New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-03
German Retreat
Slows Down as
British Press On
Signs Multiply That First
Stage of Withdrawal
Is Complete
Cough Near Bapaume
New Teuton Line Weaker
than Haig's Position, but
Safe from Flank Attack
Cough Near Bapaume


London. March g. Signs that the
first stage OF the German retiring
movement is virtually complete we're
seen to-day in the reports OF hghtIhg
on the Anere front. While British
troops continued to press forward
south and southwest Of Bapaume'
Prince Rupprecht's soldiers offered the
frat opposition TO advance i'm the Ancre
sector since the withdrawal began on
such a large scale last Saturday.
The War Office report from Hang
chronicles tho reouse OF local German
attacks. the first delivered within th'
week. The British extended their lines
ror,b Of Warlencourt and FaucourI
j., Tho direction Of Bapaume ana
rortbvo.+ oil PuieieuN-au- Mont, 10 tHS
60 Of Gommecourt The object OF
couch hero seems to be 60 turn the
flank of Bapaume and ATTACK l'S
fences from two sides Slmu i1ai'' '"'.'
The British swept I'm l2S prisoners ".S
three machine guns m the cogisv -; -
these operations, a TURNER ii'u'O go,
that thew arc reaching the polnJ
the German lines are sum oc'"p'0''
German Line Still Strong
The present German line' so far "a, as
disna+ches indicated, runs from RS
- north OF Gommccourt, through
Acbiet-lc-Petit and thence soulh o.
Bapaume to the Sally sector H'I..nt
the outer defenccs Of the cen.Ia'
stronghold. IL is tormioaOle lI".'
bn+ not AS powerful as the one now III
-; If INC British It's advan-
tago over the one surrendered ny we
Germans lies I'm It's immunity, LOT tne
nrosent from flank attack and enhlad-
10 ire IL is probable the German
vii make everv effort 20 retain TINS
'front.' ,-...,,,,,. tho
r,o,erents Of the British troops, WhliC
tho unstable condition oil the gtoIIu
j. nroviDg an almost insurmountaDl
obstacle 10 the rapid advance OF Vnc
bcsvv artillery. 10 will be some tiIne
before the British can complete lhe
consolidation Of this ground.
The Berlin War once mentions re
heated clashes in the Ancre region
and reports the clearing out OF brush .,l
nests near Sally. but continues i'S
reticence concerning the extent OF nv
German withdrawal. Inc GERMAN ~
lie is still unenlightened regarding ule
MAGNITUDE ano the causes OF the re-
,reat Nothing beyond HindenDurg
statement that everything had oeen
contemplated two weeks back and nSd
been carried out according 70 schedule
has reached the people. The German
nress is forbidden 10 speculate on inc
man0uvre.
British rIunitioning Superior
According to Lord Northclife' the
chief reason fer the retirement IS me
TACT that the Germans were oelng
peppered with four shells for every one
ihey could FIRE. He says IL IS fooilsR
10 believe the German chiefs expected
to upset British transportation plans
by their sudden withdrawal.
Scissors and SoucheZ were the scene
If much spirited hghting during the
dav. Hand to-hand oombsts took place
in both sectors. the French beating on
two sharp German assaults IN the
former and the British falling IN an
attack in the latter region. The war
Office chronicles the success OF ralds
., German trenches near Angres ana
Calonne and northeast Of Loos. In the
Argonne the French penetrated an
enemy trench and brought back prs
oners, Nowhere we're operations car
red out on a scale indicative OF
concentrated offensive. though the time
for another big thrust Is believed 10
be near.