FORTY MORE VILLAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 March 1917, Page 5

FORTY MORE VILLAGES.

OCCUPIED BY THE BEITISH. CONSIDERABLE ENEMY RESISTANCE. Received March 22, 11 p.m. London, March 22. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: We advanced rapidly south-east-ward and eastward of Peronne, reaching points ten miles eastward of the Sonmie, and occupied another forty villages. In this area the enemy is developing considerable resistance at a number of places between Nurlu and Arras, but the rearguards were steadily expelled from their positions. Our progress continues. We carried out successful raids eastward of Arras and north-eastward of Neuville St. Vaast. We repulsed a raiding party eastward of the latter. The enemy blew a mine south-eastward of Ypres, damaging his own trendies. 20,000 INHABITANTS LIBERATED. GERMAN VANDALISM, INTENSE INDIGNATION. Received March 22, 5.5 p.m. Paris, March 21. The advance has liberated twenty thousand residents. There is intense indignation at- German vandalism, especially the destruction of the historic remains of the Chateau Coucy, and violent denunciations of the abductions at Noyon. Maurice Maeterlinck, the Belgian writer, and others urge reprisals by the destruction of German towns whenever the enemy violates France, Alsace, or Belgium. ~t '