WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 19 April 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

RE-CONQUERED FRANCE. THE TRAIL OF THE HUN. RAPE, RAPINE, DESTRUCTION, AND SACRILEGE. Received 5.55. PARIS. April IS. The Commission of Investigation, appointed to go into the German atrocities -a re-conquered fiance, reports that systematic methods have been made to reduce the citizens to servitude. Women i'i,u girls have been raped, homes, towns, industries, trees, and implements desii'oycd, with the evident object of inspiring terroi. iSome places were »vrecked, and beds, chests, and everything available carried away. Loathsome, unprintable acts were done on mc altars ox some of the churches. 100,000 GERMANS LESS. ALLIES' EIGHT DAYS' TALLY. PARIS, April 17. It is semi-officially stated that the Germans massed at least twenty divisions and all available batteries on the Soissons-Rhcims front. Our advance reached a depth of three to four kilometres. Altogthcr the Allies placed hors de combat a hundred thousand Ger--1 mans in eight days. THE MONCHY COUNTER-ATTACK. GERMANS' ILL-STARRED EFFORT 2500 MEN KILLED. LONDON, April IS. Reuters' Headquarters correspondent says: The Germans could not have timed the effort to retake the village of Monchy mor e opportunely. At the very moment when we were ready to advance they were massing in two adjoining woods. They were hotly bombarded, the advance from the south being beaten back before they got within 150 yds of our position. The German emerging from Vert Sart woods were caught by a bombardment of shells, which devastated their ranks. They gained our front trenches before the village after nand'-to'-hand fighting. The British were ordered to allow the Bodies to enter a long,, parrow trench as thickly as they pleased. Then they were terribly enfiladed and withered away. They fled in disorder, losing 2,500 killed alone. One officer claims that he shot forty before they bolted.

TRENCH EXTEND SPPHERE OF ACTION. AUBERIVE CAPTURED. LONDON, April IS. French communique.-—We extended our action east of Rheims and attacked the German lines between Prunay and the St. Hilare-St. Hourpplatt road. Notwithstanding violent squalls of rain and snow, our troops advanced with irresistable ardour, and carried, on a front of 15 kilometres, the whole of the first German position. ..'Our troops, pushing beyond the position, south of Movonvillers, brilliantly conquered, to the extent of eleven kilometres, a line of solidly organised heights from Mount Cornillet to east of Vaudesincourt. Further e ast, spirtied action resulted in our capturing the village of Auberive and a powerfully fortified salient formed by the German line around the village on a front of three kilometres. FRENCH HEROES AS RECRUITING AGENTS. SYDNEY, April IS. A returned French Noumean contingent from Verdun and Pozieres had a great reception. They participated in th e big recruiting rally and secured many volunteers. REMAINING GERMAN WORKS SMASHED. PARIS, April 18. Enemy counter-attacks on Mount Cornillet were shattered. We prisonercd over 2500 hereabouts. Between Soissons and Rheinis we resumed a destructive fire on the German organisations, and destroyed works where small enemy parties were still resisting. During the afternoon we repulsed a strong counter-attack in the region of Huradbisc Farm. A violent attempt on the sector of country ocupled by the Russians also failed. During the battle between Soissons and Rheims on the 16th, our troops broke up important German forces who, expecting an attack, had brought up 19 divisions. Prisoners state that orders were given to hold out at any cost on the first position, which had been deepened. The enemy suffered heavy losses. On the eve of the attack an enemy division lost a large part of its effectives through the violence of our artillery fire. The number of unwounded prisoners taken between Soissons and Rheims is now eleven thousand.

HAIG REPORTS FURTHER PROGRESS. Receivea 8.50. LONDON, April 18. The High Commissioner cables: Genoral Haig reports that during the night we progressed south-east of Epehy, and in the morning captured Villers Gueslain, prisonering a number. We also improved our position at angieourt, in spite of heavy rain.