LULL ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2895, 6 October 1916, Page 5

LULL ON THE WESTERN FRONT

.. ' * WHAT THE GEMANS ARE THINKING BRITAIN'S MAN-POWER REVIEWED The High Commissioner reports:— London, October 4, 12.50 p.m. A British official report states:—'.'Aaucourt il'Abbayo has been cleared of the enemy, and is now entirely ours. South of tho Aucre thero was considerable shelling during the night. It is raining heavily this morning." 81JJ DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. flWitpr's Teloeram.l CRec. October 5, 9.15 p.m.) L „„■,., ~„. , London, October 5. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—"Hostile artillery has been active, espeoialllv in the neighbourhood of the Zollern Redoubt, and between Gueudecourt anil Eaucourt-l'Abbaye. An. attempt by the enemy to deliver a bombing attack in the latter region was .repulsed, the enemy's wounded being abandoned There is considerable shelling south of the Ypres-Menin road. ElsewKoro i tho front is quiet. Rain continued throughout niost of the day." BRITISH COMMANDER REVIEWS THE BATTLE ( THE FIGHTING AND THE RESULTS. Aaslralian-New Zealand Cable Association. r ir , , , . London, October 4. Sir Douglas Haig, in a further despatch, reviews the recent fighting.' He pays tributes to the English overseas troops' unrelaxing pressure.' They behaved with the discipline and resolution of veterans. "It is now possible," the dispatch says, "to give a fuller account of the fightiug succeeding the advance on September 15. That advance, which won Courcelette, Martinpuich, High Wood, Flers, and Bouleaux "Wood, created several minor salients hi our front, and it became necessary to.advance our line between them. This was tho task for tho succeeding week. We carried the quadrilateral work on September 18, a redoubt of considerable strength and tactical importance, which had successfully resisted the attack on September 15, thereby limiting tho extent of our successes on our right flank. The weather was wot and stormy between September 19 and 21. We captured two lines of trenches on September 22, enlarging our advance between Flers and Martinpuich, and Kamed ground eastward of Courcelette on September 23., By tho evenin" of September 24 we had completed the. preliminaries for the next stago of "tho general advance on September 25. _ From Combles to Martinpuich the country is gently undulating. Tho villages in this area are surrounded by trees, natural strongholds fortified by evory resource of modem engineering. .Wo

earned Lesboeufb and Morval on September 25, advancing the line over a mile. The capture of Morval and combined trench pressure in the .south virtually isolated Coinbles, which fell next day as the result of the combined British wll renc ' l movement. The capture of Gueudecouri, Thiopval, and the Zollorn redoubt followed. Results Summed Up. "Wb have captured several thousand prisoners and a, large amount of war material. The Germans fought stubbornly, hoping to check the advance' They had brought since September 15 against us seven new divisions, and against the 'French five divisions. The severe and prolonged struggle demanded great determination and courage on our part. Since the opening of the battle, on July 1, wo have taken 26,725 prisoners, engaged • thirty-eight divisions, of which twenty-nine were withdrawn, exhausted or broken. We hold an upland, giving us direct observation northward and_ north-eastward. The Germans have fallen back upon their fourth lino, behind a low ridge westward of tho Bapaume-le Transloy Road. .The importance of the three months' offensive must not bo judged by the distance advanced or tho number of trenches taken, but the effect upon the enemy's; strength in numbers, material, and morale. Our aircraft have shown in the highest degree tho spirit of the offensive. They patrolled regularly far behind the enemy's linos, and thero were many air battles. For every enemy machine crossing our front, say, two hundred British cross the German front. _ "A report captured from a German corps doscribes our aeroplanes as surprisingly bold, their work being conspicuous for skill, judgment, and daring." FEENOH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE.. London, October '4. X French official communique states: —"We completed the capture oE strong trench lines between Morval and St. Pierro Vaast Wood." fP"" +Ql *'s TAleprß-nO (itcc. October 5, 9.15 p.m.) . Paris, October 5. A French" official communique states:—"There was nothing important to report beyond the customary cannonade on th'e Somme, which has been more intense in the vicinity of Belloy and Assevfflers. Our infantry made progress east of Morval." / ' GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. ""'" .'.'.'"JST* Australlan-Now Zealand O&blo Association. London, October 4. 'A German official communiquo states:—"Strong French attacks on tho Sailly-Rancourt-road and at St. Pierre Vaast Wood failed. The. British wero again repelled at Mouquet Farm." i • ~ " / * A PEACE OFFER VIA KING ALBERT New York, October 4. The "New/York Tribune's" London correspondent learns on excellent authority that German agents asked King Albert to transmit peace terms to the Allies as follows:—The Germans to quit Belgium and Serbia, and restore Lorraine to France, and to pay an indemnity covering the destruction and military occupation of Belgium. The offer was not formal, but was more definite than previous overtures. > FRONTIERS THINNED' TO REINFORCE THEIR FRONT. Amsterdam, October 4. The Germans have reduced the sentinels guarding the Dutch frontier from one to every hundred yards to one to every thousand yards. Also, with a view to fifijghtening away would-be smugglers and deserters the Germans use dummy soldiers. They are arranged fifty yards apart on a portion ofi the frontier, and disappear at daybreak". On one section of the frontier there are cavalrymen only. Theso steps are believed to indicate a great lack of men. ZENITH OF-ENEMY'S SUCCESS IN 1915 "SOMME OFFENSIVE CHLLD'sf PLAY TO WHAT IS COMING."("The Times.") London, October 4. Colonel Repington, the "Times" military correspondent, writes: —"The culminating point of the German victories was reached in the autumn of 1915, out Germany lacked sufficient sense to try and finish Russia or to attempt peace negotiations. ahe expended her last vigour on Verdun, and is now compelled to admit she is on the downgrade by permitting offensives by the Allies on all fronts. Moreover, we have not arrived at our maximum strength.' Our losses have been made good, the number of guns is increasing daily, and our ammunition supply exceeds the consumption by tho guns. Not even the German censorship is able to silence the anguished wail over tho best hammering the Prussians have had since Ligny (their defeat by Napoleon just before Waterloo). But the Somme offensive is child's play compared with what is coming when Britain and Russia have attained their full strength. Germany wanted war. She is having it." WHAT THE GERMAN PRESS 18. THINKING. 'Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. . .London, October 4. The "Times" correspondent at Amsterdam says that the German .Press is pointing out that' the campaign'which smashed Serbia and opened up the road to Constantinople caused Germany to under-ostimato the influence of British sea-power, on a Continental war. ■ f\ Tho "Tages Zeitung" says that tho Germans are now realising how British sea powor holds tho Allies together, enabling a vigorous prosecution of the war. Tho "Volks £eitung" publishes similar comment, and adds:—"The Germans never rightly ostimated the strengtli of the British. Empiro, and are now, unfortunately, compelled to do so. ''■■ TRUCE WITH ENGLAND URGED. (Rco. October. ,6, 0.40 a.m.) London, October 5. Tho "Daily Telograph" states that information from reliablo sources leaves no doubt as to the conditions of life in Gennany. Serious meetings have Been hold in many parts of the_ country, urging a speedy peace. A member of the Reichstag, at one meeting, urgeda truce with England, even at the sacriflco of some of Germany's chief ambitions. There has been formidable rioting as several centres. Tho "Cologne Gazette" even prophesies a gloomy future for Germany. GOLD ARTICLES TO BOLSTER UP THE GERMAN TREASURY New York, October 4. The seriousness of tho financial situation in Germany is emphasised by a , dispatch from Berlin, which states that tho Empress has ordered all dispensable articles made of gold in the Court Treasury, not possessing an historic or artistio value, to be donated to tho collection of gold articles for the purpose of increasing Germany's monetary gold.supply. Matty members of the Court are following the example of the Empress. ■■■..'. BIG NAVAL EFFORT TO PROPITIATE THE GERMAN PUBLIC (Senior's Telegram.) ./ _ Washington, October 4. A. neutral diplomat declares that winter is over a terrific naval action In the. North Sea will occur. The Allies! drive has caused criticism in Berlin, and the German Cabinet, wishing to strengthen the confidence of the people, will precipitate another Jutland Battle. BRITAIN'S RESERVE OF MAN POWER BOARD OF INQUIRY REPORTS "URGENT NEED."- - \ Australian-New Zealand Oablo Association. London, October 4. Official.—The Man Power Board has heard evidence on behalf of the Admiralty, Army Council, and the Ministry of Munitions. which proved that fresh supplies of. men for the armies and munition factories were urgently needed. ■ , Tho BoaTd'urges the tribunal not,to-extend tho periods; of oxemptions, of wbTch there aro 400,000 cases, and to expecTito the hearing of applications for exemption, of which, there are 200,000. Regarding the dilution of labour, the Board requests the Board of Trade and Mr. A. Henderson (Labour Adviser to the Cabinet) to confer with the employers and trade union _ leaders regarding bxtendirig tho dilution of labour, thus setting free skilled workers engaged in private work for employment on munitions._ Much labonr now on private work must bo diverted for Government production or roleased for the Army. . ■SIR EDWARD CARSON ON "SHIRKING IN IRELAND."("Tho Times.") London, October 4. Sir Edward CaTSon _writes to the "Times":— v "Man power is the most serious question confronting the War Office. Of 650,000 men of military ago in'lreland under 120,000 have enlisted./ from Ulster than the whole of the remaining provinces. Great Britain will probably be compelled to rovise and extend the Military Act in tho near future. Men are essential, and at whatever cost. What will Australia and Canada say to those shirking in Ireland, who rofuse to hearken to the call of the Irishmon in the trencEes?", ~,,,->" (Rec. October 6,1.J5 a.m.) London, October 5. The application of the Military Service Act to Ireland is engaging increasing attention. Sir Edward Carson, in an interview, said that he preferred con- j scfiption to Ireland's dishonour,. . _ . | It is reported that Mr. Redmond will make a statement on the subject of recruiting on Thursday. WHAT SIR WILLIAM ROBERTSON THINKS ABOUT IT (Knuter's Telecram.) , (Rec. October 5, 5.35 p.m.) i London, Ooteber i. General Sir William Robertson,_ Chief of tho Imperial General Staff, at j the unveiling of a war memorial, said: "We have now a reasonable amount of guns and ammunition. On the whole," he added, "they could view the future without any anxiet'y_ whatever, but they must be prepared to continue tho war to a time which at present was not. estimable. They wanted more men now, and would eventually want all that could be spared. They would not bo justifiedin expeoting to win unless tho services of every pan and woman were utilised to the fullest.'-