WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 28 July 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

ENEMY UNABLE TO PROGRESS. LONDON, July 27. French communique.—Fighting accompanied by intense bombardment, on Hurtebise Plateau south of Aillos continued all day. The enemy did not make the slightest progress. We recovered ground at several points. Unsuccessful enemy attacks in Champagne, followed by a violent bombardment were extended leftward of Mont Eloib and rightward to the neighbourhood of Casque. Our artilery vigorously replied and prevented the infantry advancing. Artillery was very active on both banks of the Meuse.

GERMANS CLAIM SUCCESSES. LONDON, July 26. German official. —We stormed the French position on a front of ISOO metres to a depth of 400 metres southwards of Ailles. We captured a dominating ridge north-west of Hurtebise. W e raided and captured ground at Soucheberg. The French suffered sanguinary losses in counter-attacking these places. We prisonered 1050. RAIDING OPERATIONS. Received 11.45. LONDON, July 27. General Haig reports.—-During local fighting in the neighbourhood of La Bassee and Lille, south-westward of Warneton we drove the enemy from the village. The enemy counterattacked in the morning, and we withdrew from the village. We successfully night-raided in the neighbourhood of Monchy, south-westward of La Bassee and north-eastward of Ypres. The Germans yester-morn, south-eastward of Govle and Aucourt, led to sharp fighting and considerable enemy loss. GERMAN TRENCHES TAKEN. LONDON, July 26. A French communique reports: “Lively fighting occurred nior/th of Auberville, where we entered the German trenches. Violent reciprocal artillery firing is reported on the loft sank of tho Meuse.”

ARTILLERY BATTLE RAGING. LONDON, July 26. Wireless German official. —An artillery battle is being continued with undiminished intensity between the coast and the Lys. English reconnoitring thrusts continued unsuccessful. Our flame-throwers captured an important trench sector near Monchy. Three enemy attempts to recapture the trenches failed. G K E £ o E. ALLIED TROOPS TO BE WITHDRAWN. Received 11.35. PARIS, July 27. The Conference has decided to withdraw Allied forces from Greece. IN CHINA GERMANS SUBORN CHINESE NAVY. Received 9 a.m. TOKIO, July 27. "The Germans have spent £300,000 in suborning the Chinese Navy, whose defection makes it difficult for the Peking Cabinet to declare w-ar on Germany. MORE TROUBLE IN CHINA. Received 11.35. SHANGHAI, July 27. Troops are fighting in Syechung, the city is aflame and the population is fleeing. GENERAL CABLES GODLEY OR BIRD WOOD? WELLINGTON, July 27.

Mr. C. J. Parr gave notice to-day to ask Sir James Allen whether, in view of the practically universal discontent of all ranks of New Zealand Expeditionary Forces at the front for the past two and a-half years under General Godlcy, he will make representations to the Imperial Government to have the New Zealand Division replaced under General Birdwood, so that all Anzacs may b e re-united.

HUGE SHIPPING .LOSSES^

LORD CHARLES B’ERESFORD’S OPINION.

Received 11.55

LONDON, July 27

Lord Charles Beresford said the British, Allied and neutral shipping losses were four mltiion Tons to January, 1917; another four millions had since been lost. The present rate of sinking w-as equivalent to eight millions annually. The first year of the war ship-building went down terrifically. We have nowhere'Tuear begun to make up the deficiency. He estimated the replacement capacity at four million tons annually, and forecasted a great shortage.

NEW ZEALANDERS HONOURED. Received 11.45. LONDON, July 27. The Miltary Cross has been awarded to Lieut. C. T. Gillespie, a New Zealander, for extinguishing burning boxof ammunition under heavy shell-fire. He worked amidst exploding shells with a total disregard of danger. The two men assisting, Sapper U. Butler and Corporal Norris, Ncav ZealandfSs wore awarded the Distinguished Conduct Modal for heroic artillery engineering feats. REPATRIATION OF SICK AND WOUNDED. Received 11.20. LONDON, July 27. In the House of Commons, Mr. Hope announced that Britain and Germany had ratified a Avar prisoners’ agreement, proA'iding for more lenient medical qualifieatons for repatriaton and internment in a neutral country, repatriation of the Avorsl ffases from SAvitzerland, and internment in Holland of 7500 sick and Avounded proGerman combatant prisoners; also 6500 officers afid n(on-coms, officers who have been imprisoned for eighteen moifths, all of whom would be eligble for internment in a neutral country. Holland Avould also provide for tAvo thousand civilian prisoners, preferably invalids.

PUGILISTIC M.P.S. LONDON, July 27. In the House of Commons, Mr. Pemberton Billing cast reflections on officers in connection with reports to Mr. MacPherson, whereupon Major Archer Slice called him a cad. Mr. Billing asked the Major if he would repeat the word outside the House. Major Archer Slice replied “Certainly,” Shortly afterwards both loft the House and were found fighting in the green in the palace yard. The battle had not proceeded far, when both fell. A policeman parted them. Later Mr. Billing challenged /Major 9 Al*cher}-Shce to pight twenty rounds at the National Sporting Club, the loser to pay a hundred guineas tc the Bed Cross fund.

THE U-BOAT BREMEN. AMERICAN MANUFACTURER’S STORY. The Genua a merchant submarine Bremen, sister vessel of the Deutschland, which twice visited America, is in -the hands of the British, according to a special correspondent of the New York Evening Sun. Proof that came to him through three sources established to his satisfaction that the un-der-sea craft was captured on her maiden voyage. He heard during his stay in England that the Deutschland also had been seized that Captain Paul Koenig and his crew are prisoners in a camp in the north of England. However, he could gather no specific facts about this vessel.

He was told about the Bremen by a British naval officer of high rank. The details of her capture were related by this officer, who showed a photograph of the submarine. The'picture showed the same contour of body and the same type of conning tower and general superstructure of the Deutschland. Corroboration came from another naval officer and also from an American manufacturer who has a factory in Scotland. The latter said he saw the Bremen laid up in one of England’s yards. In gS. three stories the circumstances of the capture are identical.

“I confess I was sceptical about the stories ox the BVemen’s capture,” narrated the manufacturer. “I didn’t begin to believe that they might be true until I went to the port where the vessel was said to be tied up. I went there on official naval business for the British Government, and heard so many sensational stories about Germany’s captured blockade runner that my curiosity was aroused.

“I asked a certain Admiralty officer to tell me the plain truth about the Bremen, and he asked me if I would believe my own eyes. I said I was perfectly willing to take his word, but would be only too glad of an opportunity to see the ship herself. We got into a taxi and it wasn’t long before I was looking at the good ship Bremen. There are a number of interesting details about her capture that I am not at liberty to divulge, but I can tell you the submarine I saw was the Bremen and.that she was captured through becoming entangled in a heavy cable net. She was running submerged at the time and her diving planes near the bow got caught in the- mesh of the net.

“The submarine probably made frantic efforts to free herself, because when found her stern was far out of the water, both her screws being in the air. I understand that one of the German officers said pumped their ballast tanks dry with' a view to raising a part of the vessel to the surface so that the men could be sent on deck to clear th e plands of the net. That was impossible, as the net was too heavy and to finhly anchored. An accident to the machinery caused gas fumes to fill the engine room and it was necessary to close the watertight doors, seven men losing their lives.” Another story had it that Captain Schwartzkopf was among the survivors.