THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1918, Page 7

THE WAR.

PEACE TALK; THE GERMAN SCHEME. 1 AMERICAN OPINION. ! Q . .Washington, Oct. 9. fair Erie Geddes, interviewed, said that peace talk at this stage was merely calculated to impair the efforts of the soldiers and munition workers. To get the world talking of peace was all that 1 (jernia "y wanted.—Aus-N.Z. Cable Associatipn, Senator Chamberlain, chairman of the * p - lilitarly Committee, considers ■££ < rasi ? en - l Vi,Bon ' s is cai^- • ,!° pca tlle German Government m a difficult position. Germany will be unable to comply with the presidential conditions, except from the invaded territories. ! President Wilson's Note is really a - way of suggesting unconditional surren- ■ der. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. New York, Oct. 9. President Wilson's Note lias created [ widespread interest. All the evening newspapers emphasise the fact that PreI sident Wilson will not talk of peace until the Germans have withdrawn froia the occupied territory. They also give piominence to the President's astute diplomacy, in so framing the reply as to compel Germany to disclose her real intentions. Opinion supports President Wilson's action. It is generally conceded that President Wilson has shown remarkable cleverness by outmanoeuvring Prince Masmilian and forcing the German leaders to drop the mask. . Man y prominent men brieve the Noteis merely the forerunner of an unmistakable and definite reply which will shatter the Germans' last hopes of peace except on the basis of unconditional surrender. The Washington correspondent of the •New York Times Says that the opinions of Congressmen on the President's Note lary, but Mr. Wilson is strongly supported. Some critics wanted a decisive negative reply, while others believe the Note will be justified by its forcing Germany to show her hand. The most outspoken critic was Senator Lodge, who said: "I am keenly disappointed that the President should en- i ter into discussion with German (Ifr- i vernmertt. Prince Maxmillan represents i no one but the constituted German authorities. I feel painfully anxious regarding the effect of the Note on our I Allies and our soldiers." Senator Gore said: "I hope the result of the Note will be that the thrones of the Hapsburgs and the Hohenzolierns will be Tacated and their people entrusted with their own government.'' The Washington correspondent of the New York newspapers sum up the situation by stating that it is not believed Prince Maxmillian will agree to the terms, therefore Washington feels that there is no peace in sight. Newspapers throughout the country generally approve fully President Wiison's Note, but some admit disappointment that the door is left even slightly ajar to Germany. The majority trust President Wilson's wisdom in dealing tlle situating, , nn ,i feel that'the Note turns the tables on the Cenral ! ers. The papers point out that ' Germany must follow Bulgaria's way ' s,le wants peace—Aus.-N.Z. Cable 1 A'SOC. . T-J-x T from Prance that the I mtcd £ tat „ t are tW "i, , Wilsos?s declaration that there will be no armistice until the in- < ed territory is evacuated.—Aus.-NZ i able Assoc. ' ,

THE REICH,ST AO RESOLUTION'. '

stJi'l r ! So ' f U 1 t , ion ad °P ted b -V Reichsl!>g is as follows: Un'll S o],r n f°H AU / USt 4 - 1914 . s ° on the words !if i I foU r tll of war > the 'no desiro f 8 irom the Throne, valid ti r t0 ° ,UeSl im P els us '' are assumlrt &e ™ an fe °ple. Germany assumed arms for the defence of her terrft°o?inf nd inde P cndence . and for her Kmtr POSSeSSiOns - Tl,e J^icJ lS tair for peace by 'agreement/ and nations " ent roeonciliation of the of territory ro cal . economic, or financial « 2 with sueh which .'J* Reichsta & ejects all plans ' animmit w €conomic exclusion and war and 1 peoples after the bt i reCd ° m 01 the scas must rendn m «'h ° mi . l! peace alone will! n c vf P oss *ble a friendly community I wifiT? M" nati ° DS - The Rcichst ag i- , . Hy promote the organisalnternational law. howevcr > as the hostile Gov,r e tS r° not acce P t such a peace; ™ thrL , Ge ™ t an y and her allies are n con q u ests and usurpation, the German people will stand tob?tner as one man, endure and fight until its right and t'he right of its allies, | ts life and its development, are assured. 1 . Be'chstag knows that in this pro- ; clamation it is at one with the men ' who m heroic conflict defend the Fatfier- ! ttem."* latitude is assureu ]

PRESIDENT WILSON'S FOURTEEN POINTS.

I The ''fourteen points" laid down by ('President Wilson are:— i(l) Peace compacts to be openly arj rived at; diplomacy shall proceed publicly. 2) Freedom of navigation, outside territorial waters, alike in peace or war, except when necessary. (3) Tho ■ removal, as far as possible, of all economic barriers. (4) Guarantees to be given lhat armaments will be reduced to the lowest point. (5) An impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, bearing in mind that the interests of tho populations concerned must have equal weight with the demands of tho claimant Government. (0) Tho evacuation of all Russian Russian territory. (7) Belgium must be evacuated and restored. (8) All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done to Fiance in the matter of Alsace-Lor--1 raine rightc-d. (0) A readjustment of frontiers of j Italy along lines of nationality. (10) Opportunity for autonomous del velopment for the peoplo of AustriaHungary. (11) Restoration of Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro and tho relations of the Balkan States to be determined by friendly council. (12) Tho Dardanelles should be permanently opened, under integrational guarantees; nationalities under 1 urkish rule should be given .opportunity for autonomous development, (13) .An independent Polish State should be created. (14) An association of nations must bo formed to afford guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small States alike.

THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

| AT THE CANAL CROSSING. THE FIGHT FOR CREVECOEUR. (Cable (Despatch from % New Zealand Official War CorresDondent, Captain Ros%) " e October 1, midnight-To-day the Wellington and Auckland Battalions made a further advance across the canal, where fierce fighting ensued. The enemy is now fighting determinedly. Late in the afternoon lie was still offering a stiff resistance- We, nevertheless, succeeded in capturing the village of Crevecoeur, across the canal, and our men gallantly fought their way on to the higher ground on their left, which they still hold.

Yesterday tho Second Aucklanders were ordered to pierce the brideheard across the canal near Crevecoeur. This they did, but found that they were on an isolated spot between the canal and the river. The position was kept under intense enemy and machine-gun fire from the village, hut the patrol was pushed right across. Our men stuck to it bravsly for a considerable time, hut close to the river battery fire was now added to machine-gun fire, and the commander withdrew from the edge of the river to the railway, close to the canal hank. Here he resistjd a determined enemy counter-attack, and refused to budge, although hi 3 casualties were heavy. Our men, however, inflicted still heavier casualties on the enemy, and helcl the position throughout the night ur.til the Wellington men this morning cleared the village. ° To-day's operation was undertaken in conjunction with the Scottish and English troops of the division on our leftThe objectives of the New Zealanders were the encircling and capture of Crevpeoeur and the high ground to the left of where the canal bends sharply eastward, about SOOO yards south of Cambrai. Our brigade on the right was standing fast, and merely keeping contact with the enemy opposite Vaucelles, to the south. The Auckland and Wellington troops who took part in the at tack had to move at night by a flank march, and move in single file across a bridge within 500 yards of the enemy. They had to assemble in the darkness in open country, devoid of any conspicuous landmark. Despite the enemy's shellf're on the bridge and its vicinity during this period, the assembly was successfully completed,and just before dawn, under an intense artillery barrage, our men went forward. Almost immediately the enemy put down a centre barrage. Our troops, however, gallantly lushed through this, and almost immediately captured numbers of the enemy and machine-guns. "When they saw what they were in for," said one Taranaki man, "they simply flew at us 'with their hands up." Auckland, on the left, pushed forward very fact and even gained ground beyond their objective. In the meantime the Scottish and English troops 01: our left were having haTd fighting at Eumilly, on our left flank to the northeast. When they had apparently gained most of the village they were heavilv attacked, and the Germans managed to drive a wedge between two of their battalions, so that they had to retire from the village. This left the New Zealand flank in th» air. and our sarri-

son were counter-attacked from their left re.jr, and forced to withdrawslightly. For a time the New Zealanders had to bear the brunt of heavy artillery and" machine-gun fir a from both flanks. There was little cover, and it was difficult even to find a sliell-lf>le in wliiA they could shelter. Some of the Aucklanders, who were clustering in a hollow, formed an easy target for the enemy, and some were killed and wounded hero Yet the men fought doggedly on, and refused to yield either the village or the high ground they, had won. Our casualties for the day were greater than we had yet experienced in this advance, hut some 500 prisoners were captured, well in excess of our losses, to say nothing of the German killed and wounded. . Two of our men, at one stage of the fight, captured 38 prisoners. As they were approaching this bunch, the Germans switched their machine-guns round to fire, but 'before they could do so one of tha New Zealanders, firing quickly, shot one German clean through the head, whereupon the other 37 promptly put up their hands and were marched oif.

THE OTTER OF WAR.

Early in the afternoon I crossed the canal in the wake of our attack on the western side. There were evidences of a hurried German retreat. The two naval guns captured the other day by the New Zealanders were in a small wood on the left. Further on in a sunken road 'were limbers and dead horse 3 belonging to a German battery. The limbers contained valuable signalling material, and there was a great litter of Greman maps, equipment, and records of the battery for weeks past, as well as the very latest text book: on German field artillery. Partridges rose from a Jew of the dead Boches who w'ere half-hidden in the rank grass. On top of the very high, steep bank that commanded the valley road below were four machine-guns that our men had captured, and beside them were two dead Germans. The others are probably by this time in one of our prison camps. Below were the dug-outs that had been hurriedly vacated, and more of the litter of war, including other dead Germans.

In the valley I passed a field gun and its two horses, almost blown to bits by one of our planes that had crashed badly, one of the dead gunners lay on his back on the rqi&d staring with glassy eyes lit the sky. Ahead was a bridge across the canal, nndestroyed, and below it the lock. One could read the story of this bridge in what one passed on the way to it. I had been left to the last moment for that field gun to get across, but before the bridge was gained the driver and his team were out of action for ever.

The enemy was now shelling the bridgehead, and. crossing (between the bursts one did not loiter there. The canal was running 'beautifully clear between its banks, raised above the flat valley bottom, and this abundant supply will solve the water problem while we are in this region. Ahead, the ground rose to the ridge between Masnieres and C'reveeoeur. on which our men were established. The enemy continued to shell this slope during tlie wholo of the afternoon. But he was firing blindly and mostly wasting his ammunition. A little way ahead one went within easy reach of machine-gun fire. Below, the village of Rumilly was still held by the enemy. It was taken later in the day by English troops, and our flank [ made more secure. There was a wonderful view from the heights above the western bank of the canal from Bonavis Ridge, which our men had captured. One looked back now at the swelling, sombre domes jf Bourlon Wood in the north-west, and the spires of Cambrai to the north, now within easy reach of our guns. It was a treat to gaze across so fin? a tract of jmdestroyed country and to see buildings in villages, and even farmhouses, that liad still roofs on them. all this to the westward was the constant pressing forward of our men, guns, and supplies. Behind them, the lieavies were already being settled on their new beds.

COURAGE AND TENACITY DISPLAYED.

October 5. Magnificent courage and tenacity marked the storming of the Crevecoeur bridgehead by our men. It was such as should make the hearts of our own people thrill with pride. The preliminary conditions were all against them. To begin with, there was faster wind and rain, and orders did not reach the battalions, and they were only received later by telephone. Then runners to the companies lost themselves in the darkness in the strange country, bo these orders had to he given verbally and hurriedly just previous to the attack. This meant that companies, instead of getting forward to the position of deployment, had to start from where they were bivouacked and march independently to the scene of battle. They advanced under a barrage across the canal while it was dark. In the van, leading an Auckland company, was a stouthearted captain, who had already distinguished himself with our Mounted Rifles in Palestine. The Aueklanders bore too much to the right in the darkness, hut cleared the Huns out of Les Rues Desvines on our side of the canal. Tho battalion commander followed with troops who later helped the Aucklanders in the desperate lighting that ensued. Later they made for two bridgeheads; one they found blown up and the other had only one plank across it. The latter they rushed so quickly that they surprised six Germans who were left to guard it, and who were just getting out of bed in a house on the other side. Had they been ready they could have held this narrow bridge against the whole bati talion.

Our troops now found themselves on an island, with the river and other bridgeheads beyond still to he forced. They tried the traffic bridges on the left, hut. were met with a storm of bullets from the village. Other bridges ahead they Tound destroyed. Nothing daunted, their commander brought one platoon back, and got them over a river bridge further back. They worked their way forward once more till they came up against another branch 'of the river. Here, again, they tried to force the bridgehead, but again a hail of machinegun bullets foiled the attempt. They found another place, and crossed on a fallen tree, hut the position gained at once became untenable, and they had to fall back. For a time some were missing, but 12 who lay doggo till night raI gained their unit. Others took up positions at ?>, bend of the. river, yul commiuH>r! a bridgehead, so that the enciuv win T-ftwerlcss tn cross.

At this stage it was clear that nothing could be done by a frontal attack, ft was, however,* decided to hang on to the valuable position already gained across the canal. In grim earnest these ibrave fellows set themselves to face the music of shells, enemy machineguns, and rifles. The worst fire came from German snipers, most of the casualties. Hidden in houses and trees, they fired with deadly aim. "It was the worst sniping I have experienced since I joined the' outfit,? said a company commander.

All that morning the runners were Wonderful. Three or four of them crossed and recrossed the bridges under a swish of leaden hail. The cool heroism and untiring energy of one young fellow stands out in relief against a background of brave but sombre fighting. Some time ago this lad was a quartermaster at the base dealing with bread, but, tiring of a life of inaction and comparative case, lie joined the infantry as a private. Early in the day he carried a message through intense fire to inform the company commander of vhirt was happening to an_ advanced position. To do this he swam over the cold river. ITo reported also that the bridge was mined- It was a bridge swept with bullet -fire, and the company commander 'decided that though- the mines must be removed they could only 'be dealt with under cover of darkness. "I'm damned if that fellow,without saying a word to anyone, didn't go away and do the jo.l> himself in broad daylight," said tho commander. And, what is more, still under fire, lie brought back the fuses and other appliances of the mines, to the astonishment of all concerned. He had been wet from head to foot for an hour and a-half and was now shivering with cold. Three of the company stretclierbearers had been knocked out, so his commander told him to do some stretcher'bearing to warm him up- He carried on at this for the greater part of tlie day, and when finished asked thn doctor at tho regimental aid post to look at his foot. He had been wounded earlier in the day, and had said . not a word about it.

All that day our men hutfg on to the island position. At G in tlie evening the enemy counter-attacked from the village. Their fire swept the position, and one could scarcely put his head up without risk. But risks were taken, and the attack was beaten off, with further casualties to the enemy. By noon the Auckland company, which had been reinforced by one platoon, had had numerous casualties, and the commander, at nightfall, fearing another attack, withdrew slightly to shorten his line. He took up a position at an embankment where he would have flattened out any enemy that had the courage te> come on. But the enemy had not the necessary courage., A protective flank was I formed to the canal, and all night our men held on.

Next morning Auckland and Wellington men attacked and captured the village, but the Aucklanders, in a sunken road, came in for heavy shell, machinegun, and rifle Are. That morning the men holding the island had the exciting and novel experience of sitting down under one of our own barrages, but still they held on, and, taking all the available shelter, escaped with only four Casualties.

Throughout all the first day's fighting it was almost impossible to cross the canal in daylight, but, in any case, there was nothing to be gained by sending assistance to those already over, for it would only mean bunching up troops in a limited space, and, in consequence, further casualties. The wholo area was swept by fire, and even the shell-fir® was deadly accurate. A battalion commander whose ribands and wound stripes indicate a distinguished career in the field, and an almost reckless bravery, admitted i that it was as tight a corner as any mati could wish to be in, especially when the Germans 5.9 ! 3 began to crash into it. The commander of this brigade, who is an English soldier, could not say too much for the splendid valor of his men. "I am indeed pvoud to command them, and you can say that I am not a New Zealander," were his last words to me as I clhnbed the steps of the dug-out where he had made his headquarters.