STANDING TO BATTLE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1917, Page 1

STANDING TO BATTLE

Main Armies Engued

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Assoc'a ion and Reuter).

LONDON, April 25

Mr Philip Gibbs continuing his report says:—The Germans are also lighting desperately to regain the key to the position, which is Monchy. Our airmen discovered four thousand iGciimans at Boisdasart intending to attack. The British batteries filled the wood with gas shells and the tier man casualties were horrible. The Germans are fighting in a better spirit than at the Vi my battle. Thine is no'doubt that this is because they are fresh troops, and only just flung into the fighting line.

The second phase of tho battle of Arras is in our favour. We have taken prisoners, and our losses are much ligh<t cr than the Germans. We arc now confronted by "the mam German armies a'nd arc no longci fighting rearguard actions, but the eu emy are standing to battle and striking back hard.

Hindenburg’s line is not a German myth, it is a very real thing running through Drocourt and Qupant. It.-. defences are not yet finished. The pion eer battalions are following armies or forced labour, including French civilians and Russian prisoners who are working day and night upon the trenches and emplacements. The General staff ordered the Germans to hold the forward positions to death to enable tho ccfmpletion of the defences, Fresh troops were rushed up on Monday to relieve the battalions already broken in the British attacks.

Reinforcements in some cases are flung back on our-line and have regained the ground . -

After the. Scotchman took Gemappe reinforcements retook it in the evening, but the second Scottish attack > captured it and. many Germans were prisonered.

Efforts to Delay

(Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, April 24

Correspondents at British headquarters state that three days’ fine weather preceded the Scarpe attack, which had a front of twelve thousand yards. At least two thousand prisoners were taken. The attack was of considerably less importance than that on April 9th, because there was no definite objective like the old German first line.

Instead of a’ continuous trench system, the British were facing rolling 'country, dotted with many isolated posts and short lengths of trenches. Such a cunter offered the artillery no defined target or object of attack. Many Germans in the second lino fought stubbornly, and there was considerable bayonet fighting. It is evident that the Germans are making every effort to delay the advance in order to gain time to .complete defences in the rear.

Heavy Firing

LONDON, April 25. A Belgian communique reports the heaviest artillerying.

Ad Day Fighting

LONDON, April 26. A wireless German official message reports all day fighting for Gavrelle. New English attacks arc proceeding along the Arras-Cambrai road.

Egvpiian Report

WELLINGTON, April 24. The High Commissioner reports ltum London on 24tli April at 10.20 p.m.:

Egypt.—The Turks in southern Palestine hold a strongly entrenched position extending from Gazain in tho direction of (Bcershcba. The organisation of the positions gained in front of the Turkish main line is proceeding satisfactorily.

INTERNAL RUSSIA.

An Interview

(Australia & N.Z. table Association)

PETROGKAD, April 24,

The Daily Express correspondent has had an interview with -M. Kerasky who is the Lloyd George of Russia, and who is dominating the political situation who said “The people went to war to defend themselves and they arc now determined to wage only a defensive and not an aggressive^war. They des*ire no annexations and if President Wil son is expressing the will of the people of America and is not merely making a dplomatic move then I am an complete sympathy with his statement regarding the obects of the. war. There is 110 objection of the, principle of Com. ■poiisation in order to give reparation .to Poland Belgium. The British people are held in greftt esteem in Russia. but their connection with C’zarisqr as evidenced in America after the overthrow of Czarisin has given America a popularity that Britain lias rarely enjoyed. If Czarism had continued when Germany commenced her spring ofiemfvo the defeat of Russia would have boon inevitable. Our troops in January were intermittently deserting in regiments. They had only two days food supply and many soldiers were starving. Only seventy per cent of the blast, furnaces were working, and tlie output of minerals had fallen to one quarter of the normal. The workmen are now all striving to increase the output. Particular attention is bo, stowed on transport from Vladivostock to secure American supplies.