GENERAL WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 11 December 1915, Page 7

GENERAL WAR NEWS.

ACTIVITY IN EELGIUM.

HEAVY FIGHTING.

LONDON, Dec. 8.

A French communique says: Our machine-guns in Belgium prevented the enemy from restoring damaged works.

Our curtian of fire stopped a Get man attack north of Arras.

We destroyed the enemy's position near Rove.

The struggle continues eastward of Souain Hill for the recapture of ground occupied by the enemy.

GERMANS CLAIM SUCCESSES

GAIN POSITION ON HILL .19;!

LONDON, Dec. S

A German wireless states: An attempt by the enemy to contest oar success at East Auberrive failed north of Scuain, a position on Hill IS;;. Over a distance of 500 yards was wrested from the French. Four counter-attacks were repulsed.

PROPOSED ATTACK ON INDIA

A. BIG GERMAN PROGRAMMI

TURKS ADVANCE ON BAGDAD

MACKENSEN AT CONSTANT! NOPLE.

ROME, December 8

There is evidence that General Yon der Goltz hopes to command 400.000 Turks and 100,000 Germans in an advnaee towards India in the spring. The Turkish advance guard are already en route to Bagdad.

Genrcal Yon Mackensen has arrived at Constantinople incognito. lie is "bent on dominating the internal sitnatio. which is causing Germany anxiety, and is seeking to reconcile Talaat Bey and Enver Pasha. General Yon. Maekoncii visited the Galliopli front, whither a number of 12-inch guns were sent. They were brought to Constantinople on the first through train from Germany. ' Four thousand secret agents arc assisting Yon Mackensen.

EGYPTIAN EXPEDITION.

AUSTEIA DECLINES TO PAR-

TICIPATE

ROME, December 3

The Agenzia Nazionalo states the Kaiser at a recent conference asked Austria to contribute an army corps to the proposed expedition to Egypt, but the Emperor replied that this was impossible.

GERMANS' REMARKABLE DEEENCE MEASURES. PETROGKAD, Dee.. S. Remarkable German defence measures, enabling them to hold a front with the cantiest defence forces, have been brought to light by the Russian uccesses in the Kemmern field. The fortifications surpass anything previously seen. There were seven rows of trenches and a whole underground city for shelter. A prisoner says that the Kaiser in October declared that the soldiers must dig', and the men who would not dig their comrades' shelters must, dig their comrades' .graves. The entanglements in places were 200 yards deep. A portion consists of tough wattle in order to economise wire, and is equally as difficult to hack through. The Germans in the Middle Dvina burn! off the forests and plant sharp branches as chevaux de friso, which are sometimes a mile deep and are sown with mines, exploding on contact.