THE WAR

Levin Daily Chronicle, 15 May 1917, Page 3

THE WAR

(AustraLa-Nev. Zealaid Cable Service) (Received This. Day 9.15 a.m.) ZEPPELIN 1 DESTROYED. The High Commissioner reports:— London, (May 14. The Admiralty reports that our naval forces destroyed Zeppelin L 22 in the /North Sea this morning. (Received This Day 9.5 a.m.) - RUSSIA AND PEACE. Petrograd, Miay 14. Two Gernian o' r 'fp's, bearing white flags, approached the Russian lines and were taken to Dvinsk, blindfolded. Thoy interviewed General Dragomirov and suggested fixing a neutral zone for the purpose of establishing peace negotiations. General . Dragomirov bluntly rejected their proposals, adding that tbe proposals involved treachery to the Allies, find sent tbe mission back to their own lines.

1 RESIGNED! Copenhagen, May 14. General Korniloff has resigned the military governorship of Petrograd, because the Council of Workmen and Soldiers' delegates demanded that his orders to the troops should first be submitted for their approval.

SERTOmSLY IMPEDING THE OFFENSIVE. (Reuter's Service. <" London, May 13. The Minister for Munitions states that officials of the various union 9 opine that the men should resume on Monday and await an accurate explanation 1 , «f the ici)rouiT!|sitanc|els. JFhe Minister emphasises that supplies of aircraft, heavy artillery, howitzers, tanks and other materials will be seriously delayed by the present illegal action which will also impede the western offensive lives will be unnecessarily sacrificed.

WEAVERS THREATEN TO STRIIKE. London, May 13. The NWthern Counties Weavers' Society lias instructed 220,000 members to cease work on the 26th if cotton manufacturer do not concede 20 per cent, increase in wages. The strike effects 800 mills. HOLLWEG, SPEAKS TOMORROW. (Renter Service). A Berlin semi-official message announces" that the Chancellor (Dr. von Bethmnnn ,'Hollweg) will speak on Germany's Avar aims on Tuesday. New York, May 13.

The Times's Hague correspondent quotes Count Reventlow in the Tages Zeitung as 'follows:— "I learn that Hollweg has stated that if he resigns Count 'fiernstorff will succeed him. Bernstorff recently had a lengthy conference with the Kaiser. It is Bollweg's intention to threaten the Junkers and reactionaries with the possibility of getting a more democratic Chancellor." FALL OF BUIXLEOOURT. London, May 13. There is splendid news from Bullecourt. The Australians, after more than holding their own against picked German troops, widened their bite in the Hindenburg line, and progreissed magnificently, bombing their way inflexibly along the main trenches. The Bullecourt-Queant 'Redoubt forms the hinge on which the Hindenburg line! turns. The oapture .'of Bulle>,court was a brilliant British feat, and is the first serious blow against the enemy's new defensive system.

A correspondent at headquarters states: The mere fact that Sir Douglas Haig has established himself dn the ruins of Bullecourt constitutes a deci-

. sive defeat of the Germans, who sacrificed thousands of lives in a desperato but futile attempt to relieve the menace to this vitally important position. The later details of the battle show that Haig forestalled strong •cnpmy counter-attacks and boldly launched an offensive nearly surrounding and then irresistibly storming the village. Fighting continues and there is every prospect of a great victory. The fall of Bullecourt practically isolates Queant. 'Haig's successes at Roeux cemetery and tbe chemical works, two other tremendously strong positions, are equally significant. Reuter's Headquarters correspondent reports that the British are active on a front of twenty miles, as the stonewalling of the past few days has developed into many small attacks by the armies of Allenby and Gough. Fighting began at twilight 011 Friday. Many" more prisoners would liayo been taken, but the Germans bolted and were shot down. Our casualties were low.

General Sir 1 William Robertson, Chief of the British Staff, speaking at the Newspaper Press Fund dinner, said:""We expended in the past Jive or six weeks 200,000 tons of ammunition in France alone, and conveyed thitlier 50,000 tons of stone per week to mend roads."

Llord Derby, speaking at Liverpool, defied anyone to say that any nation bad complete air supremacy, but without fear of contradiction he would say that on essential days in Soramc and Arras battles the supremacy was absolutely ours. Without it it wiouild have been impossible, to do what we had done. He believed that during the present month better brains were at work in this country, improving aeroplanes, than in any other country in the world. The War Minister paid that he had every reason to be optimistic in regard to the .general outlook of the war. We were bound to win if all did their best. There was no place in this country for anyone not working with o'.l liis power.

(Received This Day 9.50 a.m.) A SUBMARINE CHASER. (War News—Delayed.) Washington, May '3. The first submarine chaser a "110footer" was launched five weeks after the keel was laid. The shipping hoard expe'cts that one thousand steel-wooden ships, aggregating three million tonnage, will be completed within eighteen months. . '

(Received This \Day 9.55 a.m.) f SIR DOUGLAS HAIG. (Heuter Service). London, May 14. Sir (Douglas Haig reports having repulsed raids last night, noi'fch-eastward of Epehy. Northward of Ypres the British progressed to Roeux village. ZEPPELIN DESTROYED. The Admiralty reports that our naval forces destroyed Zeppelin L 22 in the North Sea. SERBIAN SUCCESSES.

A Serbian communique dated May 12th says that violent artillery combats rage along the whole oif the Serbian front. The Serbians carried moiv trenches in the region of Doforopolje and repulsed two violent counter-at-tacks with very great enemy losses. The Serbians captured a great numbsr of prisoners and much booty. On Sunday there was an artillery and infantry combat which continued at several points; notably in the region of Kravitza-iDobropolje. The Serbians readvanced and took prisoners. (Received This Day 12.5 p.m.) THE .STRIKERS. London, May 14. Only twenty 'buses were running yesterday, out of 1900. It is reported this morning that services will be resumed to-day, pending negotiations with the engineer strikers. At Derby a ballot resulted in the decision to return to work to-day. trusting the Government would enquire into the men's grievances. The report that the Manchester strikers are about to return to work apparently is baseless and there is no sign of resumption at Sheffield.

<< STELLiENB OSHBD.'' (Australia-^w Zealand Scrvcie). London, May 1-t. .Admiral Jellicoe lias been appointee Chief of the Admiralty 'Naval Staff. AUSTRO GERMAN SHIPPING. Rotterdam, May 14. Austro-German ships arriving here from German ports are steadily increasing in number. Last week ten arrived at the Hook of Holland, and six left.