Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-23

the official statement issued by the
war office tonight, the Germans made
a number of attempts to drive back
the French from the east bank of the
St. Quentin canal, but the attacks
tailed. There also were lively engage
ments west of La Fere, one of the
German strongholds.
London, March 22.-"The enemy's
resistance is increasing along our
whole front from west of St. Quentin
to south of Arras," says the official re-
port from British headquarters in
France today. Heavy snowstorms
during the day added to the difficulties
of our advance"
Telegraphing from the British head
quarters i'll France today Reuters cor
respondent says:
"Wintry conditions continue on the
western front, with considerable falls
of snow, rendering field operations
difficult. The bad weather, however,
is as unfavorable to the Germans as
to ourselves, as they cannot get OBJ
servatjpns on the strength or direc-
ton OF our advance.
Near St. Quentin.
"This advance during yesterday and
last night was of the same character
as on the previous day, that is to say,
it was most rapid in the Auterre
plateau, west of St. Quentin, and was
the slowest along the frSnt of about
twenty miles extending southeastward
from Arras.
"The latest report is that our cav
airy patrols were in contact with Ger
man rear guards within five miles of
the outskirts of ST. Quentin. Enemy
resistance was most active i'll the sec
tor between Arras and Ytres, the lat
ter place being defended by series
of strong points.
There are many stories of disaf-
lection in the ranks of the Germans.
1t is known that they are finding diff
| fculty in maintaining their food sup
plies during the retreat and that some
of the later prisoners had not eaten
anything for some time.
Posts Easily Reduced.
Between Ytres and Croisilles, a
distance of some ten miles, the re-
treating Germans are holding series
of machine gun posts, but VIC are get
ting up our field guns in excellent
style and not much difficulty is an
| ticipated in reducing these. In fact,
there already is pretty deep bulge
eastward in the. enemys line at this
part, reaching to Beaumetz-Les- Cam
brai, which considerable village was
occupied by our troops yesterday.
This carries our advance to a point
some four miles north of Ytres.
The Germans in many cases are
carrying away young women to
guard against their employment by
the French on munitions"
French Take Nine Villages.
Paris, March 22.-The Germans
made energetic resistance to the
French last night between the Somme
and the Aisne, but after spirited
fighting north OF Tergnier the
French forced them out OF several
strong positions. The French occu-
pied number of villages.
The villages are situated to the
north of Scissors. They were carried
in the face of determined resistance
by the Germans.
The total amount of French terri
tory liberated from the German in
vaders by the Somme offensive UP
to March q is S53 square miles situ-
ated in the four departments-Pas De
Calais, Oise, Aisne and Somme. 1t
includes 500 towns and villages, the
home of 18l,935 Frenchmen. The
Germans are still in possession of
7,l26 square miles of France.
Germans Near Arras Line.
The German retreat to the Arras-
St. Quentin -Lafere line is practically
complete. The French are within ar
tillery range of St. Quentin and La
fere. The movement has been car
ried out by echelons, according to
approved principles, one section hold
ing firm, while the next fell back.
The allied operations are now con.
cerned with driving in the last of
these sections, which are still resist
ing. They are situated, respectively,
south of Arras, southeast and cast
of Peronne, east of Ham and the
valley of the Ailette and north of
Soissons.
Just in the middle of the line, east !
of Peronne and between the plain
of Cambria to the north and the plain
OF the Somme TO the south, is one
OF the few positions of defensive value
running to the east of Roisel and
Vermand. The Germans showed signs
OF intending to cling to this salient.
but it is now, too, gone the British