THE BRITISH ARE STRONG.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 156, 5 July 1916, Page 5

THE BRITISH ARE STRONG.

VIEWS OF GERMAN NEWSPAPERS. ' BATTLE MAY PROVE DECISIVE. GERMANS ANXIOUS TO SURRENDER. A FIVE-MILE ADVANCE. THROUGH THE ENEMY LINES. HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS AGAINST BRITISH

GERMAN PRESS VIEWS.

HE BRITISH ARE STRONG.

BATTLE MAY BE DECISIVE

s Times Message. Received July 5, 8.45 a.m. London, July 4,

The Cologne Volks Zeitung says the position is fraught with significance, arid there is a possibility that it may prove decisive. General Haig’s army is strong and well equipped; it has now the first chance of showing its fighting qualities. The' Cologne Gazette says Germans welcomed the infantry attacks and the deliverance from the awful outpouring of shells. The Times’ correspondent at headquarters says it is gratifying that a large proportion of the wounds are slight,,from shrapnel and machine-gun; only the smallest proportion will suffer permanent disablement.

STRANGE WAR INCIDENTS.

GERMANS, ANXIOUS TO ’ ■ ' ; ’ SURRENDER. _ ... „> BRUTAL KILLING OF WOUNDED. '' .United Service Message. ‘; ” 'Received July 5, 8.45 a.m. • ' London, July 4. Mr. Beach Thomas says that one group df surrenderors, with hands up, S patiently for the British to arho were unable to approach ow-machine-gun fire. Finally the is scuttled back to their trenches, ■me BHtisters'consfentiy bring back prisoners singly- There ; are constant niessageh, such as f*Don’t fire.,’ ’ Gprmans are trying to surrender. German machine-gunners’ courage is greatly in excess df the infantry, but they savagely attacked British wounded, turning upon them their devilish weapons like a hose, as the wounded lay in the ©pen.

The British mostly charged at a walk. The infantry were splendid, and one of the best advances and some of the finest fighting was done by recruited Lancashire clerks. General Fbeh commands the French offensive on the Somme.

AERIAL WARFARE

THE DANGER ZONE. London, July 4. In giving evidence before the Air Committee, General Henderson stated that machines were hit during the war at a height of 12,000 to 14,000 feet by shells that burst at 15,000 feet, hitting the aviators,, but not downing them.

£ A GERMAN REPORT,

ALL BRITISH ATTACKS REPULSED THE FRENCH SPIN FABLES. Received Juiy 5, 11.20 a.m. Berlin, July -4. A German communique says. The enemy lias not renewed his attacks north of Anere; instead, he brought up a strong force between Ancre and the Somme against Thieupvale, Labor selle, and the line from Barlieux to Billoy. South of the Somme attacks were repulsed everywhere. Losses under our artillery and infantry lire correspond to the great number employed. IV e ejected the French from Hardeeourt after it bitter fight. The enemy advances north-west of Yprcs, west of La Bassee, and south-west of Lens were repulsed. Attacks on Damloup were easily repulsed. The French report of the recapture of ThiaumokLand Damloup arc invented: fables. patrols east and south-east of Armentieres attacked an English reconnoitring position. We brought down nine aeroplanes. The attacked Hindenburg atyMWeral points without result, as also waWtlre attack against Leopold of Bavaria; 1596 Russians were taken prisoner in the latter attacks. Linsingen’s progressed, and Bothmer made a qwii advance and forced the enemy back south-east of Thimacq for 5| miles on a front of 121 miles.

THE EASTERN FRONT.

GERMANS HURLED BACK,

MORE RUSSIAN CAPTURES.

Received July 5, 11.10 a.m. Petrograd, July 4

A communique slates: North-west of Baranovitch a big battle took place. The Rusians captured 50 officers and 1000 men. Fighting continues. A thousand prisoners were taken between Dubno and Sokal, where the Germans were hurled back westward.

THIAUMONT ATTACKS REPULSED.

SOMME POSITIONS NOT COUNTERATTACKED.

GERMAN BATTERIES CAPTURED,

Reuter Message. Received July 5, 11.10 a.m. Paris, July 4

A communique states: Six enemy attacks north-west df Thiaumont work were ropin’sed by curtain fire and rifle fire with heavy losses. The night was calm. ' North and south of the Somme the enemy has ’ not attempted to counterattack the captured positions, which we have organised'. Three more batteries, two of which are heavy, were captured. 1

PRUSSIAN BATTALION CAPTURED. ,

BY THE BRITISH. Received July 5, 8.45 a.m. ' ' ; ' Paris, July 4. An entire battalion of the Kith Prussian infantry, from the upper Rhine, surrendered to the British at Fricourt. This battalion was rushed in to replace the heaviest casualties. They were detrained immediately, and occupied trenches Vhich proved shallow and indifferent protection from the devastating British artillery. After a short show of resistance the survivors, 20 officers and 000 men, left the trenches and made signs of surrender. The studied moderation of Sir Douglas Haig’s reports is conspicuous. The nation is at high tension, but there arc underlying feelings of confidence that all obstacles will surely, though slowly, be overcome.

„ Red Cross trains are arriving in London and great sympathy is shown to the sufferers, and as a sign of quickened interest crowds arc round various map shops. The success of Monday’s operations on the French front was largely due to the dash of the colonial Moroccan troops, who in many places stormed the last of the enemy’s second line positions and reached the third Mne, capturing many. The advance of the French centre was remarkably effective. Many important defences on their right wing were seized. After a magnificent assault a seri esof hills were’occupied dominating those between the new front and the Somme valley. General Foch is now hopeful to soon engage the enemy in the open field.

GERMAN LINES REINFORCED

OFFERING STUBBORN RESISTANCE. London, July 3. The enemy, reinforced by many battalions drawn from other parts of the line, continues to offer very stubborn resistance at all points. Heavy lighting took place during the night at Laborselle; our troops fought with great gallantry against heavy attacks. Except for the German recapture of a small portion of their defences south of the village, the situation is unchanged. On the Somme progress was made during the night. Further south our troops captured the wood and prisoners -were taken. There is continuous trench activity elsewhere, and raids by the Rifle Brigade and the Sherwood Foresters were especially successful. After heavy bombardment in the vicinity of Armentieres, attempted enemy raids were repulsed, with loss to the Germans.

SUEZ CANAL DUES.

A RISE IN OCTOBER

Times Mesage. Received July 5, 9 a.m. London, July 4. Suez Canai dues will be further advanced livepence per ton on October

SOCIALISM DOWNS MILITARISM.

TREND OF GERMAN FEELING,

Received July 5, 8.45 a.m. London, July 4

A wireless from Berne states that anti-war Socialist Muller has been returned to the Reichstag at a by-election for Reibachneurodc, in Silesia, crushingly defeating his opponent. Mueller’s victory is noteworthy, as his opponent eras the nominee of all other parties. It strikingly illustrates the trend of opinion, as this is the first election contest in Avhich prusian militarism has been subjected to the people’s verdict. Contests hitherto were avoided by truce between parties. Muller Avas loudly championed by Liebknecht.

GERMANS GETTING DESPERATE.

A SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT. WILL NEUTRALS BE ATTACKED. Received July 5, 11.10 a.m. New York, July 4. The Berliner Tageblatt states that trustworthy reports indicate that Britain is negotiating with nearby neutral States with the object of preventing any exports to Germany. Britain is agreeing to buy the total neutral surplus output.

Italy is being urged to abrogate her commercial treaties with Germany. "We won’t look on quietly while the side and back doors are slammed and bolted.”

A Berlin message states that owing to the British offensive, business in the principal speculative stocks on the Bourse is at a complete standstill.

THE GERMANS DISMAYED.

GERMAN PRESS STATEMENTS

Received July 5, 10.55 a.m. Copenhagen, July 4.

The dismay .maintained on the German western front is reflected in Berlin. The newspaper Politiken quotes their correspondent at the front, who says that never in history have such colossal quantities of ammunition been collected as are now in the possession of the Anglo-French and Belgians.% , . Newspapers in Berlin hint, that Germany is. prepared to evacuate more ground, although the situation is not considered desperate, .

BLOODY CARNAGE AT FRICOURT.

CARPETED WITH DEAD,

A GERMAN COLUMN CAPTURED

Received July 5, 10.55 a.m. London, July 4,

The capture of Frise was due to the unflinching heroism of the French. For two hours the operations involved fierce bayonet fighting, resulting in a fearful massacre of Germans. A German column that attempted a flank movement was intercepted and captured. Accarding to prisoners many units were wiped out.

The carnage has greatly shaken the enemy. , The suburbs of Fricourt were carpeted with dead, while the roads beyond, •where the flqfeing Germans maintained a running fight, were strewn with prisoners. *

AN UNFORGETTABLE SIGHT.

HUMAN LIMBS SCATTERED EVERYWHERE. TERRIBLE FRENCH ARTILLERY. FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD PRISONERS. NICE GERMAN BOYS. Received July 5, 10.20 a.m. London, July 4. The wounded continue to arrive. There are remarkably few shefl and shot wounds, being mostly by the bayonet. The Gordons led the charge, and one of them states that the death zone was an unforgettable sight. He encountered about, a thousand corpses, human limbs were scattered everywhere the battered defences. There were some plucky ones among the enemy. Bavarians knew how to use the steel. The new big French gun eclipsed the German 16-inch; it wiped out a village on the Somme front on Friday; each shot swept away dozens of houses.

The Morning Post reports that a sergeant of the Manchester's said he was ashamed to bring in the lads of fifteen, but they were nice boys; they cut off their buttons and offered them as keepsakes. There was also a fair number of middle-aged prisoners. Our men harbour no deep-rooted animosity against individual Germans; they say they are clever people, compelled to obey their superiors implicitly. This war will teach them the lesson that they can never be top dogs while Englishmen are alive.