Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-02-26

1t can be stated that the British now.
or soon will he in a position possibly
TO force the evacuation of Bapaume.
which has been the key to the German
position since the beginning of the
battle of the Somme. The points which
already have fallen into the British
hands have stood out in the history
of the fightin~ on this front and had
been most stubbornly defended. Only
a week ago when the British attacked
on a two-mile front east and south of
Miraumont and Pys the German re-
sistance was bitter and the high
ground desired was won only after
desperate hand hand encounters
and the taking of more than 500 Ger
man prisoner.
The British had been waiting for
clearing Of the foggy weather before.
pressing the advance but meantime it
is apparent that the German high
command decided TO retire without any
further fighting to stronger positions
prepared well in the rear. Friday night
fires We're observed in the German
front line trenches. They were only
dimly visible through the thick mist of
the particularly black night, but il was
discovered that the flames issued from
burning German dugouts. Patrols sent
forward reported the evacuation or
German outposts. Similar reports came
from north of the Ancre, and by night
fall yesterday the British had estab-
lished themselves in Petit Miraumont
and advanced all along the line meet
ing only with sniping resistance here
and there.
Today the British patro. pressed
forward. keeping in close contact with
the Germans. who had rerreated a
further 1000 yards during the night.
Thus the way was opened to the
ground which for months had been
contested.
There were bursts of stiff resistance
from German obstructing parties
which had been scattered in the rear
of the retiring columns. Early today
a big mine was exploded in the main
street of Miraumont just before the
British advance patrols entered.
1t is evident now that the Germans.
taking advantage Of the last days OF
the recent heavy frost and hard
ground, moved a great many of their
guns well to the rear. leaving others
forward to keep up Il show of resist
ance. This they had been valiantly do
ing for the past three or four days,
firing more rounds than any German
guns in recent months. The reason for
this is considered as probably a desire
to shoot up stores of ammunition
(which there was no time to remove.
The foggy, misty weather was ideal
for the beginning of the German re-
tirement, as it completely hid the
purpose of the movement from the
prying eyes of the airplanes which
otherwise would have daily searched
out the German positions.
Germans made prisoners yesterday
and today said they had been left be-
hind to walk about and fire their rifles
and make as much noise as possible
They were delighted to be relieved
from their thankless task
Dutch Are Indignant
LONDON, Feb. 26.-News dispatches
from Holland to the London news
papers emphasize the continued in
dignation aroused among the Dutch by
the recent destruction of the Dutch
ships by the German submarines. The
dispatches say that there Is a complete
absence of noisy protest, the gravity
Of the situation having produced "a
marked silence. amounting to 4 sense
Of solemnity." All reports agree that
nothing which has happened hitherto
in the war has provoked such an an
tense feeling.
An Amsterdam dispatch to the
Times says:
Everybody is asking what the gov
eminent will do. The position is one
of extreme difficulty and is engaging
the most anxious attention of the gov
eminent. II is not thought. however,
that this new invasion of Dutch rights
will lead to war, the Dutch people
themselves being anxious to avoid it
while the rapidity of the German eff
forts to mollify the outraged sensibili-
ties of Holland indicates that Germany
also is anxious TO avoid further com
plications
Shipping interests are extremely
concerned and talk of stopping all
Dutch shipping is general 1t is sug
gested here that one way of bringing
Germany to a sense of her misdeeds
would be to seal the Dutch frontier so
that Holland could be utilized no longer
as a purveyor of foodstuffs for Ger
many. The expulsion of thousands of
German spies and an embargo on the
scanty resources of grain would also
be wholesome measures. The Dutcn.
however. are a long suffering people
where Germany is concerned and ex-
tremely cautious"
A dispatch to Reuters Telegram
company from Flushing, says the Ger
man UB-30 which stranded on the
Dutch island of Walcheren in the North
Sea last week, will be disarmed and
informed at Flushing. The crew of the
underwater boat also will be informed.
Lloyd's reports the British steamer
Falcon sunk. The Central News iden-
titles the steamer as the Falcon, owned
in Cardiff (of 2,243 tons gross and built
in 1850 1t says the survivors viii be
landed Monday.
From Dutch sources the Reuter- Tele-
gram company learns that il was the
submarine U-3 which attacked all sew
en- Dutch steamers Thursday. Three
were torpedoed outright, while Ger
man sailors boarded the other four and
| placed bombs that were exploded.
British Steamer Sunk
| PARIS, Feb. 25.-A war office COM
muncation tonight says:
Vessels sunk February 2425: Brit
ish steamer Dorothy of 3,S06 tons
| gross"
The British steamer Dorothy was lost
reported at Marseilles, January II.
Deputy CALI has urged the govern
ment to take measures of reprisal fol-
/ lowing the receipt of German wire
less announcement that "A camp for