Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-22

force a retreat of far-reaching pro-
portions.
X
! between Scissors and Auberive, in the
departments
French Activities of the Aisne
Electrify the World. naene have
electrified the world in the past week.
No sooner had the British drive to the
north died down than the French. after
| ten-day bombardment, went over"
the trenches and swept forward. Be
tween Craonne and scissors they have
narrowed the territory lying between
their former positions and Laon by
| nearly six miles. From Craonne east
and southeast through the Champagne
miles of German positions have been
taken to great depth. Germans an
ticipated attacks and used tens of thou
sands of their best reserves to stem
the tide. 1t is declared that Won Hin
denburg rushed 226,000 new men into
the fray on the battle line between
scissors and Auberive, but he was un-
able to check the French sweep
forward. The Germans have launched
counter attack after counter attack at
dinerent points. but the only result
has been that advancing waves of Ger
man soldiers have been decimated by
artillery and infantry fire. The slaugh-
ter has been on a fearful scale, accord
ing TO Paris official reports. Nothing
like 1T has occurred during the present
war. French lines everywhere have
held hrm, Notwithstanding the fact the
Germans are well acquainted with the
posltions the French now are holding
The French activities are fast forcing
Won Hindenburg to move farther back
ward. for soon the lower section of
his line will be untenable
Germans report retirement along the
Aisne. but to just what distance Is not
yet known. Everywhere there is he
llef that Won Hindenburg soon win be
FORCED to take positions along the line
OF the Belgian frontier. The allies will
not be stopped. France soon will he
redeemed to France, and then the bat
ties will be transferred to the desc
lated fields of Belgium
Already the German lines are said
TO be weakening in Flanders. A retire
ment along the northern section of the
line is extremely likely If the Ger
mans have not already started this ret
rograde movement the activities Of the
British in the regions of Lens and Loos
undouotedly soon will force Won Hind
enburg to pull back along that section
OF the line running northward 20 the
North sea.
| The belief spreads that the series of
battles-those about Arras. Laon and
! in the Champagne is the first of several
which are to decide the war, and it
confidently is expected in some mill
| tary circles that the decision will be
brought about before the snow flies.
| Notwithstanding the fact that no oper-
atoms weighing greatly in the general
| scheme of mill
Big Actions Likely tary endeavor
on Eastern Fronts. ~ 80. Wy
Rumanian. Macedonian, italian and near
eastern fronts. there are many indications
| that surprises are to be sprung in these
regions before many weeks have elapsed
| Russia. as soon as she is able to re-
align her armies battling on the eastern
] front. may be expected to begin an Of
fensve on some such scale as was inau-
gurated during the early months of last
year. when Gen. Brussiloff drove the Ger
mans and Austrians backward in the di-
rection of Lemberg.
Striking offensive warfare undoubtedly
will be asked by the Russian peoples If
they are TO continue content under the
new government, for the new regime is
committed to a policy OF aggressive en-
deavor on the battlefields that the war
may be brought to conclusion satsfac-
! tory to Russian aims and aspirations
The Russian armies may be expected to
| take up the gage of battle within the next
| eight weeks, for it is believed that by that
/, time such readjustments as were neces-
sary after the custer of the old regime
!, will have been accomplished and the mill
| tary forces better able to advance than
, ever before.
There is no reason to believe that the
| Germans and AuStrianS will not like
| wise attempt forward movements, not
| withstanding the fact that the Germans
| are bitterly engaged on the western front
II the Germans find that they cannot ad-
| vance on the western front. or even check
the entente armies, governmental and
military leaders may attempt new con-
quests in other areas of conflict with the
hope that the German peoples once more
may be fed cheering news. such as will
keep them reasonably content in their
present internal sufferIngs. until such a
time has arrived that satisfactory peace
can be concluded.
The eastern front is less likely to afford
tie Germans chance of success than
either the Rumanian. Macedonian or Ital-
ian. Notwithstanding this, however, the
Germans are reported to be massine
forces on the northern section of the
eastern front in the vicinity of Riga and
Dvnsk. where. it is declared. the German
offensive will be started. That the Teu-
tons are DESTROYS OF scoring decided sue
cess is indicated by the fact that the
Germans are assembling vessels in va
rious Baltic ports and concerted drive
will be made against the Russians from
both land and water.
The Macedonian or italian fronts are
ones on which German offensives are to
be expected, If the Teutons make any
effort to do other than hold their present
lines In face of possible entente attacks.
- There is ever indication that the Car