The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1917-04-05
The War News in Brief.

During the week ending last Saturday Their
was almost continual intense fighting in France
with gains reported for both the British an,
French forces. In the Champagne region thu
French recaptured the positions taken by thu
Germans March 18th. If the intention Of thu
German retreat was to get the Allies into the
open and bring on field fighting. as Berlir
claimed. this plan was not carried out, for the
Allies were ready for open fighting and the
| enemy showed no inclination to meet them
1t looks as though the Germans may have to
abandon the Hindenburg line Of defence and
continue their retreat.
There was no important activity last week
on any of the other battle fields. Russian
attacks were southeast of Baranovichi on the
eastern front, but Petrograd does not say
with what result, German troops entered
Russian trenches on the Oginski Canal but
were dislodged. Austrian attacks against
Italian position Monte Fait on the Austro-
Italian front, Rome says, were repulsed with
heavy losses and prisoners we're taken.
Full co. operation with the Allies is generally
favored among officials in Washington as q
necessity to Americas future safety. Ger
man victory now, it is said, might lead to a
direct attack on this country, while a dead
lock the same time would be tantamount to
a German victory on the basis that while,
after peace, the German union would become
stronger, the entente might easily fall apart
nd Germany be LEFT relatively world supreme.
Advices from Rio Janeiro under date
of March 31st say that q new German
raider, slipping past the British warships
On guard in the North Sea. has reached
the Atlantic ard sent nine or more mer
chantmen to the bottom. According to
SURVIVORS from the sunken vessels the
raider is the Seeadler (Sea Eagle,) a
formidably armed craft operating with
the same success and daring as it's prede
cessor, the MoeWe, which recently re-
turned to German port after playing
havoc with shipping in the same waters.
Two British steamers, the Snowdon
Range and the Booth liner Crispin, both
with Americans aboard, of whom num-
Der are unaccounted for, were reported
to the State department Saturday as
sunk without warning by submarine.
On the Crispin the torpedo, which struck
the engine room, killed five men, two
of whom are believed to have been
Americans.
This report comes from Petrograd I'M
der date of April list: ''No serious ac-
tlvity may be expected on this front In
the future. The melting snow, which
renders the roads and rivers impossible,
precludes any big operation.
A high military authority says that if
this country does not join with the Allies
in crushing absolutism, Germany may
make peace in Europe, pay the price,
invade America and get her indemnity
here. Germany is reported as preparing
to call her last available men into the
field for decisive battle.
This report comes from Berne under
date of April End: German and Austrian
newspapers reaching Switzerland today,
and telegraphic reports from Hungary,
are once more filled with peace ideas.
There has been al almost feverish re-
newal of peace discussion on the eve of
the re-opening of the American con-
gress."
Further important gains by the Allies
on the western front are reported. L