WEEKLY SUMMARY

Taranaki Daily News, 25 June 1918, Page 4

WEEKLY SUMMARY

OF WAR OPERATIONS. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS INj WWZ< COUNTRIES. NEW GERMAN OFFENSIVE PMDvENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The following telegraphic review of the general war situation for the week ending June 22 has been reecived by the Gov- , ernor-General from the Secretary of State for the Colonies:— The discussion in the German press on the peace offensive shows the anxiety of the military and conservative parties to pledge the Government and the nation to a German peace. Even the Liberal papers which still profess .a desire for peace by agreement, demand terms that are irreconcilable with the famous July resolution. Prince Alexander Hohenlohe declares that the object of the pan-German .party . is to force a declaration of annexationist policy, which the Entente is unable to accept and will cause the war to continue till a German peace is secured. Internal disorganisation and demoralisation i 9 increasingThe Frankfurter Zeitung confesses the nations are, insufficient to support a healthy existence. Crimes are increasing, as also are food frauds, burglary, wholesale robbery, and extortionate profiteering. Insurance payments on account of burglaries have increased from 80,000 in 1914 to 220,000 in IM7. The compensation for stolen goods paid by the Prussian railways has increased from £210,000 to nearly £300,000. The vaunted incorruptibility of the German petty officials has vanished. Supplies from the Ukraine are quite insufficient, though the Moscow official journal states that the Germans are removing everything but bringing nothing. The German press shows with increasing frankness serious apprehensions as to the impossibility of restoring the prosperity of German commerce. The Citizen Council of Hamburg passed a resolution on May MS that the future peace treaties should provide a sufficient war indemnity, preferably ia raw materials, as a protection againßt a boycott of German enterprise, and safeguards for German shipping. Similar forebodings reappear in the resolution recently adopted by the German associated chambers of commerce. The German plan remains avowedly a military conquest and commercial subjection. TO PRESERVE PEACE AFTER THE WAR. Public opinion in the Allied countries increasingly favors the establishment of a league of free nations, the security of which will be mutually guaranteed and the damage of a new wax to be avoided The publication of Viscount Grey's pamphlet will concentrate attention on the vital necessity for the scheme and the best method for the military difficulties involved. RUSSIANS TREATED AS SLAVES. The Russian press proves by German official documents that Russian prisoners are treated as slaves. They are compelled to work for the Government or private capitalists for fivepence a day, clothing themselves and. finding tools. General Falkenhayn has forbidden holding any labor meetings at Minsk, and compels men and women to work in the fields. Thirty thousand Poles at Minsk, have been sent as forced labor in Germany. THE WESTERN OPERATIONS.

In Prance the Crown Prince's offensive on the Aisne and the Oise and Are had reached definite stability last Thursday. On Tuesday evening, Juno 18, three. German division* made a most determined attempt to capture Rheims. The at--tempt was completely defeated with severe loss to the enemy. _ ' On the remainder oi the front ux France last week there were no operations other than considerable raids on both sides. The British, near Bethune, secured two miles of the enemy frontline trenches, and captured 106 prisoners and several machine-guns. The French, near Hautebraye, gained ground, taking 370 prisoners and 25 machine-guns. Throughout the week-end the artillery on both sides was very active *}\dm the British front, and aerial activity increased markedly. Otherwise the last few days have been ominously quiet on this sector. , There are many signs, supported by strategical reasoning, that a German attack on the greatjest scale may be expected before long. OFFENSIVE AGAINST ITALY. ~ .June 15 the Austrlans opened an oiiVnsive against the Italians along the whole front. The theatre of operations was divided into three sectors, namely, the Asiago Plateau, Brenta Valley, and the Piave, and the line from MontelloRidge to the sea. In the Asiago Plateau, where 'the lines were held by British and French divisions, ground was gained by the enemy's first assault, but it was very small. His losses were very heavy, Immediate counter-attacks completely restored the position and gave the British over a thousand prisoner* and several guns, while the French took over 300 prisoners, in the Brenta Valley. The first enemy assault gained ground slightly on both banks of the river, but immediate counter-attacks restored the situation completely in these mountain sectors. Since his severe initial repulse. the enemy has not attempted to renew his offensive. Moreover, the weather conditions in thstt region now render operations ahnoßt impossible. Along the lower courses <rf the Piave the enemy has gained several bridgeheads on the western bank and a footing on Montello Ridge, and secured a triangular piece of ground between Season and Caposilo. They took three days to achieve this limited success. Subse* quently they were not only vnsible to advance further, but have been driven back at many points. They now ocaupy only certain narrow, disconnected, strips on the right bank, with a footing, on t"« lower .slopes of Montello. mmsps wrong wm. wvm HAHANB. The Austrians appear to have had an entirely erroneous idea pi the fighting j

value of the Italians. It has been established beyond doubt that they expected to reach Treviso on tho Piave side and the foot of the mountains in the north end after the first day's fighting, and to take Mestre and isolate Venice on Sunday, Since, after six days' hard fighting, they gained no ground at all in tho north and were still held on the Piave, it is evident the offensive has failed so completely as to amount to a Bevere defeat. To croßß the Piave, the Austrians constructed fourteen bridges, all of which have been continuously under Italian artillery fire. During the last three days the river has .been in flood, and twelve bridges have been washed away. Seven new footbridges have been built to replace them. This work hag also been done under direct Italian artillery fire. While the enemy make the most exaggerated claim as to the number of prisoners taken, the IJ&lians captured over 8000 Austrian prisoners, many guns, and several hundred machine-guns. In the circumstances just described, it is inevitable the' Austrian loans' have been far heavier than those of the T**lH» Hitherto, with one exception, ao German unit has been identified as aasiathw-ttw Austrian*. •. IN THE OOBNiHR op THE GERMANS. The exception was a German nqabitkm'mg battalion, whose duty was to secure for the Germans a portion ©f aay loot available. The fact is typical of the whole attitude of the German masters towards their Austrian servants. Everything suggests the Austrian offensive was launched at the. order of Berlin, and was attributable as much to the reason of internal politics as to the idea of assisting German operations fa» WrvtQ. In contrast to the German attitude towards her so-calkd allies, it is pleasing to find an important and suwessful share of the Italian success was taken by the British troops in a sector of the greatest importance to our Allies. AERIAL OPERATIONS. The Air Ministry reporta that British airmen have been active and successful in Prance, Italy, Palestine, Germany, and German strongholds in Belgium, such as Ostend, Bruges, and Zeebrugge. the Australian Flying Corps in Prance andPalestine sirktnntialry added tolhe Qaportance of i ur work. Notwithstiiiuui" the unsettled weather, over 6000 photographs were taken during the week over enemy territory, and the enemy has been kept under almost continuous observation. Cooperating with French airmen, the Royal Air Force carried out most successful work on the French front, causing considerable casualties among the German troops. From the beginning of the Austrian offensive the Royal Air Force has been able to render valuable assistance to our Italian Allies, despite most unfavorable weather eondtioons. The enemy's bridges over ise Piave have (been continuously subjected to machine-gun fire. » BRUTISH AVIATORS EVEBXIWHESBE. .Our low-flying airmen on tie Balkan front and British bombing machines raided dumps, at Letroro and Porna railway station. Enemy camps near Savjak, Cerniste, and Furkn were frequently attacked, and direct hits secured, inflict ing widespread damage. In the Adriatic, British seaplanes sad aeroplanes co-operated with the naval craft against enemy submarines and bombing attacks on Cattaxo, and kept the port authorities in continuous suspense. In the long-distance bombing operations into Germany our squadrons twice raided Mete gabion. Tlieyalso raided Treves, Hazendingen, and DUtiu' gen, our machines returning safely to the aerodromes. At Ostend, Bruges, and Zeebrugge high-power' bombs were frequently dropped on the docks and shipping and harbor works. Many direct hits were obtained. On the British home coast the usual close watch has been kept by aeroplane* and seaplanes. In the British air fighting on the Wea« tern front, 85 enemy machines were brought down out of control, fifty-two of our- machines failed to return to the aerodromes. food sam&m. The Food Ministry reporta that Lory Rtaondda has just completed his first year of office. Universal tribute was paid its success during his administration. The press expressed warm appreoiatien of the invaluable' assistance received from North America. The continuance of such efforts, combined with effective methods of production and distribution in this country, will prevent a recurrence of the former anxiety as to the food supply. The delay in the expected arrivals Of cheese from North America cause! anxiety, but the most serious trouble is the almost entire failure of the autumn fruit crop. Pears, apples, plums, aed raspberries are extremely short, and it ia necessary to reserve all strawberries, raspberries, and gooseberries for jam. The absence of fresh fruit Is keenly felt. Unless additional supplies are obtained by the shortage Will wnise difficulties during the winter months.