The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-18
War Critics Conclude Desper-
ate Counter Thrusts But
Mask For Retirement
GREAT FIRES SEEN =.
BEHIND GERMAN LINES
Work Of Destruction Presages
Falling Back-Bullecourt Is
Now Entirely in Hands Of
Australians


court the hotly contested village
near the southern end Of the
"Wotan lima" fell to the Aus
tralians today. At the same time
the French, besides b,ating OF
!, every German counter btow-And
there were nearly o dozen during
the last twenty -four hours-push-
ed their tines forward to the
east Of Craounc.
Furious as are the ever-recur-
ring German enthusiasts with
their disregard for human lives.
the belief Is being spread among
expert Observers here Iat these
violent onsfanGhts are merely
mask to conceal tho beginning Of
o new strategic retreat by Hin
eSnburg.
The sky behind the German line il
crimson. Great fires are raging
around Lens and Laon. the two
pivots OF the "Hindenburg lines"
wings. with the roar OF the cannon
+, mingles the steady thunder of explo-
slons. The same symptoms that pre-
ceded the retreat in the center are
now observed In the wings On all
sides the question is asked, VIII he
retreat again ="
Work Of Destruction Going On. -.
Behind the German lines Il IS be-
lieved. the same work of destruction
IL going on that IN March reduced
the beautiful landscapes beyond the
Picarsy to mockins memory for
decades to come. To vitiate cont
pietely tho efforts and preparation
I OF his foe. H!ndenburg. relying upon
, The submarine is believed TO have set
the axe Of havoc tn work again level
Ing everything to the ground and then
reducing the ground to sxan1ps and
imnassable barren 'nothinsness
Same military critics see new
German retreat from the I>aon and
Rheims sector 20 the Metz-Sedan line.
IN the north they beiicye ne will fat
back on Lille. giving up. a. last, the
lcns CoalinE district.
StrateeicaHy. the withdraw, or the
French front would he the most i'm
portant II would be on a front from
Ia f'ere to '7fse ATgonne some eighty
rniies. or oven farther down 10 Yer
dan. more than 100 miles m the crow
files 20 4 depth VARYING between thirty
and sixty miles.
Evacuaf~ nntfercurt,
Ths Germans virtually evacuated
Giilecourf after q days battle sixty
PRISONERS were taken by The Fruish
r. completing the capture.
lHe T FSBFl nave lFhGfFFQ the Yer
man positions before 1.aon. north OF
and more difficult Today they cap.
tured rev trench elements IN the re-
gInn-ni- -lA&--SnutA- AT 4seHrt--sst.-
Hac This extended their wedge be-
tween the Laon and Rheims fronts.
Rerlin's official night report says
There were no events OF special i'm
portance on any Of the fronts"
Artillery activity continues on the
Belgian front Military experts be-
lieve that the. expected new retreat
viii he followed by a Tsuton counter
Offensive along the coast They do not
believe the German high command cen
AFFORD TO continue. on the defensive a.,A
r.treating strategy but must. in order
20 offset the almost unavoidable DIR ,p
In she morals by selling the initiative
on another front
Announces Success.
In announcing the completion of Bull
iecourts capture. Sir Douglas Haig said
In his night report
The whole Of the village, ro-- the
possession OF which constant fghting
has taken place since May 3, is now in
our hands.
Paris tonight reported French. Brit
ish and Serbian successes in Macedonia.
The French. in the center. carried
series of strong Bulgarian works on
a front OF 500 meters. holding them
against counter-attacks by fresh
Bulgaria division. The British. on thu
right wing, stormed ahead on the Stru-
ma front and captured the village 81
Ktuprt, with some adjoining trenches
taking ninety-six prisoners. The Ser
hians on the left flank OF Sarrairs
army also made progress.
All these gains were disputed by the
German war office which asserted that
the flghting resulted In complete
success" for the Bulgars and Germans.
The italians took by storm tho town
OF Dunno. one of the Keys" to Trieste,
according to unofficial Rome advices
.topiEht,