RUINED RUSSIA.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16163, 18 March 1918, Page 7

RUINED RUSSIA.

GERMAN PEACE TREATY RATIFIED. APPALLING CONDITIONS IN PETROGRAD. 4th YEAR—220 th DAY.

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

THE GREAT OFFENSIVE, j j REVIEW OF THE SITUATION. j (By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright.) (Reuters Telegrams.) (Received March l<th, 5.5 LONDON, March 15. Reuter's correspondent at French Headquarters states: — "Although the enemy is still accumulating men and material, our front gives no sign when, or where, the longpromised offensive will start. "The enemy has 190 divisions on the French and Belgian fronts, and over one-third of these are in reserve, ready to be hurled against any point selected. "Why the Germans are allowing week after week of wonderful weather to pass without moving may possibly be explained by their anxiety to know exactly how many divisions still in Russia can be counted upon for tho West. "Behind the enemy's front his preparations are evident. Now aerodromes and roads and immense hutments are continually being constructed. His reserves are in cantonments fsvr froiH the front, hence it is impossible to know I the point of attack. "Our defence preparations are on the most formidable scale.

GERMAN WAR LORD'S VIEWS. . (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) j (Received March 17th, 5.5 p.m.) , AMSTERDAM, March 15. ! General Ludendorff, interviewed by the Cologne "Volks Zeiturtg," said 1 "Our West front is much more favourable than in 1917. We are now much stronger than the enomy in men and material. We have an abundance ol aircraft and tanks. If the enemy wishes to attack, let him; he will find us ready. If tht> eiiemv does not want peace he must fight, and it will bo the most tremendous fight of the whole war. With. God's aid we shall obtain a Germah peace.'' Marshal von Hindenburg, interviewed bv the same journal, said that Germany needed a frontier settlement against Russia. They cannot stand alone, he said, and must therefore sesk Germany's support.

ANOTHER GERMAN VERSION. ("the Times.") (Received March 17th, 7.30 p.m.l Ivt>NM>N, March 13. Mujor-General Salzmann, writing in the "Vossiche Zeitung," declaras that4TO Gorrilan and allied divisions arc about to give battle on tho West front. Tension is almost at bfeakiiig-poiflt. The future is dark, but the Germafls are animated by hope and confidence, because of their unified High Command, while tlie Allied commands are independent, all going their own ways. j WHAT AUSTRIAN CRITICS SAY. j (Australian and N.Z. Cablfc Association.) (Received March 17th, 7.30 p.m.) ROME.. March 15. Austrian military critics state that Austria is concentrating ttn Italian front for an imminent offensive, which will bo co-ordinated with the German offensive in the West. Austria has ceased sending troops io "France, where there is only one Austrian division. MR PHILIP GIBBS'S VIEWS.

LONDON, March 15. Mr Philip Gibbs reports that ihe recent German procedure has been :i series of artillery demonstrations and rails tip and down the front for the purpose of keeping up the llfetvbiis tension. We liavc been replyihg with night laids. where the success depertis on the leadership and expert training and gunfire of each raider. "I am convinced," he says, "that it is impossible for the German High Command to carry out an offensive i that at Verdun, ivithouj. risking a revolt among the troops."

ON THE BRITISH FRONT

(Australian and N.Z. Cable As*ociation.) (Reuter's Telegrams.) (Received March 17til, 0.0 p.m.i LONDON, March 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— "Welsh troops made a successful raid in the neighbourhood of Armentieres. "Hostile artillerVing is active southeastward of Ypres, in the neighbourhood of the Menin road and southward of Houthulst forest." EARLIER COMMUNIQUES. (Recrived March 17th, 0.0 p.m.) LONDON, March 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— "Wc entered the enemy's lines westward of Yillers Guislain and repulsed raids in the neighbourhoods of Passche:;daele and Poekapslle. "There is reciprocal artillery activity south-westward and westward of Cambrai, southward of Armentieres and I Messines, and on the Menin road sectors. "The Canadians carried out A .-aid south-east of Lens. A large party of the enemy carried out a raid at Passchenciaelc, out suffered heavily. "We repulsed raids southward of Jio Meliiti road. "Our aviators bombed the railhead near Liile, and aerodromes north-east and eastward of St. Quentin. One of the St. Quentin hangars was act on firo and two badly damaged,"

! LONDON. March 15. 1 Sir Douglas Haig reports: I "There was great activity of hostile i artillery at Vermelles, to the south ot 1 Armentieres. The Portuguese drove j back a strong enemy party in "<us | neighbourhood. . | "Our aviators dropped <00 bombs on billetßj dumps; and also on an ' dronle used by the enemy's nigiitj flyers. Severe fighting between large I aerial formations brought down 19 Ger- ! man aeroplanes. Five of ours are ; missing. j "In the Freiburg raid a large nnm- | ber of hostile aeroplanes attacked ! ours, and a ficrce fight ensued, until i all the hostile machines were forced to I withdraw. Three of ours are missj ing." THE BELGIAN SECTOR. i (Received March 17th, 5.5 p.m.) i LONDON. March 15. ' A Belgian communique states: — j "There has been considerable artil- ■ lerv activity during the past two days. ■ I "An enemy raid at Merckem mis ' | stopped by our barrages. ! I "Thero have been heavy bombing " ! cttcouiiters in the regions of NicupoK " and Dixmudc."

FIGHTING IN CHAMPAGNE. (Received March 17 th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. March 15. j A Fi'cnch communique states: — I "We drove the enemy from the | trenches which he had occupied w<J3t ' of Mont Cornillet, in the Champagne. "A detachment simultaneously penetrated the German lines in the neighbourhood of Mont Blond. i "There is a fairly violent artillery • duel, especially on the right bank of j the Meuse and in the regions of Bezon- ! vaux and VaUchVrauville. i "Wo dispersed a raiding party west of Morville, in Lorraine." j THE GERMAN VERSION. (Received March 17th, 5.5 p.m.) i LONDON, March 15. j A German official report states:— I "A strong French attack on a wide front only obtained a foothold in our trenches westward of the Thuizy-Naney road."* AMERICANS CAPTURE TRENCHES. (Australian and N.Z, Cabte Association.) ! WASHINGTON, March 15. American troops capturcd two j kilometres of trenches at Badonvil- • lers.

(Received March 17th. 11.45 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 16. The newspapers are enthusiatic over the occupation of tho German trenches at Badonvillol/s, which is the first enemy territory captiired by the Americans. ] Madame Melba sang to thousands of Ameriian soldiers in camp at Lewis, Tncoma, and Washington. She was riotously applauded. In a letter' to an officer Madame Melba advocated healthy entertainment in every war . camp. I MENDACIOUS GERMAN REPORT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) PARIS, Match 15 The of Rheirtlb protests strains t the mendacious German '.'orn • rnuniquo that ft signalling pbst was observed on Hheiriis Cathedral, tfua quotes the commanding general s deI'lariitlbh that there is no military installation in the cathedral or in y.y church in ltheims, and no guns wit.ua 1800 J-ards of the Cathedral.

AUSTRALIAN RAIDS. embarrassing THE HUN. (From Australian Files.) LONDON, March 9. Mr Gordon Gilmoitr, special coiresponde.tit oil the West front foi; tho Australian 3?ress Association, Wiring on Monday, states i— "Some of the latest Australian reinforcements have done great things in the i : aids t which have proved specially valuable, by giving them a foretaste of the real thing. A Marrickville bov (it was his first time over the top) was described endeavouring to bayonet a German; but he found that his wrist was 6prainod to useless. The Germiui, in frantic fear, feebly resisted, and finally dashed along the trench. The Australian shot liim as he ran. "The Germans recently undertook eight raids on this part of the front, but only one was successful. We carried out eleven raids, on every occasion penetrating the line 9, Overcoming the resistance, capturing batches of prisonws, killing maiiy Boches, and snrioitsly damaging the defensive positions.

"The prisoners are a weodv lot, perhaps indicating that the nicked troops are needed elsewhere at the moment. They were utterly cowed, and are of noor physique and mentality. One described himself as a groom. He had been caring for horses since the outbreak of war. and bad just beon pushed into the line, because tli® company's numbers had dwindled. He was 35 ynrs of age, end l">d never held a rifle before. He said: 'I was determined to get away, so here I am.' "''Another nri«o"or "nas in a pitiable state He had been thr»ee wounded, the first time a «erioU« body -wound, the second ln'« loft linnd was rendered useless, and tb« third left liim tinable rais n liic h-zM r. He was nr*d .1:";. p«id vet lie 'had bean cent to the frrnt line, because the need for trenns is great; "This Hew Australian raiding offensive ic eerio« 6 ljr disturbing the enenvv. «"vl there is tile clearest evident" of his dislike for operations. The moinen' til* 4 barrage opens, as many a3 pos«'ble flee in fear Some raiding parties at th 6 first d'd not encounter a single German. Usually, however.

the depth of penetration is so great that crowded dugouts are reached. A "\Vagga man, who has soen much of the war, said that nothing was more ghastly than a dugout full of bombed Germans. It had been a terrible week-end of killing." *