THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 February 1915, Page 3

THE WAR

Latest Cables [kusctiuc teljbgrai"h—con bioht . J [I'Klt I'IIKSS ASSOCIATION.] (.UuceiVed This Day 8.15 a.m.} SUI JOHN' FRENCH'S DESPATCH KS London, Feb. 17. The Army Corps commanders are ioud in their praiso oi the Territorials iUKi say they are fast aproaching, il they have not already reached the standard ot the efficiency or the regular atantry. The Artists Acting Training Corps lias been a great success and is turning out 100 officers per month. The training includes a forty-eight hours' lour ot the trenches and visiting the observation posts.

Oil the morning of the 2uth a strong artillery attack was made ou the Guards I3riga<ib which had suffered iheavily.

Aicamvhile an equally severe attack had boon made on Givenchy after a heavy bombardment by high explosive shells. .Despite the fact that our artillery was hampered owing to the constant interruption ot the telephonic communication between the obervers, the lire of me batteries forced the Germans to crowd into the north-west corner of the viuage- and we finally broke through ino viliago to the keep where ■QmT Germans lost heavily. A well-timed coun-ter-attack developed south of Bethune on tEe Canal. The British near the Canal Were in a pronounced salient, wiiioh the Scots Guards and Coldstreams were holding. The trenches ot tho salient were quickly blown in, Forcing our retirement to the partially prepared second line, which was strengthened by the construction of a keep,

iialr-way between the Canal and the La Bassee-Bethune road. The London were sent up to support the counter-attacks, organised north and south along the Canal, resulting in the Germans being driven back by tho

Welsh reserve and we were completely successful after about an hour's street righting. All the Germans in Givenchy were captured otr killed and our original line re-estabished. Part of the Fourteeth German Army Corps ou tlie 2d th, after severe shelling, made a violent attack, using scaling ladders

upon the keep. The Sussex Regiment within inflicted heavy losses on tlie Germans. They left two hunflreft dead.

The troops were subjected to «vhe severest trial possible to impose on a uody of men. Tho desperate fighting

nentioned in" the last' despatch had

■hardly concluded when they were calico upon to face a. rigorous winter campaign, and though everything that science and medicine suggested were * nipped to mitigate the hardships, tlieir sufferings were very great. Nevertheless they now present a soldier-like <pjwarance, and though looking careworn their spirits are high and they are cod fidont and healthy and iir excellent condition. The British battalions from Inula are particularly fine. Princess Patricia's Canadians are a magnificent set of men, and did excellent work in the trenches. Sir JoEh French commends the Royal Engineers and the Medical Corps. The latter is treating 11,000 daily. There has only been 500 cases off enteric since tho commencement of the war. The despatch gratefuJly acknowledges the help and support received from tlu

French Generals Foeh, Durbal and -Uaudhuy. SOUTH AFRICAN TRIALS. Capetown, Feb. 17. Wvidcnco was given* at the trial oi Do Wet that during the engagement at Mooriibnrg, De Wet directed the stormng of the loyalists' position, but ord•reii the. rifles not to be loaded, apparently not wishing to kill. Otfior evidence showed tfiat the rebels .elioved that -Maritz had captured Kimjerle.v and imagined that the march to i'retoria would be a picnic and that the Aliole Dutch population would rise.

ur.SSIAXS THROW 7 * BACK. London, Feb. 17. -v Berlin official message claims that alter a nine days' battle in the Mazuriaii lakes region, the Russian army was thrown across the frontier with great loss Fifty thousand prisoners, forty cannon and sixty machine-guns wefo captuired. It also claimed that Plock nas been occupied. BOMB DROPPING. London, Feb. 17. Air raiders yesterday dropped 240 iioniK (-,'ich 851bs in weight. (Received This Day 1.1 a.m.) THE ONLV MEANS. New Vork, Feb. 17. A Berlin wireless states that Admiral Belineke informed an American naval attache that the stopping of food supplies forced Germany to a point where she was no longer able to feed her people, and it was necessary to bring, England to tonus, therefore she adopted tho only means of saving herself. " TRIAL OF dITWT3T. Capetown, Feb. 17. At the trial of De Wet a witness stated th.it General Botha wrote to exPresident Steyn and urged him to us.his influeneo to prevent a rebellion. Steyn sent Hertzog to see Do Wet and Hotiia proposed that Dc Wot should go to Pretoria under safe conduct and negotiate with the Government. De Wet declined and told Hcrtzog that liotha must resign and agree to- a proclamation of a Republic. TORPEDOED WITHOUT WARNING. Paris, February 17. The Dulwich was torpedoed on n clear night without warning.