Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-04-25
BRITISH GAIN ON
EXTENSIVE FRONT
Two More Towns and 1900 Ger.
mans Taken South of
Cambria Road.
ADVANCE EAST OF MoNcHY
Enqlish Charging Forward Over
Ground Torn Up by Big Shells and
carpeted With corpses-French
RepuIse Teuton Attacks.

London, April 25.-The British
gained ground on a wide front south
of the Bapaume-Ca Cambria road. They
reached the st. Quentin canal at one
point. Farther north the villages of
Beaucamp and Vllliers-PlOuich were
captured.
The positions gained on the French
front, says the official statement, were
maintained and further progress was
made east of Monchy and near ROeux.
More than 1880 prisoners were taken
in the operations and many more are
coming in. ,-%l:. >. -~sas
Battle Is Terrific.
AS terrific battle as ever was
fought on the western front in France
is raging with increasing fury in front
of Arras. -
Dispatches from headquarters in the
field say the British are charging for
ward over ground torn up by big shells
and carpeted with corpses.
The new battle was begun yesterday
morning between Lens and Trescault,
and already terrible loss Of life has
been inflicted upon the Germans.
British Also Lose Heavily.
There has been no time for burials.
The bodies lie as they fell. Dead and
wounded are mingled.
The British did not escape so light.
ly as in the first weeks fighting east
of Arras. The Germans had received
strong re-enforcements Of machine
guns.
German resistance is more stub.
born now than ever before, say head
quarters advices.
The bitter struggle continued all
night under the pale glare OF star
bombs fires and colored rockets with
the British ever advancing.
Under the weird light the field OF
dead and wounded. with the swiftly
moving figures of the fighters above,
presented CHASTITY sight.
Advance on, 2o-MiIe Line.
Over this scene of frightful carnage
hangs a pail of white and yellow
smoke.
During the night the British i'm
proved their new positions all along
the 2O-mile front, although this work
had to be carried out under heavy fire
from the German guns. German cOun-
ter-attacks were repealed.
Not only are the English nearer
Douai and Cambria than ever before,
but excellent progress has been made
in the "pocketing" movement at Lens.
Correspondents at the front declare
that the British can enter Lens at any
time they choose, but they are cOlAin-
uing the pressure east and west of the
town in order to compel its evacuation
by the Germans, and thus save lives.
Artillery IL Active Near craonne.
Paris, April 25.-The artillery was
very active last night in the vicinity
of Hurtebise. in the Foulon valley, and
near Craonne, says the official an
nouncement. French patrols took pris-
Oners.
Two German attacks during the
night were repulsed, In the Cham
payne there was grenade fighting.
German Line Stiffens in Places.
London, April 25.-The resistance Of
the German armies appears to increase
in accordance with the nearness Of the
British approach to the Hindenburg
positions. This is true particularly
along the present front, where the
threat is against the Drocourt-Q ueant
switch line, which is depended upon
by the Germans as the connecting link
between their lines north of st. Quen-
tin and south of Lille. This is the
switch toward which the Germans are
falling back slowly but surely as a re-
suit of the turning of the top Of the
original Hindenburg line running from
point just southeast of Arras toward
Queant.