The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-05-12
BRITISH ROLL UP
The GERMAN Line
Smash Their Way Through 600
Yards of Trenches in Re-
neWed Drive.
CAPTURE STRATEGIC POINTS
Haig's Men Take Village of Fresnoy
and Ground Near cherisy After
Fierce Battle.

London, May According to the
Reuter- correspondent at British head.
quarters in France, the latest reports
tell Of fierce fighting in BuIlecourt,
on the outer edge OF which the British
troops established themselves, and of
a very heavy counter attack which
has driven the British back through
Cherisy again
After four days of calm, fighting on
a large scale was resumed along a
wide front today and more important
strategic points fell into British hands,
including the. village of FresnOy, sew
eral miles north of the Scarpe river,
and the ground about Cherisy, some
distance south Of that somewhat in
significant stream.
Take 500 Yards of First Line.
Between Fontaine-les- Croisilles and
Bullecourt about 500 yards more Of
the original Hindenburg line, which
ran from Queant in a northwesterly
direction toward Arras, was pene-
trated~ and rolled up. This fighting
was close TO the Queant-Hindenburg
line new emergency trench system, ex-
tending north from there to DrocOurt
Work on this new system is proceed
ing with feverish haste, according to
prisoners, and the stubborn resistance
the Germans now are offering is to
prevent the necessity of their occupy
ing the new line before it is ready for
prolonged defensive action.
Today's range Of operations covered
virtually eighteen miles, although the
pressure was not exerted over this en-
tire front. There was artillery activ-
ity at all points, however, and the
stronger German positions were fairly
deluged with shells.
Germans Fight Desperately.
Paris, May 3.-Prisoners were still
being brought in today as a result Of
yesterdays French success between
Beine and Moronvilliers, and two
fierce though unsuccessful German
counter attacks to the northwest Of
Mont Haut.
COmbatants who have taken part in
the recent fighting declare that the
German positions are of the strongest
character and the resistance most OBJ
stinate. A French assaulting wave Of
infantry found a deep cavern at the
foot Of steep cliff in Chivy raYine,
west OF Craonne, into which the gren-
adiers threw grenades while their
comrades continued to advance up the
slope
When they arrived at the top they
observed column Of smoke pouring
out Of a hole in the summit of the
MD nd Of
of Germans numbering about 200 in
all came out, having climbed $50 steps
through a chimney cut in the solid
rock from the cavern below The
French had scaled the cliff quicker
than the Germans had gone up the
stairs and they took all the Germans
prisoners.
A German officer was caught in the
act of telephoning to his headquar-
tiers. He surrendered, holding his arms
up with the telephone receiver in one
hand.
Still Driving Turks.
London, May 3.-The Thirteenth
Turkish army corps has been driven
by the British from its position in
Mesopotamia on both banks Of the
Shatt-el-Adhem, General Maude report
ed today. The British cavalry is pur-
suing the Turks into the Jebe1 Ham
rim hills and making many captures
Considerable activity by British in
fantry and cavalry patrols in Pales-
tine, near GAIA, IS reported in an Of
fetal statement today.
Trying to Free Reims.
London, May Bitter German
counter attacks against the newly won
French positions east of Reims yester-
day met with repulse at every point.
The German assaults were particularly
desperate because the French now
dominate the positions from which the
Teuton artillery has been bombarding
Reims
The apparent strategy Of the French
is to drive wedges into the German
line north of Reims and further east
in the Champagne and thus cause the
enemy to abandon the ground in be-
tween In this way the cathedral city
would be freed from the constant bonn
bardment of its historic edifice as was
Scissors when the French attacked
north of the Aisne River twos weeks
ago.