The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-17
THRUST CARRIES
ALLIES DEEP IN
GERMAN Lines
British and French Push on
Across Flanders.
German Attempts To Retake
Hill 20 at Lens Prove Costly.
PREPARE TO EvACUATE REGION
Repeated Night Attacks by Ger
mans Utterly Fail.
PREPARE TO EVACUATE REGION

London. Aug. IA violent and
continued thrust that is carrying Brit
ish and French troops deep into Ger
man lines in Flanders on nine-mile
front. a statement of complete con-
fidence from Premier Lloyd George
and unanimous reflections by the press
of peace proposals-these are the an
swers turned in by the allies today to
Pope Benedict.
The French were today firmly hold
ing the important bridgehead of
Dreigra chten, despite cOunter-attacks
launched over the strip of land be
tween the User canal and Martje-
vaart.
The st. Quentin cathedral has been
destroyed by the Germans and numer-
Gus villages beyond st. Quentin are
IN flames
The heights about Lens are thick
with German dead, mown down IN
their attempt to retake the dominating
positions firmly held by Canadians.
Turning French Towns.
Pressing on a. half mile beyond the
captured town of Langemarck, the
British are blasting away at addition
al nemy defenses.
News of the burning of villages be-
yond st. Quentin led to belief that
the Germans might be preparing to
evacuate some of this region. Dis
patches from the French front, hot =
ever, stated that there were no indi-
cations that the Germans were actual
ly preparing for such step.
BY ED l.. KEEN.
Lloyd George, contrary to early eX-
pectat:ons, made no direct reference
to the pope's appeal in his speech in
commons yesterday. His address was
one of carrying on however not OF
stopping for negotiations. 1t was ia
ken as a forerunner of rejection OF the
vatican's suggestions
Germans Try in Vain.
Paris. Aug. 1.-THE Germans last
night attacked the new positions gam
ed by the French on the Steenebeke
river in Belgium. The war office an
nounces that THEY were repulsed COM
pletely. Vigorous German assaults
on the Aisne front also were beaten
back.
eat nightfall Wednesday" tele-
graphs a Havas correspondent on the
French 'front.' I'VE saw from our lines
which at places are less than half a
mile from the suburbs of st. quentin
that the cathedral was surrounded ~
smoke. Soon fire was visible, increas-
ing each moment until at midnight
the imposing monument was Il mass
of flames visible for twenty miles
around.
1T is impossible at this time to de-
termiue the origin of the fire. Phe
Germans cannot lay it to our shells,
for st. Quentin is so near our lines
that not single French projectile has
fallen inte the city. The high towers
of the cathedral gave the Germans an
observation point unique, in the re-
gion. We cannot yet understand what
powerful motives induced them to de-
stroy it. Thru field glasses it could
be seen the next afternoon that the
entire superstructure was gone"
Germans Regain Trench.
London, Aug. 17.-Continued Ger
man counter-attackso on the Lens front
were reported by Field Marshal Haig
today. One assault resulted in the
British being pressed back slightly
from points which they had estab-
lished during the night.
East of Loos in the direction OF
Cite st. Auguste, early last night, the
enemy twice counter-attacked," Haic
reported. the second time pressing us
back slightly from points we had es-
tablishedi'
Rumanlans Make a Stand.
London, Aug. 16.-On the Buko-
wilma front between the Dniester sIG
Moldava enemy attacks everyw here
were repulsed except at a single point
south of the Narna, where a portion
of the trenches in the mountains were
lost, says the official Rumanian state
ment under date of Tuesday. Just re-