IN ALBANIA.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16263, 13 July 1918, Page 9

IN ALBANIA.

ITALIANS ADVANCE 15 MILES.

DISORDERLY AUSTRIAN RETIREMENT.

FOURTH YEAR—346th DAY,

THE WEST FRONT.

ONLY LOCAL ACTIVITIES

(By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (neuter's Telegrams.)

LONDON, July 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports:"We slightly improved our position east of Villers Bretonneux. "Hostile artillery is active astride the communique states:— "South of the Aisne our infantry finally overcame the enemy rosisUnco at different points. We captured La Gaille farm and quarries north of Chavigny farm. Eastwards our patrols reached Longpont, and entered the northern part of Corey, taking prisonA -wireless American official report ""Strong French forces advancod several times and established themselves westward of Antheuil and nortnward of Longpont." (Received July 12th, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 11. A French communique states: "We increased our gains during the night on the outskirts of the foreet of Retz. "We took possession of tho village of Corey entirely, from Corey station to the Chateau and the farm of St. Paul." '

TTTR AUSTRALIAN GAINS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 11. Tbo Australians northward and southwards of the Somme have established an initiative in their sector in a remarkable way, by a series of progressive operations, in which there was no counter-attack. The German guns last night and to-day heavily bombarded the Australians, and somo infantry unsuccessfully attempted to enter the trenches eastward of Villers-Breton-neux. Mr Philip Gibbs writes:— "It is dangerous to underestimate the fighting qualities of the enemy. Prisoners captured by the Australians on July 4th were as sturdy a crowd of men as" ever -were seen."

THE NEXT PHASE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received July 12th, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, July 11. The unanimous opinion is that a German offensive will immediately follow Herr von Kuhlmann's > downfall, which is a victory for the German Command, who must prove the fallacy of von Kuhlmann's declaration that peace is unobtainable by a military decision.

THE MAN POWER PROBLEM

LONDON, July 11. General Maurice writes:—"The cause of all our man-power troubles in 1918 was that we began too lata and adopted a number of unsatis factory expedients, of which the placiug of youtha 19$ years old in the trenches was tho most unsatisfactory of all. Tho French have not yet called up this class, and the Germans have not put them in the trenches, while America has fixed the ago at twenty-one. On the other hand, France and Germany haVo long used older men. General Maurice urges the Government to immediately prepare its 1918 programme.