New German Attacks Fail.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 11 April 1918, Page 3

New German Attacks Fail.

IS ARMENTIERES IN PERIL P Received this day at 8.50. London, April 10. This morning the German attacks on the Messines front failed- . , Armentieres now forms an awkward salient. Held I GERMAN ADVANCE NOT GREAT. PORTUGUESE EIGHT GALLANTLY. Received this day at 8-50. London, April 10. Mr Philip Gibbs reports that the front of the enemy's new attack is about eleven miles, between Armentiereß and La Has see Canal. .. He apparently succeeded in driving in parts of our outpos lines, while we are holding him by Givenchy on the right and F*eurbaix on the ®eft. > The enemy used poison gas in immense quantities. It is estim ated that he fired at night over 60,000 gas shells. The Portuguese between Laventie and Neuve Ohapelle now in the thick of the battle, and are fighting gallantly. All the enemy's efforts do not seem to have carried him far througE the marshes. His storm troops are being held back and shattered.

TWO GREAT STRUGGLES. FRENCH ANl' PRTTISH-TBI- 1 UMPHS. Received this day at 11-45 a.m. London, April 10, 4.10 a - m - . The Bavarians twice took Givenchy and twice were Beaten ( ° U ,Sir Douglas Haig Holds the village and the high ground. The French had a sanguinary encounter with the Germans for the possession of HangaTd which changed hands several times. The Trench were finally masters. GERMAN OFFICER LOSSES. Received this day at 3.40 a.m. Amsterdam, April 10. Germanv is lamenting the Heaviest officer casualties. _ Several regiments are now practically lea by non-commissioned °™c e rs. Berlin lists show that 2570 members of tlm nobility were killed during the war. THE KAISER EXHAUSTED. Received this day at 11.45 a.m. Berne, April luIt is reported" that the Kaiser ia suffering from mental exhaus tion as the result of extreme activity during the offensive aad has decided to rest, transferring the supreme command to liuaendorff. AIR MASTERY. ALLIES POOL RESOURCES. Received this day at 8.50. Washington, April 10. The United Press correspondent learns that the Allies aeroplane production has been pooled resulting in greatly speeding up the manufacture ox bat tip planes in tlie Frencli and Bri+isli plants. The United States will specialise in building bombing, scouting and training planes. A bill has been introduced in Congress permitting the use of bar silver in the settlement of foreign trade balances. Mr McAdoo joints out that the European Allies want silver in order to relieve the strain on their gold reserves. The bill proposes the conversion of 250 million silver dollars into bars.

TURKEY'S SHATTERED ARMY. DESERTED BY GERMANY. Received at 11 a.m. this day. Amsterdam, April 10. It is reported from Constantinople that the Turkish army consists of scattered and demoralised remnants. It is impossible to reconstitute many of the depleted units. Numerous officers are in Constantinople without commands. No German assistance has been received for a considerable time. An interesting letter just received from one of the New Zealand boys in Egypt gives a good account of the Turk as a fighter. The writer says: "I would like to get back to New Zealand now, but I suppose we have got to see it through now wo have gone so far. From what X have seen of the Turks in this last big advance wo made, I think that Turkey is just about on her last legs. They often come into our lines in small parties and give themselves up. We had 140 of them one day. As far as lighting goes, I don't think they can come up to our boys. They will fight all right if they are entrqjiched and we are attacking, but once we get to their trenches with the bayonet they always give up. They seem to be very frightened of cold steel. They attacked us once, and they came at us about seven to one. We were not entrenched, and neither were they, so it was a fair go in the open. They came at us till they got within about fifteen yards, and when they saw us waiting for them with the bayonet they wouldn't come on. It is just as well for us they didn't if they had it would have been the end of the lot of us. It cost them more by running away than it would if they had come on. We eounted 450 dead, and we brought in 64 wounded next morning. We never had more than half that number up against them. We got after them again the next day, and we came >to a little village full of wounded Turks. The rest of them got well out of it. When we got to Jaffa the people there told us that the Turks had all cleared out, and burnt all their stores, us we found when we went through it. AJI the civilian population seemed pleased to see the British troops." AN EXPLANATION. Received this day at 11.45 a.m. Paris, April 10. M. Ribot, who was Premier at the time, declares tEat it is absolutely incorrect that the Government took the initiative in any pourparlers with Austria, as alleged by Count Czernin. Conversations which may have occurred between Count Reverdra and M. Armand in Switzerland were simply the work of tEe Second Military Bureau, wEose work it was to gather information by al* possible means on tEe situation in enemy countries. No diplomatic importance was attacEed to its services. SOLDIER VERSUS POLITICIAN. Received this day at 11.45 a.m. Paris, April 10. The Matin's Zurich correspondent says the postponement of Count Hertling's intended speech in the Reichstag surprised the deputies. It is attributed to serious dissension between Ministers and Ludendorffj who threattns to resign if Hertling and Czernin make any more peace speeches which weaken the Army's morale and endanger his military plans. The Kaiser advised Hertling to postpone his speech. MORE COMBING OUT. Received at 11.40 a.m. to-day. London, April 10. The Press Bureau states the Minister for National Service notifies the withdrawal on April 24 of exemptions from military service held on occupational grounds by men of various ages in a large number of occupations who are medically graded 1 and 2. STEAMER BEATS OFF U BOATS. Received this day at 8.50. Washington, April 10. An American steamer had a 20-minutes sensational fight with two submarines in European waters. She smashed" the periscope of one and drove off the other Üboat. WILSON TALKS TO PRESSMEN.

Received this day at 8.50

_ Washington, April 10. President Wilson received the foreign press correspondents, including the Australian Press Association's representatives at White House for the first time since tie war began. He addressed them for half an hour witk perfect frankness, explaining America's war policies and intentions. President Wilson explained that he had nothing publishable to say. The address was for the correspondents' information and guidance.