The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-03
Violent German Attacks Fail
To DislOdge Byng.
British Retain Dominating PO-
Sitions Huns .COvet.
5000 CAPTURED, SAYS BERLIN
Dead at LaVacquerie Outnum-
ber Any Battle of War.
American Engineers Caught in
Trap, but All Escape.

General BynR Is T0SdlHinS Dll bN
bit the ground won by the Germans at
so heavy a cost last Friday in the
Cambria battle, now characterized as
the heaviest attack ever delivered on
the British by the German armies ex-
cept in the case of the first battle
of Ypres.
The front on the northerly side of
the Cambria salient having remained
virtually intact it is in the region to.
the southwest of Cambria that the
British have been centering their ef-s
forts in the rectification process
Last night they pressed their way
eastward to the edge of VillierS-Gu1S-
lain wiping out much of the German
gain in the sector most deeply pene-
/ trated by the drive.
They also made good their hold on
the village of La Vacquerie on this
front, having repelled series of at
tacks.
To the north a portion of a posi-
ton on the high ground southwest of
Bourbon village which had been tenn
porarily relinquished by the British
has been re-occupied by them as the
result of another of last nights oper-
ations.
Germans Captured 5000.
Berlin now claims the capture of
5000 British within the last few days,
| together with 100 guns.
(By the Associated Press.)
| Violent German efforts to wipe out
the salient before Cambria have
brought little tactical success, as Cen
| eral Byng has withstood successfully
/ for three days all attempts to break
| thru. About Gonnelieu the Germans
| have gained slight terrain at heavy
| costs, and the British have evacuated
| Masnieres south of NCambrai. The
| Germans have suffered very heavy
losses in dead and wounded. and the
British have taken many hundreds of
prisoners -.-s-
In the important sector west of
Cambria, embracing Bourbon wood, the
| dominating position in this region, the
| Germans have made no impression on
| the British defenses, nor have Cen
eral Byng's men given ground between
Bourbon wood and Moeuvres. the
! northern side of the salient Ten
! heavy attacks against the region of
\ Masnieres were driven off by the Brit
| ish with costly losses for the attackers.
| but sharp salient involving the vii
/ lage made its abandonment necessary.
/ Southwest of Masnieres toward Con
nelieu the Germans still hold La
! Vacquerie where it is said the dead in
| twelve hours have numbered more
| than in any similar period since the
beginning of the war The British
| have reached Gonnelieu and fighting
was in progress Sunday in and around
| the village. In this region the Ger
! mans used four or five divisions Fri
| day and attacked in massed forma-
/ ton Saturday and Sunday. At least
| six or seven divisions were used by
! the attackers in their fruitless eff
! forts to break the northern leg of the
i salient.
| Americans Surrounded.
American engineers operating and
building railroads within the British
west of Gonnelico were caught in the
first rush of the Germans attack
! Many sought shelter in shell holes,
from which they were rescued by Brit
/ ish counter attacks. The engineers
aided the British in withstanding the
duty at night. Several were captured
! by the Germans but later managed to
| escape.
/ Northeast of Ypres in Flanders. the
! British have captured fortified build
/ ingS and German strong points on the
main ridge north of Passchendaele.
On the remainder of the western front
the artillery continues active. The
German crown prince has not repeat
ed his attacks in the Verdun region
No Change on Italy Front.
On most of the Italian front the in
! fantry remains virtually inactive.
while the artillery is engaged in vio-
lent bombardments, especially along
the Piave river. On the Asiago pla-
teau the Italians have withstood a
I local AuSIfO-Gefman attack against
Monte Meletta, while near Monte
! pertica, along the Brenta. the Italians
made a slight advance. Austro-Ger-
man infantry movements in the in
undated districts near the mouth of
the Piave have been under Italian
artillery fire.
3, Situation in Russia.
While the Bolshevih representa-
tives planned to enter the German
lines Sunday and begin negotiations
with the Germans. nothing has yet
been reported of their mission The
Bolshevih leader. Trotzky, has warned
the allied diplomats in Petregrad that
his government will not permit them
to interfere in the internal affairs of
Russia, especially as to giving advice
to General Dukhonin. The demobili-
cation of the Russian army by the
Bolsheviki is reported to have begun.
The Russian provisional government
has re-appeared and issued a mani
festo asserting it is the only legal au-
thority. 1t urges the people to dis
obey the DEGREES of the Bolsheviki