The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-03-24
GERMANS LOSE
MORE TRENCHES
British Capture Defenses on a
Two and a-HaIf Nile Front
Near Bapaume.
TEUTOES STILL FALLING BACK
kaiser's Lines Being withdrawn Far.
fher Than Expected-Headquar-
tiers Has Been Moved Back.

OOAuOA, MdTcn 1o--AnOth6r 1mpOr-
tant gain has been made by the Brit
ism troops between Peronne and Ba-
paume, according to the official state
ment issued tonight Trenches on a
front Of two and a half miles, run
ming from south of the St. Pierre
Vast wood to north of the village of
Sail1isel have been occupied.
/, Southeast of Arras the Germans en-
tered British trenches.
Brig. Gen Frederick B. Maurice
chief director of military operations at
the British war office, today told the
Associated Press that the withdrawal
OF the Germans from the Bucquoy line
on the Somme front was taking place
faster than anticipated and that the
whole new line might soon be on the
reverse side of the Bapaume ridge
Viewing the military situation Of the
last week General Maurice said:
The Germans are withdrawing from
the BucQuoy line even farther than I
expected, and probably soon will give
up entirely the forward slope of Ba-
paume ridge and retire to the reverse
slope, where they are not so exposed
to our artillery fire. The movement
was planned in advance and executed
without much material loss.
While these operations were on, we
were keeping up minor actions until,
for this month, our roll of German
prisoners already totals 1000
Some of the rosy conclusions with
regard to the present operations on
the west front hardly are justified by
the actual facts, as there still are
many trenches to pass.
There is little new to report from
Mesopotamia, but it is a mistake to
assume, as some have done, that Bag
dad fell almost without a struggle, for
the Turks put up a hard tWo-day fight
before they yielded the city. The
DiaIa river being wide was no easy
obstacle, and was not crossed without
hard fighting"
German Plans Upset
Paris, March 15.-Great Importance
is attached by French military writer's
to the continued British successes on
the Somme. The Matin says that it
looks very much as if the Germans
do not think they could hold Bapaume
and Peronne any longer and are pre-
pairing to eVacuate the two cities.
Reports from ayiators show that all
along their inner lines the Germans
are blowing up bridges and culverts,
burning munitions and provisions
while trying to mask the withdrawal
Of heavy guns by heavy firing with
field guns.
German Staff Moves.
German staff headquarters on the
Somme front is said to have been
moved back ten miles, The Matin
thinks that the German staff at first
planned a strategic retreat so as to
delay and upset the British plan Of
attack but that this scheme was frus-
trated by the tactics of General
Cough Instead of using cavalry
against his retreating foe, General
Cough maintained contact by the
methodical and destructive use Of ar
tillery. The result, according to the
Matin, was that the Germans were
caught in their own trap and their
retreat, which was at first intention
al, became almost a rout under the
continuous pressure of an adversary
superior in material and initiative
The ridge overlooking Bapaume
from the northwest, which has come
to be looked upon by the British as
sort Of promised land ever since the
battle Of the Somme began last July,
passed into the hands Of General
Haig's troops today. For the first time
since the great struggle on this front
opened the British have the adTan-
tage of the highest ground and can
now look down upon the famous Ger
man stronghold and a wide extent Of
the country beyond.
British officers believe that they
are now in a position to take Bap-
aume whenever the word is given.
British Beyond Bagdad.
London, March 15.-The British
have advanced thirty miles above
Bagdad, it is announced officially.
The statement says that the British
artillery taken by the Turks at the
time OF the surrender of General
Townshend's army at Kut-El-Amaha
has been recaptured at Bagdad by the
British
The retirement followed heavy
British bombardment and was made
under cover OF hay weather
Lane r. Rrinc Gsyfhriege Body