WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

A RAID NEAR ARRAS. TRENCHES REDUCED TO RUBBISH ENEMY DISAPPEAR London, Jan. fl. Mr. Philip Gibbs, describing an AngloScottish raid near Arras, whieli penetrated the third line on a two thousand yards front, says it was remarkable because there were only n score of casualties" and practically no German machinegun fire. One fired twenty shots and was then silenced. The enemy barrage was erratic and feeble. It is difficult, he goes on, to divine the reason for such a state of affairs. Possibly the enemy is nursing his ammunition and holding his lines thinly with youths. Certainly we were able to walk throuch the old original trench system without finding the enemy. It would be wrong to build extravagant hopes upon this, but the enemy cannot afford to he weak anywhere. A heavy bombardment preceded the raid, and the attackers trudged tjuietlv over No Man's Land in the afternoon, deliberately but horribly close to the cdj/e of the British barrage. Aeroplane? flew thickly and low. The lack of opposition was uncanny. The entanglements were destroyed and levelled, and then were many traps ten or fifteen yards wide. The trenches wen reduced to rubbish heaps and she!' craters, and there were some German dead Iving about. A young English officer with a renvi 'ion for nonrhnlant.lv strolling over \"i> Man's Land, led a'detachment to t.h" third line, and mounted the.-para-dos in order to observe the lay of the land. He had a clear view of Tilloy, a village east of Arras, but saw no Germans. He then returned homewards. A Scoitish ollirer had a similar o.perienee. He reached the third line and saw r.o living German from first to last. He blew up nineteen dug-outs, sat on the parados, and lit a cigarette A few German guns at Tilloj fired weakly. The Scots leisurely exploded the shell craters, the officer finishing his cigarette, blew a tantara on a French hunting horn, and the men slouched home.

TRENCHES ENTERED. BRITISH ARTILLERY ACTIVE. Received Jan. 10, S p.m. London, Jan. 10. Field Marshal Sir • Douglas Haig states: We successfully entered trenches opposite Hulluch. Our artillery is active on both banks of the Anero and at the Gommeeourt salient We also icaused a big explosion north of Wieltje. - ALLIES' CONFERENCE. DIFFICULTIES SOLVED. Paris, Jan. 9. M. Briand, in an interview, said the conference at Rome was of the utmost utility. Many difficulties of detail had arisen since the last conference, especially in the last few weeks, and attempts had been made to disturb the Allies' relation l . Therefore it was necessary to dissipate (lie clouds and solve difficulties. Everything was undertaken with goodwill, and the conference was a complete success.

JOY TO THE ALLIES.FULL UNITY SECURED. Received Jan. 10, 8 p.m. Paris, Jan. 10. T.p Petit Parisien states that Italy, having received the required explanations at the Rome conference, expresses its concurrence, with the other Allies' viewpoint regarding Greece. It is believed now that a reciprocal supply of material from the Allies will be hurried up. The decisions of the conference have brought joy to the Allied peoples, ensuring at last the political and military amalgamation of the four Powers. The Pope twice protested against Germany's persecution of Franco-British prisoner£. His efforts thus far have failed.