ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2699, 19 February 1916, Page 5

ON THE WESTERN FRONT

GERMAN OFFENSIVE PENDING % Telegraph—Press Association-Copyriß-ht Paris, February 17. The bulk of militarv opinion is inclined to believe the German activity in the West foreshadows a general offensive. In nearly ovory case the attacks have been made on salients to test the Allied lines, but practically all tho enemy has achieved is the occupation of a, few craters, prepared at infinite expense of high explosive and labour. MINE EXPLOSION ACTIVITY OFTHEENEMY (Rec. February 18, 10:15 p.m.) London, February 17. Sir Douglas Haig reports : The enemy exploded a mine south of Loos; our fire checked their attempt to occupy the crater, but we occupied it near the edge. The situation at Ypres-Com-inincs is unchanged. Paris, February 18. A French communique states:—A destructive fire was kept up by the enemy organisations towards Steenstraete and opposite Boqsinghe. ZEPPELIN WRECKED AND INTERNED BY THE DUTCH By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright - Amsterdam, February 17. A storm in Belgium carried a Zeppelin adrift, and landed it at Venlo, a Dutch frontier town, where it was wrecked and interned. RECENT ENEMY AIR RAIDS SENSATIONAL STATEMENT Paris, February 17. A sensation has been- caused by the announcement that the success of the recent enemy air raids was due to the Zeppelin searchlights using Dussaud's cold light rays, which are so blinding that they pierced the mist like the sun, whereas tho French searchlights were lost in the mists. Dussaud's invention uses tho_ whole of the electric current for illumination, instead of losing 80 per cent, from lieat. Dussaud, in 1911. offered the invention to the French Government, but ho was the victim of officialdom, and the patent was sold to Germany. SUPPLY OF AIRCRAFT FIGHTING SERVICES COME FIRST London, February-17. The "Daily Telegraph" and tho "Daily Chronicle" , declare that the needs of tho fighting services in the mattor of aeroplanes must come first. Phey deprecate civilian clamour, and the weakening of military effort. The "Daily Mail," while doubting that all the sources of supply are being properly utilised, says: "If civilian claims mean' _ the withdrawal of machines and air-craft guns from the front, then civilians must go undefended," A GERMAN LIE BRITISH SIDE OF THE STORY ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, February 17. Berlin assorts that after tho Arabis incident British warships ran away when German destrovers appeared, who roas the real fact i«s that our ships chased tho Germans all the way home. MO-MANGANESE A SUBSTITUTE DISCOVERED ■ Amsterdam, February 17. A semi-official Berlin message says a substitute for ferro-nimigancso for the production of steel lias been discovered. The substance, which oan fco produced in large quantities, will mals9 k Geimany independent of impart?,.