A BRITISH ATTACK

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 24 July 1916, Page 5

A BRITISH ATTACK

DESPERATE FIGMTING CONTINUES.

GERMAN WORKS CAPTURED

THE VICISSITUDES OF WAR

Received 11 ami

LONDON, July 23

On the Britis.'.! front the battle has been resumed to-day along a front extending Pozieres to Guillement. In the neighbourhood of Pozieres Territorial and Australian troops, attacking from the south-west and south-east respectively, carried the German outer works by assault shortly after midnight. Violent fighting is now taking place in the village, where the Germans, with a large number of machine guns, are offering a desperate resistance.

On other parts of the front the fighting is equally intense and no definite progress can yet be reported. At one time r-Ms morning we had recaptured the whole of Longueval, but the enemy once more regained the northern end of the village. Similarly the outskirts of Guillemont -have 'already twice changed hands. POST-WAR TRADE. .. AN IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.'. DOMINION REPRESENTATION. (Received 9.5) . LONDON, July 23. Considerable surprise is expressed in -Colonial circles that no representation has been given on Mr. Asquith's .postwar trade committee. It is understood that the Governments attitude is that the Committee, jWill confine itself to consideration, of. Home affairs, and not deal with Dominion trade relations, except briefly as a preliminary to a. postwar Imperial Conference on which the Dominions will be represented, but it is pointed out that the committee's order of reference promised consideration of the development of Empire resources and inter-Imperial understandings upon which Mi; Hughes particularly insisted. While England believed that the omission would bo quickly remedied by the Dominions urging the desirability of participating in all Empire committees henceforth. GERMANY BEING ENLIGHTENED. AN ASTOUNDING HUN STORY. THEY MAY EVACUATE BELGIUM. TWO THOUSAND MILLION INDEMNITY. "PEOPLE OF GERMANY! AWAKE" (Received 9.45) AMSTERDAM, July 2:?. Thousands of copies are circulating in Germany of a remarkable brochure .'entitled "People of Germany! Awake" lit. is by Rosemeir, ex-political editor of the "Berliner." The "Morning Post'', [says he quarrelled' with the 'jhief editor, who declared.thaLwiioever doesn't help |to deceive .the people Is a rascal. The they are so enormous thai. Germany has are about one and a-quarter million idead; three-quarters of a million prisoniers and missing; three million wounded, a million whereof are hopelessly mutilated. The sick elude compatafc'on. but they are so enomous that. Germany has a bloody debit balance sheet to-day. The "Echo dc Beige states thru peelers are placarded in barracks at Ghent, stating that negotiations hive boon opened by the United States awl Germany who may decide to Belgium on payment to Germany of an indemnity of two thousand .sterling.

ABOUT BOUMANIA. DIIILQN CHANG.KS FRONT. Julyi 23. Mr Dillon, i 1n... the Daily Telegraph, says: "After a comprehensive-suvcy of all present elements in the present phase of the struggle, one cannot blink the' faet that they are conspicuous for Rouinania's entry Into the arena.

TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

i WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. i

i LONDON. July 23 ! Military experts opine that the utter overthrow of the Bulgarian army would open the noad for an allied land attack ou Constantinople. | AGAINST HINDENBURG. .. RUSSIAN .SUCCESSFUL OFFENSIVE EXCITEMENT HIGH IN RICA. WESTERN TACTICS ADOPTED. ! HINDENBURGi'S TRENCHES CAP- ! TUBED. ! TO THE THIRD I INE. i PETEOGBAD, July 23 Interest is developing on Kr.ropatkin's front westward of Kemmern and Lake Babbit. The Germans are being continually irritated by carsfnlly planned raids, but are unable to l>:mg u single division to support the threatis also breaking up the front trenches oned positions. Kuropatkia's arti'ic r y (The first German prisoners hive ivnohed [Riga.

RUSSIANS PUSHING ON.

BIG HAUL OF PRISONERS

PETROGRAD July 2:'.. Officii'.!. Battles continue on the loft bank on the Riga front. The Russians south of the Lipa continue to press the enemy. They have passed Bercorsko and are moving • ing westward. We took prisoners on the '2oth and 21st 300 Austro-German officers and ' 12,000 men. [ We surrounded and captured the 13th [Austrian Landwehr Regiment, near Verben, bayoneting the commander. DECISIVE BATTLEFIELD. THE WESTERN FRONT. BEITISH GENERAL'S. OPINION ~,, , ..... ■ PARIS, July 23 1 ' Le, ,Mat ; in ''., publishes an interview with Sir Douglas Haig, who' is reported to ha,v.2 said : the supreme' decision of fbe war. is- to be gained pit' the west frontv; We ; must "ropos..' there ;«! peace worth having,-, because, wo -.'shall have paid for, it. • ■;•.■ nl; ;mHi-' ■■■ ■•■■''■ '' A FRENCH REPORT. OF GERMAN COUNTER. ATTACKS. (Received July 24, i; " ~;, '.. ~ PARIS, July 24., A'cprnmuiiiflue states thai..an artillery struggle is current on, the Somme front. A German night attack, south-, I ward of Soyecourt, failed under our fire. The Germans are bombarding in the Fleury sector; there is .also grenade fighting at hapellestie. Our machine guns repulsed an attack against trenches at Leseparges. RUSSIANS ADVANCE. IN ASIA MINOR. , SNOW IN CARPATHIANS. PETROGRAD, July 2^.. A Russian communique states that the Germans attempted to advance nothcast of Smorgon but our batteries compelled them to retire; they were repulsed in all further attacks. We repulsed a night attack on the Stokkod, in the district of Zarej Bereznica. Rain and snow is falling in the Carpathians. [We considerably advanced oxi the shore of the Black Sea, prisoning a great number. We captured the town of Kialkitchevillik, near the river Eshimtrmaka. - Our troops, in the direction of Erzyngau, crossed the river westward of the Euphrates. We are engaging large Turkish forces at Mosul, eastward of the Revadinza district. IMMEDIATE PEACE. HUNGARY WILL HAVE IT. COUNTRY MUST BE SAVED. LONDON, July 23. The "Morning Post's" Budapest co-respondent says: "One of Karolyi's followers states that the new Independent Party seams to secure an inde■pendent Hungarian army and the /inmediate conclusion of peace to save the country from invasion and further sacrifices. We are not going to have Hungary longer made the dupe of Aas-tro-Gprmany. i Karolysi's home policy includes tho distribution of state and clergy owned lands among the peasantry. A CANARD ABOUT VERDUN. , LONDON, Jnly 2.;. The i*>kal Anseiger says: •'"Tlta. situation:should /ill Germany with the' .greats est confidence as the- pressure-.'ftfc; v <? r ; ; dun has allured tho British from .their trenches and weakened them appreciably. Britain bleeds from thousands of wounds as never before daring the existence.

FELT BY THE GERMANS. FOR THE SOMME OFFENSIVE. ALLIES IN GOOD POSITION. DOMINATING RIDGE CAPUTRED. BIG CAPTURES OF GERMANS. HARD FIGHTING PREDICTED. tu LONDON, July 23. . Sir Douglas Haig's report shows that the British new position seriously threatens the German third line at Foureaux Wood, the highest ground in the sector. The ridge commands the German positions beyond where the country is les s broken and less wooded. Latest accounts show that the French attacks were yesterday extraordinarily successful. Picked troops were chosen to attack the German positions from Hardecourt Height to the river at Fallosi and Biaches. The attackers left their trenches at dawn. By nine they had completed the task, which the staff expected would occupy the entire day. The German counter attacks left the French masters of all the captured positions. Mr Philip Gihbs writes: The present stage of the advance is causing us very hard fighting for important positions on high ground which must be gained and held before new progress can be made over the open country. The enemy is gathering reserves and flinging them against us to check our onward movement at all costs. He has apparently brought new batteries of heavy guns, because his fire is increasing. German prisoners reveal that grave anxiety is reigning behind the German lines, where they do not minimise the greatness of our menace, whicn they are straining every nerve to formidably resist. On Thursday the enemy lost many men and valuable ground against both the French and English. Early in Thursday morning, arter a long bombardment, we attacked between .Delyille -high woods.,and' westward of .these positions. The enemy, in great strength, maintained a strong defence. •He suffered severely, and was forced to"retreat in disorder upon some parts of the line. -.-." '

Positions of the captured Vermandvillers line were of great strength. French colonial battalions attacked some points so impetulously tnat they overran three lines of trenches with small loss. Elsewhere they were less fortunate. Soyecourt, Labyrinth and Starwood were carried by assault. The village was surrounded .on three-, sides, two whole enemy companies de- ! fending the redoubt near Vermandvillers arm, being captured, also a company belonging to a regiment brought from Verdun. Among the prisoners were an extraordinary Jumble —Wurteniburgers, Saxons, Badeners, Bavarians, and Prussians, mostly between the ages of 17 and 20. A GREAT CHARGE. PIPERS LEAD THE WAY. '' THE CAMPBELL'S ARE COMING.' ■ SCOTSMEN HAVE BAD TIME. THE FIGHT FOR LONGUEVAL. THE HIGHLANDERS HELD ON. LONDON, July 23. Some of the Scottish soldiers had a bad time. They lay under a cross :'ire of great British and German shels. We were firing twelve and fifteen-inches, which were roaring through the air and exploding in vast earth-shaking crashes. The attack was made before dawn on rising- ground towards the high road which was used to go across from High Wood to Delville Wood. Now there is no road because our bombandmeut has torn the earth into a series of deep craters. Tho Germans held a line of lugouts here, built in great haste since July Ist. Our troops were workinground the High Wood, and in the centne jmet, advancing on the wood itself over fallen trees and the bodies of German | dead. Determined to get on and hold on, during the day they organised strong points captured on the Avestern side. All the southern part of the position is situated in tho LonguevaiDelville Wood. On the north-east that village has been very full of trouble foi; us ever since our Highland regiments took it on July 14th Nevertheless the Highlanders held it with dogged endurance for nearly a we2k, and frustrated the enemy's efforts to recover the old ground. The gallantry of the Highlanders was wonderful. Their first dash on Longueval wns one of the finest exploits of the war. Led by their pipers into the thick of the battle, one regiment advanced to the tune, of "The Campbell's are Comin'." Then the pipes screamed the "Charge"—most awful music to those who have Highlanders against them. With fixed bayonets .they stormed, the German tVencdies where, were, many.., concealer 1 - maehine-gittii emplacements in dug-outs, bo strung that no shell eo.uld smash them, but the Highlanders ibmg themselves in twos and threes into the vaults where th« <memy were packed, eeorn-

ful of all danger A The Germans dc«

fended themselves with must stubborn courage. The Highlanders dug trenches across the village The enemy barraged the village with progressive lines of heavy shells, yard by yard, but stopped short where some ranks of the Highlanders were lying down. Casualties were heavy amongst both officers and men but the Highlanders iheld on.

GOT INTO THE SOUP,

KAISER'S ADVICE MISUNDEE STOOD.

AMSTERDAM, July 23

The Kaiser addressing the Pnussian Guards in April on the occasion of their transfer from the Eastern front to the Champagne sector, said: "The foe here is tougher and more resisting, admit and versatile. He is defending his native soil with the resistance of despair",, but .it must be broken. He lias prepared his soup. Now he must sup it. I look to you to see to it." It is notable that all these regiments suffered heavily in the recent lighting.

AUSTRIANS TO EVACUATE LEMBERG.

ROME. July 23

A furious attack upon Von Hindenburg is in progress, several causing colossal losses. The fall of Brody and Stauislau is imminent. The Austrians have decided not to defend Lemberg.

WHO'S DOING THE MOST?

AMSTERDAM. July 23

Dr. Helm, a member of the Bavarian Palimentatian committee, replying to a Prussian newspaper insinuation accusing Bavaria of withholding agricultural produce and forgetting her duties to the Empire, states that Bavaria has provided the greater part of the arm?'s provisions, while Northern Germany had done nothing. He adc»: We spoke plain German to Batocki on i s visit to Munich. He returned without the lard, butter and eggs which he expected. Bavaria ewes xtr, present need to German insolence and gluttony.

LATEST CASUALTY LIST;

RECEIVED THIS, AFTERN.OONi

Died of Waunds.-r-Pte Christiansen. Pte A. T. Downes, Pte C. W.. Arthur. .Wounded:— Sgt G. F. White. Wounded, : Embarked for England.— Pte W. J. Anderson, Pte F. L. Magon. Wounded, Admitted to .hospital.— Pte A. Coarrick, • Pte . L; McKeiizie. Corpl W. 8.. Cullen/Gnr-W; R." Holder. Prussing, Sgt G. J. Lane, Corpl G. Fisher, Pte F. E. Forward, Sgt G. A. Martin Pte TV Rhodes, Pte W. Patterson, Sjr F. S. Allen, Corpl R. B. Fowler. Lnc-Corpl C. M. Perry, Corpl W. C. Brown. RISE IN UNION S.S. SHARES. . Rl JMOURED AMALGA MATI ON. LONDON, July 21. Shares in the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand stand at £2 17s. They have risen considerably in the last fortnight, consequent on the rumours of the absorption: of -.the eonvpany by the Peninsular and . Oriental Steam Navigation Company. NO NEGOTIATIONS. DUNEDIN, Saturday. J The "Stan" states that it has the authority of the managing dine3*or of the Union Steamship Company to say no negotiations with the P. & O. Company have taken place. In quarters where a.n expression of opinion may reasonably be regarded as more than mere speculation the viewis taken that the sharp rise in shaiy.s. coupled with the fact that preference shares have not moved and with rhe marked activity in regard to the c im.pany's shares in. Dunedin, its headquarters, indicates an early amalgamation. In what direction that will he can only be guesswork until a delinite announcement is made, hut en opinion is expressed that if an absorption is really on tapis it is highly probabl ! that the Peninsular and Oriental Company, which recently took over the' New Zealand Shipping Company's service, will be the other party to the amalgamation .