WESTERN FRONT.

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

WESTERN FRONT.

ANOTHER BRITISH BLOW. AUSTRALIANS CLEAR POLYGON , WOOD. 1000 PRISONERS TAKEN. LONDON, September 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports: An attack this morning on a six mile front south ward of Tower Hamlets to eastward this morning on a six-mile front southof St. Julien was entirely successful. The enemy later made a of heavy counter-attacks along the new front. Hard fighting is continuing at certain points. An attack carried out by English troops southward of the Ypres-Menin road successfully completed the capture of the Tower Hamlets spur and gained possession of strong field-works on the eastern slopes, forming our objectives. We repulsed a powerful counter-at-tack from Cheluvelt. We met obstinate resistance CT? the right of our main attack northward of the Ypres-Menin road. TEere was heavy fighting in the area over which the enemy counterattacked yesterday. Among other details, the Australians I cleared the remainder of Polygon 'Wood, capturing trenches to the eastward and forming the day's objective. Over 1000 prisoners were taken and a large number of German dead- were recorded. GENERAL ADVANCE OF 1000 , YARDS. MOST OF OBJECTIVES' GAINED. LONDON, September 27. A general advance of a thousand yards was made to-day, including Polygon mound. There was desperate fighting on the British front. Most of the objectives were gained.

GERMANS' FUTILE ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN CAPTURED GROUND. 'REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSES Received 11 a.m. ■ ;, LONDON, Sept 27. The High Commissioner cables: .sir Douglas, Haig reports: Later accounts show t-hat the fgnting on Wednesday aften?con rnd. evening w*s exceedingly sev ic 'Hbe enemy spaced no! effort in" attempting to regain the import.iAi captured. Between 4 p.!n. ana i ;. m., four separate counte? attausi.in great strength were made fiom Lie .''owe: llnnikls to the bt Juu'ei Gravenstafci U'-ati The st:uggle vas most severe Inthv 1 area south jf ,Vve>u Wood, wln-re Englfsh. Scottish, *Vjl*i ad Aogafalian troops def.M'-rfd repeated attempts to break In. All attacks were repulsed after fierce lighting, the German losses through artillery and infantry fire being extremely heavy. I Later'in the evening fighting gradui ally died down. We retained posses- : sion of the ground captured during the day. x

ALE OBJECTIVES GAINED. AFTER SAVAGE FIGHTING. SUSTAIN HEAVY LOSSES. Received 11.30. LONDON, September 27... : Sir Douglas Haig's report continues: The English aud Scottish battalions ejected the enemy from his positions and accomplished their allotted task, securing the flank of our principal attack. We relieved two companies of Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders who had held out with great gallantry during the night in a forward position, wherein they were isolated by the enemy. Later, another, counterattack developed in this sector, where fierce fighting continues. The Australians further north "cleared Polygon, and captured a trench system eastward, which formed their day's objectives. On the Australian left, English, Scottish, and Welsh battalions, penetrating the defence to a depth of nearly a mile, stormed Zonnebeke, and gained their objectives. A counter-at-tack eastward of Polygon Wood was repulsed. The Midland and London Territorials, attacking on the left and on both sides of the Wieltje-Graven-stafel • and St. Julien-Gravenstafel roads, asd captured their objectives, and beat off a counter-attack . Our line here advanced to a depth of half a mile across country defended by many fortified farms and/ concreted redoubts. The enemy in the afternoon launched a second counter-at-tack with larger forces and pressed us back a short distance on a narrow front. Our counter-attack captured the bu'k of the lost ground. Over 1000 prisoners were taken, and ftrere aro very large numbers of German dead The enemy's losses are again heavy.

ONE OF BIGGEST DAYS OF THE WAR.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGHTING AUSTRALIANS' VICTORIOUS j MARCH. | GERMANS SURRENDER FREELY ! I LONDON, Sept 27. Mr Philip Gibbs says Wednesday will be counted as one of the biggest days in fighting in this war. The decision is of vital importance, both to enemy and ourselves. Thus far it has gone in our favour. The battalions on the Australian's right had the hardest time; they were under incessant fire and attack from dawn on Tuesday, but the other British troops on their right, who were also severely tried swept across to the ridge towards Gheluvelt. It Avas fully expected that any attempt to advance beyond the ground gained in the battle of the 20th would meet the fiercest opposition. The capture of Polygon Wood seriously lessened the value of Passchendaele ridge, which forms the enemy's great defensive barrier. The enemy showed signs of desperate anxiety to check us on the Polygon Wood line and the ground sbuthward to Gheluvelt spur. They made a great effort by massed artillery to smash the organisation behind our lines, and by a series of thrusts to break our front. < They launched their first attack on Tuesday morning against the British troops immediately to the right of the Australians. At Polygon Wood, owing to losses, the British were obliged to fall back a little way in order to reorganise for a counterassault. Several British units did heroic things. Meanwhile the" Australians were fighting on the high ground this side of the racecourse. The enemy failed to pierce tSeir line, though a second thrust was attempted at mid-day.

The Australians at two' o'clock on Tuesday afternoon sent men to help the troops on their right, who were passing through a terrible ordeal owing to the continual pressure by the enemy's storm troops. This was a serious anxiety on the eve of the new battle but failed to frustrate Wednesday's attack at dawn. The Australians were already massed beyond Glencorse Wood for a contemplated attack further north; the other soldiers ready to go over the bags. It was almost dark when they went forward, through wet, thick mist. Our artillery put up the same monstrous line of barrage fire, and' the troops followed at a slow pace, giving time to avoid shell craters. Through the mist our men saw the Germans running and falling; many didn't even stay in the blockhouses. Dead Germans were also found in shell craters. As they advanced thus Boetleer and Zonnebeke were taken. The garrisons in some of the pill-boxes were killed by the concussion; others surrendered directly the British arrived. The Australian advance across the racecourse and northward across the spur to below Zonnebeke chateau, was steady and successful. There was a regular chain of blockhouses here, but again the black magic of the pill-box failed, and most defenders were glad to surrender. The enemy's gunfire was heavy over this part of the ground. A nest of ma-chine-guns along the road gave trouble but our losses were not heavy. British aircraft brought the first news that the Anzacs had captured the racecourse, and later reported they had reached the furthest goal, where prisoners wer* surrendering freely. PRISONERS GLAD TO ESCAPE. LONDON, September 2G. In the Ypres battle yesterday the British barrage of the first days of the atack was repeated. English airmen heavily bombed the enemy position all night. Prisoners are already coming in. They seem glad to escape with their lives from the inferno of high explosives. Some state that the Baden and Bavarian troops arc sick of the war. declaring that their losses are higher than the Prussians, whose battle they are forced to fight. Several say that unless peace comes soon the troops will mutiny. The correspondent, adds that the statements must not be taken to mean that the Germans are readj r to surrender or lack the fighting spirit. The latest fighting shows that the enemy are stubborn scrappers.

WAR NOTES BELGIUM'S FUTURE. GERMANY'S LATEST OFFER. ROME; .September 26. An official Berlin 'telegram to Berne states that Baron von Kuhlman, German Foreign iMnister, made a verbal communication to'the Papal Uuncio at Munich, supplementing the official Note declaring that Germany is willing to make peace on a of the evacuation of Belgium, .agreeing to the restoration of her independence, and offering to contribute m share of the compensation for war damages. Germany demands that there shall be no repetition of Belgium'! 1914 menace. The administrative separation of the Flemings and the Walloons must be maintained, -because it corresponds with the wishes of the majority. Germany must be allowed to develop her economic enterprises in Belgium, especially in Antwerp. A semi-official explanation of the communication states that the conditions are compatible with Belgium's dignity. Germany avoided mentioning the throne, because that was a dom- * estic matter. Germany would agree to any Government if Belgium accepted her conditions. According to Rome advices the Vatican insists on the restoration of the financial conditions and the reconstituting of the absolute independence of Belgium, This is regarded as essential to clear the way to the conclusion of the war. It warns Germany that her indefiniteness regarding Belgium's future is a serious obstacle to a just, Christian and durable peace, and makes a round table conference an utter impossibility. . BURIED ' TREASURE. FOUND TJ?T THE WAR ZONE. I Following is a most interesting extract from a letter written by a Wellington soldier on duty in Flanders to his parents:— "Ihere was rather, an interesting incident here the other day. I have mentioned to you before that we were located close to a ruined sugar factory. Well. an old Frenchman, aged about ninety, came here the other day with his son, a captain in the French army, to dig up some papers, etc., he had buried in 191'4. He came to us for a digging party, so we got ■half a dozen, and the old Frenchman took us ,down a big cellar and showed us the spot. We dug a big iron pipe about 4ft by Ift, with dead ends bolted on to it. On opening this, he took out three bags of papers and a small bag of gnld. The papers were the title-deeds, etc., of this factory and other factories (the old man was the owner), and were worth about 3,000,000 francs. The poor old man was trembling like a leaf while the boys were digging. He said he would have shot himself if the documents had gone. He had been a prisoner in Ger- , many for the last two years. He gave 50 francs to be divided amongst the boys, and went away as happy as Larry. The French seem to have all buried their household goods like that. The poor old fellow sat down and cried when he saws the ruins- of his factory which had cost 2,000,000 francs to build.' NO FOOD PROBLEM. / ~ | THE POSITION IN ENGLAND. I "In England there is now no diffi- ' culty about food," says Mr J. B. Clarkson, who has just returned from a visit to England. "There is ( - no risk of starvation. People are growing their own food, where they have the ground to do so. There is an increase of 360,000' acres in the area down in potatoes. Potatoes were selling there at under one penny per pound. One man twenty miles out of London was giving away cabbages to any who would go for them. The control of foodstuffs is efficient, and arrangements were bieng made to reduce prices With the high wages the working people are getting Hiey will have no difficulty in procuring ample food in the coming winter. The main inconveniences are a shortage of sugar and the making of a poorer class of bread. As far as hotels and restaurants a re concerned, their- prices are much about the same as previously."