WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE RESURGENT TRICOLOUR. FLYING OVER HAMEL. LONDON, July 8. Mr. Perceval Gibbs writes that the Germans, evidently worn out by their . previous fighting and discouraged by failure to receive relief, fell back from the shell holes and allowed the Aubtrians to occupy them. Very low spirits were shown. A grey-haired Australian officer daringly climbed, to the roof of the market place at HameS, 'and unfurled the French flag. The German artillery opened fire, but the daredevil officer reached the ground safely as a shell knocked off the corner of the building. The shelling of the flag continued all day, but at night fall it was still waving bravely from the battered masonry. THE WEEK IN" PRANCE. GRATIFYING MINOR SUCCESSES. STRAFING GERMANS FROM THE v- •■-;. . • AIR. •■■ ;'■■■• ■-■-■•< ,4- _ , _. | ~ ...• .., WELLINGTON, July 8. The following review of the situation on the Western front has been received by the Governor-General from the .Secretary, of State for the Colonies: ''"On the Feneh front, in two:-minor 'operations, the French retook' high - groun3 between and St. Pierre Aigle, and French and American troops retook Hill 204 in the Chateau ThieTry sector. Both operations deprive the enemy of strong points, and give the Allies a position whence is obtainable a wide view, which will make any enemy attempt to advance in this area more difficult. "The British carried out a most successful operation on the morning of Friday, June 28, on a front of between three and four miles, east of Nieppe Forest. We advanced our line about 1500 yards, taking over 400 prisoners, two field guns, a number of machine-guns and trench mortars. The operation was carried out by men mostly from Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Northern Counties, while some Southern English units co-operated. Our casualties were very light, while the line here was greatly Strengthened. Simultaneously Austrian troops took advantage of the confusion to capture certain hostile posts west of Merris, taking 43 prisoners and six machine guns, On the morning of July Australian troops, assisted by American units, carried out a very wellexecuted minor operation south of the Somme, in the same' sector where they alreadv had had such a remarkable local success. They advanced the line approximately one and a-half miles, capturing the village of Hamel and Vaire Wood, and taking about 1500 prisoners, and numbers of machine guns and anti-tank guns. In addition to the prisoners the German losses were heavy, while the attack was so well organised that our losses were exceptionally light. "NOTHING TO REPORT." LOCAL FRENCH SUCCESS. Received 9.40 a.m. LONDON, July 9. Sir Douglas Haig states there Is nothing to report beyond local en-: counters. Hazy weather "interfered with our work. We dropped sixteen tons of bombs in the daytime and* the following night, the principal targets attacked being Ostend docks, railways, at Tournai and Courtrai. W French communique reports: t|Ah of the Aisne we attacked in the German positions and apto Lenz Forest, north-west of Ijongpont, on a front of three kilo-

metres. We advanced twelve hundred yards and captured Chavrigny Farm and ridges north and south thereof. NEW ZEALAND MINISTERS UNDER SHELL FIRE. PROUDER OF OUR MEN THAN EVER, Received 11.10 a.m. LONDON, July 9 Mr Massey and Sir J. G. Ward during their visit to the front spent a lively time in the danger zone. They motored three miles along the front line, and had a taste of shell fire. B'oth were greatly impressed with General Foch and M. Clemenceau. The Overseas, Ministers declare their visit was useful, and they gained -a general knowledge "of .what jfine work the Overseas corps' and 1 troops are doing] Sir J. G. Ward states he is prouder of the troops to-day than ever.. Their work is such as to cheer "the heart of the most confirmed pessimist. The men are irrepressibly confident of final victory. . ; AMERICANS'- APPEARANCE IN THE WEST. BREAKING THE NEWS GENTLY. Received 11.40 a.m. AMSTERDAM, July 9. A semi-official message refers to the frequent Allied patrol attacks, and significantly alludes to the appearance of big American detachments on several parts of the front. It is evidently deemed desirable to break the news to the people of the appearance of the Americans. ■<:'■.'

ENGLAND AND PEACE.

AN ENEMY'S CRITICISM. ,{. W9 ; This the Vienna "Arbeiter Zeitung" summarises the situation created by the British Man-Power Bill:—"Those who still believe in peace by compulsion should receive a lesson from England's latest decision. "It will not be easy to bring such, an adversary to his knees. No victory can bring us peace. The greatest battle cannot annihilate a whole people, nor the greatest victory shatter them. When the war began we did not reckon with the British Army. The Central Powers took into calculation her colossal battle fleet, but no one dreamt of the possibility that Britain would summon to the colours citizens up to the age of 50. In reality, however, England has only shown the same toughness and the same spirit of self-sacrifice as in her great wars against Louis XIV. and Napoleon. If the Anglo-Saxon is ence at war, no sacrifice is too great for him, no price too high to obtain his object. 'Hucksters versus heroes' this men mocked the English in trie first year of the war; but since t.ben they have learned that the Briton is as ready to bear burdens as the Germans—as ready to fight heroically, and as ready to die. To-day England answers the German victories in the West, with an extension of milit.'j.ry service to the fiftieth year. Does anyone still believe that it will be. an easy matter to compel this intrepid opponent to capitulate?"