PAVING THE WAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1916, Page 5

PAVING THE WAY.

FOR FURTHER GERMAN DEFEATS,

FALL OF BAPAUME AND PERONNF. EXPECTED.

Received Oct. 22. 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 21. The Frankfurter Zeitung, in ;> three column leading article, reviews,the war situation, candidly preparing the public for the fall of Pennine and Bapaume, Je paper says that even if they fall, the Entente will not have won tile wai as there are other obstacles eastwards, The article concludes: "Germany must root expect Jilt generals to do impossibilities."

'The Frankfurter Zeitung, prior to the fall of Combles, declared Juat it was of no importance whatsoever.

ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED,

GOOD ADVANCE MADE,

Received Oct. 23. i 2.0 a.m. London, Oct. 22. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: A strong enemy attack on the Schwaben redoubt was repulsed with heavy losses. Subsequently, on a front of 5000 yards, we advanced our line from .100 to 500 yards. We captured the Stuff and Regina trenches, besides an advanced post north-east of Schwaben. We took some hundreds of prisoners

FRENCH REPEL VIOLENT ATTACKS.

.WITH SANGUINARY LOSSES.

ADVANCED POSITIONS GALNED.

Received Oct. 23. 12.15 a.m. Paris, Oct 22. A communique states: Multiplied violent infantry attempts were made to expel us from Sailly-Sailliscl. Our curtain .of fire thrice broke the assaulting waves with sanguinary losses, without the enemy approaching our line at any points. The same fierceness of attack was developed on our position between Biaclics and La Maisonette, it being particularly desperate in the Blaize Wood region. The enemy, although using flaming liquid, were bloodily repulsed on the whole front, but gained a few advanced positions in the trenches north of Blaize Wood. Meanwhile we captured a wood northward of Chaulnes.

AN ATTACK REPULSED,

Received Oct. 22, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 21. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: We repulsed an attack westward of the Kchvaben redoubt, inflicting heavy losses. There is nothing to report elsewhere. FURTHER BRITISH PROGRESS. Received Oct. 21, 5.5 p.m. Loudon, Oct. 21. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: We further progressed at night in the neighbourhood of the Butte d'Jariarncourt, and successfully raided trenches south of Neuvo Chapellc.

AN ALLEGED INTERVIEW. New York, October CO. The London correspondent of the New York World interviewed Colonel Maurice, Director of Military Operations, who said that the main strategic purpose of the Allies' operations on the Somme was to retain the bulk of the fiermmi forces on this front. _ As five-eighths of the German army was there the purpose had been achieved. ■

The British now were fighting for a jumping-off place, from which to attack Bapaume. While Bapaume and Peronae were not of first-class strategic value, their capture would Ibe morally important.

Replying to a question, he said there was no reason for lack of confidence in the Roumanians' ability to make an effective stand. They had enough men, and with good leadership-there was 119 ground for doubting their ability.

OFFICIAL REPORTS. London, October 20. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We raided the trendies at Loos. The enemy shelled the Stuff and Schwabeh. redoubts. A French communique states:—We repulsed a coup-de-main in Lorraine, A German communique says:—We wrested from the English the greater portion of the trenches they won on Wednesday west of Eaucourt L'Abbaye, on the Le Barque road. ALLIES' FAVORABLE POSITION' GERMANS MAKING TUNNELS New York, October 20. Despatches from the French field headquarters declare that the French victory at Sailly-Sailliscl has increased the Allied breach in the German line to a maximum depth of over eleven miles, and soon the Allies will be in a position for most effective assaults, simultaneously on three sides. The Germans, fearing this development, are constructing deep subterranean tunnels on a scale hitherto unequalled. These will shelter a thousand men and provide for their rapid transfer underground from place to place. The tunnels will he equipped with miniature railways for the transportation of machine-guns and ammunition to the exits, where a lift will transport the guns and their crews to the surface, or permit of their descent in the tunnel to, other points with the maximum rapidity. "*

WORTHLESS GEKMAX REPORTS. Amsterdam, October 20. The Somme German authorities have issued a summary belittling their defeats and describing the battle as a vast and costly failure of the T'rench and British attempt to break through. The account is intentionally confusing. It glowingly describes the German defence and briefly mentions the loss of successive fortified villages. using • the phrase: "The position was then left to the enemy.' 1 The loss of Combles represented a German success, because the garrison escaped heavily laden with arms and materiai-