New-York tribune., 1918-03-23
German Claim of
10000 Prisoners Not
Admitted by British

ing from correspondents at the. front
to-day that forty German divisions
were engaged in the fighting on the
front of attack and that the greatest
worlds history was operating gave the
British public clear idea of the tre
mendous struggle on the West front.
But nothing in the dispatches, either
from Field Marshal Haig or from the
newspaper correspondents, had pre-
pared them for the German claim.
which reached London late tonight, of
the capture of 10000 prisoners and 200
guns as the result of the first days
lighting in the new German offensive,
and the disposition at the moment is to
regard the claim as an eXaggeration.
According to the correspondents, the
British Withdrawals, where they were
necessary. were carried out in good
order from advanced positions which,
in the nature of the fighting of these
days. it had been expected would be
given up. These are generally believed
to have been lightly held
Discount German Claims
1t had been intimated that the Ger
mans would claim the capture OF sew
erai villages. but the dispatches gave
no hint of their names, saying only
that it was iradvisable to indicate the
present British line, because this would
be giving information to the enemy.
All the dispatches emphasize the
heavy cost TO the Germans of the first
days struggle. and depict the ground
from which the British have withdrawn
as being Uttered with German dead.
The text of the German night official
statement, as received here by wire
less, follows:
"The successes OF yesterday in the
lnp hotu
were extended in the continuation Of
our attack.
sixteen thousand prisoners and 200
guns SO far have been reported capt
ured. Before Verdun the artillery duel
continued
The earlier Berlin official statement
said the British first line had been
captured by German troops attacking
from the southeast of Arras as far as
La Fere.
The text of the statement read
''From southeast of Arras as far as
La Fere we attacked the British posi-
tions. After powerful fire by our artil-
lery and mine thrOwers our infantry
stormed in broad sectors and every
where captured the first enemy line.
Between La Fere and scissors, on
both sides of Rheims and in the Cham
pagne the firing duel increased in in
tensity. Storming detachments brought
III prisoners in many sectors.
"Ostend has been bombarded from
the sea.
"In Belgian and French Flanders the
heavy artillery duel continued. Recon-
noitring detachments penetrated on
many occasions into the enemy lines.
"Our artillery continued the de-
struction of enemy infantry positions
and batteries before Verdun On the
Lorraine front, also, the artillery ac-
tivity increased on many occasions"
The British Report
The great battle on the Western
'front.' continued until late last night,
the first British War Office reports
to-day stated The British are hold
ing the enemy
The statement follows:
Fighting continued until a late hour
last night on the whole front between
the River Oise and the River Sensee.
Our troops continue to hold the enemy
in their battle positions"
during the enemy's attacks yester-
Gay his massed infantry offered remark.
able targets TO our rifles, machine guns
and artillery, Of which full advantage
was taken by our troops. All the re.
ports testify to the exceedingly heavy
losses suffered by the enemy.
NO serious attack has yet dey. loped
inns morning, but heavy fighting il still
TO be expected
me communication issued from the
BRITISH Var Office to-rtght s2ys: "This
morning the enemy renewed his at.
Lacks IN great strength along practical.
me whole Of the battlefront. Ficrc,
hghting occurred in our battle posi.
Hons and Is still continuing.
ihe enemy made some progress al
certain points. At others his trooos
nave been thrown back by our counter
attacks" ''''i
communication dealing with air ac
tivity said:
THE mist over the whole from
Thursday morning cleared local,
.atcr but at most places the weathel
was unsuitable for low flying. The on
emy's attacking troops and reinforce
rnents on the battlefront offered or
cclisnt targets to the pilots of our low
flying machines, which poured man,
ihonsands OF rounds into them, caus
ing innumeYable casualties.
-"our bombing machines also at
tackled these targets, in addition e
bombing important railway station.
On the battlefront, over 100 bombs be
ing dropped.
"A great deal Of fighting occurre.
1t low attitudes. in which sixteen hos
tile machines we're downed and ii,
driven down out Of control. A h0stsl
balloon wss destroyed by one Of gu
oilotz. One Of the encmy's low-fyins
airplanes was shot down in or line
~ infantry. Three Of our machine
&ye missing