WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 June 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMANY'S NEXT EFFORT,

INCREASED IMPORTANCE

LONDON, June 27

General Maurice says that the importance of Germany's next effort has increased, because failure following the Austrian defeat will have most disastrous consequences. | Germany's policy has been to conclude/ each year's campaign with a showy success, therefore the Germans would be ah the more careful in the next attack on the West front. The pause meant that the troops behind the lines were, not yet sufficiently trained. * .- BLUNDERING IN THE DARK. :: GERMAN JAI LURE AT RHEIMS. London, June 30. Reuter's correspondent at Paris,, reports that the attack on Rheims was a heavy and complete enemy defeat; The Germans counted on surprising the French. A veritable deluge of gas shells preceded the attack. The line nowhere'gave way. The German losses were appalling. La Liberte comments: —"The affair shows that the enemy will never be able to break through when the French reserves are available. The strategy of Foch is beginning to bear fruit."

The "Temps," however, regards the abortive attempt against Rheims as a big local operation, and thinks it may be a wily move on the'part of the enemy to precede his big operations jby a local action on a more or less extended scale on another part of the line to that phosen for the .main operation. ''.'.. ; '"''