Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, etc. — 1917-10-13 (Penistone, South Yorkshire, England)

LOCAL AND GENERAL NOTES.  THE WEEK'S WARFARE.  '• Blow upon blow, until the enemy is I crushed." Sir Douglas Haig continues faithfully to interpret Mr. Lloyd George's ideal lof war, and to ''engage the enemy more Iclosely." The offensive in Flanders is going forward with acwelerated speed. Last Thursday a new attack on a wide front brought us a substantial slice of the Paeschendael Ridge, and another three thousand prisoners. The ground was rapidly consolidated and held in the face of counter-attacks delivered more hesitatingly than were those with which the Germans responded to our earlier thrusts. On Tuesday, in conjunction with our gallant Freed' Allies, the British took a I:further step forward, completed the capture of Poelcapelle and reached the outskirts of Hoothulst Forest, where they joined hands with the French. They roped in bunches of fortifications as they went, and on Thursday the number of prisoners, was reported to have exceeded 2000. Save in the sector between Poelcapelle and Houthulst Forest, where our tmops were pressed back a little on a front of two thousand yards, our gains have been maintained. Glorioas work is being done in Flanders, and as the hope of a great and decisive victory rises more brightly before them, our men are fighting with exalted spirit. These deadly thrusts into the German key-defences are slowly'. but surely undermining the etemy occupation of the Lille district on the one hand, and the Belgian coast as tar as Antwerp on the other. Sir Douglas llaig's punches are getting the Boehe in the -pliv_e where he lives." Lively fighting is going on on many parts of the Western Front, and the Verdun area cOrttinting to be agitated. The Italians are still steadily slogging asay on the Aranzo front, and we have rreei:ed some details this week of the important contribution which has been made by Britis'i artillery to the great effort there. The Russians are a good deal steadier, and are now fighting with something like determination. They are also demonstrating that when they do fight they are superior, man for man, to the Germans, the pick of whom are at present fully occupied in the West. There has been serious trouble in the German Navy, and an echo of it in the Army. An announcement on the subject was made in the German Reischstag this week by the Secretary of the Admiralty, Ad-. mita' von Caliche, who declared that there had been a conspiracy, aided and comforted by the Independent Socialist Party, to destroy the combativeness of the Fleet by means of agents placed on board each vessel, and to compel peace in this way. Unofficial reports speak of chweright mutiny on several battleships, the murder of Naval officers, and the attempt of a crew to carry a cruiser into Norwegian internment. We are unable on the present date to estimate the precise significance of this extraordinary lapse from the iron discipline which has hitherto dominated the German Forces, but it contains far-retching possibilities, and the German Government, by its sanction of widespread pan-German propaganda in the Army would appear to be fully alive to. the difficulties of the situation. In any ease the appearance of rot in the German Navy ought to have a ,parti,nlarly sinister significance for Hindenburg. Wh3 has declared that the nation with the slim:gest nerves will win the wzir. The casualties to British shipping last week were slightly heavier than in the precious week, when we suffered the smallest recorded number of sinkings.  s s s