WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

GREAT BATTLES DEVELOPING. IMMENSE POSSIBILITIES. GREATEST EVEN SINQE THE MARNE. FRENCH CRITICS EXHILARATED. United Service. Received March 27. 9.35 p.m. London, March 20. Great battles in France are developing, with immense possibilities. French critics are exhilarated, declaring them to be the greatest event since the Maine. It is expected immediately that the Prussian War Minister. Herr Stein, will excuse the retreat, owing to the insufficiency of guns, and will claim that Germany does not lack ammunition and is prepared to meet the offensive impertubably, HINDENBURG'S LINE NOW REACHED BY ENEMY. FRENCH THREATENING TO TURN THE LINs. \ ■ Received March 27, 10.20 p.m. London, March 20. Mr. Philip Gibbs says the enemy has now reached Hindenburg's line of defence from Atras, past Cambrai, St. Qnentin, and Laon. ' The French are fighting heavily around St. Quentin, and are threatening to turn the enemy line. The Germans are fighting determinedly near. Beaumetz lez Cambrai, making efforts to prevent us from holding the high ground overlooking their main de--1 fences. We to»k Beaumetz unopposed on Wednesday. The Germans retook it on Thursday, but we drove them out. They again attacked unavaihngly. On Friday the German command called for volunteers for this operation, but their effort proved but resuitless. Therefore eompanies_of specially trained assaulting troops were ordered to take Beaumetz. They tried and failed. We took Laonicourt this morning, occupied by four companies of Germans. FRENCH POSITIONS MAINTAINED. THE ADVANCE CONTINUED. London. March 26. A French communique states:—Our fire -.topped, or counter-attacks repulsed, several fresh enemy attacks during the night on the Essignay-Ccnay front, between the Somme and the Oise. Serious loss was inflicted on the enemy. We entirely maintained the positions captured 3'esterday We continued to advance .south of the Oise, despite the state of the ground and the bad weather. French air squadrons dropped a ton of bombs on_ factories at Thionville and in the Briey Basin, also on the railway stations at Conflans and Montmedy.

UNDER THE GERMAN HEEL. life in conquered TERRITORIES. Times Service. ! Received 'March 27, 12.55 a.m. London, March 26. An Englishman, living unintcrned ill Roubaix, Lille, Brussels, and '.Antwerp since the outbreak of the war, describes the life in the occupied territories. German rule at the outset was comparatively uiild. Civilians were ordered indoors at 8, except for a fortnight, when they were sent indoors at 5 because they cheered a British airman who brought down a fokker. Eaubaix was repeatedly plastered with orders regulating civilian life. Every German victory was compulsdrily celebrated. English and French newspapers were smuggled in. Copies of the London Times were loaned at 2s hourly. The poorer classes paid a frano admission into a back room weekly, where the war news was read. When the Allies declared a blockade in. March, 1915, the German iron heel appeared. Civilians were treated more rigorously and fined. -- - I GERMAN CLAIMS. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. London, March 20. A German official message states:— We attacked the French who advanced across the Somme and the Crozet Canal, inflicting heavy losses. Three attacks cast of the Ailetto resulted in a check to the French advance north of- the Aisne. An air squadron attached Dunkirk, where it started several fires; and claims to have brought down 11 aeroplanes on Sunday. FRENCH PROHIBITION OF IMPORT,?. Paris, March 28, A' decree of the Ministerial Council prohibits the importation, into France and Algeria of all merchandise except on behalf of the State or goods specially authorise by the Minister of Finance. ' •M. Bibot, the Premier, states that each country in the Alliance must bocome as far as possible self-supporting. The war has become very largely one of transport and finance, and any, measure saving tonnage and restoring exchange brings victory nearer. The Government intends tp encoui-age home production of foodstuffs. France, during 1910, spent 000 millions abroad, her imports exceeding her exports by 400 million sterling.