The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-07-03
BRITISH IN BIG
OFTEN sIVE TAXI
FORTIFIED Town
Fricourt is Taken After Desperat|
Battle; French Capture
Corfu.
BATTLE GROWING INTENSER
WITH ARRIVAL OF RESERVE
Germans Take Damloup Works Nea,
Verdun and Later Forced to
Retreat.
(By United Press J

Retreat.
1E@
(By United Press)
London, July 3.-Under a blazinea
sun, the Allies are pushing forward
across rotting farm fields in theH
Somme region in a battle which is del
ve1oping into the greatest conflict. ins
the history of the world The battlea
is growing more intense with the ar-A
rival Of the German reserves and
threatens to spread along the wholes
of 100-mile front.
j. rs .Aaz Take Towns.
London, July 3.-All the allied
armies made steady advancement
Saturday night and Sunday against
formidable resistance The British
took Fricourt, an important fortified
town three miles east of Albert The
French captured Corfu. The French
took 5000 prisoners and the British
took $500. The dead has not been
estimated. Germans and French /
statements both claim Thiaumont |
The Germans are pounding at Yer
dun with both artillery and infantry.
The German, French and British air
craft battled over the allied front,
Berlin reporting that Is allied air
craft being destroyed.
Claim 1000 Prisoners.
British Headquarters, France, July
3-Pressing on the east of Albert
the British are today occupying FRI 81
court, taken from the Germans yes
terday. Four thousand prisoners
were taken.
Take Trenches.
Paris, :. July 81 Official THE
French in heavy fighting have cap
tured on the three-mile front the
German second line trenches from
the Miercourt woods to Azevilleirs
The French captured the village Of
Herbecourt.
Forced to Withdraw.
Paris, July Official The
Germans captured the Dam1oup
works near Verdun city early this
morning The French Immediately
counter attacked and drove them
out. --.. . ..... ..--..-..r.
b. Japs Buying Steel.
: Pittsburgh, July 3.-With the war
orders from Europe dropping, the
Japanese government has stepped in
and is buying steel. Orders for
28,000,OO0 tons were placed with the
Westinghouse, Cambria and allied
concerns -.,r-.. sseZ
Allies Advance Analysed.
(By J. w. T. Mason.
New York, July 3.-Under initial
circumstances that are highly favor
able, the long awaited Anglo-French
offensive is now in full operation.
The final stage of the war, in fact,
probably will be dated from today.
The brunt of the fighting in the
WSSlcIA SSCIOI AS ldltuS OA sAS
British armies. The attack of the
French troops on the right is little
more than a sympathetic movement
and a protection for the British
flank.
A Large Victory.
The meager official statements
.,,.--.o,4 4ho+ ~, D,;+;.bx hopo .ofnnd a
an average depth of perhaps two
miles along 16-mile front. This
| is large victory for the first few
hours of the fighting. It is not
probable that the British armies ex-
pect to progress continuously at 50
rapid rate; but a few advances
of this nature will throw the Ger
man western front into serious
confusion
It is as yet too early to determine
whether the British are succeeding
lco-ordinating the various movements
that enter into major offensive. Lack
of coordination has been the most
hampering fact of previous often
sives and special attention has late
ly been given to this difficulty by
the British general staff.
| May Save Verdun.
But whether the German western
front is pierced or not, the present
! British movement may well save YER
!! dun and it will uneuestionably pre-
i vent large German force being sent
| to support the Austro-Hungarians In
the east.
| News may now arrive at any time
that he Russians are crossing the
Carrathians and are amid the grain
s fields and cattle pasturages of Hun
gary. Whether in fact Hungary IS
to remain secure from the Siavs de-
pends fully as much on the persist
ance Of the present British Offensive
IN the west as on the Continued pres
sure of the Russians il the east.