FOOD SUPPLIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9790, 13 October 1917, Page 7

FOOD SUPPLIES

GREAT WORLD SHORTAGE aiß LLOYD GEORGE'S APPiEAL TO farmers. r!y Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright Ans. and N.Z. Cable Assn, and Beuter. LONDON, October 1L JVIr Lloyd George, receiving a deputation of agricultural representatives, appealed to the farmers to increase enormously the food supplies. He did mot do so because he liras afraid of the submarines. He cooild state definitely that the submarine menace was rapidly .diminishing. But. the world’s stock of food was tlio smallest for years. The diminution of the French and Italian fproduction of cereals had thrown Franc© and Italy upon the markets of the world.

The Prime Minister deprecated as unfair the current abuse of the farmer, mhich was due to ignorance about the (preoario rsrxess of his business. He was convinced that the majority of the people were grateful to the farmers. Their achievement last spring had added 700,000 acres to the area, under cultivation in England alone. He asked the farmers now to improve upon that achievement. He added: “Wo do not -want to go to the American market to match food from the mouths of, our Allies.”

CHECKING HOLLAND

{BRITAIN'S LATEST ATTITODE. rfy Telegraph—Press AK«oclat!on—Copy rig » Reuter’s Telegrams, LONDON, October 11. Britain has suspended commercial cable communication with Holland until the -transit of sand and gravel and metals through Holland from. Germany ito Belgium is stopped. BELLIGERENTS 1 AIRCRAFT LOSSES A GERMAN STATEMEiNT. &y Telegraph—Press Association —Copyrigh* Admiralty Wireless. LONDON, October 11. A German communique states: Our enemies lost in September 22 balloons and 374 aeroplanes. We lost 82 aeroplanes and five balloons. FIGHTING IN ASIA MINOR RUSSIANS CAPTURE SOME VILLAGES. Hr Telegraph —Pre-.s Association —Copyright Admiralty Wireless. LONDON, October 11. A Russian communique states: We captured the villages of Manila and Tubal, west of Urmia, releasing 200 Syrians. The enemy fled across the Great Zab river, destroying three bridges.

OPERATIONS ON WESTERN FRONT MUCH ARTILLERY ACTIVITY REPORTED ENEMY’S BACK AREAS BOMBARDED. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. Australian anti New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON. October 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports; —Heavy rain foil last night. There was considerable enemy artillery fire west of Passchendaelc. (Received October 12, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, October 12. Sir Douglas Haig reportslmproved weather aud good visibility favoured the work of our artillery. There was much effective counter-battery firing, besides bombardments of the enemy’s positions and communications in the back areas. Hostile artillery has been less active. There have been no infantry actions. . . Our aeroplanes on Wednesday bombed German big gun positions- hive enemy machines were brought down. Four of ours aro missing. NAVAL AIRCRAFT AGAINST ENEMY TRENCHES Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, October 11. The Admiralty reports:—Naval aircraft on patrol duty used their ma-chine-guns agaihst ocicmy trenches. One pilot descended' and attacked, and silenced anti-aircraft guns. ' ..... Large quantities of explosives were dropped on the Inourout ana liiohtervelde railway junctions. TERRIBLE CONDITIONS OF RECENT BATTLE AN AUSTRALIAN CORRESPONDENT’S STORY. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, October 11. Mr Keith Murdoch, writing from the Anzac Headquarters, describes the terrible conditions of the recent battle. The Australians had to advance over brehon ground, which was always kneo-deep, and sometimes up to the waist or tho armpits, or even further, in mud. The British battalions on the loft had an awful time. The waterlogged shell-holes caused them to jump off nearly half an hour late. Thus tho Australian sector went forward isolated, with no support for its flanks, and drew tine full force of the enemy. Our attacking troops were very weak owing to the non-arrival of rom"orccmcrits. Tired, but with unquenchable spirit, they started behind the narrate for their distant objectives- Their ranks thinned as they fought their way forward 1 , rushing and storming strong .posts until the final objective was joroioally won. Then they started to organise the positions and to bund strong points, though in many places they were isolated by German snipers. Their numbers became still thinner, and at last it was only a matter of a handful of men here and there standing their ground against the full force of the enemy’s gunfire and strong infantry attacks. The position became impossible, and little groups of Australians were withdrawn. Very few were taken prisoner. They came back in twos and threes, and organised a position a few hundred yards beyond their furthermost objective, where, in spite of fierce counter-attacks, thov remain.. Mr Keith Murdoch records many instances of individual heroism. Thera were numerous cases of men single-handed taking scores of prisoners. A, sergeant rushed between two machine-guns and shot the crews of- both. A corporal worked his way round a redoubt and attacked an officer with his bayonet. The officer fled, and the fifty inmates of the redoubt surrendered. An officer, armed with a cano only, entered a dug-out and made prisoner twenty men. In the final stages of the struggle men bringing up ammunition left their mules and participated in the fighting. Mr Murdoch adds: “Few battles have seen so much fighting with the revolver. Most of the Germans carried revolvers, which they preferred’to the bayonet. Good authorities confirm the estimate of two Germans being dead on the captured ground for every one mad!© prisoner.” ACTIVITIES ON FRENCH LINES FIGHTING IN BELGIUM AND ON THE MEUSE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Renter. LONDON, October 11. A French communique states: —On the Belgian front daring the night we broke an attempted attack near to and east of Draiebantk. On the right bank of the Meuse, north of Hill 344, the enemy temporarily gained a footing in the advanced! elements of a trench, but was driven out. (Received October 12, 7.60 p.m.) LONDON, October 11. A further French communique mentions mutual artillery activity at various points of the front, hut thajf no infantry actions have occurred. A GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. Admiralty—Per Wireless Press. LONDON, October 11. A German official report states:—There is most intense artillery activity on the coast and between the Blankart Lake and Poelcapelle. The French unsuccessfully attacked us at Draiebantk (three miles south of Dixmude). Bight aeroplanes took part in an aerial battle over Zonnebeko and ZancJvorde. We brought down three machines. We captured important ground intheOhaume Wood (Verdun front). Four counter-attacks were unsuccessful.