WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE DELAYED OFFENSIVE. ALLIES* AIR SUPERIORITY A FACTOR. •London, May 20. It is now twenty-six days since the Germans ceased attacking on the West front. Critics suggest that the reason that the offensive is delayed is that the Germans are awaiting the Austrians. In the nieantime the Allied air superiority is so marked that the Germans are experiencing tho greatest difficulty in completing their preparations. The correspondent of (he Echo do Paris learns from a good quarter that the superiority will shortly ho on such a scale that the Allied aeroplanes will be able to isolate considerable portions of the enemy's armies. During an attack groups of aeroplanes, acting as air cavalry, will he in such numbers as to turn the flanks of whole divisions.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

GERMAN AVIATION SMASHED FLAT. New York, May 20. The correspondent of the New York Times with the French army interviewed the commander of an important aviation unit, who declared that German aviation had been smashed flat, and avoided combat when possible. German bombers invite disaster when they attempt to fly "over our lines in daylight, so they only attempt night attacks. The French bombers enjoy almost complete immunity and bomb certain concentration centres day and night. The commander said he would not be surprised if the German air weakness was the chief cause of the delay in the offensive. —Aiis. N.Z. Cable Assoc. AERIAL ARMY'S DECISIVE ROLE. Paris, May 26. The 'Parliamentary aviation group las adopted a resolution that aerial operations should play a decisive role in obtaining victory. The Allies have sufficient machines for obtaining an overwhelming superiority in the air; therefore the group urges the Allies to form an aerial armv, with a clearly defined plan of campaign, and to centralise the administration of the air service with the view to speeding up the production of machines, and also to organise an air army of picked men.—Aua. N.Z. Cable Association.

The Echo de Paris quotes a distinguished British leader as saying that aprinl superiority will soon enable the Allies to indulge in new tactics, entirely isolating portions of the enemy's attacking troops, and cutting off and outflanking complete army corps.—United Service.

ALLIES' CONFIDENCE NEVER HIGHER. London, May 28". Router's British headquarters' correspondent says the overdue German attack is assuredly coming, font every day's pause finds the Allies better prepared and their confidence was never higher, while the tramp of the oncoming American troops is almost monotonously assuring. A French headquarters correspondent dwells on the difficulty of determining where the enemy is likely to attack, owing to the new method of employing assault troops while withholding heavy masses of reserves and quickly moving them to the striking point. The number of enemy divisions to-day is approximately known, but the density of the enemy front affords no clue to his intentions. Fortunately, with unity of command the masses of Anglo-French and American reserves will he ready for instant service wherever the front is threatened. The semi-official German newspaper Norddeutsch explains that the pause in the offensive is due to the training of the storming divisions in fighbing methods with a view to diminishing the bloody losses. The pause is not forced on the Germans, but is the outcome of the commander's own plans.—Reuter. GREAT ARTnJLERYTNG. Received May 27 7.50 p.m- ---* London, May 20. A French communique slates:—Thero was fairly great reciprocal artilkrying at Lsngors Wood and south of the Avre. Enemy raids on posts in the Orvillersoel sector and in the Champagne and the Vosges failed. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assocand Reuter. A NEW AND SERIOUS CRISIS. WONDERFUL FEELING OF CONFIDENCE.

Writing on April 13, from England, a former member of the Taranaki Daily News staff thus describes the position:

"We seem to have reached a new and a serious crisis in the situation in Prance, and it ia very difficult for one to say what the outcome is going to be. One thing is very clear, and that is, that there is a wonderful feeling of confidence here in London that things are going to turn out all right. Thers is nothing on the surface to indicate what this confidence is based on, but it is evident wherever one goes in a very marked degree. There is no doubt that since this latest push has been on the public appear to be taking the war with added seriousness, and Londoners tell me that the last few weeks liave been reminiscent of 1914. All day there is an intense eagerness to have the latest news, and where a month or two ago it was always easy to ogtain a newspaper anywhere, it is now more difficult, as the papers are bought up as soon as they come out' This, as I say, reflects a new war interest, but there is nothing in the way of excitement. And when you discuss the war with anyone, you find that they appreciate that things are bad, but they will tell you that they feel that it is going to be all right in the end. To gain what he has, the Hun has lost very heavily, and there is no doubt that if we can hold him on the vital lines of communications and prevent him from getting to his objectives, he will sooner or later realise that the appalling price he has already paid has not produced commensurate value. As one writer points out, if we can keep him out of the vital places now, the end of the year will find him terribly weakened, with" a steady and determined foe still unbroken in front of him and still ready to carry on. However this may be, I think we cannot loot for seace for » long time 1

ENEMY ARTILLERY ACTIVE. GAS AND HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELLS USED. Received May 28, 815 p.m. London May 28. Reuter's British headquarters correspondent, reporting under to-day's date says that since last evening the enemy's artillery firo has markedly increased at various places. Villers Bretonneux, the Scarpe Valley, and Martinsart have been bombarded with gas and high explosive shells- There has also been a prolonged outburst of intense gun-fire froni Festubert to the Yser during the afternoon', but the uproar has lulled.

There is no reason to assume that the bombardments herald an imminent resumption of the offensive.

A RAID RBPUOjSED. Received May 27 7.50 p.m. London, May 20. A French communique states:—We repulsed a raid northward of BaillenL The enemy heavily gas-shelled Villers Bretonneux and the westward hinges. AVIATION REPORT. Received May 27, 9.40 p.m. London, May 20. Sir Douglas Haig*s aviation report states:—Flying is only possible during fine intervals- On the 29th we dropped ever three hundred boiribs on billets in the neighborhood of Armentieres and Merville, on an ammunition damp at Varssenaere, and on Bruges docks. We brought down nine and drove down two in an uncontrollable condition. No British machines are missing. Our night-fliers dropped over six tons on Peronne, Bapaume, and Marieourt- All returned. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.