The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-11
GERMAN WAR OFFICE
DECLARES "THEY DID
NOT BREAK THROUGH"
Canadians lions Of Great Drive.
More Than 1000 Prisoners
and Hundred Big Guns Esti-
mated Taken
by International News
Service.

fssa
London, April 10. Inferno
is loose on the west front; a
thousand-fold more hellish
than that which Dante visual
ized-yet it is but the prelude
to the twentieth century battle,
the last bloody word in the
world-war, in which Britona
and Teutons are graphing for
victory-and peace.
Upon a fifty-mile front
from Lens down to the gates Of
st. Quentin they are locked in
the supreme struggle for
mastery. As dusk settled upon
the battlefield the British, after
thirty-six hours of steady
smashing ahead, We're still the
masters Of the initiative, were
still VIGOROUSLY rushing on IN
ceaseless storming waves, rip
ping wider and wider gashes
into the Teuton wall of steel
and iron. In the fore are still
the Canadians, heroes of Vimy
Ridge, the capture of which
made possible the "big push
now under way.
Teutons Stinen Backbone.
But everywhere the Teuton back
bone is being stiffened by eHdleee
columns of reserves rushed to the en-
dangered lines They did not hreak
through" the German war office ar-
nounced this afternoon. though adj
hitting heavy iesses to two Divisions
40 900 men. But Sir Douglas Halt
is determined to break through. The
crisis il at hand. Hindenburg's strategy
IL still playing waiting game. With
in the next forty-eight hours he must
show his hand.
More than 5000 prisoners, mora
than forty guns were the captures
counted up to k1:50 this morning.
briefly announced in t:>e British head
quarters statement BY tonight, IL II
estimated. more than $4,000 prisoners
and nearly 100 guns would be- -
corded. the figures covering the 0perA-
tons since the British drive began at
dawn yesterday.
Fighting continues throughout thu
whole battlefront" says tho oaiciAl
day report.
Before describing in detail what
happened today three things cou11 ~
pointed out, namely: s8
!. Accommodating signs OF Gcrman
intentions to launch a powerful ofkcN>
sive between Rheims and verdun.
either in the region Of the Cathedral
City itself or in the Champagne. rely-
ing on the firmness OF the defense Itnaa
considerably behind the positions nor
under British assault The FrAnch
war ONCE today ordered the evakuA.
ton of Rheims by the civilian poShlas
ton. The city has been undd1 Il \
steady Teuton shell rain for dRAMy
days.
2. The possibility OF voluHtRry
German retirement from the LAu& G4~
Quentin front with the eventuaHf 01
taking up the strong front Eozn
Lille to Laon. Even the most optUHt
tic experts are puzzled by the NAt
crumbling Of the Teuton defens a.
vimy ridge. Here the French III At1U II
lost 100000 men in vain assaults, tn
British later lost S., 600 when they
tried to take Lens from the north,
"break through" That would tn6nIl
8. The consequences OF Br3f30N
the retirement of all the Gufinal
armies from all France. fs5t
Ugly weather ushered In the sscop6
day Of tho big drive--the coolest April
weather in half a century but Rt3
cold was the least of the troops trc1a
bles. Snow. slush and sleet eombINNd Il
as II trying with AL their nltaHf m M
break tho Offensive spirit and not
then vicious gale ret In whi1tlt1 n