SHIPPING PROFITS IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2774, 18 May 1916, Page 5

SHIPPING PROFITS IN WAR TIME

WHITE STAG LINE DIVIDEND. (Rec. May 17, 10.25 p.m.) London, May 17. The White Star Company's profit for the year totals £1,068,285. After paying ■war tax, a dividend of 65 per cent, was declared, and huge amounts carried to the. depreciation and reserve funds.

TRENCH RAIDS ON. THE BRITISH FRONT EXPLOIT BY THE LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS ' WHAT WILL THE ENEMY'S NEXT M OVE BE ? The High Commissioner reports:— London, May 17, 0.10 a.m. A British official report ?tates:—"Three enemy parties attempted to enter our trenches south of Hcbuteine on Sunday night. 'Iwo failcrl entirely; tho third succeeded for a brief period. "At Vimy Ridge, the Lancashire Fusiliers, after exploding mines, occupied tho enemy's" forward line on a front of 250 yards, and inflicted considerable casualties. "Opposite Anchy, a patrol raided tho enemy's trenches after a mino explosion, and penetrated towards his second line, where bombs wero exchanged." ON THE FRENCH FRONT. Tho High Commissioner reports:— London, Slay 16, 3.10 p.m. "Oji the left bank of tlio Meuse there was rather a lively bombardment of out positions at Avocourt Wood and Hill 301.- ■„ "On the right bank a. small German grenade attack, north-west of Thiaumont Farm, was completely checked. "In the Woevre region there is much artillery fighting in Fix-Moulainville sectors." London, May 17, 0.40 a.m. A French official report states:—"ln the Argonne tlfo artillery wns fairly active in the Four do Paris, flourtes Chausses, and Vauquois sectors. "West of tho Meuse thero is a fair! y lively bombardment in the region of Avocourt AVood, Hill 304, and Morto Hoium'e. An. .attempted attack on our position west of Hill 304 was stopped by our curtain of fire." A CRITIC ON THE VERDUN OFFENSIVE. , , _ London, May 16. Colonel Repington (the military critic), writing m the "Times," says that the German staff boasts that twenty-five divisions have been opposed at Verdun by fifty-one French divisions. There may have been, of course,. thirty German divisions fighting at Verdun, but whichever figure is taken, no better proof is afforded. of the Germans' miscalculation. It is no act of Sanity for twenty-five or thirty German divisions to attack a doubly strong and entrenched enemy. It is certain that if General von Falkenhayn has not piled on more troops, it is because he has not more to pile on. ' \ (Rec. May 17, 5.5 ,p.m.) ' \ ' ' • London, May 16. Colonel Eepington adds: "The British are holding up forty German divisions in North France. Germany's plan was to oyerwhelrn Verdun and then send her surplus divisions with heavy batteries against the British. It was desperate strategy, lillfc beggars can't be choosers. Germany has not moved a single man from the BritisTt- froat, despite the crying need for reinforcements at Verdun. So the second part of the programme may now be placed. Verdun was a German defeat. They have a floating balance of some fifteen divisions, which they throw here and there in search of a decision, but such 6trategic reserves are quite insufficient for the situation." .. HOW THE BRITISH FOILED THE GERMAN. PLAN. (Rec. May 17, 8.25 p.m.) ' London, May 16. In the "Daily Chronicle" Mr. Philip Gibbs says: "Despite the enemy's spring attacks on the British, which were designed to prevent us from helping tho, French at Verdun, our forces have beeri large enough to liberate a complete French army, with a mass of guns, by undertaking that portion of the French line whose centre is at Arras. The enemy's present activity along the whole of the British front is difficult to fathom. Perhaps the Germans consider that the arrival of the Anzacs heralds our offensive. It is impossible to deny the enemy's formidable strength and enormous supply of munitions. Hk troops are still courageous in attack, while their industry in defensive work is indomitable."