“SIEGFRIED LINE.”

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1917, Page 3

“SIEGFRIED LINE.”

Hindenburg’s Orders 1 Sacrifices Without Remorse London, April 12 When passing through Aix-la-Chapelle, von Hindenburg enunciated the dogma that while German officers regretted the loss of life that the war had involved, they must continue to sacrifice men without remorse. Too Germans call their now positions the Siegfried line. Siegfried, the hero of various German legends, slew the dragon, and then rendered himself invulnerable by bathing in its blood. In the end death came to him. He was treacherously killed by Hagen, who learned that Siegfried was mortal between the shoulders. Mr Beach Thomas, correspondent of the “Daily Mail” on the Eastern front, states that the enemy is holding village fortresses under the direct orders of Hindenburg, who reviewed the line three wseks ago. The captured fortified village of Beaurains provides excellent observation. At this point the Germanshave the thickest and thorniest wire entanglements, 300 yards wide, and little further pursuit is possible here. At Neuville Boupurval the corres-

pondent saw Germans playing hide-end-seek in a quarry brist iog with machine-gana. Our patrols attacked them with rifles and maohine-guas, which are now found to b 3 a better and more successful formula than artillery. Horses pulled heavy guns uphill over amazing depths of mud and varieties of abysses. The enemy’s rearguards are poorly supported by artillery. St Quentin is surrounded by wired trenches, into which the Hindenburg line runs. Further south the defences are more vague. Considerable forces of cavalry, cyclists, and armoured cars ere still in action, The work behind the Australian

lines is inteoee 1 y interesting, because none know whun streets and b uildinga will be blown np. An explosion at the Town Hall of Bapavune, wherein 28 were killed and seven were burisd alive and later saved, 13 atypical ca3e. Nnmerous dug-outs and two houses which had bean occupied and vacited by a brigade headquarters blew up days after ilia Australians’ eniry. These included Captain Beau's dugout, which happily was empty, but the explosion wrecked all hia belongings. - The Germans use sulphur, which gradually establishes an electric connection. Just now none go near the German’-j magnificent dugouts. AH accounts agree that the Australians are finding open fighting fascinating. The losses are light—at least one-third of the German losses. The men are filled with resentment of Hnnnish tricks. Two Australians were bringing in a captured German officer, who pulled bis pistol from his pocket and shot one Australian who was bending. The other immediately knocked the brains out cf the German. All the men are finding German bombs and flares scattered everywhere. They delight it- exploding bombs and flares uut.il the front is sometimes like a gigantic fireworks. Brigadier-General Gellibrand issued an order. “This must cease,” but he came next day upon a man throwing a Gorman bomb. Replying to Brigadier Gollibrand’a castigation, the man scratched his head, and thea remarked innocently, “ 1 threw the bomb because it might explode when some poor French child found it years ahead.” The correspondent of “ The Times ’’ at headquarters described the Kaiser’s visit asblood and thunder.” He informed the troops that they must hold every village at all oo3ts, but he did not tell them bow to do it. He then went off to Homburg, in Bavaria, to take the diabetes cure.