WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 14 July 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE. PARIS, July 13. French communique.—There is lively artillery fire in the Champagne ■'and Aisne. Enemy attacks south of Juvineourt, in the sec Tor of Laffaux Mill, were easily repulsed. . Several enemy attemps at coups de main, after bombardment, in the sector Hill 304 and north of Hardaumont work, Tailed. LONDON, July 13. German official 'communique.—Artillery is more active in Flanders and the Artois, and at Lens and Bullecourt. Our shock troops, using flamethrowers, stormed the English trenches at Monclfy and captured many prisoners.

j BRITISH REGAIN LOST GROUND. I — ——— ! LONDON, July 12. j French communique.—The Germans I mae a most powerful attack at Nieuport and succeeded; the first shock j giving a local advantage, but only temporarily. The British shortly returned the offensive, and obtained full mastery of the coastal regions. Wireless German official. —The enemy were unable to deliver any ; counter-attacks on the coast. WEST FRONT CASUALTIES. SUGGESTED INQUIRY REFUSED. LONDON, July 12. In the House of "Commons, Mr. Bonar Law declined to order an inquiry similar to the Dardanelles and Mesopotamia, into the casualties on the Western Front since July Ist. T added that commanders were as anxious as anyone to protect the lives of soldiers. GERMANY'S INTERNAL TROUBLES.

REICHSTAG MAJORITY REFUSES TO PASS WAR CREDITS. UNTIL REFORMS ARE GRANTED. Received 8.45. AMSTERDAM, July 13. Telegrams from Berlin leave it still doubtful whether Count von Bethmann Hollwcg was dismissed. The majority in the Reichstag do not object to Hollweg remaining in office if their claims are fully satisfied. Thus far Hollweg has only capitulated on the subject of suffrage. The Kaiser has issued a receipt promising Prussian electoral reform, to the consternation of the pro-German Conservatives, who believed the Crown Prince's recall would result in an aggressive pro-German being installed in the Chancellorship. It is now evident the Kaiser and Crown Prince were forced to surrender to popular opinion. Many protests appear in the newspapers to the effect that political reforms must not be considered as a result of Lloyd George's recent speeches. The majority in the Reichstag brought pressure to bear on the Government by threatening to refuse to pass war credits to the amount seven hundred and fifty millions until the reforms were granted. HOLLWEG ADVOCATES IMMEDIATE REFORMS. THE CROWN PRINCE'S UNEXPECTED ACTIVITY. RUMOURS OF KAISER'S ABDICATION. Received 10.40. LONDON, July 13. The Berliner Tageblatt states that Monday's Crown Council lasted for three hours, the Kaiser presiding. He asked all present to give tEeir opinions on Prussian suffrage. Hollweg advocated immediate reform. His speech created a deep impression.

After the Council th« Kaiser aMinisters remained in Hollweg's palace until after midnight. A Berne message expresses astonishment, at the activity of the Crown Prince. He successively received the leaders of all parties in the Reichstag except the minority Socialists, and discussed the situation. This is the more remarkable as the Kaiser has hitfc»rto jealously excluded the Crown Prince from all politics. There are some rumours of the Kaiser's pending abdication. A KAISER-MADE CRISIS. WASHINGTON, July 12. The United Press Association's Washington correspondent states that officials and diplomatists believe that the Kaiser has perhaps created the crisis as a part of the peace scheme. Mr. F. . Polk (Counsellor of the Department of State) has warned the nation not to exaggerate the situation. Despatches received by the Department of Sfate indicate that Herr Zimmermann (Foreign Minister) or Dr. Helffericth (Finance Minister) have been dropped. GENERAL (TABLES A DISTINGUISHED NEW ZEALANDER. LONDON, July 12. Captain Humphries, of the Highland Light Infantry, previously of Christchurch, has been awarded the Military Cross. A WOMAN DIPLOMAT. THE HAGUE, July 11. The Anglo-German conference for the interchange of prisoners included a British lady delegate, this being the first time in the history of England that a woman diplomat has represented her country. Her presence greatly astonished the German delegates.

MESOPOTAMIA. MR. CHAMBERLAIN" EXPLAINS. LONDON, July 12. In the House of Commons, Mr. Chamberlain announced that he had resigned because of his conduct might be impunged before the Mesopotamia Court of Inquiry. DEBATED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. LONDON .July 12. In the House of Lords, there was a large attendance of peers during the two days' debate on the report of the Mesopotamia Commission. Lord Crewe paid a tribute to the Commission's labours, but complained that public criticism in some instances was going beyond the reports. The inception of the expedition was due to Turkey's entry into the war. The campaign grew out of India's unique position in the Empire. The expedition was almost uniformly successful to June 15th. It was generally realised that the capture of Kut el 'Amara would be strategically important. He denied that India's assistance in the world war had been lukewarm from the beginning. He defended the exchange of private telegrams between the Viceroy, and the Secretary of State.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. LONDON ,July 13. In the House of Commons, the Hon. Arthur Chamberlain referred .to the earlier move on Bagdad and warmly repudiated the charge against Ministers that, for political reasons, they deliberate! y sent men on a hazardous gamble.. He defended Viscount Hardinge, against whom the gravest allegation was that he trusted military af- . fairs too implicitly to the military advisers sent to him. The debate was adjourned. In the House of Commons, Mr. Balfour announced "that the Government had adopted a proposal to set up a statutory tribunal to deal with both soldiers and civilians mentioned in the Mesopotamian report. He added that Viscount Hardinge had thrice tendered his resignation since the publication of the but he (Ma. Balfour) had refused to accept it. IN CHINA IMPERIALISTS' ESCAPE IMPOSSIBLE. TIENTSIN, July 13. Sixty thousand Republican troops, with seventy "heavy guns, are round Pekin, rendering Chang Hsun's escape impossible. The Imperialists are entrenching themselves in tne Forbidden City. PREPARING TO ATTACK THE IMPERIALISTS. Received 11.10. PEKING, July 13. The Republican commanders have offered Chang Hsun his life and security if the property of -himself and I followers are given up, but he refuses to surrender. It is expected the Republicans will now enter Peking and prepare to attack the Imperialists.