The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-28
KNOCKOUT is Due
Hindenburg's Guessing With
His Back Against Ropes.
Wonders Where Haig Will De-
liver Punch Next.
LENS CAPTURE IS IMMINENT
British Continue To Close In on
Industrial City.
Germans Fail to Counter on
Points Taken by France.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sI>f,,c

( ..
| With the British Armies in the
Field, June 2s.-FieId Marshal Haig
has Hindenburg guessing. Shifting
lhe a master boxer, hitting first with
ms right and then with his left-and
eneh Sharply upper cutting in the CEN
| ter TO the chin-the British com
! Hlander keeps his Prussian opponent
not only puzzled but on the defensive
with his back against the ropes
1here is not any doubt that Prus-
sia, as President Wilson says. shows
! signs of weakening" The fighters
mere approve that statement And
they add, in effect, Its up to the al
/ lies now to hit hard"
Thruout today, Haig continued his
tactics turnout the length of the Brit
ish front, marrying the enemy every
where While the enemy anxiously
/ watches some shot where the German
commanders think they have detected
little heavier artillery fire than else
where-apparently Signalling prepa-
ration for an attack-Haig slams for
ward somewhere else.
1 Every day threatens Lens more
] Every day sees local battles; and local
! retirements by the enemy.
Further north the same strategy is
gaining for the British.
i The weather is hot and sultry. Air
fleets fleck the blazing sky, the Prus-
sian machines curiously but conspicu-
ously avoiding battle whenever pos
sible.
! (By the Associated Press.)
While General Haig is so close upon
Lens that the capture by the British of
that coal mining city and its adjacent
| fields seems imminent, it is question
whether the British operation will be
| accompanied by an offensive move by
! the French on a like scale.
Altho there has been more or less
constant jockeying for position by the
| two commanders along the Aisne and
| Champagne fronts the German activi-
ties appear more like efforts to choke
off any possible extended movement
! by the French than anything else.
On the other hand, General Petain's
occasional strokes give the impress
sion that all he is trying to do is to
preserve his vantage points as the
basis for resuming the French ad-
vance at some future time when that
| effort seems advisable.
| The most important of the recent
4 French drives was that of Monday at
| Hurte bise, west of Craonne. The Ger
mans seem to have suffered consld-
cradle deprivation here, one of the
positions taken being a fortress of
| some magnitude which had served the
crown prince well as point of de-
| parture for counter attacks.
Capture Fort and Munitions.
Paris, June 27.-Heavy artillery
! fighting continues near Hurtebise says
today's official announcement.
/ The statement follows:
Spirited artillery fighting contln-
ned in the vicinity of the Hurteb1se
/ monument The Germans made no
Il further attacks on the positions whlch
we took from them in that region on
Monday.
| no cavern
TIE Dragon, more tLan 100 meters
wide and about 800 meters deep
which had been converted into YER
liable fortress. This cavern, with nu-
merous exits and openings from Whlch
machine guns were fired, constituted
an armed position and point of de-
parture for enemy troops in making
counter attacks.
"a considerable amount of war ma
terial was stored there, including nine
machine guns in good condition
equipment for more than 800 men
numerous rifles, ammunition depots
electric searchlights and a hospital re-
lief outpost which fell into our hands
1.-THE number of prisoners counted
has reached $40, of whom six were
officers.
Teutons Air Raid Nancy.
I'm the Champagne, he enemy was
repuIsed in a surprise attack west OF
Mount Carnillet. We penetrated the
German lines near Maison De Cham
payne and brought back ten prisoners
German aviators last night threw
several bombs on Nancy. No dam
age was done and there were no cas-
ualties."
Devastating City of Lens.
The German commanders have
been preparing for REIMBURSEMENT OF
Lens for a month, realizing sooner OF
later a general mass attack by Hais
would sweep them out. A systematic
plan of destruction of the city's fac
tories, coal mining plants and shaft.
near by was put into operation weeks
ago, according to reports of aviators
GET I'M REGIIIAR ARMY