THE WESTERN FRONT.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 September 1917, Page 2

THE WESTERN FRONT.

POSITION AT LENS. A GERMANDEATH TRAP. rAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON, Sept, Mr. Philip Gibbs describes tho creasingly hopeless plight of tho Germans at Lons which is one vast ruin surrounded by. other ruins stretching for miles. The Germans’ only chanco of safety, is by sheltering underground, but a tunnel' is no more than a death trap when a falling house blocks its entrance, or, as often happens, heavy and deep piercing shells cause a tunnel to collapse. '■ The Canadians frequently drench Lens with gas, which penetrates cellars, dugouts, and tunnels, and stifles tho men before they have time to stretch out a hand for a mask. HAIG’S REPORT. LONDON, Sept. 17. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy’s attempt to raid southward of Lombartzyde was repulsed. Our artillery is active in* the Ypres sector, the enemy’s being less marked, except southward of Lens and in the neighbourhood of Nieuport. The enemy s - aeroplanes dropped fifty bombs behind the lines yesterday morning, the damage being slight. Our aeroplanes dropped 143 bombs on an aerodrome and billets and fired 1000 machine gun rounds at various targets, scattering 2000 infantry, from a height of 100 ft. We brought down eleven enemy machines and eight of our machines are missing. FRENCH REPORT.., LONDON, Sept. 17. AFrench communique states: There is very considerable artillery activity on both hanks of tho Meuse, especially north of Hill 344 and Caurieres Wood. Our aviators droppod 15 tons of bombs on barracks and munition factories at Stuttgart, Uckingen, the aerodromes at Colmar and Logelback, military establishments south of Metz, and railway stations at Thionvillo andSarreburg. NOTHING DOING. (AUSTRALIAN & NZ. CABLE ASSOCIATION & REUTER.] (Received, This Day at 8.50. a.m.) LONDON, Sep. 18. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports there were only patrol encounters in the Ypres sector. • RFRHIftHY WITHIN. GERMANY AND PEACE ’ tONDON Sept. 18. ’ “Daily Chronicle’s” Amsterdam ■ correspondent states that the' German ' newspapers declare that a new general ■ basis of policy has been reached to c which the civil and military agree. It will probably be embodied in Germany’s - reply to the Pope. Important statements are expected 1 in the Reichstag when it meets next p week. The ‘‘Frankfurter Zeitung” states 1 that the pan-Germans have been dee feated. * ? Tlie ‘‘Kolnische Volks Zeitung” re- - peats the statements that Gedmany - has given up the idea of supremacy in Belgium.