THE WESTERN OFFENSIVE

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11647, 16 August 1916, Page 5

THE WESTERN OFFENSIVE

WHY WE MOVED. FRENCH IN EXTREMIS. ITALIAN APPEAL TO RUSSIA. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Sydney, August 15. The Sun’s London correspondent, writing on July Gtb, gives an extremely interesting resume of most of the facts which forced the Allied offensives. These were not a care-fully-planned general attack which was'to be the beginning of the end, bat were due to tho necessity for relieving other positions against Austro-German attacks. When the Austrians were within, sight of the Venetian plans, Italy appealed to Russia, who wanted some months before the vast effort which the General Staff was preparing could be made. Russia sent word along the line, Brusiloff accepted the hint and struck and shattered Austria’s southern armies. Meanwhile the enemy was within an ace of taking Verdun owing to_ new artillery methods.

Germany is still far belter supplied with heavy gnus than we. Germany struck so hard in the first attack that the French decided tc evacuate. This was only countermanded when General Casteluau arrived and ordered the famous counter attack which drove the Germans east of Fort Donaumont Joffre bus been fiercely assailed in the French" Parliament for ordering the evacuation. A fortnight ago Verdun had ail hut fallen. The French troops on the outer lines were completely exhausted. The supreme crisis arrived. If three days’ heavy ram had not fallen and enabled the French to change companies, the outer works at Verdun would have fallen. This was the time strong appeals were made to Britain for an offensive. Germany knew about the appeals. Few things in Paris are hidden from spies. Before M. Briaud and Joffre arrived in London upon their mission, the news was published in the German press. We would have liked at least another two months, as we had not nearly readied our maximum strength. The conscripted drafts had not been trained to full efficiency, nor had we all the supplies of heavy gnus and shells we desired to embark on a supreme effort. We were ready for a serious solid push, but the offensive nevertheless was forced by the German offensive elsewhere.

RHEINSS AGAIN UNDER FIRE. HOSPITAL DESTROYED. SEVERAL CIVILIANS KILLED. The High Commissioner reports;— London, Aug. 14. The French official report says:— On Snnday evening German aeroplanes bombed Rheims, meanwhile the batteries bombarded the town. The Civil Hospital near the Basilique St. Remy, and the dispensary were destroyed, and six civilians killed. ITALIAN WOOL IMPORTS. QUESTION IN THE CHAMBERS. Australian —New Zealand Cable Association. Received August 16, 10 a.m. Loudon, Angust 15, Replying to a question in the House of Commons, Mr Harcourt said Italy’s imports of greasy wool from all sources in 1915 shpwed an increase of 415,869 metric tons compared with 1913. Imports of washed wool decreased by 1609, and the manufacture of wool decreased by 19,677. If greasy wool imports were reckoned in terms of washed wool the net increase in imports would be under ton thousand tons, Of washed wool the increase was largely due to the requirements of the army, Italy’s production of woollen materials in 1915 was considerably above the normal and the export of manufactured woollens to France had increased. There was no reason to believe that the- control of our export to Switzerland had been ineffective.