In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 85, 14 April 1915, Page 5

In the West.

DURATION OF THE WAR. MILITARY CRITIC PREJDICTS THE DECISIVE STAGE IN THE WEST. Times and Sydney Sun Service. {Received 8 a.m.) London, April 13. General Cherfiels, the eminent French military critic, believes that the war will reach a decisive stage on the western, front in the summer. He expects that a battle will be fought between the Meuse and the Moselle, the decision in which will be precipitated by the formidable superiority of the Allies’ artillery in opening a breach in the German line, and that a general offensive will then drive the enemy clean back to the Rhine.

GENERAL PAU SAYS 1915 WILL SEE THE END. FRENCH PREMIER’S FIGHTING SPEECH. United Pkkbs Association. (Received 8.10 a.m.) Paris, April 13. General Pan declared that the end of the year would see the conclusion of the war. M. Viviani (Premier), addressing a council of generals, said Germany thought she would find France disunited and hut instead she found a wall of iron and heroic resistance, against which broke her best battalions. The Allies are now pounding the armies which the German leaders had not prepared for struggles so bitter and prolonged. Millions of arms are about to he let loose. France did not want the war, but she will carry on to the end until Europe has liberty, until Belgium is free, until Alsace ; and Lorraine is restored, and until Prussian militarism is crushed, because the peace of the world is irreconcilable with its bloody caprices.

THE BEAUSEJOUR FIGHT. . FRENCH CHARGE WITH THE BAYONET. ‘ United Press Association. Paris, April 13. The official account of llie fighting at Beausejour, continued, says the German second attack, despite very heavy losses, gained a footing in the outermost trench and held it through the night against, counter-attacks. While the Germans directed fresh attacks on the other trenches on the 9th the French artillery rained shells on the outermost trench where the Germans had crowded four hundred men. Then the French charged with the bayonet, and only ten of the four

hundred survived. The French losses (were very small. COUNTER TO FRENCH TRIUMPH. London, April 13. The Daily Chronicle’s Paris correspondent reports that the Germans, desiring to counter the French triumph at Les Eparges, selected seven points in the line along the Ancre and exploded mines under the trenches on Saturday, four miles north of Albert. Several bayonet encounters followed. The battle began in earnest at midnight. The tremendous cannonading awakened the citizens of Amiens. Unfortunately for the Germans, they selected an impregnable spot. The clearness of the night was favorable for the French rifles and machine-guns. The Germans came on shoulder to shoulder, ' shouting “hoch !” Tl,ie ground in front of the French trenches was piled high with dead and dying. The artillery prevented the German reinforcements mustering. The French loss was comparatively slight.

AT CHURCH PARADE. IMPRESSIVE SERVICES ON THE BATTLEFIELD. Times and Sydney Sun S^evice. (Received 8 a.m.) London, April 13. During Ids tour of the British lines, the Bishop of London preached to the aviators in an immense hangar; to the Household Cavalry rnased on horseback ; to the army service corps beside their lorries; to the wounded and the doctors and nurses in the hospitals and convalescent bases; and to the infantry in the picturesque Flemish market-places, their sombre mud-spattered, khaki being relieved by the gold braid on the uniforms of the staff-officers, who always attended. They were impressive uplifting services, the well-known hymns, “Rock of Ages” and Jesu, Lover of my Soul” being sung within the hearing of the guns.

MISCELLANEOUS'.

In accordance with the threat cabled recently, that British officers would bo matte It) suffer if the crows of German submarines were treated as other than prisoners of war in England, thirtynine British officers have boon imprisoned in the detention barracks at Berlin.

Paris, April 13

The French War Office organised an expedition of cinematograph operators throughout the French lines, and many remarkable films were obtained.

Mr Millerand has called up the IRSO class, comprising men of forty-six years, who will he used to guard communications. The 1916 class joined the colors to-day, and received enthusiastic send-offs. “BELGIUM KNEW.” PREPARED FOR THE GERMANS. Speaking at Bendigo, Victoria, Mr Edouard Lanwors, Consul-General for Belgium, who opened a hig charity carnival, said : —“Many people thought that Belgium was not ready, hut she

was. We knew that war between Germany and England must come, hut Fngland would not accept that idea. We stopped the Germans at Liege, and would have done so earlier had the Allies been ready. For a month we fought against millions of Germans, with what result yon know. It is our hope that our country will he freed in a few months.” (Loud applause).