RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 5 October 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

WHAT RUSSIA .HAS DONE. STILL CAPABLE OF CARRYING. A RECAPITULATION. Received 10.50 LONDON, October 4. A wireless Russian semi-official, issued from the Press Bureau, General Headquarters seeks to allay the uneasiness of the allied press regarding Russia’s ability to fulfil her duty as an ally. It says: The deplorable episodes in the combative life of our front as revealed in the free press has tended to obscure the enormous work which the army has accomplished for the common cause, and has now been unceasingly carrying out for 61 months after the beginning of the revolution. We hold on our front enemy forces, which instead of diminishing as hitherto, have increased. Their number in Galicia on July Ist was the same as on March 12th. About June 2Sth, when the fighting in Galicia reached a culminating point, 94 divisions of Infantry had been added to the enemy’s Bukovina forces. The enemy’/ forces on September 25, were four divisions more than in March, when there fifteen German divisions on our front. The enemy artillery had been reinforced by 640 guns. These figures do , not include the Caucasian front. The re.volution was one of the most impressive things in the world, we having simultaneously to reorganise our army, bringing it into better conditions to surmount all obstacles, and suppress disorder. The combative spirit, of the men manifested on the northern front leads us to hope for the possibility of a complete regeneration of the army in the near future. The German attempts to take advantage of our temporary weakness and deal a deathblow to our moral forces during a period of complete disorganisation, will come to naught. Our armies are capable of continuing the struggle. " TREACHERY. PARIS, October o. The "Matin’’ says the president of the Chamber of Deputies has obtained information indicating the means whereby the secret session debates were disclosed to the enemy. DARING IN A DUG-OUT. HOW A TOMMY TOOK 17 FRITZS. A certain battalion runner was returning from the delivery of a message, when his eye detected a movement at the mouth of a dug-out. Warily approaching (writes a correspondent with the British Army in Prance to the Daily Mail) he came upon a Bbche, who was just about to descend into the dug-out. Softly unslinging his the Tommy followed him down. On arriving in the little cavern at the bottom of the ladder, he found 17 Huns seated in it, in addition to the man who had acted as hi s unconscious guide.

Whipping his weapon up to the ready, he roared over his shoulder as though to his companions outside, and then faced the Germans. Clearly thinking they were trapped, the hands of the Germans went up in unison. The daring runner then motioned them to ascend the, ladder, following the last man up. When they were all in the open and saw that no other human being was in sight, they began to belt in all directions. Bellowing the runner fired a few shots in the air. The effect was magical. Not only did the running Huns stop, but to a man they returned, and a few minutes later, to the astonishment of all spectators, the indomitable Tommy came into headquarters escorting one non-com-missioned officer and 17 rankers.