The sun., 1917-04-14
TEUTONS START FIRES
Flames Taken to Indicate
That Big Retreat Is Be-
ing Prepared.
FRENCH ALSO ADVANCE
Gains OF Mile or More Made
Along Front Extending
for Twenty Miles.

LoNpoS, April 1s.-Two mighty blows
by British men and guns last night and
to-day shook to its foundations the Ger.
man defence of the entire northern half
OF the Hhdcnburg line. Field Marshal
Haig announced tonight that the line
had been broken at one point and tina,
the British have advanced astridc the
Hindenburg line for several miles.
This statement reveals plainly the tre-
mendous possibilities OF the British VIC
tory at Arras. Tho British have actu-
ally turned the great Hindenburg line,
proclaimed by all Germany as the eighth
wonder OF the world, impregnahle as
Gbraitar. Now the security Of this
whole vaunted line is trembling In the
balance. \ little more smashing prog
rsss and the British will have broken
through completely and German disas-
Ter or retreat to the border will follow.
Already big fires are reported burning
behind the German lines east of Arras
The Canadians can see them from Ntmy
ridge. In that region the Germans have
sn!y one single line left, not yet COM
pleted. nowhere near as strong as the
Positions the British have taken in the
last Ave days. The fires indicate they ill
tend to give 1t UP.
Seven villages stormed.
In the fighting Of to-day and last night
The British made great progress, second
IN extent only to the first onrush Of
Monday. Tie two attacks. delivered
separately and at separate parts of the
front. represent an advance svera ging
more than mile--at some points much
more--on q front totailins twenty miles.
Seven villages We're stormed. besides
many other positions Of equal or even
greater Importance. More prisoners and
more cannon were captured. The
weather has Improved and everything
Indicates still more progress when the
word is given.
To-day's attack was notable In many
ways. II marked the extension Of the
front Of attack on the old German first
lire several miles to the north o! the
previous front Tie British are now
fighting northeast OF Lens, and In the
ngion ot Loos. Scene of suth bloody
hShting two years ago. The total front
Of the Arras battle alone Is now upward
Of fifteen miles.
III this attack the Canadians and
Scotch who took the Vimy ridge and
It's adjacent defences. swept forward, all
"a fa
Ca,n,,ns ,ina nf ,,,,,a,as ,,ar,i, .,,,
.as+ %, ,ha r,Se. ,,'ns ,,s.in, $50
h.vnnd oil n.ra5yenturo their b,,a on
this ,,I,,I rost,ta,,
For,nnost a,non. Oh. can,u,sa v,,,s u.s
IS Vimy itself. with Petit Vimy. It's sub
urb, so large that IL is town rather
than a village. To take Il the Capad!ans
fought through strips of wooded land
miles long which clothe the eastern
y,rtea into woodn,lss hv tbs Rr,,isb
shells
Widespread F14htins'
This formed tho csntrc of the dax AZ.
tax. To the north the British stormed
also the village of Observation-Disclosures
which was the southern limit of the at
tack 0, Monday, and two miles still fur
,her north the village OF Angres, on the
northern bank Of the River Souchez.
From Angres the British can look down
the Souchez valley and into Lens itself,
only two miles and a half away. Still
further north. ir the region west and
north Of Lens. the British advanced.
South OF Vimy village the khaki clad
lines swept over the village Of Willerval.
az crossroads cast OF Farbus. and etill
.lr'her below the sugar works on the
bl!!leul road. and last the large village
'''Se'-oh ehouAt AeoSAA "oS
sioImed.
10 ,ne south OF BailIeul the line ad-
W Inc scarpe. along which the British
Scarpe. and south OF the Arra.-Csmbrai
turr.!ke. the British captured wancourt
tower across the Gohelle from wancourt
Those we're the results of the day attack
III tie region OF Arras.
Las, nieht the Rritfsh attached tba
Nigdenhurg line further southeast. he
tween Canlbrai and St Quentin. Here
they advanced on a front of between
seven and eight miles, from Metz-en-
Couture, eight miles southwest Of Cam
brat to the Hargicourt ridge, northwest
Of s.. Quentin. The attack reached i,s
greatest depth at the northern end. where
he British charged down Hell street"