WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 October 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE LATEST PUSH. INFANTRY'S DIFFICULT TASK. I TERRIFIC HAND-TO-HAND I CLASHES. | The United Press correspondent states that a pocket of Germans in Daisy Wood are still holding out, but are fast dwindling. Fighting continues at Polderhoek Chateau. Hand-to-hand fighting occurred in Celtic Wood which the Australians have now in their possession." Bayonets were freely used in terrific man-to'-man clashes. The troops never had tasks harder than these. The Germans were unable to make a general counter-at-tack. The best they could do was a series of feeble local reactions. British advanced posts in the centre, and on the right retired slightly at night in order to better consolidate their positions. Dawn brought tremendous aerial activity, scores of planes fighting in the midst of a storm of shrapnel, and firing machine-guns on the German infantry and harrassing enemy balloons and batteries. Rain later blotted out the view. BAD WEATHER ON WEST FRONT. Received 8.45. LONDON, Oct. 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was heavy rain last night. Heavy enemy artillcrying is taking p'.ace west of Passchcndaele. GREAT WORK BY LANOASHIRES. LONDON, Oct. 11. The Battle of Poeleappello will always be famous for the grit of the Lancashircs, who, in marching to the attack, endured superhuman trials. At nightfall they crossed the Yser Canal and marched miles over country without form or feature and lighted only by gun-flashes. , The night was pitch dark. The men stumbled on through infinite tangles , of sinister country. They fell foul of shell holes. It was impossible to get food, drink, or rest, otherwise they would be too late for the battle. The troops marched thus for eleven hours, arrived in time, and despite exhaustion, went over with the rest and fought a great battle, winning their objectives and withstanding counter-attacks. Mr. Phillips says: Yesterday's original sucecss was somewhat modified between Broodscinde and the Thorout railway, embracing the area of our attack from Passchcndaele to trie"-south-ern border of Houthulst Forest, Some of our troops have fallen back to a line which is stiH much in advance of that held yesterday morning. The relinquishment was due to unfavourable ground,- which in some places was an impassable quagmire. Nowhere did the enemy drive us out. The water-logged condition of the country and the large number of snipers ensconced in trees and concrete redoubts at Passchcndaele retarded our progress. It is. impossible to give the exact definition of the

>rcsept line between Poelcappelle and Broodseinde. Some fortified farms cleared yesterday have been re-occup-ied by the enemy, but on the average our nett advance is 2000 yards. PRISONERS TOTAL 2038. LONDON, Oct. 1.1. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Aviators did much work on the battlefront on Tuesday ri\\spite a strong gale v and thick clouds. The artillery was thus enabled to deal with the enemy's new gun positions and other suitable targets and was kept in touch with our own infantry all day long. The enemy troops were harassed at every opportunity by machine-gun fire and many bombs wore dropped on Koulers, Cour'trai, Menin and Ledeghem stations, causing a number of explosions. We brought down six German aeroplanes. Two of ours arc missing. In the course of the day attacks on new positions in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Staden railway led to local fighting, but did not effect any material change in the situation. The enemy made no further counterattacks. Our troops actively organised the captured positions, despite the great difficulties of the ground. Tuesday's prisoners so far reported number 2035, of whom 29 are officers. They also include 400 taken by the French. We captured a few field guns and a number of machine-guns and trench mortars. A French communique states that there has been no infantry action in Belgium. The troops are consolidating the positions won. ! HINDENBURG ALARMED. ROME, Oct. 10. It is reported that Hindenburg declined to accompany the Kaiser to the Balkans owing to the situation in Flanders.

THE GERMAN STORY. GERMANS ADILxS ALLIED SUCC£> i. . | LONDON, Oct. 11. | Wireless German official.— Yesterday morning's attacks were the prelude to a battle on a twenty kilometre front between Bixschoote iand Gheluvcit lasting far int° the night. Our enemies repeatedly assaulted six times at some points. The enemy captured 1500 metres of ground in the neighbourhood of Draabacc. Manghlaere, Vcdlheok and Poelcapelle, "We firmly held our lines from Poelcapelle to southward of Ghehrvelt. AT VERDUN. ANOTHER) (GERMAN OFFENSIVE LONDON ,Oct 11. French communique.—) After intense bombardment the enemy violent ly attacked on the right bank of the Meuse north of Chaume Wood. The attack was maintained throughout the day The enemy gained a footing at some points, in our advanced elements, but our artillery prevented them from making further progress. INDUSTRIAL RECONSTRUCTION LONDON, Oct. 10. A manifesto signed by many business men and educationists urged a national scheme for industrial reconstruction under which workers will participate in the self-government of industry. SOCIALIST STRENGTH IN GERMANY. Received 10.50. AMTSERDAM, Oct. 11. In the course of a debate in the Reichstag, Dr. Michaelis admitted that, •sentences aggregating 200 years' hard labour had been imposed on sailors for socialist propaganda in the navy. The Socialists warned the' Chancellor that hundreds of thousands of men and women including men at the front were behind the Socialist party,' and ; the Chancellor's policy was bound to fail. Herr von Haase said the'Government was at the end-of its tether in trying to unite other parties for its support by waving the red flag. ' ; " The Rhenisch Westfelische' J 'Zeitung urges the criminal prosecution of the Socialist deputies. ' ' FALSEHOOD AND DUPLICITY. GERMANY'S POLICY^ AMSTERDAM, Oct 10. Herr Dittman, an Independent Socialist in the Reichstag, said that a systematic propaganda existed to, defeat peace by agreement. Dr. Michaelies' speech cpnvicted the Grmaas of a policy of falsehood and duplicity. Meanwhile the Independent Socialists were imprisoned. The speech frequently provoked uproar. Dr. Michaelis j in reply, declared that the Independent Socialists were a grave danger to Germany. The punishments inflicted on the naval mutineers were not excessive. Documents found showed that the mutineers were pledged to the recognised principles of the Independent Socialists. They had been conducting widespread agitation among the crews. The sentences must be severe, because it was necessary to break resistance these critical days. Admiral von Capelle said he could hot make a statement in regard to events at the front, but the rumours were exaggerated. Herr Dittman had been a party to the mutineers' plans. A VALUABLE CONCESSION FROM PERU. Received 9. NEW YORK, Oct. HI. Peru has notified England that her warships will have the freedom of Peruvian seaports. A PEACE MISSION. AMSTERDAM, Oct 10. Dr Kuhlmann Is going t« Vienna, Budapest, Sofia an d Constantinople on a high political mission connected with peace. A CHEERING OUTLOOK. BUILDING EXCEEDS DESTRUCTION LONDON Oct 11. The new tonnage launched in British yards last week exceeded the total tonnage destroyed by the enemy in the same week. It is authoritatively stated in shipping circles that shipbuilding is proceeding at a greater rate than i s generally admitted