HAS CAMBRAI BEEN EVACUATED

Taihape Daily Times, 29 November 1917, Page 4

HAS CAMBRAI BEEN EVACUATED

Ma.ny people have been wondering why a day of jubilation has been held in Australia over the advance the British has made on the west front so far as we were made aware of it. It now appears that city morning journals have been favoured with a London cablegram by the Press Association that has not been telegraphed to provincial journals. This we cannot understand, as the Press Association cannot be charged, in a general of keeping the people of the provinces ignorant of most important war happenings Far less sensational news is usually made the subject of an extraordinary message, which provincial newspapers invariably pass on to their readers and the general public in the form of leaflets. It may bo, of course, the message, although emanating from the United Press Agency Correspondent at British Headquarters wa ® not _ deemed to be backed by evidence in other cables to constitute a reliable statement of what had transpired. However that may be, it vas so credited in Australia as to warrant a day 0 f general jubilation eing held. It may be remarked that Napier also jubilated, therefore it m ay be assumed that the message from a correspondent stating that Cambrai had been evacuated was sent along to Aapier papers as well as to city morning journals. The cablegram we are Referring to was received in New e * and at 7.40 p.m., on Tuesday night and ;t reads as follows:- * United Press Agency correspondent at British Headquarters reports; Prince “Rupprecht V«.p ofliti 0 flitio n

around Cambrai and Queant is extremely wobbly, notwithstanding his sacrifices. The heights of Bourlon have been saturated with German blood; yet General Byng still holds them. The British are virtually in front of, behind, and on the flank of the garrison of Queant, which is in dire peril, and with it those who are manning the unstable Hindenburg Line as far north as the river Scarpe. Cambrai has been evacuated and is useless as a distributing centre. The Cam-brai-Queant railway was cut when the British occupied Bourlon village, and other railways, highways, and canals became practically unavailable. ”