The sun., 1917-04-28
ARRAS BATTLE
IS DEADL0CKED
British Make Slight Gains,
but Germans Show
Great Strength.
FRENCH PREPARING BLOW
Intense CannOnading Reported
Against Lines Held by
Crown Prince.
FRENCH PREPARING BLOW

LONDON, April o'.-At the end Of the
ffth day the second battle Of Arras
RACES unabated and without an issue in
sight. What is coming to he regarded
as the fiercest battle Of the war Is
virtual deadlock. in which British at
tack breaks for the most part on .he
granite of German defence. AMI German
counter attacks are as stubbornly re-
pelled
All that the British can do. with ter
rife and accurate artillery fire. repeated
and persistent attacks. IS to storm here
and there a fragment Of trench. few
Yards Of n position. Once captured
they almost always are beta. but the
German reserves are too many and their
courage too desperate to perlh.t cf any
thing like sweeping vict .ry.
The deadly nature of the struggle and
IL tremendous importance have resulted
In a strict censorship. Both sides issue
brief Official announcements telling h.ue
Of the progress OF events: the corrc-
spondents are permitted to tell almost
nothing Of the struggle IN whic.i the
two armies are locked. Not until the
battle takes a decisive turn or d'as out
with the simultaneous exhaustion OF
both armies will the world know Of itG
changing fortunes.
French Shell Lines.
Meantime another struggle 10 'ess
furious seems about to break forth gain
on the French front. Cannona Ing cf
stunning intensity, unceasing' roneen-
trated, is going on along the Aisne battle
geld The gunfire, continued lay and
night echoes and reechoes through the
ravines and valleys, corresp ondehts re-
port Most Of the slopes where are the
new German trenches have been sho'n
~ trees The Crown Prince. command
ing there. reports that the artillery
battle is gradually developing even
greater violence
In the battle of Arras, to judge from
the British and German reports. Field
Marshal Haig managed to advance some
what and capture some German posi-
lions of Importance before the Wothn
line. but some OF his attacks were thrown
back with heavy losses. on the whole.
The days fighting was to the advantage
o. the British though their losses were
heavy.
The British gained most of their
successes In night attacks. They at
lacked both north and south of the
Scarpe, and in both regions captured
German positions that Sir Douglas Ha'R
Gays were important North of the river
the British advanced on a little spur
between the two hotly contested villages
Of Gavrelle and Roeux. the former now
British, the latter still German. though
the khaki line reaches its western ana
nsars Its northern outskirts
Again Active Near Lens.
South Of the Scarpe. the British ad-
vance was near the Arras-Cambrai high
way, under the southern edge of the
Monchy ridge, the key position which the
British have held at terrific cost There
was an isolated fight also at Hargicourt'
several miles away to the southeast,
where the British cleared the cnem!
from quarry on the eastern outskirts,
IN the loop formed by the L sha ped Har-
gicourt ridge. The Germans ned. lcav-
Ing booty.
There we're signs, too, of coming big
fighting at Lens The German state.
ment says that preparatory movements
Of the enemy infantry" were observed
west Of Lens, where the British lines
come close to the city. among the pits
and Stag heaps Of the coal fields. The
Germans made a raid in the same region
British were preparing an assault. but
machine guns stopped them.
According to the German statement
the British attacked repeatedly on either
side Of the Arras-Cambrai road, a desig.
nation which German headquarters often
spplies TO a wide extent Of the front,
and every time were repulsed with heavy
losses. Yet the British got TO the Ger
man positions. and came to grips hand
Srith hal Ia ~
rnent says. Whether these were local
attacks or attacks in force cannot be
guessed at present.
During last night there was some hot
Hgnting on the French front. where both
French and Germans launched stimuli
taneously several local attacks. The ad-
vantage here seems to have been all
with the French, for their progress was
made in the most important sectors Of
their front: on the Aisne front near
Hnrtebse, in the Champagne near Mo-
ronvilliers. Several trench elements
were taken near Moronvilliers. and a
herman outpost near the Mountain
Without Name In the same region was
taken. The Germans tried surprise at
facks, but were repulsed by French ma
ehine guns or grenades.
22 German Fliers FeIIed.
On the contrary, the German state
ment says that "infantry engagements
on the Chemin- Danes resulted I'm
The capture OF ground and prisoners. -
This Is the same region where the
french report progress
IN one department. and an important
one OF the two big battles th>ra seems
| i1t'le doubt, however, that the Allies
\ nave clear superiority. French and Brit
,sh sirn,en have brought down twenty
'"o German airplanes and one balloon
| Nnhe N" Germans claim to have dis.
posed OF ei"ren airpian-s and one bal.
loon, though they follow their custom OF
rot giving dates and particulars The
british admit the loss of six airplanes
(Cortrusd on Fourth Paos.)