The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-23
GERMANS ARE
To
MAKE 4 STAND
On 20-Mile Front, But the
French Have Driven
Wedge In.
TURKS THREATENED
ON THREE SIDES
German Offensive on Rus
sian Front Thought
to Be Begun.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.
French troops are in contact with
the main German army and what
may prove. to be the initial stage of
the great battle of history has open
ed before the gates of La Fere.
For the first time since the great
German retreat began patrol and rear
guard fighting has given way to the
thunder of artillery and the clash of
major forces. The Germans are
making stand on a line running
north and south of La Fere, from st.
Simon to the forest of Coucy, dis
lance roughly estimated at about 20
miles.
The position selected by the Ger
mans is protected by the Crozat canal
and the Athletic river, a tributary of
the Disc, but in this line the French
have driven great wedge directly
in front of La Fere and reaching to
within two miles of that important
town.
On this wedge is based the hopes of
French military critics that General
Nivelle has out-maneuvered Field
Marshal Won Hindenburg, and that La
Fere is doomed and with it the whole
of the famous Hindenburg line.
Paris believes that the extraordin.
airy speed with rhich the French
have advanced has disconnected the
German plans, and renders probable
a continuation of the retirement to
the Belgian frontier. The official
Berlin reports throw no light on the
situation, but it seems certain that a
few days or even hours must decide
the fate of La Fere.
The situation on the British front
is somewhat more obscure, owing to
the rather vague character of the
British official reports. The latest
reports from London say that Cen
eral Haig has pushed ten miles east
of the Somme at some points. Meas
ured from Peronne, this would place
the British within four or five miles
from the vital point of st. Quentin,
and this estimate is supported by I'M
official dispatches from the front. The
German retirement is pivoting from
their positions east of Arras and in
this pivotal region General Haig re-
ports steady progress, but no locali-
ties are mentioned which might give
a clue to the relative Importance of
the advance.
Apparently the spasmodic fighting
IN the Champagne and Verdun sec
tons has ceased, for the time being
at least, but important news comes
from another and far distant field of
the world war. The Russians, driv-
ing forward from Persia, have cross
ed the Mesopotamian bord = at one
point, while second army is con-
tinuing its advance from Kermanshah
in support of the British advance
from Bagdad. This means that the
retreating Turks are being nlenaced
from three sides and, according to
allied military observers, are threat
ened by far greater disaster than
even the loss of Bagdad.
What may prove to be the opening
of a German offensive on the Rus
sian front is reported in today's Rus
sian official statement.
The German attack was delivered
towards the northern end OF the
front, in the region southeast OF
Wilma, almost directly east of Ida.
The Russian position there was
preached, but afterwards the Ger
mans We're driven out of village
they had occupied. A portion of the
positions, however, remained IN their
hands.
The Berlin official statement re-
ports this move as raid IN force,
and does not mention the retention