FOUR DAYS' LULL AT VERDUN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2721, 16 March 1916, Page 5

FOUR DAYS' LULL AT VERDUN

FIERCE'CANNONADING WEST OF

THE MEUSE

ENEMY'S COUP-DE-MAIN

STOPPED SHORT BY A FURIOUS

FUSILLADE

BRITAIN'S AIR DEFENCE

WAR QUESTION, IN THE HOUSE

OF COMMONS

ITALY ABOUT TO'DECLARE .WAR

ON-GERMANY

Some infantry fighting is again reported on the Verdun front, but not yet upon as great a scale as the violent conflicts at the end of last week. A powerful German assault west of the Meuse was in the main repelled, but the French trenches were penetrated at two points. A.great development of the offensive,,'with Verdun figuring as only one j)iece on the board, i 6 predicted by tho "Vossische Zeitung." The Prime Minister of Bulgaria is said to have expressed

a belief that Bulgarian politicians would not hesitate to desert Ger-

'many should the attack on Verdun fail. The Italians have won an success oil the southern Isonzo front, capturing,; a strong redoubt at the point of the bayonet; Interesting references to the state of the British Army, the development of the air services, and recruiting were made by the Under-Secretary for War in the debate on the Army Estimates. Mr. Tennant also stated that arrangements had been made for the exchange of all' British prisoners' in Turkey. A British column in Western Egypt (where New Zealanders.have lately been engaged) hao occupied Solium, on the sea coast at the frontier. The Bedouins are said to be demoralised.