WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

FRENCH OPERATIONS. AIR REPRISALS ON BADEN. Received Oct. 4, 7.50 p.m. '_ ' '" London, Oct. 3. " A French communique states: There has been violent artillerying on both banks of the Meusel Our artillery neutralised an attack that was being prepared east of Rheims, We heavily bombed the railway stations and factories at various places, also the town of Baden, asi a reprisal for the Germans bombing Bar le Due.

BELGIAN SUFFERING. DRIVEN LIKE SLAVES New York, Oct. 3. The Belgian Government has given tin New York Times an official report on the sufferings of the deposted Belgians. "It is no exaggeration to say they aiu being starved, yet despite their utter weakness they are driven like slaves to the heaviest work. The guards use clubs on the sick and exhausted. One who complained was beaten to death vr.th rifle butts. The treatment has rendered many hopeless imbeciles. Hungry men were taunted and maddened by tie sight of food which they were not a?lowed to eat."

SUCCESSFUL BOMBING RAID. OFFICIAL REPORT. Wellington, Last Night. The High Commissioner reports, under date London, October 3, 2.50 p.m.: French Official.—Aviators dropped 7000 kilogrammes of projectiles (about 7 tons) on Freiburg railway station, "Volklingcn and Hoffenbach "factories; also on Brieulles, Longwy, Mete, Woippy, Arnaville, Sarrelouy. In reprisal for the bombardment of Bar le Due, we bombed Baden town.

HEAVY ENEMY ATTACK. London, Oct. 3. A French communique says:—There has been fairly violent artillery activity in Belgium and on the Aisne front. The Germans heavily attacked after a bombardment on the right of the Meuse between Hill 344 and Samogneux'. They gained a footing at a point north of Hill 344, but were driven from the greater part after violent fighting.

GREAT ARTILLERY BATTLE 02T FLANDERS FRONT. London, Oct. 3. Mr. Gibbs states that the artillery battle in Flanders is endless, intense and widespread upon both sides. The enemy has all his guns at work. Is this the la3t phase of the war? Does the enemy know he must win or lose? Our men have that hope in their hearts and fight more grimly and with higher spirit because of it. Our success in the last two battles eastward of Ypres has deepened the hope. I have heard Tommies telling Australians that they only need make a grimace at the Hun to make him "hands up." Our battalions are having dinners in Flemish farmhouses to celebrate the victory, which has put the enemy down and under and very near to hopelessness.

SWITZERLAND. A STORMY SCENE. AT TRADES UNION CONFERENCE. Berne, Oct. 3. ' There was a stormy scene at the opening session of the International Trades Union Conference. The delegates of the Central Powers occupied one side of the hall and the empty chairs of the Allies occupied the other. Mr. Appleton's letter on behalf of British trade unions fell like a bomb. It denounced German bdrbafrisrni and declared that British workers refused to meet Germans. The latter'*, anger was red-hot, and they shouted that the letter was full of'lies.

CHINA, PROPOSED NEW RAILWAY. Washington, Oct. 3. It is reported that China has asked a Japanese company, with a capital of 100 million yen, to construct a railway between Chaochow and Manchung 1 . SOUTH AFRICA.

A FIREBRAND'S DISLOYAL STATEMENTS. Capetown, Oct. 3. At the Nationalist Congress at Bloemfontein, Mr. Hertzog, the leader of the party, said that German and English Imperialists were equally intolerant. There was no necessity for South Africa to participate in the war. Did it pay Africa, to belong to the Empire? Ho held that it did not. The Government policy had caused a revolutionary spirit. but he did not believe the people were so stupid as to entertain revolutionary schemes. They had a free constitution, but Ministers who were only agents of the British Government.