FORCING THE PRESSURE ON THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2818, 8 July 1916, Page 9

FORCING THE PRESSURE ON THE WEST

SLIGHT ADVANCE BY THE BRITISH FIERCE FIGHTING ON THE FRENCH FRONT ■y \>i jJVntnn.'Vion f. r:n/s?'> > •' ; ;~V t( .,■ -• v *V--'• - v;..' /(By-.TelpgTaph—Press.'Associatipn^'Copyright) ' ; ;tAustralian-Kew; Zealand Gable Aseociation.' ' London, July 6. • "' Sir Douglas Haig, reports a'-further. slight 'advance near Thiepval. '• SUCCESSFUL TRENCH RAIDS fhe High.Commissioner reports:.. .' . i ' London, July 6, 2.15 p.m. ' Southwards of the La Bassee Canal, after a discharge of gas, we made some . successful, raids on the enemy's front line. The Welsh Fusiliers distinguished -themselves, taking prisoner forty, and also taking a trench mortar and machinegun. ■ . .■■■■■■■ '• "Another raid was made 1 by the Highland Light Infantry, who entered the ■ enemy's, trenches westwards of Hullueh, destroying machine-gun emplacement, tilling many, and taking some prisoners." . FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. ,• Australian-Sew Zealand Cable Association. (Bee. July 7, 0.10 p.m.) ' Paris, July 7. A French official communique states: "The-enemy's counter-attacks north of Hem and between Estreesjand Belloy-en-Santerre have been checked. Our artil- ' lery barrages, oaused great, losses, .two companies'being annihilated in the latter region. " . " " ' : • . ''Aft. .bombed Hem'and Nesle, . and damaged " the - railway in several places." ; "BATTERING, BOMBING, AND BAYONETING." ...... : i'. : . ' . , (Keuter's • : : - (Rcc. July 7, 8.50 p.m.) . i ' ■ London, July 7. Eeuter's correspondent at Headquarters writes:'"The push is proceeding,mucli as was anticipated. -The Germans have recovered from the staggering surpriso. which was sprung upon-them by a tremendous blow being struck whero it. was not expected, Valid are endeavoring with supreme efforts to, stem the crushing pressure. Their reserves have been taken from everywhere along their front, and ■ ttung into the second line, but the tempestuous advance of the Allies, though checked, has not been arrested. The Allies are busy consolidating their gains, X and meanwhile sre incessantly-battering, bombing, and bayoneting the enemy. ' , "Prisoners testify that all is' not harmony in the enemy's ranks. The Saxons aro unanimously tired of the war, and are glad to be captured." ,

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Tho High Commissioner reports :■ Londonj July 6, 3 p.m., '.'North of the . Somme there'were, some, local actions during the night. A Gm-man counter-attack took two small woods, one kilometre (3-sths of a mile) north' of Hem. • .: "A French counter-attack resulted in the capture of another wood on the borders north of the village. ' "South of the So'mme the night was cilm on. the greater part of the front. A' German counter-attack on Belloy-en-Santprre was easily repulsed. ' "Of.the cannons' which have been captured, the verified total is 70; the ma-chine-guns it is impossible to-number, .but they aggregate several hundreds." . London, July G, 1.30 p.m. "On the British front, as the result of violent bomb fighting, we have mado further progress at certain points in the main battle area. > "Low-lying; clouds interfered with the'work of our aeroplanes, but in the Bapaume area one machine, dropping to an altitude of 300 feet, successfully bombed a train - from which German reinforcements were alighting. "In another area a- British.heavy battery secured direct hits on a German battery, and a battalion which was marching in column of route, inflicting many casualties. ' ' • ' "Later details-of the raid by the Royal Welsh Fusiliers show that three of the enemy's mine shafts were destroyed, and, excluding 43 prisoners, th» enemy suffered about 150 casualties. i London, July 7, 12.55 a.m. "From different points, near the _ Somme, the enemy attempted on Wednesday to take action at the .-two extremities of the. French sector. "North of the Sorome a- series of Gorman counter-attacks, which wero direct, ed during the day over our new lines north of the village of Hem, were broken successfully by our fire without the enemy, being able to register tho least success. - ; "South of the Somme, counter-attacks on our positions between. Estrees and Bellcy-en-Kanterro were raked by our curtain of fire,' t.he enemy being unablo i to debouch. In this region the Germans lost heavily. Two ccvaMes, enfiladed ky machine-guns, were annihilated in a communication trench." THE OFFENSIVE ACCORDING TO GERMANY . GERMAN OFFICIAL-COMMUNIQUE. ; Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. - Amsterdam, July 6. > A German-official communique states: "There is artillory- activity from tLe coast to the Ancre, and the increased 6frength of fighting has continued from the Ancre to the Somme. . "Minor progress has been made by the English at Taiepval, which was balanced by our counter-attacks. " • , "We evacuated the small village of Hem, in the Somme Valley. ■ "Xhe. French have captured Belloy-en-Santerre. Fighting is at a standstill round Eetreea."

GERMAN CRITICS ON THE OFFENSIVE. New York, July 0. The New l'ork "Times's" Berlin correspondent says that military critics conaider that the recent results of thefgreat offensive in the West-are not encouraging to the Allies. Major Moralit; in. the "Tngpblatt," says that the enemy ovorran. and demolished tho German first-line trenches. In*several places our resistance could not bo great because little except tho dead remained in the ploughed-tip trenches, but the enemy's later successes were small. RESPECTFUL VIEW OF OUR EFFORTS. (Kec. July 7, 6.10 p.m.) .Washington, July B._ Herr von Weigand, the "World's" Berlin correspondent, says "Nowhero in responsible quarters does the belief prevail that the Allies' offensive nearing its end, or fiat the worst is over, On tho contrary, it is thoroughly realised that the'decisive climax has not 15een Teached, and that th« Allies will make almost superhuman efforts to crush the German lines."" l GERMAN CEMENT FORTIFICATIONS NEAR DUTCH FRONTIER." .("The Times.") (Pec. July 7, 10.10 p.m.) . . . ■ London, July 7. "The Times's"' correspondent at Amsterdam states that the Germans are constructing numerous cement fortifications on the Dutch frontier', near the coast, GRAVE RIOTS IN GERMANY "DEATH TO THE'KAISER!" r VIOLENT MANIFESTO WIDELY CIRCULATED. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (Eec. July 7, 5.25 p.m.) \ London, July 7. The "Daily Telegraph's" Milan correspondent sends a remarkable narative pf the German peace riots, based on statements made by travellers arriving in Switzerland from Germany. "Tho trouble," he writes, "commenced in Berlin and other towns directly the first news -was received of the Anglo-French, offensivo. Crowds marched through fhe streets, shouting: 'Enough pf war! Let. lis hare peace!' ~ • "The disorders were of e different character from food riots, and resembled popular revolts, with barricades, street fighting, wounded, and' dead, And were so Eerious. .that the police in many cases lost their heads. The riots in Berlin were exceptionally grave. The people surrounded the troops, begging .tbem to join in the revolt, and took off the wheels of the military wagoiis a.nd gun-carriages, and iised them ; as barricades. "The most serious demonstration was at Potsdam on Sunday, where a ; vast mob-congregated and indulged in imprecations of the Kaiser and the Imperial family. Secretly printed sheets were distributed, headed: 'Death to the Kaiser! Death to tie man who wants war! Death to the Crown Prince! Long livo a freo Germany, free from the. parasites who have led us to ruin!' . . : "The following violent Socialist manifesto has been widely distributed:— ? - ' ..HUNGER v ; ■ ' .'"Hunger has come to Berlin, Leipzig, Brunswick, Magdeburg, and Coblenz. The people have broken, out, in riots. The Government has replied with a state of siege, police, swords, and military patrols. 1 Hen' von. Bethmann Hollweg accuses England, but he might have known that a war ■ against England, Russia, and SVance would moan for Germany isolation. Our only allies are oadaverous Austria, and'bankrupt Turkey. The War Lords, capitalists, and Junkers have promised annexations of territory, that Germany would dictate peace at the.end of the war; that our submarines, would starve England. Such stuff is a fairy tale for children.' The manifesto concludes:— '"The only solution is to compel the Government, by force, to make • peace,' ' ; . ' "The authorities are making the crossing of the German frontier to Switzerland difficult. Only a traveller proving urgent business is allowed to pass." A GENERAL STRIKE PROCLAIMED. (Eec. July 7, 7.30 p.m.) \ Rome, July 7. ■' The "Corriere Italia" states that there is a revolt .in Berlin, and that tho Socialists hove proclaimed a general strike. They have barricaded themselves within the factories, and the railways have been damaged, impeding tho troop trains. 1 . . '

THE BATTLES ON THE MEUSE GERMANS FIRING ON VERDUN CATHEDRAL The High Commissioner reports:— London, July 6, 3 p.m. "Oh both .banks of the Meuse there has been no infantry work. T|iq French have.bombarded the enemy's second lines at Chattancourt. There is lively re-, ciprocal artillery fighting at'Fleurv. and the Fumiu Wood. The Germans . 6tubborn]y' aitd firing at Verdun Cathedral, using-, heavy shells. 1 "One <jf .the, French long-distance guns;dispersed-one of the-_enemys convoysat: Haudicijurt."" 1! ""■ !71 " ' , „ , , , . - '"In'Alsace,'French detachments penetrated-'a trench at Burnhaupt, ;which they found, full of'corpses.", ■ FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. ■ . . (Bee. July 7, 6.10 p.m.) '. - ' - Paris, July 7. "There is artillery activity on both sides of the Meuse. Our lotteries blew up a munition depot north of Lamorville." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. ' , Amsterdam, July 6. A German official communique states: "We repulsed counter-attacks on the wood south-west of Vaux and Damloup Hill." THE KEY TO THE STRATEGY OF THE WAR HOW VERDUN COUNTS IN THE GREATOFFENSI.VES. Paris, July 6. General Joffre recently sent the following message to the . Verdun Army regarding the ltussian successes in Galioia: ."The plaiis which were ripened by the oouncils of the Coalition axe now in full swing. Soldiers .of Verdun, it is to vour heroic resistance that we owe this.- Our future victories are based on'that , resistance, which has created on the whole theatre of the European war a situation from which to-morrow a definite' triumph for our cause will re \General Ni'velle (in command at Verdun) sent a similar message to the defenders, stating: "The Germans are launching furious and desperate_ attacks hoping to arrive at the gates of Verdun before they are attacked themselves by . the united forces of the Allied armies. Tou will not let them pass, comrades!"