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VOL. A ; oyal Tjr-o'.
'MCI
Heavy Fighting Continues
Around Bapaume and Near
Peronne
FIFTH DAY OF DRIVE i
SHOWS NO WEAKENING!
HindenburgV Perocious As
saults are Valiantly Met by
the British Germans Claims
Progress-
France has thrown the weight of
ler forces into the great battle rag
icg with unexampled intensity on the
Western front, and the British and
French armies .are now battling to
gether against the onslaught of the
common enemy in his desperate at
tempts to break through the Allied
line.
The British armies are holding fast
aiong the line of the Somme and also
in the region north of Bapaume, Field
.Marshal Haig reports today. The Ger
mans in their thrusts in the latter
sections reached the British trenches
at only one point and there they
were immediately ejected. Their as
saults elsewhere were smothered by
the British fire with great losses to
the enemy.
On the Somme line bodies of Ger
man troops which had succeeded in
forcing their way across the river be
tween Licourt and Brie, south of
Peronne, were driven back to the
easier nbank. On both sides of. the
B
FOR
ON
pawme- "the"" German iatta:,-wfitf':aatinery tt i aaed, splendid-
resumed today.
The greatest danger point at pres
ent seems to be further south, where
the Germans apparently have driven
through the great widiir of the region
they devastated in retiring in 19i7, as
the Paris statement reports heavy
fighting in the region of Noyon. This
town itself is some 10 miles to the
est of Chauny in the region of
which Berlin yesterday reported the
repulse of Franco-American reserves,
but the German advance probably has
been met considerably short of Nbyon.
The wedge driven into the Allied
line is evidently a deep one, however,
and the French troops are- reported
by Paris to be contesting for the
heights to the east of Noyes, for
which the German forces have con
tended. The Oise on this part of the front
runs southwest of Chauny and passes
to the south of Noyon.
Persistent attacks with strong
forces of infantry and lavish use of
artillery have not enabled the Ger
mans to break through the British de
fense and, after four days, the great
offensive blow in Northern France has
not yet brought a decision for the at
tackers. Heavy fighting is -in prog
ress around Bapaume near Peronne
and where the FrerUch and British
fronts join. t .
Field Marshal Haigs withdrawal,
previously planned in case of heavy
enemy attach, has been executed in
a manner 3eribed as masterly and
great i,-st for its success is given
to the small units which, sometimes
outnumbered eight or nine to one,
clung to their posts and impeded Ithe
German advance. The British have
toade few counter attacks but every
one attempted has been . successful.
The British efforts are centered on
Withdrawing as occasion requires and
Permitting the enemy to wear him
self out before the British defenses.
Sunday the fighting forces in the
north reached the old battlefield of
Continued on Page Seven).
COUNTER ATTACKS
MADE
London, March 25. The British this
horning werecounter attacking be
tween Nesle and Ham, Reuter's cor
espondent at British headquarters
rorts. The French also were in ac
tion. orth of Bapaume, he states the
ermans were attacking in consider
able force at dawn, but did not get
trough the British- barrage.
The' Germans, the correspondent
aJs, are relying upon sheer weight
01 numbers in the heavy atta'cks 6n
ne British lines, relieving their tjred
roops by fresh diviisons which press
iO"a-Q.,l ii.: , . - -.7,.
, wiuuut watng ror artmerv
import. 3 ....
Tfie enemy all day yesterday and
urugh the moonlight last nifiht. kent
I . 7
The
PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES
' HAIG. -
Washington, March 25. Presi
dent Wilson today cabled Field
Marshal Haig, congratulating him
on the British stand against the
German onset and the perfect
final Allied victory.
The President's message read:
"May I not express to you my
warm admiration of the splendid
steadfastness and valor with which
your troops have withstood- the
Gererman onset and the perfect
confidence all Americans have that
you will win a secure and final vic
tory." King George's Message.
London, March 25. King -George
today sent the following message
to Field Marshal Haig:
"I can assure you that the forti
tude, . courage and self-sacrifice
which- the troops under your com
mand continue so heroically to re
sist greatly superior numbers are
realised by me and my people. The
empire stands calm and confident
in tfs soldiers. May God bless
Ihem and give them strength in
this time of trial."
BRITISH DEFENDING
WITH STUBBORNNESS
London, March 25. The British in
their retreat defended every hill,
ridge and fortification with the great
est stubbornness, messages, from Ger
man war correspondents on the "West
ern front say, according to a Central
News disnatch from. Amsterdam:-, The
i iy sacnxicea nseir in covering me re
treat, the batteries only breaking up
when the German storming troops ar
rived within a few hundred yards of
the positions. The British gunners
then fired their last ammunition , and
retired.
SENATE PASSES
THE LUMBER BILL
SENATE PASSED fi 42
Washington, March 25.-The War
Department bill empowering the
President to requisition timber and
lumber and to conduct logging opera
tions for the Army, Navy and Emer
gency Fleet Corporation, was passed
by the Senate today and now goes to
the House.
Heavy Firing Heard.
London, March 25. Extremely
heavy firing from the direction o?
Flanders was heard all last night
along the Kentish coast, according to
the Central News. The heavy con
cussions shook the houses. The firing
appeared to be at different points over
a wide area, guns of all calibres ap-
parentfy being in action. There were
also violent explosions.
COLONEL McARTHUR WOUND
ED. Washington, March 25. General
Pershing's casualty list today con
tained thirteen names. One died
of wounds, three of disease, one
from causes known, one-man se
verely wounded and seven slightly
wounded.
Colonel Douglas McArthur, chief
of staff of the Rainbow Division,
was severely wounded.
Colonel jMcArthur formerly was
the War Department's censor herex
and was recently decorated for
bravery.
BY BRITISH
up his hammering of the British po1
sitions, the message7 states, the Brit
ish troops resisting with valient stub
bornness. -
The Germans are employing many
small . bodies of Uhlans mainly as
scouting patrols, it is added.
The spear head of the German ef
fort is still directed against the old
Somme battle ground. The British
troops have been falling back slowly
upon nw positions under tremendous
ipressure, destroying everything
which might be useful to the Ger
mans. Hostile airmen were active through
out the night, bombing the British
communications but showing Jittle in
clination to compete wh our flying
men afifcr daylight cama,
I - t
TO
BA
WILMINGTON. NORTH
EF
F:
USED A DIVISION
EVERY 210
YARDS DF FRONT
One German Division to Each!
British Battalion in the
Attack
MORE DETAILS OF
THE FIRST DAY
South of St. Quentin the En
emy Hurled Forward a
Force Eight Times as
Strong as the British '
British Army Headquarters in
France, Sunday, March 24. The main
thrust on the British right flank by
the Germans Thursday morning was
south of St. Quentin and the enemy
used a division for every 2,000 yards
of the front, there being approximate
ly one German division against every
British battalion. The purpose of the
atajJwy?8 . was to caDturJ4JjrsSIlers
and Essigny "Le Grand and thereby
acquire high ground for a further ad
vance. It is now possible to give
more details of the early stages of
this and other fights.
On the extreme right of the British
army the enemy crossed the river
Oise at two places. One body of
troops came out of LaFere and swung
north, while another army crossed at
Moy and turned south to form a junc
tion with the LaFere group. Through
out the day tb'e battle raged in the
low lands about the Oise.
At Vendedil, a group of British
held out until 4 o'clock Friday after
noon. A little further north the Ger
mans stormed Urvillers and Essigny.
Just west of St. Quentin the British
were forced to fall back, but through
out the day they clung to the Hol
non wood, a little northwest of the
city.
South of St. Quentin a number of
strong British redoubts made a gal
lant defense and it was nightfall be
fore the last of them, with the ma
chine gunners, had been reduced. The
end of th first day found the Brit
ish behind St. Quentin.
Friday morning the enemy renewed
the assault with increased vigor and
after desperate fighting in the region
of LaFere succeeded in getting across
to the British side.
Further north the British also with
drew from the Holnon wood. The
Germans then drove at Ham, which
had been cleared of civilians, and
Saturday morning, after, obtaining a
crossing of the canal, drove south
ward into the British positions.
In the other main theatre of oper
ations between Arras and Bapaume
the Germans made their first drive
against the, high ground between the
Cojel and Sensee risers. The German
preliminary bombardment was terrific
and their infantry outnumbered the
British eight to one in some cases.
.Early the Germans attacking south
ward into Bulle Court and the British
withdrew to a line covering Vaulx
Vrancourt, Mbrchies and Baumetz
Lez-Cambrai, The hottest and most
disputed point was Mory, whici the
Germans occupied only yesterday.
During Friday the Germans overran
St. Leger, Vaulx-Vrancourt and He
nin. One company of machine gun
ners on Henin hill held up the Ger
mans for a long time, doing deadly
execution in the densely formed ranks.
The Germans have been bringing
up artillery in the most able manner
behind their shock troops and have
been making full use of this arm as
the advance continued.
READY TO ANNOUNCE
NEW LOAN DETAILS
Washington,. March 25. The third
Liberty loan was , discussed today at
a conference between Secretary Mc
artillery is receiving reinforcements
Ways and Means, Committee, Assist
ant Secretary Leffingwell, of the treas
ury, and other treasury advisors. Mr.
McAdoo said he expected to have ah
announcement late today on' the size,
interest rate tand other feature of the
loan. - '
ON
FULL LEASED WIRE SERVICE
CAROLINA. MONDAY AFTERNOON 'AWte-25 1918.
IIS
.FIE
FRESH GERMAN ATTACKS
London. March 25. Fresh attacks bv the Germans have
developed northward and southward of Bapaume, the war
office announces.. .
London, March 25. The British repulsed powerful at
tacks yesterday afternoon northward of Bapaume.
London, March 25. The British drove back to the east
ern bank of the Somme bodies of German troops which had
crossed the river betwen Liscourt and Bris, south of Peronne.
The statement follows
"The battle continuues with
front.. Powerful attacks delivered by the enemy yesterday
afternoon and evening north of Bapaume were heavily re
pulsed. Only at one point did the German infantry reach our
trenches whence they were immediately thrown out. Else
where the enemy's attacks were stopped by rifle, machine gun
and artillery fire in front of our positions and his troops were
driven back with great loss.
"DurirTg the night and this morning fresh hostilities have
again developed in this neghborhood and also to the south of
Bapaume.
South of Peronne bodies of German troops who had cross
ed the river between Lincourt; and Brie were driven back to
the east bank by our counter attacks."
FRENCH TROOPS GOME UP
Paris, March 25. The French on Saturday went to the as
sistance of the British and took over a sector of battle front,
the war office announces. ,
lit theregsn of Nqypn and on the right bank of the Oise
heavy Hfigteng witKhe " r
AMERICANS DOING GOOD WORK
British Army Headquarters in France, March 25. A fur
ther advance late yesterday by the Germans at some points
along the battle front is recorded,
American engineers have again been in the throes of fierce
conflict, in which they have done excellent work in transporta"
tion.
The presence of the American engineers o nthe battle front
has long been known. They were praised for their gal
lantry in the battle of Cambrai, last fall.
GERMANS NEAR PETROGRAD ,
Washington, March 25. German occupationof Petrograd
within 24 hours was predicted by American Consul Tredwell
in a dispatch that reached the State Department today, dated
March 20. Virtuually all Americans have left the city, the dis
patch said.
AN AMERICAN SOLDIER
ILEDAEJIS POST
Gave Up His Life Rather
Than Leave His Place of
Duty
With th American Army in
France, Thursday, March 21. The
French commander of a division with
which American troops are being
trained today awarded the cross of
war to an American infantryman who,
two nights ago, gave his life rather
than abandon his post of duty. The
war cross was spiked to the coffin be
fore burial.
Two infantrymen entered an aban
doned trench to establish a sniper's
post when they observed several Ger
mans in the wire before the Ameri
can trenches., Other Germans -arrived.
There began an exchange of rifle fire
which resulted in a barrage from both
sides! At the end of an hour the en
emy gave up his attempt to enter the
American lines and withdrew.
Then it was discovered that one of
the two Americans had been killed.
There was plenty of cover withinJ a
few yards, but he remained at his post
throughout the artillery battle.
The distinguished service cross has
been awarded to Corporal Charles H.
Burke, infantry. His citation reads:
"Severely wounded while patrolling,
he refused to leave his platoon com
mander, who also was severely wound
ed. He stayed at his side during an
intense bombardment and insisted on
driving off an enemy patrol."
Lieutenant H. B. Davis, the United
States army medical reserve, -who is
serving with the British army, has
been awarded the distinguished serv
ice cross, one of. the four new Amer
ican decorations for bravery.
1TTAG1SG gun RESUMES
HEP
MA
great violence on the whole
L
UST CASUALTIES
Nearly a Score of Names Sent
to the War Depart
ment Washington, March 25. General
Pershing's casualty list which reach
ed the War Department late last-hight
is as follows:
Died of accident:
Private Anthony Romanoski.
Died of disease:
Sergeant Jule Hauston; Privates
Franklin Cooper, Joseph F. Covert,
Ernest L Stafford.
Wounded severely:
Private Jacob Brosz. ' -
Wounded slightly: Lieutenant Roy
al Tharp, Corporal Arnold Carico,
Privates Carter A. Dillingham, Wil
liam Dunsmuir, Charles L. D. Fuller,
Albion O. Gross, James McDanieison,
Mark A. Resnick, Dan Sandors, Ma
jor M. Shelton, Harry Shepherd, Bur
ton L. Thorburn, Private Christian A.
Sorenson.
DISCOURAGE NEW
NON-ESSENTIALS
Washington, March 25. To discour
age all new industrial projects not
deemed essential to the prosecution of
the war the War Industries Board
will withhold from such new plants
the benefits of priority of transporta
tion for their products.
Aerial Activity in Italy.
Rome, March 25. There has been
remarkable aerial activity over the
lines on the Italian front, the War
Department announced today. Eight
enemy machines were brought down.
There has been a lively artillery bat
tie at various places between Lake
Garda and the Brenta,
GENERA
PERSUINGS
0
B
ombardmen:
OF CITY OF PA
AMERICAN
E
SHELLS AT E
So Effective the Fire That Two
Lines Have Been Aban
doned GERMANS COME BACK
WITH GAS BOMBS
No Infantry Contacts" Report
ed During Past Day or Two
Airplanes are Busy Mak
ing Observations
With th American Army in France.
Sunday, March 24. American artil
lery on the Toul sector continued to
day to shell effectively enemy, first
line and communication trenches, the
town of St. Baussant and billets and
dumps north of Boqueteau. Many
of the American shells have fallen in
the German trenches and the first
two lines in at least one place have
been virtually abandoned.
One" American natrol - freelv insnect-
oat molestation last night and this
morning and remained there several
hours. There have been no contact
between the infantry during the last
24 hours.
For the third successive day Ger
man artillery today bombarded heav
ily with gas shells a certain town
within the American lines. Today's
bombardment was made in two pe
riods, each a half hour in length.
Many gas shells and a few high ex
plosive shells fell on the American poy
sitions.
An enemy airplane early this morn
ing cut off its engines at a great
height over the American lines north
west of Toul and planed down. When
close to the ground it dropped a quan
tity of bombs. Some were of a new
variety which explode in midair with
a bluish red flash and give off a cloud
of mustard gas. Being heavier than
the air the mustard gas quickly de
scended toward some of our battery
poistions and road.
Another enemy airplane hovered
over the town while the bombardment
with gas shells was in progress.
The weather was especially suitable
today . for aerial work and the Ger
mans took advantage of Jt. On one
portion of the sector 14 enemy air
panes crossed between noon and 6
o'clock in the evening while four
friendly ones were over the Ameri
can line in the same period. One
group of seven enemy machines, ap
parently on a bombing expedition;
was discovered at midnight and driv
en off by the rapid fire of American
anti-aircraft guns. .
An American patrol has brought in
quantities of valuable papers from
the bodies of five Germans killed in
a sneii noie oy American artillery
fire a few days ago.
The entire American front, from
generals to privates, eagerly awaits
news from the British front. All are
confident that the Germans eventual
ly will be defeated severely, even if
they should strike hard at the out
set. The German offensive is the; sole
topic of discussion on the American
sector, pfficial communications are
caught by wireless operators and
newspapers are circulating rapidly
alongthe front. .
N10
NEMV
GERMAN SOLDIERS
NORTH OF SOMME-
Berlin, March 25. The Germans are
now standing to the north of the
Somme in the middle of the former
Somme battlefield, says today's offi
cial statement. Bapaume was cap
tured in night fighting.
In the evening Nesle was taken by
storm; the statement adds. British
American and French were thrown
back througli a pathless wooded coun
try by way of Vilequier-Aumont and
La Neuville.
More than 45,000 prisoners and
more than 600 suns have been, cant
PRICE HIVE CENTS
DWffl
MS
Several Shots from Mysterious
Gun Fell in City this Morn
ing FRENCH AIRMEN ARE .
TRYING TO FIND GUN
Believed that the Giant Can
non Will Soon be Definitely.
Located and Put Out of Com
mission by Airmen.
Paris, March 25. The long-range
bombardment of Paris was resumed at
6:30 o'clock, but was interrupted af
ter the second shot.
After a brief interval two more
shots were fired. The bombardment
was again suspended at 9:10 o'clock.
As's was the case yesterday the peo
ple did not take to shelter. Cellars,
which were filled on Saturday, remain
ed empty this morning. Little inter-
est was shown in the bombardment. ' s4
Soon after they were awakened by -f'
the first shot the people were brought f t
to their windows by the rattling of '-L1
drums. Policemen circulated through l
each quarter of the city, introducing, .f-
the new system of alarm, which is '
distinguished from the alarnr za the
case of air raids.
Work was resumed under normal
conditions. All the transportation
lines were running. The streets were
full of people whose sole subject of.-'
conversation was the new tbattle .of
"It is to be hoped that the gua
which shelled. Paris will virtually .i
shortly be silenced," says The Figaro, f
which gives the following quotation,
from a man who is said to be in a po-'-- a
sition to know:
"The 380-millimetre gun which bom- -barded
Dunkirk two years ago from I 'U
a distance of 25 miles was located, by i
our airplanes and soon put out of ac- ;t ri
tion. The same methods will be 'II
adopted to locate the gun which haa
been bombarding Paris for the last
two days. Since Saturday our air
planes have been looking for it and
the fact that it stopped firing is due,
perhaps, to thir arrival. It will not
be long before the gun is definitely
placed; then its career will soon be
over."
The military authorities, according
to another morning newspaper, are
convinced that the Germans are using
two new guns, while Et :hard Arapu,
the military expert of L'Oeuvre, be
lieves there , is a , whole battery of
them.
An American corporal of marines
was struck in the chest by a splinter
of one of the first shells which fell
during Saturday's"1 bombardment fit
Paris by the Germans. He was
wounded seriously out his life prob
ably was saved by the deflection of
the splinter by a cigarette case. So
far as has' been reported he is the
only American victim of the bombard
ment. The
e Matin says one of the shells 11 I
in tho direction of Paris yester-
fired
day struck a church in the suburbs. '!j
fjovorftl tiArsnni who wer attending: a. - t
Palm Sunday service were killed.
MISSING TWO MONTHS -SUDDENLY
REAPPEARS
Syracuse, N. Y., March 25 Loomis' :
Allen, former director of the Ameri
can Electric Association, who disap-;
peared from Washington, January 9,"
returned today as suddenly as he dis
appeared. Allen refused to give any;r
information concerning himself. -
At the time of his disappearance, A '
he was engaged in government work
and various rumors were put out con
cerning his disappearance.
To every question today he simply
smiled and shook his head. "
i -1
tured. the statement says. .c -'!h
Violent fighting developed for po9s'i-U
aeasinn nf r.nmhlps nn H thA hMff-htA,
W " - f.
west of the town. The enemy was de ' r4
feated, the statement says. v vi '
' -: j--f
Bapaume is on the northern part of; -f ,
the battlefront,- where the British line; j ' J
ior me most part nas neia. it is one., . r
of the larger town on the fighting C 1 i
front from which a number of roads
radiate. The official German report;
Sunday night said a gigantic struggle- ,ij f
was taxing piace ior tne town, it is
13 mile sbelow Arras. . '
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