WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 June 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

V STILL HELD UP. I " ENEMY MAKES NO PROGRESS. 51 LONDON, June 14. [ A French communique reports: Only local actions occurred to-night. We made several successful raids northward of Grievesnes in the region of Courcelles. We made progress near Des Logas farm, in the Villers Cotterets sector. A hostile attack in the region of Antheuil completely {failed. Between the Forest of Villers Cotterets and Chateau Thierry the artiilery duel continued actively during the night. VON STEIN'S BOAST DISCOUNTED IN AMERICA. WASHINGTON, June 14. Commenting on the "boast of General von Stein, German Minister of War, that the Allies 'armies were beaten, Mr N. D. Baker, Secretary of War, says: "That's von Stein's opinion, but the opinion of General Foch, which is vastly more important, has not yet been heard. The American people's confidence in < General Foch ' remains , xmshjften." RENEWED OFFENSIVE EXPECTED * —- LONDON, June 15. . A Paris semi-official report assumes that the latest battlo. has now ended. Each successive offensive has been of less duration and on narrower fronts, an has yielded less ground, the resistance proving more effective, and the German losses, proportionately aggra-1 rated. Still there is no doubt that j the enemy will renew the offensive all I the more hastily because he is weakening from day to day, whereas our reserves are being incessantly increased | t>y the Americans. GERMANS BEHIND SCHEDULE

TIME. ] PARIS, June 15. According to documents captured on the American frc~t,»the Germans were timed to reach Paris on June 18. An intercepted order of Falkenhayn's reads: The battles now fought on the West front are criticial and decisive. The Kaiser has ordered the high command to take all nreasures to transport to the French front within a week * the majority of the German forces now in WMte Russia, leaving only very small'detachments necessary to maintain order. The Kaiser has sent General Eichorn to Ukraine, adding: Take the sctrongest measures possible to stop sabotage on the part of Russian railway officials. GERMANS' HUGE LOSSES. LONDON, June 16. The "Weekly Despatch" states that there were no fewer thin 120,000 German casualties in the latest push, but the reserves are vast, and are still ctrming from the East, Prince Rupprecht's army, reinforced and equipped to the utmost efficiency, is awaiting Ludendorff's word of attack the British at Auiiens.

AMERICAN SUCCESS AT CHATEAU THIERRY. WASHINGTON, June 15. The Germans attacked the Americans on Thursday at Chateau Thierry, but failed to gain ground, leaving many dead, A party of 50 Germans surrendered under a flag of "'truce. It is believed the Germans have ordered cavalry divisions to the Aimefront.

GERMANS' COSTLY REVERSE. PARIS, June 14. Mr. Geo. Perris, writing from the front, says: Local actions westward of the Oise ended in a costly German reverse, despite a gain of ground varying from two to six miles, which demonstrates the brilliant success of the Allied generalship. GENERAL MAURICE'S VIEWLONDON, June 15. General Maurice, reviewing the situation at the end of the fourth phase of the German offensive, says: The Allied line has -been lengthened by 70 miles, compared with the middle of March, thus necessitating 16 to 18 tmore Allied divisions than were in the line before the 1918 campaign began. Therefore, apart from the losses in battle, the attacks have caused a serious drain, on. Foch's reserves. The enemy has also increased his front, but not to the same extent, because he is everywhere inside.the curve. ' The battles have brought the Germans within 40 miles of Calais and Boulogne and the month of the Somme, which, enables them to keep the Hazenbrouelc" Bethune-Amiens railway junctions : under close fire. The front between Montdidier and the Marne is less sat-, isfaetory for the enemy. As long as the French hold the Aisne eastward of Compeigne and cover the junction of the Aisne and Oise, it will be difficult for the enemy to make a broad drive to Paris, owing to the front of attack being split up. We have three vital points to guard—Paris, the Channel ports, and the communications across the Sonnme. ; Revised estimates show that the j Crown Prinee employed at least 43 dii Visions, from the «total "reserves 1 !a)t j Hindenburg's 'disposal on the West. There are therefore only 27 left out of 70 available at the end of May. I General Maurice expresses the opinion that the attack on the Chemin des Dames was merely an experiment, which was followed up because it opened successfully. Ho does not believe an advance to Paris across the Aisne was part of_tho original plan. The German -menace is still formidable but not so formidable as at the end of May, owing to the. heavy cost of the enemy's gains and the steady increase of the American forces.

GERMANY'S BREACH OF TREATY.

ATTACK RUSSIANS- IN NEUTRAL ZONE. Received 11.20 a.m. LONDON, June 15. The Press Buraau states a Russian wireless report star.es that the Germans are starting an offensive on a front from Stalneka to Zhu Kowka, and seized three villages near the zone. Our troops retired. An increasing movement has been observed lately at Jeovstratovk. Our troops destroyed a bridge as a reply to this violation of the treaty. German tanks and cavalry are participating. Our cavalry has been despatched to maintain a liason with our troops, who occupy a line in the neutral zone. The object of the Germans in creatting frontier incidents is to obtain railway centres at Liske and Pavoring. AERIAL ACTIVITY. BRITISH BUSY IN BELGIUM. LONDON, June 15. The Admiralty reports: Aeroplanes made night and day operations from the 10th to 12th, inclusive. They dropped eighteen tons of bombs in Belgium. Hits were observed on the mole and bursts at the seaplane shed at Zeebrugge; fires at Bruges; and bursts at the naval basin and maritime station at Ostend.

British, squadrons bombed an aerodrome and enemy works at Drawa and other places on the Turkish and Bulgarian coasts. Enemy formations over the Dardanelles were attacked, and two of their fighter scouts brought down in flames. A French communique says: On the 13th, aeroplanes shot down five German machines, and two balloons. Seven enemy machines were put out of action. Nineteen tons of bombs were dropped in enemy zones, causing great damage. SUCCESSES SOUTH OF THE AISNE LONDON, June 16. A French communique states: South of the Aisne, local operations drive the enemy from Coeuvres and Valfrcy, which we captured. We gained ground east of Mont Gobert, taking 130 prisoners bud ftcto machine guns. -Wireless German Official Keport:— Prisoners taken south of the Aisne total 4S officers and 2,000 men. (The points mentioned are north of Villers Cotterets, and their recapture indicates that the Germans' new offensive south of the Aisne! has been stopped.) At 2 15 this morning a French communique stated: There was no infantry action to-day. An artillery duel was fairly lively at Hangard Wood, south of the Aisne, and in the region between Villers Cotterets and Chateau Thierry.

To the material captured from the enemy on the 11th, the following must be added: Nine guns, including seven heavies, and forty, machine-guns.

WESTERN POSITION RE- | ESTABLISHED. LONDON, June 16. The Australian Press Association learns that the position on the Western front has been re-established. GERMAN PUBLIC DISAPPOINTED. AMSTERDAM, June 15. German news indicates that the public is disappointed at the failure to capture Rheinis. General Von Andenne, writing in the Tageblatt admits that Rheinis is impregnable against frontal atatck. He says the city was held by the last two divisions of colonial troops, who find complete protection from artillery fire and gas in champagne cellars. BRITISH SUCCESS AT .BETHUNE. I *.: i 1916 PRISONER'S TAKEN. Received 11.50 ami. LONDON, June 16. British official: In the region of Bethune we gained enemy positions on a front of two miles. All our objectives were attained and wc took 1916 pri■soners.