WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

SOUTH OF THE SOMME. IMPORTANT PROGRESS. VILLAGES CAPTURED. I Received Nov. 8, 10.45 p.m, Paris, Nov. S. A communique states:—North of the Somme we progressed, between Les Boom's and Sailly-Saillisel. South of the Somrne we nude a dashing attack, notwithstanding the violent rain, as a result of which we secured important gains, capturing positions on a front of four kilometres between Cliauln"; Wood and south-east of the Ablain: rs refinery. The infantry brilliantly carried the whole villages of Ablaincourt and 'Pressoir, also o fortified cemetery east of Ablaincourt. 'We pushed our positions to the outskirts of Gomiecourt. Five hundred prisoners have so far been counted. There was an intermittent cannonade at Verdun.

ANGLO-FRENCH CAPTURES. RESULT OF THE SOMME BATTLES. deceived Xov. 8, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Xov. 7. A communique states:—From July 1 to Xovemher 1 the Franco-British m the Sommo captured 01,53? men and 143!) officers. The material ;aptured includes 173 field guns, 130 heavy guns, 215 trench mortars, and 031 machineguns. The French share thereof includes 40,700 men and 800 officers. There is nothing important to report.

BRITISH POSITION IMPROVED. TRENCHES RAIDED. Received Nov. S, 5,5 p in. London, Nov. 7. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: We have improved onr positions oust of the Butt* de Warleneocirt. We successfully raided the trenches between Gommecourt and Serro,-taking prisom./s and ininflicting casualties. Rains and gales prevail. HEAVY SHELLING. AUSTRALIANS SUFFER SEVERELY Received Nov. S, 5.5 p.ni London, Nov. 7. Oeneral Sir Douglas Haig reports:— Heavy rain is falling. There is considerable hostile shelling of the Lc> Boeufs area. We bombarded the enemy trenches at Armenticres and Wytschaetc. _ A German communique states that the Australian division suffered severely at the Somme on the sth.

In a recent issue, Ihe Now York Times one of the largest and most influential journal- published in the United States, commenting on the British offensive on the Somme, says:— It is not due to any langour in the German defence that the Teutons are being- pushed back, for reports show that the Kaiser's men arc doing their best, which all the world now knows to bo a doughty best. The Germans arc being beaten back because they cannot stand. Some of the scientific German critics reported that the new British Army was not the equal of the old one, almost wiped out at the beginning of the war. If that is true the old army must have been superhuman; or perhaps the scientific German critics are wrong. The nature of the ground makes no difference; when they occupy advantageous crests the Britsih drive the Germans before them, and then descend and fight 'on slopes with the same result. Everywhere the Germans give way before them, not because they have weakened their resistance, for strategic reasons, but because after fighting their hardest, there is nothing left for them to do. Over their wonderful defences goes the new British invention, born of necessity, ihe armored ear that can ride ov.;r chasms. But it is not any scientific invention that has driven the Germans back, it is the manhoood of the United Kingdom and its colonies, maligned by stay-at-home critics for two years and now give ing a terrific answer. "England will fight to the last Frenchman. "Everybody fights but John Bull." What has become of those comfortable shirs from easy chairs and typewriters desks? It was so easy to make them, while a democratic nation with a little army, caught unprepared because its people had been afraid of '•'militarism,'' was seeing its reviled soldiers die in vain. It has taken that democratic nation long to raise an army equal to Germany's under fire, but no longer than it would take another democratic and unmilitary nation—say, for instance, the nation from which so many oE those easy slurs have come. The "contemptible British Army" has become the terrible British Army. In vain the Kaiser stirred his men "to prove once more that Germany is invincible." Befor> the slow British the Germans are giving miles where they once save yards. "Your duty is to break the English offensive," but the duty is unfulfilled, and it is the German offensive which is being broken. It will give way faster soon, for the speed of an advance like this does not remain stationary; it bears compound, not simple, interest That has already been proved by yards which became miles. Where a mile is taken to-day three miles may be taken soon, five miles after that. There is nothing mysterious in this. The inner defences are not as strong as the outer ones and become le.-s so the further the invaders "o; and as the speed of the .ulvunce increased, it becomes more and more difficult to strengthen the last defences, because there is not so much time to perfect them. There will scon be no need for the French to destroy their own cities, because they and the British will be going so fast that they can be taken without that.

The French have had praise, deserved and plentiful, for their heroism. It is well to spare a little for the creation of the dead Kitchener, irresistible in its might, prodigious in it courage, terribly avenging on the Germans and tko sneers of neutral?