The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-04-28

The terrific German counter attacks
on British lines in France, In which
lives have been poured out like water,
have failed and the British troops are
once more advancing. Their progress,
however, is slow and limited. and no
tremendous offensive such as marked
the opening battles have been started
In today's drive the British faced
well organized trench system protected
by wire entanglements and held by
strong forces. The artillery preparation
which had been in progress for several
days did much damage to the defensive
works, but there remained many trou-
blesome strong points between fooeux'
Just north of the Scarpe, and Gayrelle,
North of GavreIle, satisfactory prog
ress was made SO far as could be Judg-
ed. and early in the day prisoners were
being brought back.
south of this place the British got on
to Greenland hill. taking a. trench
north OF Monchy.
1t is reported that the British have
occupied the town of Arleux and halr
of Oppy, but furious German counter
attacks are developing and the sit
uation is one of surging changes.
The fiercest imaginable fighting Is
under way before the wood west or
Roeux.
The weather is favorable and air.
men are very active.
There are many signs that the fight-
ing will be resumed on a more terrific
scale than ever before Not the least
of these omens are the frantic appeals
and threats being made by the Ger
man leaders and press to avert the
menace of q general strike throughout
Germany. All the far-reaching power
of the German censorship is unable to
suppress the fact that the gravest
discomfort Is seething in the ranks OF
the German workers and that the gov
ernment is haunted by the fear that
May Day, the great international So
cialist holiday, may see an outbreak
which win shake the whole imperial
fabric. N
That the general strike planned by
the Socialist radicals includes both
Germany and Austria Hungary is in
dicated by one of the rare dispatches
which have come through from Vienna.
The Arbeiter Zeitung. organ of the
Austrian Socialists, accepts 1t as
granted that a strike will occur
throughout the dual monarchy on May
and urges the workers to limit the
demonstration to that day and return
to work on May 2.
The situation in Germany appears
to be that the empire is divided into
three great factions with the feeling
bitterness. First comes the old junker
class which still talks Of victorious
war ending in annexation and indem-
mites; second is the Socialist major
ity which is exerting all its influence
to force the government into declar-
alton that ii desires neither the money
nor the land of Germanys foes; the
third party is headed by the radical
Socialists and includes an unknown
but apparently considerable body Of
the workers who are sick of the war
and disheartened by the diminishing
food rations, and who are demanding
that peace be obtained at once, what
ever the cost. The only point in COM
mon between the three parties seems
to be to make Chancellor Won Beth
mann- Hollweg the target Of all their
shafts.
The majority Socialists appear to
have the inner track at present. An
incident of possible significance has
occurred in connection with the visit
OF Talaat Bey, the Turkish vizier to
Berlin. After conferences with the
chancellor and the foreign secretary,
Zimmerman, the Turkish premier is
quoted in q Berlin dispatch as saying
that Turkey was ready to make peace
and desired no annexation.
After days of disconcerting and du-
bious reports from Russia, more re-
assuring information has been reeeiv-
ed in regard to conditions there, "A
general shifting of generals on the
lighting line has taken place and Min
lister OF Justice Kerensky declares that
the army is in better shape than ever
before and resolute to continue the
war.
The field Of General Haig's new
push. as recorded today. lies within
the ten-mile front from the Scarpe to
the coal city of Lens. General Haig
already has pushed a deep wedge into