WIN OR LOSE BY MAY

Taihape Daily Times, 24 April 1918, Page 5

WIN OR LOSE BY MAY

Statement by German Prisoners. Sir Douglas Haig’s Despatches. , .... ... . ...... v Blocking up Submarine Bases BRITAIN’S WAR BUDGET. Some Stupendous Figures.

AMERICANS’ BIG EIGHT. NEW YORK ,April 22. A cable from General Pershing states that tfie American casualties ar. Sischpr'eyj ■ were the heaviest yet sustained, but the German losses were greater, numbering 500. BIS DOUGLAS HAIG’S REPORT. ' LONDON, April 23. Sir Dougals Haig reports: We repulsed raids in the neighbourhood of Hamel and south of La Bassee Canal Opposite Cambrai the enemy captured an advanced post. North-west of Festubert -which has already changed hancls several times, we advanced our line slightly. At Eobecq, our artillery engaged hostile infantry which was assembling in this neighbourhood. GERMANY’S HUGE .LOSSES ' Us‘ac.o ! LONDON, April 22. c The German I ’militaryexpert,: Bleihtren, estimates' the German casualties to January.3lst at 4,456,0.00, of whom 2,970,000 'were suffered in the .West.? V t . I— M- MU. • . fj\ V - BRITAIN’S GALLANT ARMY. ■'.ijf I. HAIG’S SPECIAL MENTION. ■ ■ Received 11.20 a.m. i LONDON, April 23. 1 ■ Sir Douglas Haig, in a supplementi.laty -report, states the number of divisions -employed against- , the British alone- since, the opening; of the offensive on 21st March already was. one hundred and two, whereof many were used twice and thrice. In resisting the heavy blows resulting, from suchi concentration all ranks *hnd arms of the services had behaved gallantly and with courage and resolution, whereof no praise can be too high. Besides the divisions already mentioned tor conduct of outstanding gallantry 1 , many others greatly distinguished themsely.es. The Guards " after five days heavy fighting at Boiry and Becquerrelle, completely repulsed attacks delivered with groat strength on. March 28th and again on 30th ilareh, inflating heavy losses. This division, with the Thirty-first and Third Divisions on its. right and left in severe fighting on these and other occasions- successtfuliy resisted all the enemy’s efforts to open out their northern flank to attack. Especially gallant service was performed also on March 28th by the Fourth Division northward of the Scarpe, assisting to break up attacks launched for capture cf Arras and Yimy ridge. This division also distinguished itself on the Lys battle front on the night of the fourteenth and fifteenth April, when an admirably executed counterattack took Eiez du Vinage and 150 prisoners and again on 18th April by repulsing strong attacks south-west-ward of Eobecq.

AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS MENTIONED. Received 11.30 a.m, LONDON, April 23. Haig’s supplementary despatch says the enemy’s progress was definitely checked with the aid of the Third and Fourth Australian divisions at Mericourt, L’Abhe, and Dernancourt, and the New Zealanders at Serre; and later the Fifth Australians southward of the Somme. By the vigour of their defence all the enemy’s attempts to continue his advance were repulsed with the heaviest losses. AN IMPRACTICABLE PROPOSAL. NEW YORK, April 22. Interviewed at a Pacific port, Count Ishii said the sending of a Japanese army to France was practicable" practicable) on account of the difference in climate, food and' language.

FIERCE FIGHTING REPORTED. LONDON, April 23. Mr. Gibbs writes: The enemy is doubtless now engaged putting his available forces into position for immediate action. He is threatening all along the line from Ypres to the Somme. After a violent bombardment last night north of Aveluney Wood, on the Ancre, the enemy advanced. Fierce fighting ensued in the darkness, but we were ready. i At 10.35 this evening a wireless German official report stated: Enemy attempts to cross La Bassee Canal north-west of Bethune failed. We captured a number of English and 22 mine-throwers northward of Albert.' THE EFFECT OF GERMAN .DRIVE. A MILLION MORE ALLIES INTO THE FIELD. '*• Received 11.30 a.m. LONDON, April 23. Mr. Churchill, addressing the American Labour Mission, said: The worse the news was from the front the readier B'ritons were to make sacrifices. Under pressure of this hard fought battle we had drawn hundreds of thousands of men to the colours, and the same in France and America. The German attacks brought at least a million more men for the Allies int« the field. GERMAN PRESS .DISAPPOINTED. LONDON, April 5. Reuter’s correspondent at Amsterdam states that practically all the German war correspondents are faking great pains to explain that the interruption of the offensive is not due, to lesses, but to “normal causes.” Some newspapers, however, cjpenly display disappointment. For example, the “Frankfurter Zeitung” has reiterated that the British and French front is nowhere broken, and hints that the next blow, to succe'ed, must be heavier The German Press generally is busy counselling its readers not to expect of do rninjh,; v The * * Kolnisehc Zeitun'g” : says -that .extraordinary rumours are 1 ;pfevalent., in Germany regarding the German successes for the purpose! ,pf depressing the masses through subsequent disappointment. ■> vThjeawar correspondent of the Frankfurter- Zeitung says that hitherto it ha? : l?een impossible exactly to estimate the 1 German losses, but it is unnecessary to jump to the conclusion that; they are enormous because the victory was difficult. He states that the “enemy’s resistance is hardening and is favoured with stormy and rainy weather, which is hampering the 1 offensive.”

, A,’. German expert, in the Swiss' Zuficher Post, says that the Germans are unable to hinder .the carefully-; planned, deployment of the British and French reserves, ,and, the continuance, of; violent attacks demands ini-, mouse sacrifices. The Frankfurter Zeitung attacks Hindenburg for attempting to override the Reich stag_ It appears that Hindenburg telegraphed to the vice-president of the Reichstag: “The fresh sacrifices of blood which have been forced upon us have not been made for nothing. I know that the Reichstag understands this, and that it will champion a strong German peace.’ ’ The paper’s comment is: “With all respect and admiration for the great commander, we feel that Hindenburg’s intervention in polities is most serious for the Fatherland. He is encouraging the Pan-German annexationists, who already arc exploiting the western offensive for the purpose of altering the Reichstag’s war-aims policy. ’ ’

WESTERN FRONT.

AMERICAN CASUALTIES. Received 9.45 sum. WASHINGTON, April 23. Lmeriean casualties at Suchpuy e 200. ERMANS MASSING TROOPS. : WIN OR LOSE BY MAY. Received 10.5 a.m. LONDON, April 23. eater’s correspondent at Britisli idquaxters, -writing on tbe 22na, s: The Germans continue masstroops at the Bailleul-Neuve Egline in the north and around Dercourt in the south. Prisoners ,e granting of leave will be resum[n the German army early in May, ch suggests the enemy anticipate ecision or an abandonment of the nsive by them. - FFICIAL- minor Operations.„ . GRfeAT AERIAL WORK. Received 9.10 a.m. ,■ , , 'toi -o. ■- Xb- ... ■ LONDON; : April '23. Mi: t 1.15, Sis DiJllalg'reports:' 1 prisonered sixty as a result of a' lessfuj..operation last night nbrth--1 of Albert,-in:proving our position also prisonered a number in Ro--1 and Wytschaete areas in local ing, which was to our advantage, raided trenches and reached the ny support lines in the neighbourlof Fampoux. Hostile artillery ctive westward of Albert and the of the front from southward of ipe Forest to eastward of Ypres. artillery engaged concentrations Hllers-Bretonneux sector and in neighbourhood of Serre There better weather yesterday, and ter aerial activity with incessant )ing along the 1 whole front. We ped over twenty-three bombs at iront railway station, and Menin, entieres, Chaulnes, and other tarOur low-fliers fired thousands rands. Enemy machines appeared real numbeis, but were not ag}ive. We brought down thirteen drove down six others out of conFive of ours are missing. The of one of the enemy machines led was Baron Richthofen. Our t fliers dropped nine and a-half on Peronne, Armentieres, and Bale, also on the railway junction at Ines. f, • ' French communique reports no- : beyond lively artillerylng in didier and Noyon region, ben the 20th and 22nd. We downed ty-three enemy aeroplanes and ve balloons. Our machines >ed forty-nine thousand kilo--8 of projectiles on railway sta- ‘ camps, and aerodrimes at St. tin and elsewhere, and caused In the railway station® at Ines; w,e also blew up an ammuI dump at East Guiscard.

HEAVY SHELLING. ______ LONDON, April 23. situation on the battle : is unchanged. ■endously heavy gunfire southi of Arras at night-time was fol,by nasty local fighting in the f °f A6eluny Wood, Fighting reracedSt . Shelling coni On* the whole l line, particularly 1 Ypres, Hebuterne, Colincamps, |e Viller-Eretolineux areas. The .lines were consistently belab--11: '■. x '