WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

COLONEL REPINGTON REAPPEARS. HIS FORECAST AND ADVICE. TO MAKE CHIEF EFFORT ON WEST FRONT Received Dec. 27, 0.50 p.m. London, Dec. 27. Colonel Repington, forecasting the 1017 military situation, says it is unlikely to improve for • many months, and may even betome worse owing to past mistakes. The Allies have now almost invested Austro-Germany, though the enemy still supplies from the south-east. Cojlonel Repington, while favoring a complete investment, advocates that the chief efforts' should be made on the West front, where increased numbers of men and heavy guns in the spring of 1917 will permit an offensive on a larger front than that of the Somme. "We now have the whip-hand on the West front, and it will be a mistake tm transfer the main effort to distant theatres. We shall seek a great decisive victory, which is only obtainable on the West."

SOCIALISTS CONFER. BRITISH LABOR MINISTERS IN FRANCE. Paris, Dec. 20. Messrs. Henderson and Roberts were speakers at a Socialist Congress. Mr. Henderson received an ovation when lie. declared that England was resolved to continue. the war until Prussianism was smashed. M. van de Velde, a Belgian Minister, said the Belgians were still confident and courageous. The idea of peace could not be entertained until France, Belgium, and Serbia had been liberated. Mr. Roberts denounced the hypocrisy of Germany's proposals and pointed out ,that it emanated from the original dis-' turbers of the world's peace.

"DEMOCRACY'S GREATEST ENEMY, A SOCIALIST'S WISE WORDS. Received 27, 5.5 p.m. Paris, December 20. Mr. Henderson emphasised that militarism, with its inevitable consequence of firmaments, ambitions, suspicions and aggressions, was democracy's greatest enemy. "War is j"brutal negation of our high ideals of brotherhood and internationalism," he continued. "We cannot remain under constant menace of filitary aggression. If forced to maintain big armies for safety we cannot develop. We will be on the road to ruin. Hence our( fight is for a lasting peace, which nothing can disturb. To make peace now, even to think of pence at any time without a complete indemnity for the past and absolute security for the future, would be to betray the cause of liberty." ENEMY POSITIONS RAIDED Received Doe. 27, 10.30 p.m. London, Dec. 27. General Sir Douglas Haig reports:— We raicled positions north-east of Armentieres and east of Plo-egstreert, prisoners being secured. FRENCH AIR RAID. London, Dee.' 20. A French communique states that ten French aeroplanes bombed the railway station and hutments at Nosle and bivouacs at Chapitre. SOMME' BATTLE " FINISHED." A German semi-official message states l A German semi-official inesage states that the Somme battle has finished. An extensive trench system has again been constructed with over a dozen lines of' defence.