WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

VIOLENT GERMAN ATTACK. httiNCH TRENCHES ENTERED. ENEMY DRIVEN OUT. HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED. Aiiß. and N-Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. Received Dec. 28, 7.50 p.m. London, Dec. 27. A French communique states: The artillery struggle continues north of Cauricres Wood. The Germans' attack yes-, terday was very violent. Aftc-r a powerful artillery preparation they threw two battalions into the assault, and in the second attempt reached our position, but were driven out. The number of corpses testifies to the heaviness of the enemy's losses. THE GERMAN VERSION. Wireless German official: Lively fighting too'k place south of Oulit Wood, on the north bank, of the Lys, in the neighborhood of Moeuvreß and Marcoing. We stormed the two first trenches northwest of Bexonvaux to a breadth of 900 metres, and blew up shelters. We then returned according to orders. LET THEM COME. CROWN PRINCE'S FURTHER ATTEMPT. TO RECOVER PRESTKfK. Washington, Dec. '27. Semi-offical advices state that the German concentration on the west front includes Austrian troops. 11 Army officials expect ah attack on the French positions, because the British positions are moiv strongly held. They bolievc the Crown Prince will direct operations and endeavor to recover the prestige he lost at Verdun. Colonel Jloraht. in the Tugeblalt, says that Germany will attack a vulnerable spot on tiie west front with clenched fist. A hard blow will be our answer to England. MORE HUN TYRANNY. BOYS OVER 15 TERRORISED. Received Dec. 23, 9.50 p.m. Amsterdam, Dec. 27. The schools at Ghent have been closed owing to the lack of coal. Scholars over fifteen are given the choice of following courses at the Flemish-German university at Ghent, or military service in Flanders for five marks daily. If they refuse they are sent to France to work in the trenches without pay. ROULERS BOMBED. A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION. Received Dec. 29, 12.45 a.m. Amsterdam, Dec. 27. The Telegraaf states that bombs dropped by British airmen resulted in the devastation of the station yard at Roulers, causing a terrific explosion on an ammunition train, killing many Ger mans and also a number- of Belgians who were working as forced laborers in the yard. The atmospheric disturbance due to the explosion 'brought down a British machine., ACTIVE ARTILLERYING. Received 'Dec. 29, 12.45 a.m, London, Dec. 28. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Artillerying is active north of St. Quentin, and in Jthe neighborhood of Arras, east of Ypres. - THE CAMBRAI REVERSE. WORST SEtfGE LOOS. (Delayed Cable.)' "" London, Dee. 7. Tbe majority of the papers recognise tbe seriousness of the eetSback at Camteai. The Daily Graphic says:—"No purpose can be served by pretending to gloss over tiie loss of practically all we so brilliantly woe, so far as' military vahie is concerned."

Tbe Daily Chronicle regards it as "the most considerable setback we have ■sustained on the Western front in two and a-half years. We had better face it frankly. Apparently we were short of mottle troops to rush ahead in the initial advauce. The impression derived from fihe correspondents is that our troops in a narrow salient . have been since heavily and increasingly out-gun-ned and out-manned. Practically the whole drain of Anglo-French rcinforce.wents to Italy seems to have teen a drain on Baig's reserves, for Haig has taken over a large piece of the Frenok fwmt, apparently to enable the French also, to send a large army to Italy. Comprehensive policies must be adopted to aestore Haig's superiority in men aad guns." The Dajly News says:—"The oauses of the unprecedented winter battles on the Western and Italian fronts are twofold. The weaker has given Hindcnburg the opportunity, and Russia has given him tie men. It is a question for Germany whether she can win this winter before the advent of the American armies. It is for the Allies a question of holding on, not merely till the Americans are in tbe line, but till tbe fary of the new German offensives is spent. The decisive factor will be endurance. In this Germany must ultimately fail." _ The Times, reviewing the whole situation, says:—"The latest developments make a prompt decision on the question of ma-n-power most imperative. Wholly deprived of the active assistance of one Ally, and compelled to help another, we and France, and especially we, must bear the chief }>nuit of the war."

IRON RESOLUTION AND SACRIFICES. J Tbe Times continues:—"We nmst bus{band and develop our odtttuv reuuusep

to the utmost, aud stand in tlie breach, that civilisation and freedom may be eaved. Never has the salvation of th« world depended more upon the fortitude, iron resolution, and sacrilicw of Great Britain and the British Dominions than now. Ihe nation lias already ii rm ly answered that the cause for which so many have fought and died shall not be abandoned or impaired, but if the national will is to.be translated into action the Government must quickly take further steps to see that its man-power will be more wisely and prudentlv utilised We have reached a stage in the war when no man or woman is Justified in remaining in unessential occupations." The Morning Post and Daily Mail are more optimistic. The former says: "Hai** deliberately abandoned the salient, not because he could not have kept it, but because the salient was too costly to hold. Our gains are threefold. We have broken the Hindenburg line, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy, and established ourselves on the Hindenburg line. If Byng's operation be viewed in its proper perspective as a raid 011 a great scale, it was a brilliant success. The enemy built a fortress and we occupy it." The 'Daily Mail savs: "There is no justification for Hindenburg's 'boast of victory. 'He failed completely in his main enterprise—the breaking and rolling up of our line, and the striking of a blow like that lie struck in Italy.*' 1 The Matin says that the withdrawal was due to file warning of a formidable concentration of lo divisions (150.000 men) behind Carobrai. These divisions are probably from Russia. ENEMY'S BUTCHER'S BILL 100,000. Mr. Perry Robinson says that the withdrawal from Bourlon Wood does not surrender any vital part of the new British conquests. Bourlon Wood, as an acute angle salient, was a loathsome place, full of stagnant pools and corpses, and continuously drenched with gas, until the garrison almost had to live iu gas masks. The hill on which the wood is situated does not command the country on our side, as it does tfiat beyond. It would have been essential to us for an advance, and its loss might be serious to the Germans, but in their hands it is unimportant as a threat to us. The withdrawal docs not begin to convert our victory into defeat, and the German attempts to inflict that defeat have resulted cbieHy in colossal losses to themselves, losses estimated at 100,000.