The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-07
HindeRburg Throwing Flower
of Army Into Guns Mouths.
FAIL TO HALT ADVANCE
Every Move OF British and
French Closer to Victory.
Correspondent Sees Entire Ger
man Line Wiped Out.
BY HENRY WOOD.

With the French Armies in the
Field May Germany $ retirement
from France must come unless Hin
denburg can soon stop the French
drive
Today's fighting brought proof OF
complete realization of the necessity
OF such a retreat by the German COM
manders in the super-human efforts
which the enemy is making To save the
Rheims salient
Germany's picked troops are being
hurled into the breach made by the
French The flower Of the German
army. which Hindenburg had saved
for what he hoped would be Il nnai
decisive offensive, is now being sac
rificed.
Entirely aside from the Franco-Brit-
ish offensive between the Alsne and
Lens the Germans are now facing an
equal menace in the Cha m payne Ihfy
know that the French offensive be-
tween the Aisne md Morouvulers
t1r-a ems 90 force their vacuaUon OF
the Rheims salient There Mounts
Brm0ut and BeIru and Forts Nogen-
In Besse and Vitry les Rheims constl-
Jute the keystone supporting the SUI
per-structure Of the entire German
trout.
No Sacrifice Too Great
Desperate necessity of preventing
the cutting off OF the salient which
would precipitate withdrawal from
France. Is causing the Germans to
sacrifice the last OF their reserves in
an effort to hold back the French
The : 600 prisoners taken up TO
to-day does not Indicate = shattered
German morale. on the contrary. the
Germans are resisting with degree
OF desperation hitherto unknown Bu-
the number Of prisoners does retlec-
the immense bodies OF troops which
the Germans are throwing into the
conflict
They are being put to the slaughter
like sheep. Today, standing on
height from which 1 could see the
French steadily wiping out the Hin
denburg salient. it wa possible with
glasses 10 make out long lines of
motor lorries behind the German
trenches. each packed tighr with Ger
man troops and speeding tn the char
mel house Of the German front lines.
Melt Away Before French Gums.
Arriving there. these fresh reserves
were unendinsly launched against the
French And they melted away uu-
eudinglv in the French machine gun
fire, the deadly accurate barrage Of
the famous Observation-Disclosures" the
cold Steel OF the Freuch bayonets. or
the explosions of French grenades-
Not only has the number Of the
enemy troops in the past few days
fighting been greater than that en-
since the early days Of the war but
the quality Of the troops is higher.
Prisoners showed there were no de-
creDit reserves All those captured
We're Of choice regiments. Saturday
around Craenne. for instance. a com
pjere division of the picked Prussian
guard was called into action by the
German commanders.
It was practically annihuated in a
vain attempt 20 retake Craonne
Angio- French Advance Systematic.
The perfect unity under wing the
Franco British cffensIves. and tho
titIurc strategy Of the whole forward
push eliminated ia its greatest expres-
sion Of effectiveness Saturday. on that
rhirty-siX hours after the English
had wiped out the northern pivotal
salient OF the Hindenburg line in the
regions Of BullecDurt and Croissilles-
-he French wiped out six LIometers
tour miles1 OF the southern pivotal
salient in the region OF Moulin LAT
faux
The double success of the allied