The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-28
GERMANS TRY
HARD To HOLD
NEW POSITION
Allies Driving Towards St.
Quentin, Capture Half
the Supply Railroads
HEART OF THE
HINDENBERG LINE
Russians Push Into Persia;
Austro-German Drive
On Italy Forecast
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

OF 81. quentin, hearC OF the linden
burg line, the allies have cut two of
the four main railroads which feed
the city, while third is we'll within
reach of the French guns. With La
Fere inundated by the retreating
Germans and two of it's dominating
forts in the hands of the French, the
chief interest in the tremendous bat
tie which has been raging for week
on an eighty mile front shifts to his
toric st. Quentin.
The Germans are making desperate
and bloody attempts to wrest from
the French the Essigny- Benay pla-
teau from which Gen. Nivelle's guns
commanded the southern approaches
to the city and render its position, in
the opinion Of military critics, one of
grave peril.
Farther to the south the French
have forged well to the west of st.
Quentin, hammering great dent in
the German line between that town
and La Fere. The advance of this
salient three miles further would give
the French possession of the last di-
rect railroad line between the two
towns.
South of La Fere the French troops
have swung in a great curve around
the forests of Coucy and st. Gobain,
the formidable natural barrier which
lies between them and Laon, the
southernmost fortress on the linden
burg line. In the center of the curve
General Nivelle has forced a wedge
into the forest but about ten miles.
of heavily timbered country must yet
be conquered before he reaches his
goal.
On the northern section of the main
battle line the situation is somewhat
obscure. Neither British nor Ger
man official communications throw
much light on the operations here.
Some progress has been made in the
direction of Cambria by General Haig
but apparently the determined resis-
tance of the Germans have checked
the British advance along the whole
Arras sector.
In the plain of the Tigris, five
armies are converging on the Turks
in the hope of dealing death blow
to Ottoman power in its eastern en-
pire.
The Russians are advancing from
Persia in three divisions, driving the
Turks before them, and have already
crossed the Turkish frontier at two
places.
To the south General Maude, con-
queror of Bagdad, is pressing forward
up the Tigris and the Diala rivers.
Outside the possibility of a decisive
victory over their encircling foes ap-
parently the only road of retreat open
to the Turks is to the west.
Here they are confronted with the
desolate wastes of the great desert
of FL Jezireh, according to military
critics, an impossible barrier.
The meagreness of the official re-
ports from London, Constantinople
| and Petrograd leaves, however, con-
! siderable doubt as to the precise ma
ture of the situation in this theater.
Italians Ready for Germans.
Rome, March 27.-Via Paris.-The
great Austro- German offensive on
the Italian front is being freely pre-
dicted throughout Italy. Information
reaching the Italian press from
| Switzerland has convinced the news
papers that such campaign has been
planned by the central powers for this
! spring.
There is no uneasiness apparent
/ however, but a general confidence
that Italy is fully prepared and car
meet any blow directed against her
/ General Cadorna is quoted by the
Giornale d'Italia as saying to Saliva,
tor Babzalai, governor of the occupied
Austrian territory:
"The first element of success is tht
active faith of the nation in itself
For the army to resist, the country
whose every feeling is reflected b!
the army, must resist also. Let il
have faith in itself and it will havs
victory"