The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-05-10
GERMANS MAKE
Vain SACRIFICE
Unable to Hold Allies in
Northern France.
BRITISH REGAIN LOSSES

React So Strongly That Most o
Ground Lost In Vicinity Of Fresno.
Has Been Regained-French Grad
uaIIy Forging Ahead Further South
London, May 10.-Field Marshal vor
Hindenburg's tremendous drive o
Tuesday, in an effort to stem the tide
OF British victory on the Arras bat
tlefeld, speedily spent its force and
oil his lavish expenditure OF men and
material bids fair to be wasted.
Already the British have reacted sc
strongly that most of the ground lost
In the vicinity Of Fresnoy has been
regained. The Germans still are
clinging to the village itself. but their
hold upon 1t is SO insecure that Its re-
capture and the entire restoration OF
the British position appear imminent.
1t Is q vital necessity for the Ger
mans to hold fast here, IL they are
not speedily to lose Lens and Its val.
liable coal fields and find their whole
line in the northern sector Of the
Franco-Belgian front imperiled. Even
more urgently necessary Is 1t for
them to hold the French around the
great bend in the line northeast Of
Scissors, where the German strong
hold of Laon, considered by some
military critics the key to the entire
German position in Northern France,
Is the French objective.
The persistence and violence Of the
German counter attacks along the
Chemin-des.Dam plateau, the com.
handing ridge won by the French in
the past weeks great drive, indicates
the Importance the German high com
mand attaches to the lost ground.
Gradually Forge Ahead.
General Nivelle's troops are yield
ing no inch of it, however, and grad
ually are forging ahead in important
sectors.
A night attack by the French gave
them a line of trenches t~hree-quarters
Of a mile long on the important high
ground above Craonne, northeast vi
Chevreux, where they are opening up
the back road 10 Laon.
The Germans have been claiming
the retention Of Chevreux, but the
Paris Report indicates that II the
French a-e not actually in possession
Of Il hey at least have 1t well hem
ne iu
T.G 'erman counter attacks during
III Sight were particularly heavy and
costly and at no point were they sue
cessill, Paris nounc
Everything indicates that the pres
ent struggle on the British front is
regarded on both sides as one OK the
most important actions of the war,
but It may be many days before any
decision Is reached.
Russian troops on the Roumanian
front northwest OF Senne broke
through the Teuton positions and ad-
vanced towards Jenawer, according to
Petrogrsd.
activity In O.ner Fields.
From two other theaters news
comes that opens up many possibili-
ties The fighting on the Macedonian
front, constantly developing in sever
ity and extent, gives renewed color to
the belief that General Sarrail is in.
itiating operations OF major impor.
lance and possibly a general offensive.
Germany claims that its troops in
conjunction with Bulgarians have ad.
a severe defeat on entente
forces In Macedonia.
The developments on this front ap-
pear to have given fresh impetus to
the revolutionary movements In
Greece. King Constantine has been
declared deposed at a great mass
meeting In Saloniki and an Athens
dispatch says that the kings follow
ers are deserving to the provisional
government In increasing numbers.
Mesopotamia offers the second point
Of interest with an announcement
from Petrograd that Russian troops
are again on the move on the Persian
border.
The unexplained inaction OF these
forces was believed in some quarters
to have been responsible for the sud-
den halt in the victorious advance of
the British army from Bagdad.