WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1918, Page 7

WESTERN FRONT.

THE TRAIL OF THE DUN. , . ~ Paris, Oct. 7. The Germans are burning towns on the whole front from" Lille to Elieims, presaging a retirement.—Aus-N.Z. Cable Assoc. Lgndon, Oct. 7. The Germans have set firo to Laon Aue.-X.ft Cable Assoc. FRANCO-AMERICAN OPERATIONS. New York, Oct 7. The French and Americans in Champagne captured St. Etienne The French liaVo reached the outskirts of Bazancourt, which is across the Suippt River. They have also captured Hauvine, north of the Arnes.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoo. London, Oct. 7. An American official report Btates:— We sligtitly advanced between the Meuse and the There was stubborn infantry lighting further west and increased reciprocal artillery Ere everywhere.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. HUN DESECRATION OP GRAVES. New Yorif, Oct. 7. Mr. Edward Price Bell, the correspondent of the Chicago News with the British armies, writes::—The Germans seem to have looted graves south of the Somme, removing not only the. lead and copper from the coffins, but stealing the jewellery and trinkets of the dead- I have irreproachable -word of the truth of this from the highest Australian officers, including brigadier-generals, majors,, and captains, who gave me evidence. Lieutenant Frederick Sleath gave details of the desecration of graves at Meaieres. He said: "All the prosperous people in France hetore the war poseessed vaults, where the bodies o'f their families were buried. In Mezieres these vaults were situated at the sade of the cemetery. Every vault with any pretension! to wealth hag been opened by the Germans, who used machinery and explosives to remove the stone slabs. In two cases the coffins could be seen, broken and rifled. In other places the coffins had been removed and carried off for future looting.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assoo

ARTILLERY PUNISHES ENEMY. London, Oct. 7. The French artillery severely punished the retreating enemy in the Rheims salient, but the rearguards were apparently well handled. The Germans only surrendered Nogent-la-Bassee when the French cavalry approached Epoye.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. A FRENCH REPORT. , ' . London', Oct. 7. A French communique reports: North of St. Quentin the battle continued all day. We captured Remaucourt' Tilioy Farm, and several fortified woods between Morcourt and Sequehart. The .enemy resisted furiously, but failed to amst the advance of our troops, who conquered the ground foot by foot, taking several hundred prisoners. North of Rheims, we reached the Suippe at numerous points. The German rearguards on the south bank resisted violently, counter-attacking several times. We drove them back, inflicting sanguinary losses. We hold the southern outskirts of St. Kuilcourt ond the village of Berticourt. north of the Suippe. We forced a passage east of Orainville, and captured Pontavert cemetery. There was equally severe fighting in the region Buzancourt and Boult-sur-Suippe, which resulted in our reaching the outskirts of these localities.

We debouched from Bethenville in face of violent artillery and machinegun fire, and gained ground, also north of St. Clement Ames. Our troops in this, region endured unflinchingly the severest counter-attack. Onr artillery, •Bring with open sights, mowed down the enemy battalions, -and the enemy was compellled to retreat in disorder. _ The righting to-day completed the deliverance of Rheims. .

Despite unfavorable weather, our aviators dropped 13% tons of bombs on concentrations of troops, convoys, and batteries, silencing the latter. Twentyone enemy machines -were brought down. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc!