vr 4
iJ
rm wommMcmmiTTEE
WEATHER.
North and South
C.rolina-Fair Sunday
,d Monday; not much
change In temperature.
VOL. XXIV. NO. 95.
Hndenburg's Attempt Dyr
ing the Past Week Record
ed As a Failure
CASUALTIES OFFSET
HIS SLIGHT GAINS
British Forced to Retire From
Two to Eight Miles, But No
Places of Great Strategic
Value Lost.
New York, April 13. Desperate at
tempts this week by Von Hindenburg
to break through the British "fronts
pardins: roads to Boulogne, Calais
and Dunkirk on the Channel coast
lave failed. The net result- of the
week's fighting has been a retirement
j-jplaces of two ;to eight miles by the
Mush and a heavy increase in Ge
r,n casualty totals. The principal
.csregic protecting high grounds in
x.-session of the British have not
alien to the Geman assaults. The
British retirement from Armentieres
h2d meagre significance. The town.
tss abandoned because it is not part
of the Allies' strategy to.subject their
roops to the death traps into which
on Hindenburg ruthlessly- forces his
iTn men. All or the Allies principal
ail ways immediately behind the
N'orthern battle front continue to be
tU protected by the intervening
,.d?es. As long as these ridges re
tain in possession of J the Allies it
i Tii ue an advantage ior aiarsnaii
g to permit Von Hindenburg to
11 1 . - 1 IV
i&e slight ' territorial' gains in ex-
Asee for tji'e..: &at&MiaTher
siiehter of German troops.
The immediate objectives of the
Germans are Ypres and Hazjebrouc'tc.
nncp in possession of Ypres, Von
Hindenburg would be over the hills
into the lowlands where the Allies
defensive oositions would require
rscre , stubborn protection. Haze
'orocli'? fall woujd put Germans In
control of the most important rail
way center behind the x Northern bat
tle front and would open the way to
valuable coal fields. A break in the
A:i:e3 front toward either Ypres or
Hszenbrouck would be serioTls. but
Genera! Foch at the head of the
week's fighting sent heavy French
reinforcements to support the British.
Thi means that Jthe direcin
??ratejry of the defense of the North-
err, battle fronlis now probably in
control of General Foch himself. The
Allies' generalissimo, however, cannot
? iorii o concentrate the major part
"f bis reserve forces in Flanders. The t
position of the battlefront is such as
'o give Von Hindenburg once more
'he advantage of working on inter
ior line?. Bping inside the circle he
?an transport his men from point to
point by short cuts, while General
foch is comnelled f-o mnv bis arm-
by longer detours outside the cir-
C Tito All.V V-
therefore, for sudden cessation of the
Zanders oDerations and the renewal
f an attempt by Von Hindenburg to
weak through the Southern flank to
ward Paris. French reserves, there
fore, must bft rMtt-naA in Inrcfi niim-
line, despite German pressure further
0rth. Von Hind Anbnrc hnwever.
r?-nnot afford to continue the reck-
- n . , , . . r
GERMAN
TR YING TO , WIDEN
BREACH 'tN LINES
Germans are- pressing north-
a!"d from the sharp wedge they have
Irtven. into the British lines in Flan-
ers and menacing Bailleul, an im
portant railway center 12" miles south
west of Ypres, United Press dispatch
aom Wm. Phillips Simms declares.
4 nis movement, he said, is an at-
QlDt tn fnrno o V.t-oo Vi in thft
tish lines and endanger Haig's io
laons at Ypres at Meesines "ridge to
north. The German line skirts
"Hs Important ridge on the,' East ind
ngs sharply around this sound
?se, past Wulverghem, a mile and i
fla' to thft wont p-nrt Wiiovo-TCffliRft. the
distance beyond Wulverghem.
i'lleul ia loan t'nan fnnr rnHfta dllft
, bWU ....wm
- i nue-guse. r luiu nuio
?''fifi f Via linn n ntVi-nfAcf rrrnrA
i " ' J tux IIS OUUtunoovnuiu
w "teunwerk. wnssin? the Bailleul
Hiles
' ii ui.Li tv a v Auwuif w.. w.
southeast of Bailleul. AHaig,
Jatest communique? reported
'ghting on tile Flanders front,
'n hi?
iciahy in thft TiAlB-bKorbnod of
?uve EgHse and -wuiverghem.
J,.,,, IUOB lTUUl DWJCUWOJV-B.,
. rawest to Nuef-Berfuin, then.
tltltWKW
BRITISH
ACCOM,
DISPATCH PUBLISH EIGHTY-SIX AMERICANS
CO. ME MEETING
President W. .B. Coooer Made
Acting Manager of the
Business
The annual meeting of the stock
holders - of the Dispatch Publishing
Company, publishers of The Wilming
ton Dispatch, was held yesterday af
ternoon at 3 o'clock with Mr. Thos.
E. Cooper acting as chairman and "Mr.
James Owen Rellly, the secretary, at
his post. .
The principal matter before the
meeting was the resignation of Mr.
W. E. Lawson, treasurer and genr
eral manager, who leaves this week
for New York. The resignation was
accepted, and Senator W. B. Cooper,
president of the company, was elected
acting manager by the directors, who
met immediately after the' .stock
holders adjourned. Election of offi
cers and directors was deferred to a
later date. The , directors hold over,
these being Senator W. B. Cooper,
Thos. W. Davis, Esq., Messrs. W. E.
Lawson, James Owen Reilly and Thos.
E. Cooper. '
The report of the secretary and
treasurer, Mr. Lawson, showed that
.The Dispatch had made wonderful
progress in the two years the prop
erty has been under the present man
agement, and that the growth has
been more pronounced in recent
months. There has been a big in-
urease in clrculatiqn andthe adver-v
-tisispatroiiag fanttygrtW
rease in circulation and : the adver-
Ing. With its modern facilities The
Dispatch is now capable of taking
care yOf its field in great shape and
he officers and directors believe that
the future growth of the paper will
be equally as great as it has been in
the past two years. '
Professor 'Under Bond.
Chicago, Ills., April it Dr. W. I.
Thomas, distinguished and elderly
socioligist of the University of Chi
cago, gavei bond today to1 answ.er Mon
day in sordid morals court, a) hcarge
of disorderly conduct with Mrs. R.
M. Granger, 24 years old, "army wid;
ow." Mrs. Granger was too "111 to
appear in police court today. She
was at the Thomas home under the
care of the "wronged wife of the pro
fessor." less slaughter of Germany's man
power without gains much more im-
portant than he has yet secured
In,
the North.. Nor is he m a position j sons were injured in last night's en
to end his assaults while the Allies emy air raid over Paris, it was offi
remain unbroken. ' If, therefore, : cially reported tod.y. The raid last-
Ypres and Hazebrouck remain safe'ed 45 minutes
and Von Hindenburg finds the way
to the Channel ports is permanently
barrod. it is nrobable that he will !
soon attempt an offensive elsewhere, :
but henceforth every x additional Ger
man' assault ousrht to show increas
ing weakness. The terribre punish-. ters had been robbed. The burglars
ment inflicted on Germans must have;na4 scribbled across the top of each
inevitable effect on their offensive meter: "A1V Clear."
morale as they begin to realize the J
increasing Results of their assaults. V
Then will come an enforced period of
rest, and with it time for more con-
sideration "of the Allies' plans for the
future.
.3viJ
scribes a iharp arc a mile west of
Morville'on the Eastern edge of vhe
forest. From here it runs Southward
and slightly astward to Locon, turn
ing -southeastward to Festubert "and
continuing on to the JLaBasse canal,
which it crosses in the vicinity of
Givenchy. The British have made a
slight advance near Festubert, Haig
said, taking a few prisoners. The
enemy penetrated British lines at Lo
con, but were later driven out.
1 In the Plcardy region, the most im
portant action was a counter attack
by Franco-British forces which drove
the Germans completely out of Han-gard-En-Santerre,
ten miles southeast
of Amiens. ' t -
j The x French reported lively bom
bardments along the Oise, between
Montcler and Noyon, a front of about
18 miles, while Haig described active
enemy cahnoadihg in the region of
Albert. Continued activity on the
American Toul sector was reported
by the- nch war office. A ,Gernn
otaoir nn Anremont "wood today was
Kbroken- up by French and American
troops. Two other - auacKB cm
same wi'ons were frustrated 3
te:day. -
.WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA SUNDAY MORNING,
'PUSHED
ON THE CASUALTY LIST
America's Latest Roll of Hon
sor Carries Names of Five
Killed In Action
Washington, D. C, April 13. Eighty-six
Americans were added to Am
er'oa's honor -roll today in General
Pershing's casualty report to the War
Department. Of the total, five were
killed in action, one died of wounds,
seven died of disease, fur from ac
cidents, nine were wounded severely
and 60 wounded slightly.
.Killed in action: Lieut. Wlllmer E.
ilerr, Corporals Harry A. Miller, Al
mon R. Pigree; Privates Tony-Ise,
Vincent Wiliczki.
Died of wounds: Private George W.
Rifferd. :
Died of disease: Sergeant George
M. Lumb, Privates Walter Davis, El
mer M. Frederick, John Clinton, Sam
uel Kline, Marion Alger Pennington,
Richard Woods.
Died of accident: Corporal Larry
Cornell, Harry L. Goodpasture; Pri
vates Sidney H. Durkes, Samuel J.
Smith.
Wounded severely: Corporals
Frank B. Stiles, Thomas H. Wether
spoon; Privates John Collins, x How
ard P. Fitzgerald, Arthur H.G. Lode
Williams Lebiz, Peter Ufevendiske;
Wm. P. ,Renny, Foster V. Bix. "
Wounded slightly: Captf John B.
Pitney. s
'.j- " " "'' -
iRESIDOTrSNlECE
TO WED MINISTER
Washington, D. C, April 13. The
engagement o Miss Alice Wilson, the
President's niece, to Rev. I. S. McEl
roy, Jr., of Columbus, Ga., was an
nounced by Miss Wilson's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Wilson, of
Baltimore, tonight. No date for the
wedding has been fixed. The Wilson
family moved from Nashville, Tenn.,
in 1913, . to Baltimore, where "Mr. Wil
son is manager of the business devel
opment department of the United
States Fidelity and Guaranty Trust
Company He is the only brother of j
the President. Rev. Mr. McElroy,
who graduates next month from the
Union Theological Seminary at Rich
mond, Va., is the son of Rev. I. S.
McElroy, of Columbus, Ga. .
:
Fifteen Women Killed.
Paris. Appril 13. Nineteen men
and 15 women were killed and 62 per-
N "All Clear."
During the last air raid, a number of I
persons returned from shelters and i
found their penny in the slot gas me-
STATUE OF FREDERICK
THE GREAT REMOVED
Was Pulled Down From the
United States War College
Yesterday
Fashington, April 13. Frederick
the Great, exalted German conqueror,
no longer towers majestically at the
front door step of the United States
Army War College here. His statue
met an ignoble fate today when a
hemp rope, by order of Acting Secre- j
tary of War Crowell, was tied about !
its neck. Strong and willing army j
laborers were at tire; other end. -To- j
night, .Frederick lies a fallen mon-
ot-oTi atnrprt RWaV in a damD. dark I
corner of be college cellar. The ,
statue, some 10 feet in height above j
its pedestal, had dominated the pa
rade of the War College since 1904,
when it was presented by Kaiser Wil
helm as a "lasting pledge for the con
tinuation of the friendly relations be
tween Grmany and America." The
removal was carried out quietly, al
most secretly. There was some sug
gestion tha President Wilson him
self V had requested it. Several Con
gress men recently urged th former
emperor's likenes be removed from
before an institution which was en
gaged with war to bannish from the.
earth the ideals he did much to fos
v. - : . - .
JEJJLL LEASED WIRE SERVICE!
AMERICA B
APPEAL OF AILIES
Every E
ten Sm
jy Is Bent to Has
ng of Troops to
France
s
HEAV
e:
AfT CALLS
-CTEDTO COME
Everything "Else Is to Be Sac
rificed In the Effort to
Send More Troops to the
Front Quickly
Washington, D. C, April 13. With
British "backs to the wall" in Flan
ders, the nation's directors here to
day took determined strides to stiffen,
hasten and strengthen American aid.
Draft officials let it be known that
FORME MEN
heavy draft calls will be made in llay ;, v " T7w n f"
after the 150,000 called between April '7 11 movements
26 and May 1 had been encamped, in i1 trf an ?"
line with the hastening of troop : r h 5 a.ny:A114led smash
transportation, this, was significant Lhnf y advices. similar in many re
It . spelled the rapid emptying ot s t0 press messages ou of Berne,
camps and cantonments' while Eng- may be German-mspired with a view
land is calling for assistance to halt fdist"rng American-Allied morale,
the Germans ' ut betherthey are only German
At the same "time it became inown Propaganda orNiot, they were ' regard
that thoueh America is alre.adv dninleu euuiciepuy piausioe Dy navy by
a p"rodiigious speeding up of troops in
transportation, she has still other
plans for getting additional troops to
augment the movement. To this end
Director McAdoo earned a ship advi
sory board to aid in the co-ordination
of ship and rail transportation. Under
the government plan to utilize, all the
coastal steamer lines, some extra over
seas tonnage will be acquired. The
government also Is preparing to fur
ther slash useless exportation and
importation, and new lists of 'restric
tions on exports and imports are be
ing prepared.
"Men" is the cry; of -the Allies to
dayand to movrff them' shiDs. must
Pbe added everi at great sacrifice of
food shipments. It is said the draft
ing arrangements, will be altered as
a result of the House passage of
amendments as. to quotas, the plan
hereafter will be to base quotas, upon
the number of men in class one in
stead of on population as heretofore.
The War Department sent to the
President a list of about 20 recom
mendations for appointments of brig
adier generals, some of them asked
by General Pershing. The depart
ment must "soon fill places of generals
" -tiy deu. 'zd for ih tical or other
reasons. The present recommenda
tions are In line with the policy of
moving np younger'officers as needed
Further reorganization in the War
Department to make the work more
efficient Is planned, according to In
formation from the War Council.
Edward Stettinius, Assistant Secre
tary of War, in charge of the sup
plies, storage and traffic problems,
may be given charge of airplane nrob-
lams. leaving to General Goethals theffc
bwaerai suppi ihbk. wneTner mat
plan is foil owed or not, the Depart
ment intends llist new short cuts lo
results hail )j2 obtained.
While the above constructive steps
were underway, the Senate judiciary
sub-committee decided that destruc
tion of the German-American Alliance
must be accomplished for the good
of the nation, and down at the War
College a halter was swung about the
neck of the bronze statue of the Prus
sian, Frederick the Great, and he was
relegated to a dark, ignominious cor
ner of the cellar. An order from Act
ing Secretary of War Crdwell caused
his execution. Tt is fitrnne'lv n re-pr! i
that Frederick be melted up to make1!Fort Caswell Soldier Left the Post
a cannon
MUST NOT SLOW UP
IN THE LOAN DRIVE
: , j
rLC C 1 TT7 1
Orncnials Warn.:
Treasury
Country Against Danger of
Over-Optimism-
Wa!l,tT,,, n A-ni is Tho
Washington, D. C, April 13. The
third Liberty Loan was sweeping
steadily on to success tonight, beset
by but one danger, overoptimism
Treasurv, officials arned sravely that!
the country must not no relax be
cause of the large response on the
opening days. Ufnciai ngures cover- u.. a. rrom o'io o.to u wuw. xuc
ing subscriptions for the first six days j musical program includes a vocal so
of the drive as reported to banks andjlo by Miss Catherine Collers and this
trust companies showed a total jot alone should be sufficient to draw all
$573,451,600. While this was some- , the youngsters in the city to the As
what below what had been antici-' sociation building Boys are especial
pated. for this stage of the campaign. ; ly invited to attend, whether members
headquarters pointed out that a con-'of the Association or not.
ciderable volume of subscriptions un-i ;
doubtedly had not been'reported: that-!
the bi Minneapolis district is yet to
ar At intn actinn formally onniner its
drive Monday) and that the evergrow-
ing impetus of the 'loan may take mor eminating from the hook or noi
some. days yet fully to penetrate all .land, published in the Telegram to-
'sections.
APRIL 14, 1918.
GERMANY MAR
READY TO , LAUNCH
A VAST SEA RID
Reports Received In Wash
ington Tell of Great Activ
ity at Naval Bases
REPORTS MAY BE
GERMAN PROPAGANDA
Naval Officials Do Not Intend
to Be Caught Napping If
Germans Dash For
Open Sea
Washington, D. C, April 13.-Ger-many
is preparing for a vast sea raid
supplementing her West front drive,
according to information gathered of
ficially by the navy. While not ver
ified, the- reports were that unwonted
activity is evident at the Teuton na
nayy authorities to take seriously and
to prepare against such a drive. Am
erica has many craft abroad, includ
ing battleships, submarines and de
stroyers, which will be one with the
British navy in awaiting the Ger
mans. Many navy men have -favored an
aggressive American-Allied policy on
the seas,but in the last two or three
days they have turned to "the view
that the sea .war may be brought
home to the British-American fleets
Lin raiding - activities. The best sea
son for a German raiding operation of
large proportions has passed with the
opening of , spring, but ihe Teutons
may be planning a desperate gamble
in line with his. policy of casting all
into the balance now.
Recalling the advertising Germany
gave to the West front offensive, the
Navy Department is not falling into
the error of casting entire doubt on
the - reports gathered by agents
abroad. It was recalled that army
men began to doubt that a real West
front offensive was planned by 'Ger
many. In any even the Allied-American
fleet situation is regarded as ca
pable of coping with any Teuton of
fensive, -though the German, plan of
attack would probably depend upon
picking oft an isolated unit here and
there. Germany has put the Russian
navy mostly out jof commission, but
mky have obtained the few able crui
sers the Slavs had. ff the Berne press
reports and the navy information con
stitute a German "plan" to distress
England. France and ; the United
States the effort will fail, according
to all indications. This was evident
rom the reception toda yby General
Haig's gloomy "Baek-to-the-Wall-'
statement, which only served to stir
the national officials to greater action.
Admitting the gravity of the West
i front situation, some authorises sug
gested that Haig seemed a trifle over
pessimistic, especially in the light of
the day's official statements showing
the line holding. Such officials' warn
ed, however, that, too much optimism
is just as fatal as toomuch pessim
Montdidier, Paris relieving theNorth
Hp.3 pressure.
POLICE ARE NOTIFLED.
Yesterday, uoming i ms. way.
Police headquarters was requested
bv Fort Caswell authorities early this
morning to "keep an eye peeled" for
James Williams, a jjrivate, who left
the fort yesterday afternoon vtithout
permission and who was headed in
this direction. JThe start was made
on foot. Williams is described as
five feet eight inches tall, about 21
years of age, blue eyes, sandy hair,
bad teeth With SCarS n bth kneeS
arid on his chin. He is classed as, a
deserter and worth $50 to the man
returning him to the -post.
MR. McCRACKEN THE SPEAKER.
Musical Program of Boys' Leagued
Meeting Includes Vocal Solo.
Rev. J. H. McCracken, pastor of
thex Fifth Street Metfhodist church,
will be the speaker at. this afternoon
(Boys' League meeting to be held as
usual in the boys' lobby of the Y. M.
Three German Cruisers Sunk
Amsterdam. April . 13. Three- Ger
man cruisers-have been sunk West of
the Maas lightship, according to a ru
night.
PATCH
BRITISH RECAPTURE
mum
BRILLIANT ATTACK
BERLIN STATEMENT
CLAIMS. PROGRESS
BY THE GERMANS
Says American . and French
Trenches Were Raided and
Prisoners Taken X
LAB ASSEE CANAL
HAS BEEN REACHED
German Statement Says Hin
denburg's Men Have Ad
vanced Northwest of Be
thune Berlin (via London), April 13. Ger
man forces today penetrated French
and American trenches between the
Meuse and ' the Moselle rivers and
took some prisoners, "the Berlin War
Office announced tonight.. (This is in
the Toul sector and probably, refers' to
the. attack in the.'Apfemont forest ;to
day, of wliich the Paris Communique
said, "Most attempts by the enemy
were broke 4dwn.") In the -Flanders
drive, the statement said Locon was
stormed and the Germans reached the
Labasse canal, Northwest of Bethune.
(Locon is six miles West and North
of Labassee and two mile sand a half
tit i-t - " mi '1. i "J ?
iNorm yoi iwuune. - i uerwport inui
cates the Germans reached the canal
at a point about half a mile West Of
I Locon.)
The Stormingof. Rossignol and the
capture of Ploegsterert wood were
announced by the War Pffice in an
official statement tonight. "From the
heights of Messines -we reached the
Eastern border of Wulverghem," says
the statement. "South of Ploegsteret
wood we stormed Rossignol height
and joining our troops advancing
Northward to the wood. Ploegsteret
wood fell after being surrounded.
Astride Luce brook, local advances
Drought in French and English pris
oners. Between the Meuse and Mo
selle we penetrated French and
American trenches, taking prisoners.
Between the railways from Armen
tieres to Bailluel and Merville we
carried our attack as far .as the rail
way from Bailleul to Merris, and as
far as the Eastern . border" of Niegpe
wood. South of Mexville we captured
positions on the Clarence" river and
stormed Locon. J We reached - the La
basse canal, Nprth)vtrof Bethunej.''!
MEW YORK DISTRICT
PASSES THE QUARTER
New York,. April 13. The New
York Federal Reserve district bound
ed over the quarter mark In the" first
sevne days of her drive, for $900,000,
000 today. The official reports show
a total of $238,072,450, its ' subscrip
tions from the army of workers that
have kept up a whirlwind campaign
in the face . of unusually unfavorable
conditions, Greater New York's share
of this amount is $193,014,400.
Paris Again Bombarded.
Paris, April 13. The long range
bombardment of Paris was resumed
this afternoon.
ALLIES AGAIN CALL
FDR MORE TROOPS
Washington, D. C, April 13. The
Allies have made new calls on Amer
ica for more men, it was learned of
ficially tonight. Despite the arrangements-for
a. hastening of troop move
ment, undertaken since the great
drive began, pressing clamors to go
beyond that limit have reached here.
England and France must have even
greater man power than America( has
pledged, officials have been informed.
And though the program of brigading
Americans with the Allies was a speed
up measure it and the hurried In
crease ixf troop sailings will be insuf
ficient. The President has requested con
gressional leaders to rush the bill ap"
propriating $50000,000"" to construct
concrete "boats, . according to official
announcement tonight. This is in
line with rush plans for getting every
possible ship in tW shortest possible
time.
As a result officials are racking
their brains to. make even heavier
shipments of men. More "ships are
PAGES
I u 2 Sections
i
PRICE FIVE CENLTg
IN
Bailluel Is Still In feitisfl
Hands, Despite German ;
j Claims -
. , ' . -v. .. ....
DESPERATE FIGHTING
BY OPPOSING ARMIES
Germans Massing Attacks ix
Effort to Widen Salient It
British Lines, But. Attempts!
Cost Heavily j
With the British Army 14
France, April 13. The British re
captured ' Nueve-Eglise today an
pushed the, Germans back from Steem
werck Station, p?eeing Lacreche frort
enemy-pressure. , ,
Despite their claims the German
had not captured Bailluel. Southwest
of that city they crossed the wid4
bend in the railway (at Murris), but
this small success was counter-bah
anced by the British gains at Nuevoj,
Eglise and Steenwerck station.
There, was touch and go fighting
throughout last nigh and today. Gen
erar von Quast' made efforts to reach
Haze wouck, an - important railway
center, flflve and a half miles North
west of Morville. All night could be1
seen the lurid - light above Bailleul, tbe
Southern -half of which is in flames,
This morning the Germans were no
in Bailleul, despite their claims" to thfl
contrary. The fire probably was due
to incendiary shells, the Germans
hoping to drive out the British, whd
areholding up von Quast's rights t
menacing his advance toward Hazel '
.hrotfck. Retween Bailleul and Haze
bouck the German ,salient is dangr
ously narrow." This is now perfectly,
square, Metern Robecan and Labasse
approximately the corners with a
"panhandle" shooting off Northeast
ward to Hollebeck. Meteren, which,
is one mile West of Bailleul, is seven
miles Northwest of Armentieres. Roe
can is ten miles Wes't and North ofl
Labassee, and the same distance
South and West of Meteren. Labasse(
is 11 miles South . of Meteren. Hole-
back is seven miles North of Meteren .
During Friday, with a pall of black!
smoke stretching over the battlefield
like clouds across the" otherwise blue)
sky, ; Generals von Stettin and Von
Carlbwitz, haSpg crossed the Lys at
Merville, attempted to . push on, but
made 'little headway. The Germany '
fought hard but died in droves. North
ward they fared only slightly better,
getting across a wide bend in tha
railway Southwest of Bailleel.
Great: pressure is being exerted
against "Bailleul from the South
Massed divisions, which are attempt
ing determinedly 9j make a widl
breach in jtJLjerBritish front,.-tJo as io, .
imn'erikihe "troops' holding tbe.,Passy
chendaele sectbr (Ypres.. saU'ent) an4
SsMessines ridge. L
After continuous fighting all dayi
yesterday between Labasse and. Mes .
sines ridge ( a front of 15 miles) thfll '
British front was withdrawn to thet -West
of Merville early today. It now
rests along the Eastern edge of tha
Nieppe forest. (This forest extends;
from a point about a mile West ofi
Merville to Thieness, six miles West,'
and runs Northward to the vlcfhitjr
of Vieux-Berquin.) .
Between Givenchy and Locon (flvtf,
miles Northwest of Givenchy) repeat
ed enemy attacks failed. The Gerv
mans gained a foothold at Neuve-Eg
lise. The line was well South of La
basse, while some strong enemy
points near Givensky were taken by
storm.
being sought and1 it may b" neces
"sary to cut into already shortened ra
tions for Europe to provide the spaCfc
for soldiers. Haig's "back to th
wall" statement is an echo of the
call: With the Boche pressing in In
Flanders and '.spread along the great
Amiens front, the reserve force of tha
Allies must be' speeded- vastly at once
the appeals suggest. At the War De
partment it was stated officially that
new steps are under way to increase-
the tonnage available, and thereby
hurry the troop- movement. And "it
was made clear that more shipping
will be obtained. This will come
from unexpected quarters, it was sug
gested.. The Versailles .War Council
has. the whole troop problem under
consideration, 'it is known. The Amer
ican , general staff, the Shipping
Board and the navy are being called
in - on the play. ' Some" of the more
drastic proposals for .-increasing the
tonnage have been practically abandoned,-
but confidential plans are in
the" making , whereby the shipping
space" will be materially enhanced.
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