Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-22
ALLIES RETAKE =
I 80 MORE TOWNS
Paris War Office Reports
y Rapid Progress in Pursuit
Of Fleeing Germans.
REPULsE A SURPRISE RAID

London, March 2l.-The capture OF
forty more villages on the front in
! France is announced from British
headquarters tonight.
French Make Progress. -,
Paris, March 2l.--Rapid progress is
being made by the French in pursuit
of the retreatirg Germans, the war
Office announces. Important gains
were made OIL both sides OF the Laon
road, ten villages being captured.
After severe fight i'll witch heavy
losses we're sustained, the French
carried Savriennois castle and the vii
lage of Jussy, about nine miles south
of St. Quentin. Skirmishe, between
French cavalry and German detach-
ments occurred on the Ham-St. Quen-
tin road. South of Chauny the French
are occupying the Ail!ette line and
consolidating their new positions. "A
German surprise attack in the Cham
pagne was repulsed. 80
! Stormy Weather Continues.
London, March 2l.-The stormy
weather, with severely cold winds and
frequent, snow squalls, continued dur
ing the night in the region over which
the British armies in France are fol-
lowing the retreating Germans, AL
though these conditions add to the
discomfort of field campaigning, Reu-
ter's representative at the British
headquarters. telegraphs they have
had no bad effect on the surface of
the ground, which in the newly oc-
cupied area remains quite practicable
| for movements of horse and foot
troops and guns.
Notwithstanding the work of de-
struction which the Germans are car
rying out as they Withdraw, the Brit
ljsh troops find shelter in the villages
they occupy. A large proportion of
the houses have been gutted, but in
most cases the walls remain standing,
so that cover for troops is provided
easily.
Send Civilians Back. T
Many places which the British have
taken in the last few days contain
civilian inhabitants and i is reported
that the Germans in evacuating the
towns and villages on the line OF re-
treat are sending civilians in consid-
cradle numbers back instead of Tor
ward, SO that they will not have SO
many mouths to feed.
The correspondent reports that
the joy Of the civilians at their liberia
ton from German rule is pathetic
and that instead Of leaving provisions
for five days for the civilians, as was
reported, the Germans took the last
loaf from the inhabitants before burn
ing the villages. Apart from the large
proportion of the original population
left at Nesle, the greatest number of
civilians found in one place thus far
is 400, in Bouvencourt.
No important engagement or
marked change in the line lis re-
/. ported today. The Germans appear
to be falling back more rapidly and
offering less resistance to British
Nessure between Ham and Peronne,
but further north their retirement is
being characterized by more stub
born opposition. In places between
Arras and Bapaume the advancing
British troops are being met with
vigorous machine gun fire, apparently
designed to cover the retreat of the
German rear guards, inasmuch as the
German machine guns are withdrawn
when they come under the fire of the
British guns.
Fighting was reported yesterday
afternoon near Blangy, suburb OF
Arras, which the German front line
trenches skirt, and it appears that the
pivot of the great backward swing
has not reached that city. South of
-Peronne British patrols may be seen
entering smoking villages as far as
seven miles east of the Somme.
Germans Withdraw ,Northsrn Line.
The possibility of German with
drawal in the region north of Arras,
extending into Belgian territory, is
forecasted in a Central News dispatch
from Amsterdam.
The dispatch quotes a correspond
ent in northern France as reporting
that the Germans are developing
great activity from a point north of
La Basse canal to point past the
Franco-Belgian frontier, which, he
says, Seems to indicate withdrawal
Of salient lines. In the direction of
Lens and Douai heavy explosions are
continually heard.
"The same patrol activity which
preceded the retreat of the southern
'front.'" he adds, "is now observed
north NJ Arraeo