Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-14
SOUTHERN END OF
HINDENBURC LINE
CRUMBLING RAPIDLY
Queant Virtually Pocketed,
and Bullecourt is on
Verge of Falling.
BRITISH ARMS
WIN AT SEA
Russian Situation Grows
Graver-Junkers in Ger
many Bitter at Austria.
{By Associated Prcss.)

In the face Of blazing oil, liquid fire.
poison gas and every other horrof
known to modern war, the British are
slowly and stubbornly fighting their
way to the Drocourt- -Queant line, the
gate to Douai and Cambria, and the
principal link in the fetters welded OF
northern France by the Germans.
General Haig is hammering along the
line. but it Is around Queant, at the
northern extremity, that his success
has been most marked. and the cor
responding menace to the Germans
greatest
Roads Clear to British.
Queant is virtually pocketed. To
the east. west and south. the road is
clear to the British, as far as natural
barriers are concerned. except for part
of the village OF Bullecourt. After
some of the grimest fighting on the
western front. the British have driven
their foes from one half of Bullecourt
and unless the tide is promptly turn
ed. the village is lost to the Germans
and the crushing in of the southern
end of the Drocourt- Queant line is
inevitab BILE.
English Navy Wins.
ray OF sunshine has also fallen
on British arms at sea. The great
German submarine base at Zeebrugge
and the naval stronghold at Wilhelns-
haven have been assaulted from sea
and air, apparently with notable sue
cess. Zeebrugge is an absolutely arti-
ficial harbor, called into existence on
the sandy fiat coast Of Belgium by the
exigencies of submarine warfare and
practically depending on its being on
a great mole. This mole is said to
have been reached by the British guns
and the Germans must quickly repair
the gap OF the sitting sands will COM
plete the work of destruction COM
menced by the British gunners.
,-e Italians 'RSnibarded. +
The only incident Of moment on the
war theaters is a fresh Austrian re-
port OF d. great artillery bombardment
BY the Italians on the 1sonzo front.
This may mean that the long inactiv-
fty of General Cadorna is about to be
broken. The Italian situation has been
wrapped in considerable obscurity and
there have been uncomfortable ru-
n1ors that the chaos in Russia was in
spring the central powers to mass
forces for great drive against Italy.
These rumors have been somewhat
offset by the accommodating reports
that Austria is seeking in every direc-
tion a path to peace and is willing to
make great concessions toward that
end
Junkers Aroused.
IL lHAS conHecton the announced
visit OF Chancellor Won Bethmann-
Hollweg to Vienna assumes consider
able Importance. The fury of the Ger
man 1unkers against the Austrian at
titude is obviously increased by their
conviction that the chancellor has
gone over to the moderate party, with
its program Of peace without annexa-
ton or indemnity. There seems little
doubt that the demand for peace is
steadily growing in volume in Ger
many, and the hysteria Of the iunkers
as displayed through their newspapers
and through the utterances Of their
leaders is significant in this respect.
There is nothing vet to indicate
what the answer is to be to the Rus
sian riddle. The resignation of General
karnilof. military commander at
Petrograd, because of his refusal to
accept orders from the Council of
Workmen's and Soldiers Delegates,
heightens the impression of the grow
ing power of the radicals, and the de-
moralization of the army. Apparently
the provisional government must
quickly assert its authority or aban-
don pretense at power.
Russia Causes Grave Concern,
While military interest continues to
center in the great battle on the
French front, where the British are
continuing to press the Germans
back. the political situation in Russia
is demanding increasing attention,
and causing. II possible. added con-
Germ among all the allied nations.
Under the continued harrassine
course of the radical elements in Pet
rograd. the provisional government
shows signs Of breaking up.
The first gap in the government
ranks was created yesterday when NJ.
Gushkoff' minister Of war and ma
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