front and the right bank of the Meuse. German aeroplanes bombed Dunkirk and Belfort. Several civilians were killed and injured in Dunkirk. German official: An English attack on the Cambrai-Arras road failed. We reduced the French gain near Hurtebise Farm. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We repulsed a third attempt to capture advanced posts south-westward of Havrincourt. We made successful raids south-westward of Monchy le Preux and destroyed dug-outs and machine guns. THE EAST FRONT. LONDON, Sept. 3. Russian official: Westward of Riga we retired to a line Bildewlingshofy Meden, and Dalen in "the direction of Uxkall. The enemy penetrated positions on the Jaegel river. Some of our detachments voluntarily left their positions and retired northwards. We repulsed attacks, inflicting heavy losses, in the direction of Fokchany, Russian official: The Riga region is being abandoned owing to the threatening situation. German official: We crossed the Dvina on both sides of Uxkall. Our troops, progressing in dense columns, are hastily- proceeding north-east from Riga. Burning villages and farms mark the routes of the retreating Russians.

THE AIR RAID. LONDON, Sept. 3. British official: A single aeroplane carried out last night’s raid and dropped seven bombs. One man was killed and four wounded and two children injured. AUSTRIAN WOUNDED. BERNE, Sept. 3. Thirty thousand Austrian wounded have arrived in Vienna. The hospitals there and in ether cities are overcrowded, and emergency institutions have been opened. The authorities at Budapest declined to receive 2000 as the hospitals were already being overcrowded with wounded from Galicia and Bukowina. AUSTRIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS. ZURICH, Sept. 3. The number of political prisoners released in Austria under Imperial decree is estimated at between 60,000 and 200,000. It has been revealed that a large number of Slavs were incarcerated without trial and imprisoned in prisons where they suffered through lack of food terrible privation. A thousand emerged mere skeletons. Many were carried from the prison to the hospital ,one having both his legs amputated owing to frozen feet which were neglected by the prison doctors. KAISER’S ANTI-BRITISH ACTIVITY.

PARIS, Sept. 3

The New York Herald publishes a Series of sensational telegrams from the Russian imperial archives covering the Kaiser’s effort during the Russo-Japanese crisis to form an alliance between Germany, France, and Russia against Britain. The Czar was disposed to sign the secret treaty, but changed his mind and sided with France at the Algeciras Conference. The Kaiser’s telegram on October 22, 1904, informs the Czar that English newspapers threaten Germany if she gives coal to the Baltic fleet then going to Japan, and that Russia and Germany must face thus new danger together. He proceeds : “You will have to remind your ally, France, of her obligations under the dual alliance. It is out of the question for France to shirk her implicit duty.” The Kaiser added: ‘Though M. Delcasse, then French Minister for Foreign Affairs, is an Anglophile, he will understand that the British fleet is utterly unable to save Paris. In this way a powerful combination of three of the strongest Continental Powers will be formed which the Anglo-Saxon group will think twice before attacking. You ought not to forget to order some new ships, which will be excellent persuaders during peace negotiations. Our private firms would be most glad to receive contracts.” The Czar replied on October 28 : —“No words can express my indignation at England’s conduct concerning the coaling of the Russian ships by German steamers. It is high time to stop England interpreting neutrality in her own fashion.” GENERAL ITEMS. WASHINGTON, Sept. 3. The Italian Embassy has received a cable from Rome stating that an Allied War Council will be held in Paris to consider the "greatly altered military situation.” LONDON, Sept. 3.

Private telegrams that passed from the Kaiser to the Czar from 1904 to 1906 have been discovered at Tsarskoe-Selo. The former advocated an anti-British alliance, and proposed a secret Russo-German convention, hoping by its accomplishment to bring in France. The collapse of the scheme was due to Russia siding with France in the Algeciras affair.