ALLIES READY AND CONFIDENT

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1309, 24 April 1918, Page 5

ALLIES READY AND CONFIDENT

GUNS AND AEROPLANES BUSY .PRISONERS TAKEN IN RAIDING OPERATIONS MANY TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED BEHIND ENEMY LINES By Cable. — Press Association. — Copyright. (A. & N.Z. & Eeuter) (Eec. April 24, 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. Reporting at .1.15 p.m., Sir Douglas Haig said:—We took 60 prisoners as a result of a successful operation last night northward of Albert, and improved our position. We also took a number of prisoners in the Robecq and Wytechaete areas, in local fighting which ended to our advantage. We raided trenches and reached the enemy support lines in the neighbourhood of Fampoux. Hostile artillery i« active westward of Albert and on the bulk of our front from southward of the Nieppe Forest to eastward of Ypres. Our artillery engaged concentrations in the Villers-Bretonneux sector and in the neighbourhood of Serre. There was better weather yesterday and greater aerial inactivity, with incessant bombing along the whole front. We .dropped over 23 tons of bombs on the Thourout railway station, on Menin, Armentieres, Chaulnes, and other targets. Our IoAV-flyers fired thousands of rounds. Enemy machines appeared in great numbers, but were not aggressive. We brought down 13 and drove down six others out of control. Five of ours |»re missing. The pilot of one of the enemy machines brought down was Baron Richthofen. Our night-flyers dropped nine and a-half tons of bombs on Perohne, Armentieres, and Bapaume, and also on the railway junction at Chaulnes. MAINTAINING THE PROUD TRADITION OF BRITISH ARMY. (A. & N.Z. & Eeuter.) (Rec. April 24, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. Sir Douglas Haig, in a supplementary report, states that the number of divisions employed against the British alone since the opening of the offensive on March 22 is already 102, of which many have been used twice or thrice. In resisting the heavy blows resulting from such a concentration, all ranks and arms of the services behaved gallantly and with courage and resolution of which no praise can be too high. Besides the divisions already mentioned for conduct of outstanding gallantry, many others greatly distinguished themselves. The Guards Division, after five days of heavy fighting at Boiry and Becquerelle, completely repulsed attacks delivered with great strength on March 28 and again on March 30, inflicting heavy losses. This division, with the 31st and 33rd Divisions on its right and left, in the severe fighting on these and other occasions, successfully resisted all the enemy's efforts to open out the northern flank of the attack. Especially gallant service was performed also on March 28 by the 4th Division northward of the Scarpe in assisting to break up the attacks launched for the capture of Arras, and at Vimy Ridge. This division also distinguished itself on the Lys on April 14 and 15, when an admirably executed counter-attack took Riez du Vinage with 150 prisoners, and again on April 18, by repulsing strong attacks south-east of Robecq. The enemy's progress was definitely checked with the aid of the 3rd and 4th Australian Divisions at Mericourt I'Abbe and Denancourt, and the New Zealanders at Serre, and, later, the sth Australians southward of the Somme. By the vigour of their defence all the enemy's attempts to continue the advance were repulsed with the heaviest losses. COLOSSAL MASSING FOR A QUICK DECISION. (Reuter) (Ree. April 24, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. Renter's correspondent at British Headquarters, writing on April 22, says:—The Germans continue massing troops on the Bailleul-Neuve Eglise line in the north and around Dernancourt in the south. Prisoners state that the granting of leave will be resumed in the German Army early in May, which suggests that the enemy anticipates a decision or an abandonment of the offensive by then. FRENCH AEROPLANES HARASSING THE ENEMY. (A. & N.Z. & Renter) (Ree. April 24, 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. A French communique states: —There has been nothing beyond lively artillery fire in the Montdidier-Noyon region. Between April 20 and April 22 we brought down 23 enemy . aeroplanes and captive balloons. Our machines dropped 49,000 kilogrammes of projectiles on railway stations, camps, and aerodromes, and on St. Quentin and elsewhere, and caused fires in the railway stations at Chaulnes and Asfeld, and blew up an ammunition dump east of Guiseard. ACTIVITY REPORTED ON THE MACEDONIAN FRONT. (A. & N.Z. & Router) (Rec. April 24, 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. A French Macedonian communique reports that there is great fighting activity on all sectors. An overnight message stated:—An Italian official report from the Macedonia front states: We inflicted on Saturday heavy losses on German advanced posts, one of which was destroyed. BRITONS RESPOND UNDER ADVERSITY. WHAT THE OFFENSIVE HAS BROUGHT TO THE COLOURS. (A. & N.Z.) (Rec. April 24, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. Mr Winston Churchill, addressing the American Labour Mission, said that the worse the news was from the front, the readier Britons were to make sacrifices. Under the pressure of this hard-fought battle we had drawn hundreds of thousands of men to the colours. The same thing occurred in France and America. The German attack had brought at least a million Allies into the field. GERMAN-DUTCH RELATIONS STRAINED. TIME-LIMIT ULTIMATUM SENT TO HOLLAND. (A. & N.Z.) (Rec. April 24, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. The "Daily News" says that the Foreign Office has learnt that the relations of Germany and Holland are very strained as the result of the quarrel regarding the supply of gravel and sand from Holland to Germany. The situation is regarded with anxiety in official circles, as Germany has delivered a time-limit ultimatum to Holland.

DARING BRITISH NAVAL RAID.

HARBOUR OBSTRUCTIONS AT OSTEND AND ZEEBRUGGE.

(A. & K.Z.) (Rec. April 24, 9.10 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. During a naval raid on Ostend and Zeebrugge, five old concrete-filled cruisers were blown up in the harbours for the purpose of blocking the egress at the entrance. The Bruges Canal was blocked while British landing parties distracted the enemy's attention.

RAID REPORTED TO BE SIGNALLY' SUCCESSFUL

(A. & N.Z.) (Eec. April 24, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 23. The Admiralty reports that the raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend was made early this morning.

Our forces have been returning scanty information hitherto, but the report states that this raid met with a reasonable measure of success.

The force employed, except the covering ships, consisted of auxiliary vessels and six obsolete cruisers. Five of these cruisers were filled with concrete and used as block ships. They were run aground and, in accordance with orders, blown up and abandoned by their crews. The casualties are not yet reported. Sir Eric Geddes states that the raid was signally successful. Marines landed at two points at Zeebrugge and blew up the block ships in the mouth of the Bruges Canal. Reuter reports that a German destroyer and a British destroyer were sunk during the attack on Zeebrugge.

IRELAND AND THE CONSCRIPTION ISSUE.

AMERICA HAS NO SYMPATHY FOR SLACKERS.

(A. & N.Z.) (Rec. April 24, 9.45 a.m.) WASHINGTON, April 23. The "New York Times," in an editorial, strongly supports conscription in Ireland, and adds:— Some Irish politicians are said to be nursing the mad notion that the people of the United States sympathise with the Irish slackers. There was talk of sending an emissary here to solicit America's opposition to conscription. It would be impossible for America to receive him. The chief burgomaster of Berlin would be as welcome. LARGE NUMBERS TAKE RESISTANCE PLEDGE. (A. & N.Z.) (Rec. April 24, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 23. There were no trains or trams in Dublin to-day. All the large business houses were closed. No Nationalist newspapers are publishing, but the Protestant and Orange districts are carrying on as usual. It is estimated that from 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 Irishmen are already pledged against conscription. PITIABLE PLIGHT OF AUSTRALIA. PASSING RESOLUTIONS TO WIN THE WAR. (Rec. April 24, 10.40 a.m.) MELBOURNE, April 24. The report of the recent Governor-General's recruiting conference shows that Mr Tudor submitted a statement embodying the conditions upon which, in the opinion of those associated with him, the harmony of the community depended. These included:— A definite pronouncement that the Government had finally abandoned conscription; that there would be no economic conscription. Registration of the deregistered unions and restoration of the unions to their former status. Restoration of the victimised unionists to their employment. Abolition of bogus unions and bureaux. The repeal of all the War Precautions Regulations so vital to the conduct of the war. Abolition of the Press censorship and the limitations on free speech (except such as related to military news of advantage to the enemy). The immediate release of all persons not guilty of criminal offences imprisoned in connection with the conscription and peace propaganda and recruiting and recent industrial troubles. ■& The refund of fines and costs in connection with industrial and political prosecutions during the war period. The taking of immediate and effective steps to protect soldiers' dependents and the public against profiteering. Mr Hughes submitted replies, declaring:— That voluntaryism had been nailed to the mast, and would remain so. That the Government and the employers' representatives agreed that there should be no economic conscription. With regard to the other demands, he agreed to meet them as far as was practicable. After several resolutions had been discussed and rejected, the conference adopted the following resolution unanimously:— That this conference, meeting in a time of unparalleled emergency, resolves to make all possible efforts to avert defeat at the hands of German militarism, and urges the people of Australia to unite in a whole-hearted effort to secure the necessary reinforcements under the voluntary system. EMPLOYERS DO NOT FAVOUR ECONOMIC CONSCRIPTION (Rec. April 24, 10.40 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 24. In connection with firms dispensing with the services of single eligible men, the president of the Employers' Federation states that the federations throughout the Commonwealth are agreed that there is to be no economic conscription. As conscription lias been defeated, it is not considered desirable or right that employers should attempt to enforce a form of conscription amongst their employees. At the same time employers are give every possible encouragement to their employees to enlist.

AMERICAN HELP.

THE LIBERTY LOAN. (A. & N.Z.) NEW YORK, April 22. America has chartered 400,000 tons of Norwegian shipping. The Liberty Loan subscription exceeds 1,500,000,000 dollars. A cable from General Pershing states that the American casualties at Scicheprey were the heaviest yet sustained, but the German losses were greater, numbering 500. CASUALTIES AT SEICHEPREY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Rec. April 24, 9.45) WASHINGTON, April 23 The American casualties at Scicheprey were 200.

GERMAN JCOLONIES. RESTITUTION OPPOSED. - "Tht Times" Sen-ice. (Rcc. April 24, 8.J5) LONDON, April 23. Bishop Frodsham will move in the House of Convocation for Canterbury on April 30 that the Allies should resist restitution of the German colonies in the interests of the natives. IN CANADA. „ WAR ACTIVITIES. (A. & N.Z.) OTTAWA, April 22. The Government is preparing to register every male and female in Canada between the ages of 16 and 60, with a view-to the utilisation of their services for national purposes. A proposal is now being considered by the House of Commons that all enemy aliens should be compelled to work on farms, in order to increase production.