THE WEATHER:
if Friday, probably local rains;
Saturday fair.
THE ASHEVILLE CITIZEN fra
VOL. XXXIV, NO. 155.
ASHEVILLE, N. C, FRIDAt MORNINO, MARCH 29, 1918.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
be
BACK
WITH
FORCES REPULSE TE
"J
HEMf LOSSES TO EMEMY
1 1 "'. r . ;
UTOH.
GERMAN DRIVE IN PICARDY HAS COME ALMOST
TO A HALT WITH BRITISH LINES STILL FIRM
French Have Delivered Dashing Counter
Attacks Over a Front of About Six
Miles, Driving the Germans Back For
a Distance of Several Miles British
Also Repulse German Attacks.
COUNTER OFFENSIVE IS
AT HAND ALLIES THINK
French Drive May be Forerunner of Great
Movement American Troops Are Held
n Reserve With French For the Great
Drive to Come Allies Confident
" Eventually Why Not Now?"
Slowly assuming the shape of a giant plough share the
German drive in Pieardy has come almost to a halt except
at the very tip of the salient driven into the lines of the en
tente allies. As the area covered by the Teutonic offensive
stands now( it runs, on the south in an almost straight line
from Landricourt, on the old "Hindenburg line," to Mont
didier, well behind the allied positions as they stood in
1916.
Savage Fighting.
Savage fighting has taken place on the French part of
the line. The German attempts to advance, on the extreme
tip of the salient driven into the French positions have
been fruitless and they have been driven back at the point
of the bayonet. The British on the front north of the
Scarpe also have repulsed the enemy, but south of this
river they have been forced to retire.
From Montdidier the line to the northeast runs with
a sharp angle to Warvillers and there it turns northward
and passes along the, Somme river to above Albert, where
it again turns to the northeast until it joins the old lines
held by the contending armies on the morning of March 21.
Two New Features.
, Out of the cofusion of the battle, and the contrary
claims of the contesting armies, two new features stand
out. The first is that the French, over a front of six miles,
have driven into the German lines along the southern side
of the salient established by the Teutonic drive. The other
is that the Germans have begun a new operation to the east
. a .: u u xi. : i: e : a it..
vi Auaa, wine jj. uia ue uie mcepuuii uj. tx wiucjuxuj uie
Vwtn - f VwHtn r-k i -v In 1 7 n "t"l
aita i;i uiiitiiL iu tut; uuituncuu
May Be Big Move.
At the present moment, the allied world is looking
anxiously for news of the success of the French thrust into
h the flank of the German forces. The fact that the drive
Qgressed rapidly and cut a deep notch into the German
held ground in the region of Noyon, may indicate that this
movement is the counter-offensive which has been expect
ed for the last three days. Progress by the French for a
considerable distance into the German forces would cut off
the Teutons fighting at the very tip of the "plough share"
and compel them to retreat, or at least pause until the
menace to their communication can be removed.
Might Overturn Whole Plan.
A further advance by the French might easilv over
turn the whole plan of the Germans and bring about a new
rthase of the battle in which the allies would strike hard all
along the front and compel the Germans to relinquish their
dearlv bought conquests.
, The German activity near Arras may have for its pur
pose either a new drive at the allies' line or a defensive op
eration intended to stop an English blow from the north
coincident with that began by the French; . (
, ' The British held firm north'of the Scarpe, but to the
south of the river have been driven back. Their line now
- is near that occupied in July, 1916, and runs straight from
Arleux, north of Arras, to Boisleux, on the line held by the
BATTLE OF PICARDY GROWS MORE LIKE
SITUATION AT BATTLE OF MARNE DAILY,
WITH GERMANS EXPOSING BO TH FLANKS
Marked Improvement Shown on Largtr Part of the Allied Front, But the Crisis Is Not Yet Past-
Time for the Allies to Strike With Great Counter Offensive Appears to Be at Hand,
If Allies Have the Troops.
xmxTurcED ox page ixe.
(By FRANK H. SIMONDS.)
NEW YORK, March . The
eighth day of the great battle In
Pieardy ahowe a marked improvement
on the larger part of, the allied front
between Arraa and Noyon, but despite
the general betterment there has been
two developments which do not en
courage the feeling that the orials of
the contest has, as yet, been safely
passed. The first of these develop
ments is the sudden and remarkable
leap forward of the Germans north
of Lassigny and west of Roye, which
has resulted in the evacuation of
Montdidier. The second develop'
ment, of growing Intensity of artil
lery preparation east of Arras, which
should betoken the coming of a new
thrust in this region. With respect of
tb German advance in the center and
capture of Montdidier, it must be
recognized that this push has driven
a wedge between the mass of the
French and the British and has al
ready cut one of the two Paris-Amiens
railroads, which are the4 main routes
Ol lateral communicauon oeiwcen me
two allied armies. At Montdidier. the
Germans are thirty-one miles ' from
their starting place at St. Quentin and
are hardly more than ten miles east
of the latitude of Amiens, although
nearly twenty miles south of that
town. The capture of Amiens would
bring with it an Instant dislocation of
allied communications. Not only
Would the British and French armies
be separated, but the British would be
cut off from Havre and Rouen, the
main bases of their southern armies.
Germans Exposed to Attack. .
The latest German advance, then,
carries a distinct menace to the allies;
on the other hand, there are inherent
weaknesses in the present posture of
tha Germans. Their wedge which
they have driven forward to Montdi
dier is rapidly narrowing and they are
now exposed to the obvious peril of
attacks on either sids of this awk
ward bulge, attacks which would
threaten the safety of the troops In
the point of the bulge. , a .
In point of fact the German posi
tion en the whole operatltve front is
mora and more tending -to reproduce
their situation before the battle of
the Marne. North and south of their
operative front, that is about Noyon
on the Oi and around Arras on the
Scarp, the allied lines are holding
mmim. mm tfcs attiad Una held about
Paris and Verdun In the Marne cam
paign. As a result the Germans are
thus thrusting themselves between
two allied pivots and offering an in
viting target for Just such an attack
as Maunoy made from Paris on Sep
tember 5, 1915, in the first phase of
the Marne.
Great Moment Near.
If the allies have at last collected
their army of manoeuvre and can now
put it in, if the British and the
French have reserve armies north and
south of the German wedge, then it
would seem that the moment is about
arrived when the strategy of the
Marne can be repeated and one or
both of the German flanks assailed.
Now as to the threat at Arras, once
more the Marne parallel will serve to
illustrate. In that battle the effort of
the army of the crown prince was to
isolate Verdun which was the hinge
of the French armies on the east as
Paris was on the west Now Arris is
the northern hinge of the allied
armies and so far the British troops
have-swung backward on this hinge
with fairly steady movement and the
German drive has been steadily forced
southward into an ever narrowing
front.
As a reeult there has come the very
real danger to the Germane Incident
to the awkward bulge or tneir nn
toward Montdidier. In a word they
have broken through between Arras
and ths Oise on a very narrow front
and the wedge is being steadily blunt
ed. They have failed to break the
southern hinge by an attack on the
French and It would seem tnat tney
are now about, to attack the. northern
hinge in front of Arras.
A successful drive about Arras, the
capture of the town and the Vlmy
rlda-e. north of it. would mean the de
struction of the northern hinge of the
Imperilled British and French front.
To use another figure, what may now
be compared to a leak would become
an actual break in the dike and the
Gorman flood would eweep through.
The allied line would then collapse,
for nearly fifty miles from Arras to
Noyon and a supreme German success
might result. This is the maximum
of possibility, happily remote, but it
must be faced. -
i i Allied Advantages.
On' the other hand, it to well to re
member that on this Arras front, .the
alliea have all the advantage of po
sition since they hold the high ground
won In recent . campaigns. The
bno ( v Osrmsn success
region would seem slight unless tne
British trenches have been Jenuded
to furnish reserves for the imperilled
district further to ths south.
There is less cause for panic now
than at any moment since the Ger
man drive began. The British situa
tion has been pulled together from
the Scarpe to the south bank of the
Somme and the - French, taking over
the flank of the British along the
Olse, are steadily slowing the German
pace.
The parallel of the Marne is strik
Ing, if only In the geographical clr
cumstances, and ths tactical and even
the strategical resemblances are not to
be mistaken. The Germans have of
fered the flank to the French from
Noyon to Montdidier as Kluck offered
his flank to ths army of Maunory
east ot fans along ths Ouroq in Sep
tember, Ills,
The allied armies now fighting
have escaped danger of a swift and
complete disaster. They have re
tarded an attack which was too pow
erful for them to check at once.
They have given their high commands
a wsek in which to prepare a counter
thrust and they are still "going
strong." but the situation is develop
ing rapidly out of which must come
a decision and a solution of all ths
problem.
(Copyright by McClurs Syndicate.)
BELIEVED HAIG'S
REPORT PRESAGES
COUNTER ATTACK
Washington Officials Think
Moment for Blow is
at Hand.
AMERICANS WILL BE
IN BATTLE LINES
AIRPLANE STEEL'
RUINED BY SPIES
OVERMAN STATES
Displays Portion of. Steel
Bracket Plugged With .
Lead and Painted.
News of Beating Back of
Germans Cheers All of
Washington.
WASHINGTON, March 28.-
nouncement by Field Marshal
tonight that the German war
chine along the whole British
-An-Halg
ma-front
had been beaten off today with heavy
losses gave 'new test tonight to specu
lation here as to the allied counter-
assault which officers feel certain will
not long delayed. -
Americana Ready.
War department officials generally
appeared to be satisfied that sub
stantial. American force would enter
tha hattle lines with the French
when the signal for the cuonter blow
is given. Major General March, act
ing chief of starr, stated natiy, now
v.r. that he was not advised as to
the numbers or disposition of Ameri
can units which may be employed
with the French army of attack. The
new outbreak of the German tnrusi
at Arras, rsported early in tne oay,
caused some apprehension here lest
the allies might find it necessary to
further delay their effort to seek vic
tory after bitter daya of steady yield
ing of rrnund. Definite word from
General Halg that this new drive also
had been checked aqaea to tne
SPIES ARE AT WORK
IN CURTIS FACTORY
North Carolina Senator
Springs Sensational Sur
prise on Senate Floor.
(continued on page nine.)
(By 8. R. Winters.)
WASHINGTON, March ; !. Dl
playing a piece of steel that had been
plugged with lead and then painted
to disguise Its intent, as the . work of
a spy, Senator lm 8. Overman, of
North Carolina, In a series of oensa
tlonal uerancee in thV senate today,,
expressed the opiirtrthat-thef r"
400,000 German spies in the United
Bute. The bracket exhibited, was
evidence of the methods employed by
a German workman in tampering with
the steel used in manufacturing fight
ing airplanes so a to retard the pro
gram of the American air craft board.
'If I were secretary of war or presi
dent of the United States. I would
commandeer the Curtis plant and turn
out every man In that plant and hire
only loyal American and dispense
with those under suspicion," declared
the North Carolina ssnator. , ,
Have German Names.
"I want to say in passing that some
ot tha leading men in that plant have '
German names. I make no charges -
(Continued on Page Two.)
SUBSCRIPTION GOALS
FOR EACH DISTRIGT ARE
Each Federal Reserve Dis
trict Assigned So Many
Liberty Bonds.
NEW YORK GETS BULK.
WAST PRICES INCREASED.
WASHINGTON. Mar. 28 Inc
in price, to stimulate production and
Improve the quality of coal, were of
fered today toy the fuel administration
to operators who use- special means
for eliminating impurities from their
product. Twenty cent a ton may be
added to the government prices for
coal, at the mine, where mechanical
appliances and addition labor are em
ployed to eliminate slate or carbon
from th fuel.
4-
FIERCE AIR FIGHTING.
X - LONDON, Mar. Z8. The con-
tlnuance of fierce air Aghtlng in
the battle area la shown -by the
report of aortal operations Issued
tonight, which asys-that on Wed-
iresday, twenty-four German ma-
chines were brought down In air
fighting and seven were driven
down out cr control. Nineteen
Brittoh machines are aliasing.
a-.-'-- -
WASHINGTON, March II. Sub
scription goals which each federal
reserve district will be expected to
reach or pass during the third Lib
erty loan campaign opening April 6
arranged today by the treasury, give
the New Tork district thirty per cent
of the $3,000,000,000 loan total or
f (00,000,000 as Its shara, the eame as
In tha second loan. The Chicago dis
trict Is allotted 14 1-lt per cent or
$428,000,000. It was found Boston
had been given a disproportionate
shars In the second loan, and ths dis
trict's percentage baa been reduced
from ten to 8 1-3 per cent. Cleveland,
Minneapolis and flan Francisco were
givn the same proportions a In the
second loan and other districts were
raised slightly.
The gosls of each state, county and
city will be determined by federal
reserve district committee on the
basis of population, wealth and busi
ness conditions.
Quotas by districts are as follows:
Third Liberty Quota In
Percent.
8 1-3 '
3ft
81-r '
10
4 1-i
14 '
4 1-$ 1$9..
3 1-2 10S
tx-f 10..
3 3-3 . $0
.7 J10..
Liberty loan cam
.was assigned, four
par cant ot ins total, or uu.uvu,vuu
and raised $101,000,000. Atlanta as
signed 8 3-4 per cent, $80,000,000,
raised $0.00t,000.
AMERICAN LABOR WILL
SEND DELEGATION TO
FRANCE10 ENGLAND
Will Explain Position of
Labor in United States
Toward War.
WILL SAIL SOON.
Boston '
New York
Philadelphia
Cleveland
Richmond
Atlanta
Chicago
St. Louis
Minneapolis ....
Kansas City
Dallas
San Francisco...
In the second
aign, -Richmond
Millions.
ISO
too
JSO
$00
130
Al
- BRITISH CASCAIATES.
r LONDON, Mar. 28 British casual,
ties reported for th weefc ending to.
day amounted to M13, divided u
follow!
NEW TORK. March 88. To maV
known to British and French labor
th .position of labor in the United
States with regard to the war, a dele
gation or nine American labor lead
ers, with credentials of ths American
Federation of Labor; will sail shortly
for England and France.
This was announced late today by
the American Alliance for Labor and
Democracy, of which 8amuel Gomp
ers Is president.
The American labor mission, ac
cording to a spokesman for th allt
ancet, will tell British and French la
bor leaders that organised Htoor In the
United States Is committed to the
prosecution of the war to a successful
conclusion and will not confer with
any representatives of an enemy
country-
The mission officially known as the
"American Federation of Labor Mis
sion" in composed of the following:
James Wilson, president. Pattern
?.7akers League of North America,
chairman; John P. Frey. executive of
ficer,' International iMolders Union of
North American, secretary: William
Short, president Washington State
Federation of Labor; Miss tSIellnda
Scott, president Straw Hat Trimmer
and Operative union: Mis Acne
Nestor, vice-president Glov Worker
international union: Win. H. Johnson,
president International Association
ol. Machinists; George Lv Berry, presi
dent. International Printing Press-
msA's.aml Assistant tin Ion: Chester
M. Wright, member International
Typographical- anion; Martin F. Ryin.
president Brotnorhood of Raili
Car Men.. ' -
The sending ot th mission is
response, it was explained, to repeat-
ed Invitations from British and
French labor leaders to 8am uel Oomp' '
ers, president o( the federation, -
visit them personally and confer '
them on the question of th post
of labor In too associated nation"
war with Germany. Mr. Oompsnr. ..
anxious to go, but felt that hi f
isQuirod him to remain her.
7
In