WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 14 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMAN ARMY ESTIMATED AT , 5,300,000 NEARLY FOUR MILLION MEN ON WEST FRONT. t NEW YORK, May 12. The New York Times discussing the American army in France, says that authentic figures shew that the. German army is now approximately 5,300,000 men, exclusive of the Austrian army This year Germany was able to add 600,000 men. The Allies from Calais to Belfort are facing 3,654,000 Germans. The Times points out that there is a great task before the Allies, and that every available American soldier is needed. It estimates the rate of German losses at. more than a million annually. THE AUSTRALASIANS. “ALL OVER THE GERMANS.” London, May 1, correspondent-telegraphs: r j ■ r - Thet&.-w'as -never a moment in this ■JUtiest "fighting!i when- the • Australians not ■ dll' r 6ver the' Germamssu ' Their patrol work at .Meteren has ‘ been beyond all praise, and has earned the heartiest admiration Of ’ the French who ‘are fighting - alongside them'. '' ' y Ji - ' ; T ' ]r ' Altogether the Australians’ -' record Is 'hrilllafit and 7 nobody in the artoy rr lir but Of it will begrudge them Sir Douglas Haig’s praise. ‘ It was largely owing to the Yew Zealanders that the enemy totally failed to advance at Hehuterne. Several times they were beaten eff with vOry heavy casualties. ALLIED CONFIDENCE. ABLE TO HOLD THE ENEMY. Received 8.50 a.m. j OTTAWA, May 13. j A summary of war operations reeeived from the British Cabinet states | that the Allies arc so confident of 1 their ability to hold the enemy that J they have decided not to use the whole ; of the American army until later, j when they will convert it into a com- , plete, powerful self-supporting force. | The Imperial war Cabinet reports to j OttaytfAthat German reserves are near- | ing cSfraustiou. AMERICAN AND . ANGLO-BRITISH FORCES. REPORTED SEPARATE BRIGADING UNCONFIRMED. E eeeived 9.10 a. m WASHINGTON, May 13. Lord Reading has not received any confirmation of the report from Ottawa of the Cabinet’s message that the brigading of the Americans would cease with British and French forces, ; but would wait until the Americans are able to form their own armies. . GERMAN PREPARATIONS FOE ANOTHER BLOW. POSSIBLY THE DECISIVE CLASH. ? LONDON, May 12, Mr. Phillip Gibbs writes: The present quietude means that the Germans are preparing another violent blow. Our guns arc doing, most of the firing On many parts of the front. The enemy gunners dare scarcely reply, and are economising ammunition, filling up and unloading shells from light Our airmen report unusual railway activity behind the Germans’ T^ere a cont i nua l tide of stock, and sometimes long columns of marching men, but the movement is greatest at night, when unob-

servable. We may assume that fresh divisions with field batteries and heavy guns are taking positions nearer our lines, in readiness for the assault Our armies are awaiting expectantly. 1 believing that if the enemy again fails the German’s great hopes will be ut- / terly- destroyed,'' Sir Douglas Haig reports, at 9.40 in the evening: Nothing is- happening except reciprocal artillery fire. The mist is interfering with air work. Wc downed four more enemy machines. LIVELY ARTILLERY DUEL. Received 9.40 a.m. LONDON, May 13. A French communique states there is a fairly lively artillery duel south of Avr§. Our aeroplanes dropped seven thousand kilogrammes' of projectiles on enemy railway Rations, depots, and cantonments at Eoyon, Chauncy, Flavyle and Martel. Several fires were observed. I LARGE ALLIED RESERVE AVAIL. ABLE: .vvm.m;:. j —, „ _ f HUNS MUST WIN AN EARLY I - -VICTORY. j 'NEXT BLOW ON ARRAS AMIENS. , v ’ front. : : ‘ L •'■; " Received 11.50 a.m. 1 °- i ■ ; j/; • , OTTAWA, May 13. The British War Cabinet’s report to .Ottawa states that General Poch has large reserves still, available. The enemy is rapidly using up his and obliged to win a victory., The,.next. blow is expected on the Arras-Amiens front. FRENCH TROOPS' SUCCESS.' LONDON, May 12. Reuter’s Headquarters correspondent says: French troops operating along the gully of the Wyverbeck, running south of Dickebusch Lake, to the eastern fort of Mt. Kemmel, had considerable success. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, May 12. Admiralty Wireless: A German official message states: We stopped an attack on our lines northward of Kemmel. We clowned in two days nineteen machines. GERMAN’S LINES THINNED. NEW YORK, May 12. The United Press correspondent on the American front says: Information obtained from aviators flying above the German lines indicates that the Germans have thinned their ranks in Lorraine. The German’s lines opposite Verdun are sparsely occupied. Prisoners report that lowest grade German soldiers are holding the positions. ! GERMANS BEHIND TIME. LONDON, May 12.

Router's British Headquarter’s cor- 1 respondent; writing o n the 12th, reports: The weather is grey and cheerless on most of the b'attlefront. The onemy has fallen considerably behind his amended time-table. In a dairy found on a captured German officer is an entry showing that a certain big attack planned from Albert had been abandoned, because the second naval division, had broken into Albert and indulged in wholesale riot. The diary added: The division has been dealt with for disorderly behaviour and pillage. BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORT. Received 10.30 a.m. LONDON, jfay 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports hostile artillery activity in the Somme valley and Albert sectors and between Locon and Nieppe Forest.

SELF-CON I AINED AMERICAN ARMY. Received 11.50 a.m. Washington, May is. A military official states the reason for the Alhec ’docis : on not to use 'American troops in large numbers is to wait uuti., tne Americans are ready to su;.\c- as a pow trfu. supporting ar ay.