The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-10
WILL NOT GIVE
ENEMY HOURS REST
EVEN At NIGHT
Up to Early Hour Yesterday
Afternoon Five thousand
German Prisoners Had Been
Brought In
By International News
Service

Avn iSNsF
London, April 9.-The all
lies big push" Of 1917 is I'M
der way. \ battle fiercer than
Nerdun and the Somme is rag
ing on a front of more than ten
miles between Afras and the
region south of Lens, with the
initiative success and prospects
all on the side of the British.
Up to early this evening
more than 5000 Germans had
been taken prisoners in less
than twelve hours. The Teu-
ton lines between Arras and
Lens had been penetrated
everywhere and satisfactory
progress is eing made at all
points, Field Marshal Sir
Douglas Haie reported.
Latest unofficial reports from
the front indicated the Vimy
ridge, that famous bulwark.
vain assaults against which
cost the French 100000 casual
ties in 1915, has been carried
by storm in the initial onrush
Of the British.
Canadians in Battle Front.
In the front of line Of the attack
forces Fa On
German side the brunt OF the attack.
ing waves was borne by Bavariane
Wertemburgers and Hamburgers
The British losses are described -
Compare lively small 17'l--
AT $50 sharp this morning the great
attack was ushered in. The battle
continued throughout the day and from
all accounts did not subside until
darkness enforced a pause As in thu
somme drive of last summer no rest
is expected 70 be allowed the Teutons.
The Berlin war office disposes OF the
new defensive in this paragraph:
"A battle around Arras began this
morning after several hours drunafrc
and still continues"
All Easter Sunday and throughout
last night the way for the storrnIne
columns was paved by volcanic Brit
fsh bombardment. bomhardmAnt
which increased In fury with every
hour until. at it's height. Just before
dawn, II made the cannonades Of YER
dun sound like skirmish firing.
Since last Thursday British nyers
had explored the topography and tia
strength of the German positions. IN
the mishtiest and most spectacular abr Z
clashes seen since the outbreak OF thu
war many thousands of detailed photo
graphs had been taken. Thus when thu
Canadians hurled themselves forward
into the great spring drive this morn
ing they were NOT tapping in the dark /
German Line~ Crumble.
British front accounts agree that thG
attack came as surprise to the Tsu-
tons shortly after midnight when tn s
drumiire rose to unprecedented fury
fiery rockets shot up from the shell
hailed Teuton lines, distress signals
equivalent TO the IS. O. s., OF the So.
But evidently the warnings were to0
late for when the infantry smashAl
forward the German lines crumbleA
swiftly under the onslaught and there
was considerable disorder.
From a strictly military viewpoint
experts are not inclined to apprais4
todays advance too extravagantly. For
ever since''the fall Of Croiselles, south
east OF Arras. tkis move on the part cf
the British and subsequent German rt%
tirement on the Arras-Lens line hA-
cane inevitable.
The new British attacking front
lies directly north Of the line Of III
recent German retirement. An ugly
salient southeast Of Arras created ~
the fall OF croiselles made ths whO11
front virtually untenable in the fA&a
of any concerted drive such as thnx
now under way, ~ IS
To the Germans the withdrawal na l;
held -inexitahle entails the loss. ,0flst~ N
rich coal fields around L.eHn. ltss&S
considered certainty that tAie
5ss9~