Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-26
Departure With Emperor Is
Taken as Sign Some Sit
uatiOn Is in Hand.
KAISER Is IN HEALTH
Berlin Report Says He Has
Not Suffered Under the
Strain Of War.

Headquarters Of the German army
on the Somme, July "a, by courier to
Berlin, July 25, via London July 26D
Emperor William. in his talk with
the Saxon and Baden military pleni-
pOtentiaTies today when he described
the Impressions resulting from his re
cent visit to the trenches, punctuated
and emphasized his discourse with
vigorous gestures. With the freshness
Of his color and general vi,dc:ly of
energy. his bearing showed plainly
that his health had not suffered under
the long strain of the war
Taken for Good Omen.
The emperor's departure for the
eastern front, accom- panied by General
Erich Won FaIkynhan, chief of the gen
eTal staff, Immediately after the relig-
ious service at army headquarters, is
taken as a sign that the responsible
heads Of the army consider the situa-
ton on the Somme front now well in
hand and that there is no occasion for
apprehension.
The Associated Press correspondent
spent part of the morning at an aTtil-
leTy observation station near PeTOnne
waiting for the weather to clear suf-
ficiently TO permit military operations
to begin. Noon, however, saw no lift
to the clouds, which hung low until
they joined hands with the fOgs from
the SOmme flats, and as there was no
prospect Of Witnessing anything inter
esting or important, the watch was
abandoned
The weather was not too thick how
ever, to prevent the general line of Op-
posing positions being traced from this
observation point. Almost at the OBJ
servers feet was the point of the
wedge which the French had driven
against PerOnne.
Biaches, on the west bank Of the
SOmme which now again was in Ger
man hands. could not be seen, as the
town lies too low in the valley, but the
height of La MaisOnette stood out
plainly. It's ownership now was
shared, the Germans holding the park,
while the chateau on the southern edge
remains in French hands.
Even on this scene of inactiOn shells
and shTapnel were seen bursting fire.
quentIy over La Maisonette.
From La MaisOnette the line ran
generally southwest to the village Of
BcIlOy, the corner baStiOn on which it
bends almost directly westward TO
Soyecourt, where it enters the original
front before the beginning of the Of
fensive.
Barleaux in German Hands.
An artillery observer stated that the
village Of Barleaux, which the French
repeatedly had endeayOTed to storm,
was in German hands, while Belloy
was q French stronghold and the vii
Iage Of Estrees was divided in posses
sion. The French had this morning
twice attempted to push forward the
lines here by vicious attacks with
hand grenades and bayOnets, but with
out success. BarIeaux and La Mason
cite appeared to be the storm centers
in this sector. To the northwest the
square tower of PeTonne cathedral
arose from the valley. The houses Of
PerOnne also were diSceTnibIe. Off
GERS who recently had visited the city
said Peronne was remarkably little
damaged in view of its proximity TO
the battle front All civilian inhabi-
tants of Peronne have now evacuated
the city though greatly against their
wishes.
Battle Line.
The battle line touches the Somme
to the north of Biaches, runs west
along the canal to Hem, where it
crosses the river and swings north
ward to the vicinity of GuillemOnt and
Waterloo farm.
The gains of the entente allies are
roughly included between this base
line and the point of the wedge at La
NaisOnette, the greatest depth gained
being about four miles and a half
The cores 0ndeut had no Oppor-
tunfty during his stay of inspecting the
front opposite the British troops.