GERMAN ATTACK DEFINITELY ENDED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2449, 30 April 1915, Page 5

GERMAN ATTACK DEFINITELY ENDED

' ESEMY'S-LOSSES ON THE YSER > THE POISON VAPOUR TRICK PAILS / ' ■ (By Telegraph—Press Assn.-^Copyright.) , , ' , , ' London, April 28. . Field-Marßhal Sir John Trench reports that the German attack at'Ypres has been definitely stopped. - ' m , There still remains the small bridgehead at Steenstraate (on the canal). The .situation required the delivery of British and French counter-attacks worth of the Ypres Salient. •. The.Germans who were resisting these- used asphyxiating gases in their shells, thus contravening the Hague rules. ' ("Times" and 'Sydney "Sun" Services..)' ■ • The "Times" correspondent in North France says:—"iTirgenerallAelieved hers that the crisis, has passed-its full force. Tho German attack has at any • rate/ been broken, and the ground gained by them has not materially improved rtheir position." -\ . 1 . GERMANS'LOSE 20 TO 1 ROUND YPRES. ' Parte, April 28. « A communique states; "The Germans suffered severe losses, over sis hundred dead being counted at a single point on the Yser Canal." • m , „ ' Amsterdam, April 28. , . The German losses round Ypres aie said to be in the ratio of twenty to one to those of the Allies. ' . •; ■■ ■ There is a wholesale movement of troop's in Belgium', partly towards, the Yser and partly'eastwards—presumably for the Carpathians. IN THE. EVENT OP A GERMAN .WITHDRAWAL. (Rec. April 29, 5.20 p.m.) , ' , ' , , , , . . London, April 28. The burgomasters in a number of cities in Flanders have been asked what measures they could take- to protect German lives and property in the event of a German withdrawal.—("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) ; GERMAN YOUTHS OF SEVENTEEN TO MOBILISE. An order has been posted at Mulhausen, in 17 years must register' with a view to mobilisation. The' order ; presumablv applies to the whole of tho Empire—("Times'.' and Sydney "Sun" Services.) «: v HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT t i, v . m. , « London, April 28, 1.45 p.m _ In Belgium on Tuesday, German artillery showed little activity on the front held by the Belgian Army. The French, aided bv Belgian artillery and infantry, have taken Lizerne and several German trenches in the direction of Het Sas... The booty con,prises six quick-firing guns. Two hundred urisonerc .were taken. The attack continues. . J, • _ ' . ~ . v London, April 28, 2.25 p m • "The French took tlie offensive on the heights of the Meuse at Le« Eparges and Saint Remy, and at Colon 11 e trench. There wero heavy Gorman losses. London, April' 28, 10.15 p.m Sir John French reports that fighting took place north and ' north-east of Ypres, and continued aHTuesday: Our.operations, in conjunction with the French, have definite'y"stopped tho German attack, which has not since been renewed. _ ' . ' : . . ' "Tho Germans havo again used a?phyxiating gases and shells, manufac- ' tured in contravention of The. Hague Convention. • London, April 11.30 pm "On the heights of tho Meuse the French advanced a kilometre' (threefifths of a mile), and destroyed a German battery." . V London, April 29, 1.25 a.m! ; "To-day has. been relatively calm. In tho Champagne district the Germans took three hundred metrej, and advanced their trenches in the region of Beatisejour. The Allies have, regained one half of the lost ground." - THE DAILY LIST. OF BRITISH CASUALTIES. The High Commissioner reports:— ' • Killed. Wounded. Prisoners. Officers 18 39 _. Men' 56 44 ' 58 THE OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM BERLIN. - ■ \ . London, Anril 08 The Berlin communique states:—The -English attack 011 b'otii sides of tlio Ypres-Puken road broken down-200 yards before our front. Another attack fnrther east failed. There were severe English losses. PRESSING HOME THE. ALLIES' OFFENSIVE , \ GOOD WORD FOR THE BRITISH TERRITORIAL. (Rec. April 30, 0.20 a.m.) n ... , , Dunkirk, April L'fi. ' On Wednesday the Cnrndians.' worn out by four dq.vs and of unceasing struggle, were relieved and retired, covered v/ith ziory, their ranks

sadly thinned. The whole of the'fighting was along a front of fivo miles. Tlio most critical clays, were Saturday and Sunday, when the Germans brought up howitzers and heavy ■artillery into advanced positions, and covered every high road with « certain ol live 10 prevent our reinforcements arri-ing. The Germans are using their new corps lavishly, and many of them were badly demoralised in facing shell fire for the first time. There was a change on Monday, when the Allies' general .offensive began. The bombing of tlio railway junctions by the airmen prevented the- Germans reinforcing their exhausted troops, The Germans suffered great losses in tho fighting at Saint Julien. The British Territorials fought with great gallantry. It was a baptism of five for many of the units. AY lieu they were called on on Friday afternoon to reinforce the Canadians, the Territorials brilliantly assisted m capturing Saint Julien. They moved upon the open road along the banks of the river to Haauebeck, though the Germans directed a murderous machine-gun fire from ruined houses. Unfortunately the Territorials did not enjoy the fuil fruits of their gallantry, as Saint Julien was found to be too far advanced, and tho line was remodelled nearer Ypres. The British are now pressing home the offensive. The French are taking many prisoners and capturing machine-guns. They recovered their own guns in a swamp. Tho Belgians and French are also attacking the bridge-head from north of Steenstraate, and the British attack 011 the other side is rendering the German tenure perilous.. Reports from the British front state that three thousand German prisoners were taken in two days following the check. Tho British successfully attacked Frelinghein, near Armentieres, and also Epin'ette, where the infantry; supported by our armoured traiu of heavy artillery, smashed a Way into the German trenches with grenades. ANOTHER ATTACK WITH POISON FUMES ~ TRICK. FAILS, TO THE ENEMY'S COST. Paris, April 28. 1 The "Temps" states that the, Germans on Monday night attempted to repeat Saturday's manoeuvres with asphyxiating gases. The Belgians, lio.wever, were warned, and took the necessary precautions. Whan the Germans were confident that the gases had been effective, they advanced south of Dixmtide in compact masses, and the Belgians, with machino guns, mowed them down, and then charged furiously, routing them with enormous losses. AN ANTIDOTE FOR THE FUMES. (Rec. April 29, 11.30 p.m.) \ Paris, April 29. • ' The Gormaus had metallic tubes projecting in their first line of trenches, and at a given signal lighted thfe tubes. R«d names shot up twelve yards, and these \yere fojlowed by a thick, green, yellowish smoke of chlorine. _ The Germans retired to their second trenches, and also -threw fuses giving off similar smoke. JI. Turpin, the inventor of melinite, suggests the pumping of liquid ammonia on the'poisonous gas clouds, and the provision of flasks of. ammonia to enatfte tho soldiers to inhale-it. The War Office has ordered masks. PRESS COMMENT ON THE NEW WARFARE. . (Rec. April 29, 8.5 p.m.) ■■' i London, April 29. The Paris "Tomps'' says:—"Tli'e use of gases is the last crime left for the Germans to perpetrate. Tho German explanation tlmt the Hague Contention rules specify on'y 'asphyxiating projectiles' is mere hypocrisy. Tho rules were not aimed against any- special engine for. spreading gases, hilt against tho use of asphyxiating gases genorally." The Paris'"Journal" declares that it will be necessary to employ the same methods of retaliation without delay. "If lialf what has been said about turpenite and asphyxiating shells be true, there is no doubt that France will be able to make, war by these latest methods on .terms of certain equality with the enemy." •V * : Rotterdam, April 29. The German newspaper "Frankfurter Zeitung" asks whether the enemy really believes that it makes any difference whether hundreds of ,guns and mortars, and hundreds or thousands of grenades are tlirown into a small district, tearing every living thing to pieces, 'and making the German trenches an inferno, or, on the other hand, whether the Germans fling grenades spreading gases more deadly than the poison, of the English explosives but covering a wider area, and obtaining its end more quickly, without pain and suffering to torn bodies. : ' ■ ' ' SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE BRONCHITIS. . London, April 28. Dr. John Haldano, who was sent to France to investigate the effects of the gas, has reported to tho War Office that a post-mortem revealed that tlie deaths were due to acuto, bronchitis, caused liy tho use of irritant gas, and' the symptoms indicate either chlorine or eiromino.' . Facts were also adduced indicating the use of German shells containing irritant substances, though in some cases these agents were not of the same brutally barbarous character as the gas used against the Canadians. ; .The effects are not those produced by ordinary combustion explosives. Captain pertram, a Canadian, states that ho saw twenty-four men lying dead from the gas on a small stretch of road leading from the ' advanced •trenches. . EMINENT SCIENTIST'S OPINION, , (Rec. April 29, 815 p.m.) , London, April 29. . Sir James, Dewar, the eminent scientist, and a past President of the British Association, says that there is little doubt _ that- the latest German weapon is liquid chlorine For some years, he said, Germany had been'manufacturing tremendous quantities of this, and had practically been supplying the world. _ "They undoubtedly have hundreds of tons_ of this liquid available. jWhen it is allowed to escape into the atmosphere it immediately evaporates, and forms yellow gases, and if the wind is favourable it woulu be tlis easiest tiling in the world, to inundato tho country for miles ahead; and bc-ing heavier than air, it drifts in a thick fog along the surfaco of the ground, so that escapo from its deadly effects would, be'well-night impossible. [Sir James Dewar is one of our most illustrious scientists, aud with Sir Frederick Abel, was co-inventor ■ of cordite.]