RUSSIA.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 November 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

THE CUTE KAISER. LONDON Nov 10. The “Morning Post’s” Petrograd correspondent narrates an astonishing Jspisode during the attack on Riga. An ' entire Russian division brought in their officers bound as a peace offering to their conquerors. The Kaiser, immediately realising the illeffects such action would have upon he discipline of his own army, ordered every fiftieth Russian to be shot. He released the -officers, returned their swords and permitted them to return to their headquarters. The remainder of the Russian surrenderors were flogged or punished.! The Kaiser also ordered the' prisoners not to use a prayer for “the ‘ Provisional Government, but restored the old form for the Czar. The ; Kaiser’s action is being published broadcast throughout Russia and has greatly impressed the Russians, who do not realise that it is not merely a pose in the interests of the Hohenzollern dynasty. Wiser heads have seen in the Kaiser’s action a significant evidence of what will be the fate of the Revolution if the Germans capture Petrograd.

APPEAL TO WORKMEN AND PEASANTS. The "Telegraph Agency" states that a Congress of the Soldels of All Russia practically unanimously decided to appeal to the workmen, soldiers and peasants of Russia, stating that the parties of Korniloff, Kerensky, Koledrie and others are endeavouring to move troops to Pctrograd, but several detachments of Kerensky’s troops have already sided with the revolting people. The appeal urges the soldiers to actively resist Kerensky who is a partisan ■ 'f The railwaymen are therefore asked to stop the forces Kerenjsky is sending to Petrograd. WAR PROSPECTS. NO' PROSPECT OF AN EARLY PEACE. ’/ LONDON, Nov 11.; At the Guildhall banquet, follcvying the Lord Mayor’s Pageant Mr Bpnar Law, reviewing, 'the, general military situation, emphasised that Germany had secured complete. control of the armies of her allies. , Such control •had not existed, and could not exist, to the same extent .among our. allies, because we were a , league, of peoples, but a step had just be,en .taken which would make, co-operation 1 closer today than it had ever he&ti. An Allied Military Staff of France 1 / Britain and Italy had been created. It would sit Permanently to study military problems as a whole, ’and as a result Of its creation the whole’ front, from the Channel to the'Adriatic, would in'future be treated as one. He refused to prophesy regarding Italy, but’ he believed the Italians would be able to hold tlie enemy until aid arrived from the Western Allies. He thought the German attack on Italy was partly to divide the Allies and partly to keep up the spirits of the German people; but Germany could never win the war until she defeated the Franco-British armies in the West. He saw no prospect of an early peace It was now a question of nerve and staying power. All the belligerents staggered beneath the load and it was a question of who was going to fall. He knew the hearts of our soldiers and sailors, and those of dur Allies would not fail them. (Cheers.)

LLOYD GEORGE VISITS ITALY

THE WAR COUNCIL ENDED. A REASSURING IMPRESSION. • Received 11.35 LONDON Nov 11. The Obesrver says that the director of the vastly extended Allied front will im ol\e important rearrangement of military commands. General Favlole commands the Franco-British contingents in Italy, Lloyd George is visiting the south of France, going home with Foch; he wil remain in Italy for some time M. Painleve has convened his colleagues to discuss details of the An-glo-French measures to assist Italy. The statement has produced a reassuring impression. Havelock Wilson is forming a Merchant Seamen’s League, open to every citizen in th e Empire. The maximum subscription is one shilling a year. Members are pledged to refuse to employ Germans, or to purchase or use any German goods for two years after the war. Mr Wilson is hopeful of sesuring five million subscribers.

CAPTURE OF GAZA

STRONG DEFENCES TAKEN. LONDON Nov 9. y Mr W. P. Massey, the official correspondent with the Egyptian Army, telegraphs that the attack on Gaza was launched at midnight from two sides, accompanied by intense artillery fire. The British troops routed the enemy from All Muntar Hill and entered the town at daybreak. Others advanced from the seaward side and northwards. The cavalry pursued the disorganised enemy. Irish troops captured the Harlra, formerly the centre of the Turkish Gaza-Beersheba line. The comparativ9ly,..slight rfsictanqe £t, Gaza was due to .The grand success., of the previous day's battle on the right, where enormous booty was taken. The capture of Gaza, with its’ tremendously strong works, was accomplished by first smashing the eastern line of dethreatening the Gaza flank. Our losses were comparatively slight.

TURKISH ARMY RETREATING GREAT WORK BY TROOPS AND NAVY. LONDON, November 10. Egypt official: The whole Turkish army is retreating northwards and is being bombed by British aeroplanes. The enemy upon our right is retiring on Hebron. We hampered his retreat, capturing prisoners and transport. Our mounteds advancing through Jemameh and Huj, thirteen nine miles respectively eastward of Gaza, reached the south bank of the Wadi Hesi, which is twelve miles northward of the old Turkish front. We have thus established contact with our forces advancing from Gaza. The latter forces captured 'the north bank of the mouth of the Wadi Hesi and Herbies, reaching the railway and turning the enemy’s prepared position on this wadi. We also captured the Turkish coastal railhead at Beithanun, and arc pur.-’jjr ing the enemy in the direction of Wadi Hesi.

Wc captured over forty guns. Egypt official.—Our mbunteds, advancing captured another -100 their-hiidi* ten gun’s., Our' .line, mow runs in a "south-easterly direction/ from two miles northward of JHarndmeh to two -miles northward . of, Anikei - Mcash yc on the central railway—generally ten to six miles northward of Wadi Hessi. Wc occupied Askalon.

Our aeroplanes continued to bomb bodies of retreating Turks and all important centres of communication, dropped 300 bombs during the day.

Captured guns number over 70 which several were 5.9 guns.

General Allenbj- estimates the enemy’s .casualties at I0;000 exclusive of prisoners. (Askalari is about twelve miles north of Gaza.)

Gaza operations. PROGRESS IN PALESTINE. Received 11.20. LONDON Nov 11. From Palestine correspondent Massey; Interest on Thursday centred in a position which a division was holding in the Atawinch sector, south-eastward of Gaza. Though deprived of support on the right and left, it held trenches and redoubts, but was heavily shelled. We had begun on Wednesday to get round both flanks, and the Anzac mounteds tried to move across the rear. Apparently the enemy was determined to remove the bulk of their troops at night, leaving the trenches lightly held. The west countrymen got these early in the morning and in the afternoon brought indications that the Turks were retreating. A big ammunition store was blown up a long way in his rear The Scottish territorials had marched, during the night, thirteen miles across sand the sand being ankle-deep throughout, to high ground northward of Wadi Hesy, thus preventing the Turks using the railway for removal of material. The Scots brought up their field guns and heavy batteries. It was a wonderful feat, over terrible ground. The Turks i felt the weight of metal from these and at Lahihanun, and they -moved out of the way. Our troops on the > east, meanwhile, were overcoming the j difficult conditions. The Irishmen, * Londoners and others by long marches and spells of hard fighting made progress and with dismounted yeomanry /displayed tTTeir fitness and determination. Their ' keenness was whetted by many trials. The work of the yeomanry, Australians and New Zealanders had been magnificent. ■ Aeroplanes bombed two bodies of Turks numbering five thousand near the coast, between Seneidand The fliers also got in many hits with machine-guns. They also bombed retreating columns, j transport stations and aerodromes. !