The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-04-03
TETTONS TO LAUNCH
ATTACK TOWARD MlASh
Germans Break Through MuScovIte
Positions. Taking More Than 800
Prisoners and Considerable Booty.

London. March 27-Following up
their "feelers'' OF yesterday. the Ger
mans on the northern end OF the bat
tie line in Russia today made thelf
first actual attack OF importance
against the Russians and. according
TO official admission from Perosrad.
succeeded.
The advance was launched from
Baronovichi, on the Brest-Litovsk-
Ninsk-Moscow railway. in a north
easterly direction toward M;nsk-
After a first attempt had broken
down in the Russian barrier fire. the
Teutons. by the Use OF gas. broke
through the Muscovite positions and
forced the latter to fall back, taxing
more than 300 prisoners and consld-
cradle booty.
The positions taken are on the west
bank of the Shara river.
THE first attack says the Russian
official report, was repulsed, but a
second, accompanied by a discharge
of asphyXiating gases, lobliged our
troops to fall back in an easterly d.
rection.'
The Teuton attack in the sector
lends new strength to the theory that
Hindenburg plans an offensive IN the
direction of Moscow, with Mlnsk as
the immediate objective, since today S
advance clearly was aimed at get
ting control of the BaronoVlchl-
Minsk railway sector
simultaneously with the operations
in the Baronovichi region, the Ger
mans constantly are getting out "feel-
ers" farther northward around Smor-
gon, whence another railroad leads
directly to Minsk. The Berlin report
speaks of successful raids here.
Lively artillery activity is display
ed by the Germans at Baronovlchl, IN
the region of Postavy, the foremost
point of the German lines in Russian
territory in the north.
The Russians, on. their part, made
vigorous attacks on the Teuton lines
in Volhynia, west of Lutzk, and IN
Galacia, near Brzezany and north OF
the Tarnopol railroad. All these at
tacks were repulsed with heavy loss
es," Berlin asserts.
Todays Berlin official statement
contains the usual mention OF Field
Marshal Won Mackensen's front. This
is taken to dispose of yesterdays un-
official report that the field marsnal
has gone to Turkey to undertake a
complete reorganization of the sui
tan's armies.
Fate i'm Balance.
The fate of the "H:1denburg line,
st. Quentin-LaFere-L
hangs in the balance. Fresh advances
bv the French during the last "a
hours. however, spell grave NEIL
ace to it's retention by the stubborn
" concentrating Teutons. me
British also made new progress, ou'
of less important stragetic value.
To the French fell after a furious
battle last night the important village
of Coucy-leChateau, halfway be-
tween LaFere and Scissors. Thus the
French wedge between these two key
positions was considerably extended.
Berlin admits the abandonment OF TINS
ground, after inficting losses upon
the French, "gave way before a
threatening out fanking movement
General Nivelle's troops now are
facing tht supreme test in this re-
gicn. In front of them lies the for
midable fortified terrain protecting
Laon. The German guns are emplaced
on extremely high ground which dom
mates all the surrounding territory.
The advance which carried Coucy-
le-Chateau is described by the French
war Office as "a brilliant night at
tack" and it is added that the village
was energetically defended.
The battle between st. Quentin anu
LaFere continues a deadlock. Here
the Teutons are fighting with the Ut
most tenacity and have been able mus
far to hold their ground.
The British have taken two adol-
tional villages since last night, ECU
ancourt, 10 miles southeast OF Ba-
paume. and Longavesnes, three miles
northwest of Reisel. These gains
went a long way toward stralghten-
ing out their new front. The ne"
progress was made in spite of bad
weather conditions which prevailed
throughout the day.
Berlin officially admitted the apan-
donment of Rosiel village to the Srlt-
ish latter repeated unsuccessful ad-
vances."