Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-04-26

dIO 0I- S&uGHItIt. NIOIS IAsSA 49,
prisoners have been taken. With
the French armies along the Alsne
front and in the Champagne, the
battle is confined mainly to the
artillery although the French con,
tinue to make progress in local
fighting.
.BLoopIEsT SPOT IN WAR.
British front in France, April
26 from staff correspondent of
the Associated Press) The town
of Monchy-Le Preux, which lies
about five miles east of Arras. Will
stand out in history as one of the
bloodlest spots of the world war.
The fighting north, east and south
of this little Artois village perched
upon high knoll. has exceeded in
intensity any of the individual
struggles of the Somme. Efforts OF
the Germans to retake the village
Z apparently have subsidized on ac-
count of the sheer exhaustion OF
their available forces.
The British advance eastward ct
Monchy continues slowly, but surely.
The ground around Monchy, as far
as the eye can reach, is covered with
the dead.
Letters Reveal Dissertation.
The ground around Monchy. as far
!
dead, the Germans at times having en-
ployed their old tactics of attacking in
mass formation. Letters taken in the
last two days from German prison
ers, written in front of Monchy, say
they regard the situation as worse than
it was on the Somme, while the cas-
ualt!es are mounting up as at Verdun.
In one of the letters, the opinion Is ex-
pressed that what has made the. fight
ing difficult has been the fact that the
opposing forces have not occupied fixed
lines but are scattered in half built
trenches on this part of the front.
During the German counter attack on
Monday, force of 700 Germans took
one bit OF trench from a British out
post. The Germans continued to press
forward, not noticing that they We're
passing an isolated trench section to
their right. When they We're we'll be-
yond 1t, several hundred British soldiers
poured out OF this trench section and
the Germans trapped between two
khaki lines. were absolutely wiped out
in the fighting which followed. A gem
;eral melee, in which the cries from men
engaged hand to hand, could be heard
plainly, followed.
ing the various operations this week
amounts to more than 5000. There is
absolutely no index of the casualties in
flicted upon the enemy. The fight
ing is too thick. for the, most part, to
permit OF individual susrrenders.
Mon Spread With fire.
Finding Monchy too difficult the
Germans directed a counter attack on
Gavrelle. where the last defensive line
| before the Drocourt switch position had
| been pierced. Four thousand men were
| seen forming for an attack Mt a dis
| tance of 1900 yards. The British field
| guns. massed in n great number, We're
! trained on the Germans, but their fire
/ was held until the advancing enemy
| was about 1000 yards away. Then a
perfect hurricane of fire was opened
/ and shrapnel shells played about the
advancing column like fire flies In a
| summer thicket. The on-coming waves
trembled for time and then broke.
\ Then, quickly routed, their path was
strewn with deadaan wounded.
London. April 26.-Adjournment ot
the reichstag until May 2, after brie,
trail News dispatch from Amsterdam
Phiilipp Scl1eidenann, socialist leader
expressed regret that the reichstat
should be convoked and then adjourned
almost Immediately. George Ledebour
leader of the social democrats, said tina
that the reichstag should meet toda.
for discussion of the food problem.
"rThousands of workmen.' he said
'have been forced to abandon worl
owing to their distress"
Herr Ledebour's words caused an up
roar. Permission to continue his speecl
was refused.
DEMANDS PEACE STATEMENT.
London, Aprl GA dispatch to TIN
Exchange Telegraph company from
Amsterdam says:
1.-The Berlin Vorwaerts today pub
fishes an article urging the German gov
srnment to declare before the Who'll
world that peace must be reached with
put the sacrifice of territory by an
j, belligerent or the payment of any wa
Indemnity"
The newspaper adds. that German!
must Immediately bind herself to thi
. program. An agreement with the en-
.my. it confines. will not he reache
Immediately, but the negotiation
would be bound to bring about al
;. agreement later The Forwaerts con
.ludes by saying it believes the en-
, ente governments soon will show a
Increasing desire for peace.
-