WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

SUCCESSFUL FRENCH [ OFFENSIVE. ENEMY DRIVEN BACK. CONSIDERABLE LOSSES INFLICTED. A. & N.2. Cable Association and Reuter. Received March 25, 5.5 p.m. London, > March 24. A French communique states: Between the Soinma and Oise our troops, with determination and dash, carried out a completely successful ofi'ensi/ve. Despite desperate resistance the enemy was driven back on a wide front over a distance ranging from two to four kilometres north ajid east of St. Quentin canal. Narth-ea&of Tergnier we pushed detachment,!! as far as the heights dominating the valley of the Oise. The Germans caused floods in this region, the town of La Fere being inundated. South of the Oise we continued to cross in the Ailette region. North o.'. Soissons w« considerably progressed towards Margival. Two enemy attacks north-west of Rheims failed under our barrage, the enemy losses being considerable, judging from the number of bodies hung up on the entanglements. Another communique says:Ea?t of the St Quentin canal we extended our positions very appreciably at certain points, and reached the western bank of the l}'we north of La Fore. We also progressed on the eastern bank of the Ailette. Our flro stopped enemy attempts against small posts in the direction of, Berry-au-Bac, also east of Rlieiras and west of Mort Homme. PATROL ENCOUNTERS. RAIDING AND BOMBARDMENT. Received March 25, 5.5 p.m London, March 21. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: Patrol encounters in strength at a number<>of points between Etreifrers, Beauinctzle, Cambrai, and Beauroins were successful. There has been raiding eastward of Arras, and a bombardment of the,trenches south-east'of Loos and east of Vermelles. THE RE-OCCUPIED DISTRICTS. SUFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE. HUN SATURNALIA Unit"! Scrvicj. Received March 25, 5.5 p..m ,' London, March 24, Mr. Beach Thomas, describing the iVoccupied districts, says the resident.;' facea and gestures depict their weakness and illness. Pitiful stories are told of the invaders' last brutalities. The villagers were assembled while their homes were burned. They had been enslaved, and latterly almost starved. There was a high mortality, owing to the lack of milk and other necessaries. The retreating Germans indulged in a saturnalia of bestiality, breaking open coffins, scribbling obscenities on the churches, and defiling the sacred places. HEARTRENDING STORIES. APPALLING DEVASTATION. MALES CARRIED OFF Received March 25,. 5.5 p.m. Paris, March 24. The newspapers relate heartrending stories of famished children found wandering, ghost-like, among tha ruins of their homes. The soldiers supplied the inhabitants of some of the districts with the first food they had received for days. They had eaten 'no meat since September, and no milk had been_ obtainable for a year. They never received a quarter of the rations supplied by the American relief fund. Appalling devastation is seen everywhere along the line of the retreat. At dummy 1800 out of 2500 houses were destroyed, including churches and public buildings. AH males between 14 and CO vvei;e carried off. FIENDISH ATROCITIE? The enemy herded the women and children, together with the nuwt feeble of the inhabitants of thirteen surrounding communes, into a certain quarter of the town, and then trained gums on this quarter, killing and wounding many. It j s officially confirmed that the Germans poisoned the walls with with arsenic. FEAR OF BRITISH OFFENSIVE. Reutcr's headquarters correspondent reports that the inhabitants left behind state that the, Boschea had been talking a good deal lately, as they now know more about the true situation than is generally believed. They have an unconscionable apprehension of another great British offensive; indeed, that is one possible reason of the retroat, and there may well have been dubify on the part of the High Command whether the men would face anothsr Soaime campaign. DIABOLICAL HAVOC BY HUNS. New York, March 23. The London correspondent of the Now York Times had an interview with General Maurice, who said the Germans blew up every important cross-road in the retreat and wrought diabolical havoc on buildings and public works. This wanton' destruction was not a military precaution, and did not stop tho British advance. It meant that the Germans meant to destroy every portion of France in their hands if'forced to continue the retreat. The present retirement did not surprise the British, but it was impossible to say where the Germans would make a .stand.

ROISEL CAPTURED. ENEMY 'ATTACKS REPULSED. SECOND LINE REACHED. A. & X.Z. fable Association and Reuter. Received March 25, 11.35 p.m. London, 'March 25. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Wo occupied Roiscl, seven miles east of Peroiuie. Strong enemy detachments attacked our positions in the vicinity of Beaumont and obtained a footing, but in a counter-attack wc drove them out. We progressed on a front of one mile and a-half, south-west and west of Econ&tsincin, and repulsed an attack north of Doiry and Hocc|iicrelle. We also successfully carried out a raid eastward of Arra« and readied the enemy's second line. We entered trenches eastward of Xeuville St. Vaast and dispersed an attack in the neighborhood of Richebourg la Vaast. » ENEMY'S NEW LIME. HASTY ENTRENCHMENT. BRITISH BRING UP GUNS. A BIG BATTLE LOOMING. A, & N.Z..Cable Association. Received March 25, 11.50 p.m. Paris, March 25. There are indications tha.t Prince Rlipprecht's forces are hastily establishing themselves on lines between Stt Quentin. and Cambrai, the approaches to which are barred 'by two systems of advanced trenches. The British,profiting by the frost and darkness, are bringing up their artillery by leaps and bounds. Newspapers are.expressing the opinion, that possibly wo are on the eve of a big battle. • Enemy resistance on the French sector is energetically increasing by means of their cavalry in the rear. "* , FRENCH ADVANCE CONTINUED CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS MADE. ,A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received March 20, 1.45 a.m. London, March 25. A French communique states: North of the Somme we drove back the enemy to the outskirts of Saoy, into previously prepared trenches. Following up our ,successes between the Soiume and Oise, we attacked the enemy, who defended every foot of ground, but we drove him back a kilometre. North of Grand Eracourt and Gibercourt we seized the tt'est bank of the Oise, between the sybut'bs of Lafere and north Vandvcil, twov of the advanced forts of Lafere falling into our hands. South of the Oise, dospite the floods, we progressed considerably. On the east bank of the Ailstte we captured several villages,, and threw the enemy rearguards to the forest of Coucy. VIOLENT ENEMY ATTACKS. VERY HIGH LOSSES, (A. & N.Z. Cable Association & Renter). London, March 23. A French communique states: A violent enemy attack before the village of Artenycs, north of St. Simon, at first slightly drove back our troops, but we immediately vigorously counter-attack-ed and threw the enemy back as far aa Grand Seraucourt. New detachments crossed the Ailette south of the Oise We progressed north of Soissons. It is now confirmed that the enemy attar.lcs on the Vregny-Chivrea front havo been most violent. A whole regiment was thrown against a single point. Tho enemy losses in these fruitless attempts have been very high. Several enemy coups-de-main north-west of Rhcima towards Maisons de Champagne, in Avocourt Wood, and in the region of St. Miliiel failed. THE WAY OF THE HUNS. LOOTING THE BANKS. United Service. Received March 25, 11.50 p.m. London, March 25. slates that on the"eve' of their departure the German officers robbed the Novou banks of .-0700,000 in securities,''jewellery, and cash. TS=-.. .oU.