The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-10
British Tightening Their
Hold on Lens Coal
District
FRESNOY BATTLE
RACES FURIOUSLY
Won Hindenburg Drawing
Heavy Reinforcements
From East.

| NABsOclaLSu FreSS war summary
While today's Official reports throw
little additional light on the situation
around Fresnoy, where the heaviest
| lighting in the Arras battle occurred
this week, they reveal important gains
1 for the British and French at other
points on the front in Northern
| France.
London's announcement Of further
| British progress south Of Souchez
river means further pushing back Of
the German line Immediately south OF
| Lens, tightening the hold OF the nip
| pers which the British are applying to
this important industrial Town and
coal district.
Further inroads also have been made
| upon the German positions near Bulle-
court on the Hindenburg line, just
west of a point of junction with the
Queant- Droicourt switch. where the
Germans, although reported nearly
surrounded. are stubbornly clinging 10
the town.
Far to the south on the British front
two miles north OF st. Quentin, Gen.
eral Haig's troops have pushed east
ward from Droicourt. They are right
atop the st. Quentin Cambria road at
this point.
The French, like the British, have
made no new general attack but they
likewise are delivering q thrust here
way In preparing the ground for the
next rush. One of these effective local
operations was carried out last night
after a German counter attack in forCo
had been repulsed northeast OG
Craonne. A fortified point Of support
near Chevreux was captured in this
advance.
In another operation just TO the west
on the Vauclero plateau's northern
slopes the recent French gains were
enlarged and prisoners taken from
fresh German division.
Battle For Frssnoy.
The battle for Fresnoy continues to
bloody struggles for Forts Douaumont
and Vaux in the days of the battle or
Verdun. Thousands of lives are be-
ing poured out for the mastery OF the
little heap OF ruins that was once a
village on the blackened, blasted
stumps that were once a wood until
Fresnoy threatens TO rank with Vimy
in the price paid for its possession.
The great Importance of the posi-
ton is due to the fact that 1t forms
the last important -defense 70 the
northern end Of the Droicourt Queant
line and also covers the only remain
ing railroad to Lens. connecting the
coal and oil city with the main Ger
man lines TO the south. The Droi-
court Queant line traverses one side
Of a railroad triangle which has Lens.
Arras and Vitry at it's respective
angles. All of one side Of this rough
ly equilateral triangle is in the hands
OF the British and about one-half or
it's base. Fresnoy must be held IL the
whole triangle In not to be evacuated
which the fall Of Lens renders certain.
The enormous concentration Of Ger
man troops on the British front ana
the marked increase In gun powers
give added Significance 70 the report
that Field Marshal von Hindenburg -
withdrawing both man and artillery
from the eastern area The dtsorg1M-
zation of the Russian army has had
apparently a various effect on th@
whole allied situation and has ma
terially increased the burden on tha
British and French. The news rem
Russia IL far from roassuring In any
respect and apparently the pFov1s1onaA
government still II In . p1ecaEioaa
There are no marked dSvalcpmsnts
ON the other waS theaAreA F1ghffn&
on the Macedonian front goes on with
conflicting reports from the rivals bu&
nothing as yet TO tell whether any
decisive action fs taking place
No Attempt 10 Kill kaIssn
Berlin via London. May 1o. - The i
that an attempt had been made 20
assasSinate Emperor William 10 denied
In an official statsmsnt made todey.
Fighting Fer BuIiseoart.
Berlin via. London, Nay 10. 4
ductuattng hght for poS9ession cG
Bullecourt on the French front 10 in
progress says todays army head
1uarters statement. The artillery FIRE
in the Arras sector In reported on the
increase.
~ Hospital Ships Sunk.
London. May 10.1Two further hos
pital ships have been torpedoed by
German submarines since the British
aIrmen raided the town Of Fretburg
as a reprisal for previous sinking or
hospital ships Chancellor Law an
nounced today.
British Advance.
London. NY 1O.-Progress was made
by the British last night in the neigh-
borhood Of Bullecourt and Gricourt
and south OF the Souchez river, says
today's ofncial announcement
E,ShaustlnG Reserves.
London, May 10.-The Reuter- corr
respondent at British headquarters In
France sends the following:
From north OF Fregnoy TO the wind
mill at Gavrelle the Germans have
made prodigaI use Of their reserves In
the last twenty-four hours In an en-
deayor to press us back. but thesr att
tempts were broken up by our intense
artillery fire mostly before they got
within bombing distance OF our posi-
tions.
costing the enemy may be gained from