THE WAR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9792, 24 October 1918, Page 4

THE WAR.

WEST FRONT. LARGE CAPTURES MADE. LONDON, October 21. A British and Belgian communique states; —'The Germans have been forced to withdraw along the whom front. The Belgian:, are established along the Deyn/.e-itecloo Canal, their lot t. resting on the Dutch iron tier, j hoy lisnoVniupic Knesselacre, Aoltre, Adegein, Belicin an-1 Ursel. The. French, despite the floods caused by t!u- Germans, crossed the Lys and established bridgeheads . The S-eoud British Army, despite strong resistance and broken communications, erosseil the Lys aiong its vnoie front and rerelird the outskirts ol lecq. The British have captured (ipt prisoners and IGU gnus since Uctobei IE , o,

NEW YORK, October 21

The British east of ' Courtrai are rapidly advancing along tho Scheldt, inking many prisoners. The British have reached the outskirts ol Valenciennes. LONDON, October 21. A correspondent at Britisn Headquarters, writing yesterday, says :- T The attack of the First and Tim'd British Armies north-cast ol Le Gateau which was launched in wet weather over heavy slippery ground, is progressing favourably. , . Fives broke out afresh in Doiuu yesterday, but were extinguished by our German airmen are heavily bombing the captured towns. The enemy is conducting Ins retreat skilfullv. He lir.s massed covering troops‘athwart the flanks of certain routes bv which the mam forces are retiring." His resistance is strongest ■amtb of Dunai, where the pressure oi three British Annies, co-operating will) tiie French, has imminent strategic possibilities.

FIGHT ON THE BELLE. IN UNFAVOURABLE WEATHER. LONDON, October Sir Douglas Haig reports: -S.inilay’s prisoners nortlnvard ot Le Catcuii exceed three thousand. lu; enemy n positions along tlio Belle weic ot ei-eat natural strength and were held' resolutely. An English. .Scottish and Welsh division launched the attack at a.in. in must unfavourable weather. Continuous rain rendered the advance extremely difficult. The lighting was heavy all day, the enemy oltering strong resistance in the villages ami along the railway. in overcoming this resistance great ussislance was rciulered at certain points b\ tanks, which crossed the Hooded rivci at an oarlv hour. As soon as*the rnci iiad been secured a number ot bridges ,vorc rapidly constructed, uudei boat y ,iro from hostile artillery and machineuins, eiiahliug our guns closely to 10lRiw the infantry and effectively support them at short range. Local operations cleared up certain points where the enemy was still resistin'- in the evening, and a counter-at-,ack from the,direction of Kern cries was beaten oil', with heavy loss. Our advanced troops nortlnvard ol Dcnain continue the advance in contact with the enemy and are nearing Bl Amand and the line of the Bciic-im northward of Tourmu.

BUI DOUGLAS HA I CUB DEPORT. LONDON, October ’2!. A despatch from Sir Douglas Haig, iated .Inly 20, covering the operations ..me tiie iirst week in December last, uis been published. its chief interest ,ies in Sir Dougins Haig’s account oi .be German offensive ol .March bl. The Commander-in-Chief begins by .uuphr.sising that the difficulties created >y the transit from an offensive reiensive policy, necessitated by the collapse of Russia, were accentuated by Jio reorganisation of liritish Divisions ii'om the thirteen battalions to the ten iiattalions basis and by the extension jf the British front to Barisis. Meanwhile the large reserves which the enemy was able to create by transfer■iim Humorous divisions from tho Djisg enabled him to carry out extensive ini in mix with his units completed to establishment. The intelligence Department on ..larch 19 reported that the enemy would probably attack on the Aiias;t Quentin front next day or the day alter. The British dispositions to meet the expected offensive were as complete as tiic time and troops available could make them. General Gough’s Fifth Army then held fortv-two miles of front tvom just ami.h of Barisis to Gouzeaucourt The number ot divisions in iiue ouln allowod ,m average of one division to Olho yards jf front. .... , , General Byug's Third Army hek: jwoiitv-seven miles of trout from uoitli of Gouzeaconrt to south of Gavrello, .he average length of trout held by cadi division being about 4700 yarns. Altogether at least G 4 German livisions participated in the operations ,f March 21, this number considerably ‘seceding the total forces cow poking .lie entire British Army in France. The .otal British force on the original jattlefront on tlio morning of March 21 ,vas twenty-nine infantry divisions and ihvce cavalry divisions, ol which nineteen infantry divisions, were in line. Throughout the retirement there was no panic. Units retired stubbornly ■ iutil thev were turned or threatened ,vith isolation. Wherever ihe enemy a [templed a frontal attack he uas ■ ■■aleu off with loss. Tho organisation ot General Carey s .-(■markable composite lorcc v, as me vork of General Philip Grant, tho lilti. Army’s Chief Engineer, who handed jver' the force to General Carey Demise he himself could not lie spaied. Marshal Foch assumed the superior control on March 20, hy which date the French were heavily engaged. The despatch explains that Bray-sur-Bomnie was abandoned by a misunderstanding, enabling the enemy to secure several gams. With reference to General Gough s removal the despatch slates that alter confronting for a week an overwhelmin'l- superiority, which was a tremendous strain for General Gough and his staff, General Bawlinsun resumed his old command. General Gongh was enti listed with the important task of constructing -now defences in view of future possibilities. Summarising the causes oi the retirement of the right wing Sir Douglas Haig says that the forces at the FiltJi Army's 'disposal were inadequate to meet and hold such a heavy attack. The extent of the front, made it impossible to furnish adequate reserves at all points and there was insufficient time to complete the defences in the now season. The dry - season made the Oise and the Somme passable, necessitating extra troops for their defence, but tiiese could not be spared.

Th* Commandtr'in-Chiof give* figures of the comparative strongtli nml says Unit in thu Soinmo battle by tlic cml of March 12 British infantry and throe cavalry divisions had brought to a standstill ill (.ionium divisions. In the Lys battle by April It! the enemy had employed -12 against 25 divisions. In the six weeks to the end of April the enemy employed 109 against bo British infantry and three Cavalry divisions.

At no time during the Somme battle was there anything approaching a breakdown of command or morale, despite the extreme trials. An American couiiuunupic states; — Heavy lighting north of \ erdun during the past week has diawn a constantly increasing number of Clurman divisions from the rest of Lho front. They aro desperately resisting our strong attacks in llie west and south.

BERLIN’S NEW REPLY. G KIDMAN PEOPLE'S “HONOUR.” NHW YORK, October 21. The German reply to President Wilson asks the United States to approve of the stipulation that no demand shall ho irreconcilable with tlio German people’s honour or the opening of the way to a just peace. Germany has agreed to cease submarining. Germany suggests that opportunity should be given of fixing the details of evacuation of the occupied territories, and protests that the German navy never purposely destroyed lilehoats with passengers. Germany expresses her'preparedness to allow a neutral commission to investigate the charges of devastation. LONDON, October 21. The United Press Agency reports that according to a wireless message from Berlin the German reply to President Wilson says that Germany in accepting the proposal for evacuation of occupied territory assumed that both sides would agree to an armistice. Tiie Note denes that the Germans have been guilty of illegal and inhuman acts, The Note slates that Germany has ordered the submarines to stop torpedoing passenger ships, hut the Government is unable to guarantee that the ardors will reach all commanders. The German note declares that Ger man oiler comes from a Government free 'from arbitrary iullueneo and supported by the great majority of the German people.

THE NEW GERMANY. NEW YORK, October 21. Tito German Note announces that Gornian.v has parliamontariscd the constitution, allowing the people u voice in determining peace or war. WHAT AMERICA WANTS. UN CONDITIONAL S URR EN DER. The Washington correspondent of the New York ‘'Times” learns on the highest authority that nothing but Germany’s unconditional surrender will he acceptable to the United States. This is necessary before President Wilson's terms can he applied.. Germany must oust the Hohcnuollerus and the autocratic German Government. If she does not accept these conditions the Allies will light until they secure complete victory by arms. The United Press Agency’s Washington correspondent states that President Wilson has received the unofficial text of the German reply as wirelessed from Berlin. AMSTERDAM, October 21. According to a .Berlin message the delay of the Gorman reply is due Lo the necessity of considering the Entente’s alleged increasing pressure upon Holland. AUSTRIA’S DESIRE. NEW YORK, October 21. Mr Frederick Peiilield, formerly United .States Ambassador to Austria, interviewed at Atlantic City, said he strongly approved of President Wilson’s reply to Austria. When he left Austria last spring everybody seemed weary of the war. The last words the Emperor said to him wore, “Please tell President Wilson that i want peace, peace, peace, and 1 will do anything possible to secure peace.” Mr Peufield added; “The Hungarians in their hearts despise Germany. Probably two-thirds of the people of Hungary approve of President Wilson’s attitude and resent being chained to the Kaiser's chariot.” GENERAL. CZ ECU O-SLO VAK MO YEMEN T. PARIS, October 21. A tV-echo-Slovak Government has been formally inaugurated at Paris, with official Entente recognition, and .Ministers have been appointed. FRANCO-SERBIAN PROGRESS. NEW lORK, October 21. The French and Serbians have reached Zaitohar, north-east of Nish. FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN. . SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN. NEW YORK, October 20. By ail indications the fourth Liberty Loan was over-subscribed, but the final figures will not be available for somedays. Subscription had lagged, but it is estimated that two billions were raised in the last two days, and that twenty million people subscribed. The United States has now raised a total of sixteen billions in war loans. HONOURS FOR NEW ZEALANDE'/.'.S LONDON, October 21. A second bar to the Military Medal has been awarded tr. Bombardier 11. D. Pattic, a New Zealander. Tho .Military Medal has been awardcd to nineteen New Zealanders. TOKIO, October 20. The Japanese Prouder, in aa interview, said the purpose of the Japanese Government would bo lo brine; Japan and America close together till every shadow ol misunderstanding was removed. “L support the open door policy with China,” he said, “but Japan will never tolerate a Russia dominated by German inllucnce. ’