WEEKLY SUMMARY

Taranaki Daily News, 4 June 1918, Page 4

WEEKLY SUMMARY

OF WAR OPERATIONS. CONFIDENCE AS TO POSITION IN THE WEST. GERMAN RUSH MAY BECOME A FUTILE VENTURE.

Wellington, Last Night. The following review of the general war situation lias been received by the Governor-General from the Secretary of State for the Colonies for the week ended June 1: During the week evidence has accumulated of the German policy with regard to the reconstruction of their trade after the war. The new German imperial economic department is endeavoring to reassure the industrial classes and advocating the cultivation of sentiment as essential for the reconstruction of a world economy. The steps which the Central. Powers are taking will make such sentiment difficult of attainment. CRUSHING RUSSIA AND ROUMANIA Germany has announced that her military operations in Russia are completed, and she desires to co-operate economically with the present Russian Government. This means she is turning her attention to her immediate need, which is the economic exploitation of southern Russia. (l The full terriis of the Roumanian peace treaty, which have now been published, show that the Central Powers have abandoned all pretence of no annexations, and handed over to Bulgaria, the territory south of the Dobrudja, retaining the rest up to the St. George's mouth of the Danube under their own joint rule. Hungary annexes territory in the north-western part of Wallachia, and the frontier line in future will pass along the foothills of the Carpathians, so as to secure for Austria-Hungary the complete strategical control of the petroleum industry, which is placed in the hands of an association directed by the Central Powers, and in case of complaints the court of appeal will be at Leipzig. ANTI-DEMOCRATIC. Other proposals of the German Government for industrial reconstruction are of an extremely anti-democratic character. The working classes are neither to be considered "nor consulted. Out of 370 members of the grand committee appointed by the Imperial Economic Department to deal with individual industries there are only seven representatives of labor. How little Germany trusts her working classes is shown by the Government's suppression of the memorandum prepared by the recent inter-Allied Socialist Conference, which was not allowed to reach cither the Minority or Majority Socialists in Germany. \ PRINCE OF "'WALES IN ITALY. In the Allied countries the event of the week lias been the presence of the 'Prince of Wales in Rome at the celebration of the third anniversary of Italy's declaration of war. He was welcomed by representatives of all Italy with an enthusiasm unusual in an official ceremony. On the same day the colors of the Czech-Slovak army were dedicated on the steps of the monument to Victor Emanuel. CZECH AND SLOVAK UNANIMITY. During the week in Bohemia there has beeu vigorous manifestations of Czech and Slovak unanimity. No recent development is more significant than the progress made by the oppressed nationalities of Austria-Hungary in mutual co-operation and the formulation of their demands. THE WESTERN OPERATIONS.

The chief military event of the week has been the enemy attack on the front between Soissons and Rheims. The attack opened at dawn on Monday, May 27, simultaneously with an attack 011 the southern face of the Ypres salient. In the Aisne sector, the opening German assault captured the whole of the crest traversed by the Chemin-des-Dames, and by noon the enemy centre had advanced as far as the crossing of the river Aisne at Pont Arcy. By midnight on May 27-28 the enemy succeeded in enlarging the salient lie had thus created, advancing his centre as far south as Mont Notre Dame and Fismes, and further opening out his flanks. Hitherto on the West the French had succeeded in holding the height between Vauxaillon and Chavignon, but they were now obliged to fall back to the plateau of Laffauxi. Meanwhile the right of the Allied j line, which was being held by four British divisions from Craonne to Bermeri- | court, had held its ground, only bending back its left flank to conform to the retirement of the French. All this time it was evident the Allied troops on this sector were heavily outnumbered by the enemy, and the withdrawal would have to continue slowly until the reserves could be brought up. The enemy throughout the 29th pressed his advantage hard. By nightfall of the 29th the enemy had reached Dravegny, his southernmost point, .arid extended liis flanks to the oueskirts of. Soissons and Rheims. At the time of the report the enemy advance still continues, and he has reached the right bank of the Marne on a front of about ten miles. POSITION FAVORABLE TO GERMANS The circumstances appear almost parallel with those on the Lys during the first week of April, where a comparatively minor operation met with unexpectedly great initial success, which was rapidly taken advantage of by the Germans. On the Aisne front the position was peculiarly favorable for the enemy. In the salient which he created towards Amiens he has a considerable body of Ircops concentrated. The salient in question is so deep as to give him very much the advantage of interior lines, and his railway communications in the area are excellent. It is therefore easy for him t" concentrate at any point a force sufficiently superior to make an initial < sg a certainty and exploit that St within the limits of tha time ii» .. , w ' to the Allies to move reserves / L i d their exterior lines, but in the b; i!;ty concerned he will have to advantva considerable distance over country of such a nature that he will have to pay a heavy price for it before he can achieve anything of a decisive strategic nature, and should he allow himself to become too deeply involved in so doubtfully profitable an operation Jnajr Its obliged *n draw troops from

more decisive doctors, and thus dissipate >" a futile venture the strength which ho ought to economise in tiiis particular theatre. The action has proceeded so far as to restore to tte operations the element of movement and manoeuvre, in which Allied generals are probably more than equals of the enemy. ALLIES CAN AFFORD TO GIVE GROUND. As has been said, the Allies could afford, in a military sense, to give ground in the locality. Soissons Has had to be evacuated, but the Allied line, though so rapidly withdrawn, never lost its cohesion, and the Allied higher command, which now has the advantage of unity, may be trusted to restore the situation without allowing the enemy a decisive strategical gain. A 'PLAN THAT FAILED. On the morning of the 27th, simwltaneously with the attack on the Aiane. the enemy once more attempted to break the Allied front between (Locre and Voormezeele, using for the purpose greater forces than any hitherto used, but within twenty-four liourg he was completely deprived nf his slight initial successes, and the . uon terminated in what was unqu -tjar.ably a severe defeat for the enemy. The German attempt to characterise this engagement as a raid is so grossly untrue as to afford strong evidence of his disappointment. SUCCESS IN ITALY. On the heights around Zigolon peak, in the Temnale sector, the Italians in an attack gained all their objectives, and captured 870 prisoners, twelve guns and other material. On the following night, by a successful coup, they gained 760 metres of very valuable ground at Cap' Silc, taking at the same time 7 officer; and 433 men prisoners, and, in addition, considerable material.

SUCCESS OP THE AMERICANS. An operation this week which is o!' minor importance strategically, tut yet of much significance, was the action iu which the American troops raptured the French town of Cantigny, north of Montdidier, taking 200 prisoners, including 5 officers, and holding positions gained against very heavy counter-attacks. The Food Ministry reports that there has been little change in the position during the past week. Supplies of bacon and fats are heavy, and though the cereal imports were less, the future prospects are favorable, provided there is no relaxation of effort on the part of Canada and the United States in sending supplies. The Home harvest depends much on weather, but even if this source is certain the need of heavy imports is increased by the requirements of our allies. Practically no criticism of the food administration appeared in the press during the week. AERIAL ACTIVITY. The Air Ministry reports that the finis weather on the Western front broke 011 the morning of the 23rd, for several days, but before the break our aeroplanes did much valuable work. A number of bomb ing raids were carried out on a variety 0! objectives, including the enemy's nijjhi flying aerodromes, and nearly 70 tons of bombs were dropped in the battle zone within 38 hours. The efforts of hostile scouts to intercept our bombers were fruitless, owing to the offensive tactics of our fighters, and the excellent gunnery of the observers of our two-seater bomuing machines. COASTAL BASES ATTACKED. Outside the immediate battle zone the enemy coastal bases at Zeebrugge, Bruges and Ostend were attacked at every possible opportunity. In the course of the week an enemy destroyer was hit, and shown by submarine photographic reconnaissance to be sunk in the fairway at Zeebrugge. During the week in the battle zone and in operations on the Belgian coast k total of 13S tons of bombs were dropped, C 6 enemy aircraft brought down, and 12 driven down out of control, while fourteen of our machines failed to return.

This week the enemy has shown some activity in bombing our back areas at. night, and has not scrupled to attack one of our long-established base hospitals, the exact location of which must have been well known to his air forces. A FORETASTE OF OUR AERIAL FIGHTING POWER. Germany this week had a foretaste of the fighting power which this new arm is developing. No less than eighteen distinct raids were carried out during tho week on different military objectives in Germany territory, as far afield as C'oblenz and Mannheim, in the course of which over 19 tons of bombs were dropped with good effect. Poison gas factories at Ludwigshafen, for example, were twice attacked, and on the second occasion the blackened girders of buildings gutted by fire were clearly visible to our pilots. GUARDING THE SEAS. In home waters, despite the difficult weather conditions, our seaplanes mi' airships maintained their Constant wntoi for the enemy surface and submarine craft, and continued to work in close co operation with our naval forces in convoying shipping, and detection and destruction of drifting enemy mines. There is little of outstanding interest to record from other theatres of the war. AIR SUPREMACY IN ITALY. In Italy the Allied air ascendancy remains beyond dispute. In the Adriatic another successful raid was carried out on Durazzo by our seaplanes on the 27th inst., when a number of fires were started in the buildings of the seaplane station, and an enemy destroyer was reported to have been sunk after a direct hit. A very successful raid was also carried out on Cattaro.