Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-04-24
j chastity ORGANIZED
y POSITION BECOMES
i. SCENE OF SLAUGHTER
Teutons Fight Desperately,
III as Loss Would Mean An
j other Retreat
OPEN FIGHTING
VI ALONG THE LINE
/ German Military Has Upper
Hand in Strike Situation,
Report Says.

What is apparently the bitterest
fighting Of the present Anglo-French
offensive is raging today along the
wotan line, the hastily organized po-
sition east of Arras, to which the Ger
mans retired when the northern end
Of the IIindenburg line was turned by
General Haig. The Germans are put
ting forth a supreme effort to hold
this vital portion Of their defenses.
the crumbling Of which would expose
Douai and Cambria and bring into
prospect another great retreat. The
British have driven two wedges into
he German positions. forming sharp
salients in the region OF the Scarpe
river and north of the Bapaume-
salient has been thrust within four
miles Of Vitry, the most important
point on the wotan line. But the
tenacity and power with which the
Germans are fighting leaves, the issue
for time In doubt.
Fight in Open.
The semi-open character OF tho
fighting affords little opportunity for
the use of great howitzers. The bat
tie is being waged largely with ma
chine guns and field artillery and the
meager reports from the lighting line
indicate heavy losses on both sides.
although the British claim that their
casualties are moderate compared
with those of the enemy.
IAttle New from Gercmany.
The situation behind the German
lines. fraught as it is with far more
presented by any battle, remains un-
certain. The little news that tricklss
across the German frontier indicates
that the authorities had gained the
upper hand over the strikers by the
drastic method OF militarizing the
.munition ,gdNatrx sa9d. foreinss sstEilks e
leaders INTO 1the aEhtmg ranks It y
neaGsr to say whether these storm
measures Of repression have. definite-
ly crushed the startling storm Of dis
content which has swept over the
German empire.
The only news from Austria in
some days Is to the, effect that the
Pan-German leaders have emerged as
victors in the struggle for control of
the government. This news Is made.
however, and comes by a ound-about
route. y.
Telling British Thrust.
While continuing to. deliver hard
scarpe river region, east of Arras.
where their offensive was resumed
yesterday. the British have pushed
home telling thrust in another sec-
" Of the great battlefield.
OF greatest moment was the sue
s. of the drive in reaching the i'm
ortant waterway between st. Quentin
nd Cambria, the st. Quentin canal.
The canal was cut at point east
Of Epehy near Vendhuille. In reach
ing it here the British pressed to
within approximately two miles Of LIE
Catelet, a railway junction point on
the canal to the south toward st.
Quentin.
Pushing along the Peronne-Cam-
brai railway farther south the capture
Of Beaucand and Villers-Plouich
places General Haig's men a bare
three miles from Marcoing, another
important railway center three and
'one-half miles southwest of Cambria
The solid nature of the British
gains, despite the violent German Of:
forts to nullify them, is shown in the
report of another particularly heavy
counter-attack delivered this morning
on the village of Gavrelle, on the Ar.
ras-Douai road, captured YESTERDAY
which the British successfull with.
stood.
The French are playing their par
by keeping up a heavy artillery fire
while preparing for their next import
ant infantry movement. In local op
erations they improved their positions
Sofia reports the. repulse by thu
Bulgarians of British attack II
Macedonia: 60 -