WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1918, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

GERMANY'S LAST HAZARD, * • . ,15 WILL IT EVENTUATE' '' :j THE NATION MAY REFUSE THP SACRIFICE. " ,:J i Received Jan. 8, 9.30 pjn. London, Jan. t, Mr. Gibbs states that the froat ll J! breaking, and there arc signs tliat & great thaw has now begun and will won i v transform Flanders into a quagmil*. *\ There are indications that January m*y 'i pass without any big battles, and, jriti».< 4 luck, February also, and that probtfely, '}, in March we may look for the opening' 1 of the enemy's threatened offensive. 0U preparations 'behind the lines includeduw, ' r pitstl accommodation for scores of'tboiM j., sands. ' >Tj By the Ides of March .other cousmM ''' : may prevail, for it is only on the lam jj hazard that the enemy will orter ftttft >V new sacrifice of the German manhood* •• and the German nation, jnay, refnsff ioj k, countersign the order for that Wood'. "• % Our defensive lines are>atrong, aoftlfi "j subjected to massed attacks similartto) V Verdun we will exact a.fearfutoriei - '■.*. ARTILLERY, AOMVimr. '. y;

liondon, • :| Sir Douglas Haig reports occagk&l 'J hostile artillery activity, .gouth^trf^fflf>; i of Meseines. i':"'

ANGLO-FfiENGH CSPTUBER ''<

Washington, Jaaft >. \'% The Britiah Embassy announces. <&&£[ • < the Anglo-French armies capfciretL23l/KIQi ',< Germans and 1500 guns during X 017; . v ENEMY'S FORTHCOMOTG EFKJfEE&t i —— ; \, Paris, s. v It is alleged that divergencies arisen as regards the effort Germany <JjmV* tends to shortly, make on the FreneKl "' front. i „ Le Journal's war correspondent stftSuC mates that 75,000 German from th* \ Russian front have arrived on-the--vre%J -, 1 em front. INTENSE ARTIUaJRY DUBty , ■ • Received Jan. 8, 5.5 pjn. London, 3m.'% A French communique reports onjln*; ',, tense artillery duel last night on &f* '•' right hank of the Meuse, in thenßatoni » vaux-Les Chambrettes region. EIGHT AEROPLANES" BROUGHT ' DOWN. l\. Received Jan. 8,11,15 pjn. London, Jan. fcr~ ~ Sir Douglas Haig reports: We repulsed! ,' a Taid south-east of Ypres. Hostile «r' ■'■ tillery waj active at Passcbend&ele. :', We brought down eight enemy m**-* ; chines. One of ours is missing. ■ . »' CHRISTMAS DINNER AT ■ PLENTIMa,- SUPPLY' QUEER ENTERTAINMENT FOR OEEICIEW ■ AiNiDMfiN. ,± \y (From Captain Malcolm Boss, OdfilP ' ■ ', New Zealand War i •.' (By Cable.) ' ".' January*. - : The Christmas festivities at the fron{ i, ended yesterday, when the troops holding ''-.' the line on Christina* 'Day enjoyed tbea) ; Christmas dinner in peace aud eompaia* '.* live comfort. Tlfe weather has beenj ,'", wintry. The ground was covered wHSI 4 snow, and was then frozen hard sites; ;■, ■ a partial thaw. One of the Rifles' bands;, 'g visited headquarters and played caK)J«< 'ii on Christmas morning. There was'no! f\| lack of good things for Christmas diity > ' r nera, including plum pudding, and even) * turkeys, six hundred of which had been ' 'a imported from southern France. -The; various messes were gay with decora- . ; tions appropriate,to the season. ' " Sports, kinemas, variety entertain ] ments, and pantomime provided entertainment Ifor officers and men. The pantomime, which is one of the best .performances ever given at the front, & still drawing record houses of over 800' in a large marquee. The costumes were) procured from London, and the seenerj|l : painted on the spat. It is difficult tot , ; get scats, and hundreds are nightly) "., turned away. • . I Except for some heavy enemy shelling, ' \ which on one occasion increased the normal casualties, the festive season, so far - - ag the New Zealanders are concerned, passed without special incident,