IN THE WEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1916, Page 5

IN THE WEST.

KAISER AS PROPHET. - VEPDUN 'THE ENflfe- . ' Paris, April W. The Kaiser has issued the following exhortation to his troops:— "The treaty of 1871 was signed in IBaris. Go forward, beloved soldiers. This titne it is the end. The treaty will be signed at Verdun." CAUSE AND EFFECT, Paris, April 14. A semi-official comment on the German explanation that bad visibility caused a slackening in the Verdun attack, says:— "The excuse is far too simple. The truth is that the resumption of the offensive on the 9th, 10th, and 11th caused the Germans considerable losses and they must reconstruct the decimated units and fill the huge gaps in the ranks. The only results of the offensive were bloody hclacombs and the occupation of 500 metres of trenches at the foot of liort Homme, contrasting with 5 kilometres on a 9-kilometre front gained from February 21-24, which was the only other offensive on the same scale. "This is obviously due to the French defensive power increasing and the German offensive declining, also to the fact that the. French material is constantly improving. Commonsense justifies the •belief that the capture of Verdun is beyond the enemy's strength." NOTHING DOING Received April 15, 5.5 p.m. Berlin, April 14. Official: There is nothing to reporL from Verdun. ONLY ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. Received April 15, 5.5 p.m. , "aris, April 14. A communique states: There is merely artillery activity west and east of the Meuse. MINING WORK I Received April 15, 5.5 p.m. London, April 14. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: We exploded mines east of Vermelles on Thursday evening, considerably damaging the enemy's position, and we successfully bombarded the neighborhood of Souchez. i ANOTHER REPORT (Received April 16, 11.5 p.m. General Haig repor«*: Several small enemy bomb attacks on the craters at St. Eloi were repulsed. The enemy exploded five mines n'ear the quarries at Hulluch, hut the damage dose was slight. * ARTILLERY ACTIVE, Received April 16, 11.5 p.m. Paris, April 16. A communique says: There was a somewhat lively bombardment on our positions between Malancourt Wood and Hill 304. Our batteries showed great activity on this front. A later report, says that the enemy's operations at Verdun are confined to an intense bombardment on both banks of the Meuse.

AT ST. ELOI. ANOTHER UERMAJi REPORT. Received April 10, 5.5 p.m. Copenhagen, April 15. A Berlin wireless says: A strong English advance on the crater positions south of St. Eloi was completely repulsed. , A few battalions, after artillery preparations had greatly increased jn violence, were only able to carry out an attempted attack on our positions at Mort Homme. Thanks to our concentrated fire on both sides of the Meuse the attacking waves broke down, with very heavy losses, before our lines. A few who penetrated the trenches were killed in hand-to-hand encounters, AT YPRES. ENEMY SURPRISED AT BRITISH STRENGTH. Time 3 and Sydney Sun Services. Received April 16, 5.15 p.m. London, April 15. The Daily Mail's correspondent at Rotterdam says that the British strength at the Y.pres sector has given the enemy a rude shock. The delivery of a local attack on one reported weak position was repulsed after a fierce hand-to-hand fight. German troops and guns continue to .arrive at the Yser, where the next great battle is expected; FOOD IPRICES IN FRANCE i Paris, April 14. The Senate adopted the principle of the Government firing the. maximum selling prices of the necessaries of life . GERMAN ATTACK REPULSED. '' " London, April 14. j A communique says: It w;t-> relatively [calm at Verdun. A small German attack south of Douaumont was completely repulsed.