Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-25
MivelIe's Men Also Occupy Four
Miles of West Bank
of Disc.
GERMANS DEFENDING
LINE FOOT BY FOOT
British Occupy Roisel, Far East Of
Peronne-Teutons Make One
Temporary Gain.

S6associated Press.
PARIS. March 24.-Two of the ad-
vance forts in the defensive system of
La Fere, strong point on the Hind
enburg line, have been captured by the
French, who have also occupied the
west bank of the river Disc from the
outskirts of La Fere as far north as
Nendeuil, a distance of about four
miles. The text of the statement reads:
North of the Somme we have forced
back the enemy to the outskirts of
Savy, where he had established himself
in a line of trenches prepared in adj
vance from the Somme to the Disc.
Stubborn German Defense.
Our troops, continuing their sue
cess. gave battle to the enemy. who de-
Tended himself foot by foot and pushed
him about one kilometer north of
Grand Seracourt and Gibercourt, oc-
cupying the west bank of the Oise from
the outskirts of La Fere as far north
ss- Vendeuil. Two advance forts of the
defensive system of La Fere fell into
our hands.
South of the Oise. in spite of the
made important progress on the east
bank of the Ailette. regaining sew
eral villages and compelling the Ger
man rear guards to retire.
I'm the lower section of the forest
of Coucy, north of Soissons. there is
little change. We found numerous
German dead in the trenches taken by
us yesterday north of Marginal.
"A German long-range gun about -
o'clock today fred a number of shells
OF heavy caliber on the town of Sois-
sons.
Artillery fighting has been quite
Bac and Rheims, as well as in Alsace.
In tie direction of Violu-Py, south of
Col de Sainte Marie.
Great Aerial Activity.
Aviation on March % Adjt- Or,
toly brought down his fifth German
airplane. Today our special guns
brought down a German machine. which
fell in our lines near La veuve (Marne).
This afternoon a German hydro-air-
plane, proceeding in the direction of
Etretat (north- northeast of Havre),
was captured at sea; the two aviators
were taken prisoner.
'On March 23 one of our airplanes from
low altitude bombarded an aviation
ground at Marimbois. north of Thiau-
court. A violent fire broke out in the
hangers.
"On Thursday and Friday nights our
air squadrons dropped 1,100 Kilograms
OF projectiles on factories at Thion-
vile and the Briey basin. as well as on
the railway station at Conflans
Belgian communication: The Bel
gfan batteries counter shelled the Ger
man artillery which bombarded the
regions of Dixmude and Steenstraete
There was grenade fighting north of
Dixmude.'"
British Claim Progress.
LONDON. Farch 24.-The official
statement of tonight reads:
Our troops have occupied Roisel,
seven miles east of Peronne
This morning strong hostile de-
fachments again attacked our posi-
tions in Beametz-Lez-Cambrai and
obtained temporary footing in the
village. They were Immediately coun-
ter attacked and driven out, leaving a
Few prisoners in our hands.
We have made progress during the
day on front of one and half miles
to the southeast and west of Ecoust-
Enemy attacks on our posts in this
nefghborhood and north of Boiry-Bec-
querelle were repulsed
Reach German Second Line.
I'VE carried out another successful
raid early this morning east of Arras
The enemy's second line was reached
and casualties were inflicted. We also
entered the enemy's trenches east of
Neuville-St Vaast. A number of Ger
mans were killed and occupied dug
outs were bombed.
THE enemy Exempted to reach our
lines this morning in the neighborhood
Of Neutrality-suspicious. (south of
l.A
by our fire. Another hostile raidng
party succeeded reaching our trenches
west of Messines
The artillery was active on both
sides today in the neighborhood of
Ypres. Our fire caused three explo-
sions in the enemy's positions
Foe Suffers, Says Berlin.
BERLIN. March 24-The official state
ment of today reads: }
Western front: On both sides of the
Somme and the Oise daily engagements
are occurring between our protecting
troops and enemy vanguards. After
these frequent engagements, in which
they suffer heavy losses, the enemy
forces simply grope ahead in a hesitat-
ing manner and frequently throw up
trenches, being severely hampered in
their freedom of movement by our
measures.
Yesterday the French attacked our
outposts west of La Fere and along the
lowlands of the Aillette; also near Neu-
willie and Marginal. They were every
where repulsed-
'In the Champagne our reconnoitering
detachments at several places on the
front succeeded in bringing prisoners
from the French lines"
Kaiser lauds Efforts
of Prince Rupprecht