The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-15

4 London, May 1.-THE Germans lost
Reaax today
For nearly a month a savage battle
had been raging in this village, small
in size, but big in strategical impor-
lance. 1t forms the central bulwark
in the Teuton defense system guard
ing the Wotan line. Since Saturday.
when they took the cemetery and the
chemical works. the Australians had
been ploughng forward with bomb
and bayonet yard by yard. Tonight
Sir Douglas Haig reported the village
/ captured. II lies just north of the
river Scarpe. n few miles below the
Arras- Douai road. In its defense the
| Bavarian crown prince used up many
divisions OF reserves, in addition TO
some OF his best fsont-line troops.
| British Respme Drive.
A little more 4Aan two miles to
! the north, on the other side of tho
/ highway that leads to Douai, the Hin
denburg line pivot. the British today
resumed their drive above the village
/ OF Gravelle registering appreciahie
! Roadway. Inssthe ruins of Bullecourt.
near the southern extremity of the
Wotan line, the Teutons still chung to
! the two posts they have been holding
throughout the last three days battle.
/ But the British succeeded in making
their wav forward today
i The British yesterday shot down
six German airplanes and drove two
others out OF control Three British
machines are missing.
Spirited artillery dues north of the
Aisne and in the Cham payne were
reported by foHIgHts communiaue
from Paris. =:
/ In aerial combats Saturday and Sun
I -.
! brought down by the French. Cen
eral Nivelle's flyers dropped altegeth-
! er 1000 kilos of explosives on works
behind the German lines,
The German war office tonight as
serted French attacks at various
points Of the line were repulsed-
Sertians Make Gains.
! On the Macedonian theater the Ser
bans in the last twenty-four hours
made a substantial advance into the
Bulgarian lines to the east OF the
Cerna bend on Sairraifs left wing.
and held their gains against strong
counter-attacks Tonight's French
official bulletin says the advance con-
1tinues.
Two Russian reverses. one IN the
Caucasus and another in Mesopota-
mia, were admitted by the Petrograd
war office today On the front south
OF the Fortress OF Ersingen. a Russian
company was repuised by kurds. In
Mesopotania north of Bagdad the
Russians were forced back across the
Diala river by superior Turkish forces.
100000 From East Front.
Offcial news came from Petrograd
today that Hindenburg already has
sent forty divisions-Soo,o0o men
from the eastern front to the west TO
check the entente drive.
Upon the heels of this news came
i t~kA Nc fx-tp
thoritatlye figures as to the German
losses in the vain counter thrusts
against the French and British. Cor
respondents at British headquarters.
taking advantage of new iull in the
fighting, telegraphed totals compiled
from authoritative quarters. showing
unprecedented casualties on the Ger
man side.
Between April Is and May 1 these
figures show the Teutons lost in killed.
wounded and CAPTURED 10000 men
on the French front alone, This
makes an average of more than 500
men killed every hour in sixteen days.
/ In the last two weeks 1t is asserted.
I the German losses were even greater.
Nearly $4,000 prisoners were taken
| by the French and British between
April and May l.. the exact figure
being i9.579 including e76 officers.
To fiji these terrific gaps sla she'd
! in his line Hindenburg is throwing
more and more divisions from the
east into the western battle. relying
upon the disorganizat ton of the Rus
sian army to eliminate it as an of
tenSive factor.
Battle In Sixth Week.
! The battle of Arras entered its sixth
week today. The last twenty-four
| hours saw let-up in the infantry
/ lighting on both sides, with a CORES
ponding increase In the artillery ac-
tivity. The Australians bit themselves
( further into the ruins of Bullecourt,
leaving only two posts in German
hands. i'll the northern and southern
part Of the village. To these thu
Germans are clinging with dispair-
driven tenacity.
Wants Ireland Freed.
WASHINGTON, May l4.-One of tho