, 1918-04-25
British Army, Now Supported by
French Troops, Still Holds
Back the Germans.
DRAWS BACK EAST OF YPRES
Huns Fight Furlously to Capture the
Messines Ridge and Bethune-secre-
tary Baker Returns to Speed
Americas Men Across-Schwab
Heads Shipbuiidino.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

q L.
At the end of another week of the
most sanguinary battle the world has
ever known, the British army was still
undestrOycd, its lines still unbroken.
Overwhelmingly outnumbered in Elan
ders. Halg's men were forced to give
up some important positions, and east
of Ypres they withdrew from the bulg-
Ing PasSchendaele salient before the
enemy observed the movement, and
straightcned and shortened their de-
fenslve line so that 1t was much
stronger and more secure. Meanwhile
French re-enforcements arrived to as
sist the British, the commanders hav-
ing decided that the Flanders offensive
was not merely a diversion. To the
south, on the Somme and the Aisne,
the French had been stoutly repulsing
every attack, and 1t was predicted
that the time was near when General
FOch, the allied commander in chief,
might be expected to start his counter
offensive. Though they were still
bringing fresh divisions into the bat
tie, 1t was figured the Germans must
be approaching the point Of exhaus-
ton, when a return blow would be
most effective. Indeed, II did not
seem this blow could be much longer
delayed, for the British, though their
spirit md courage were undiminished,
were sustaining continuous attacks by
an enemy which was immensely superb
or in numbers and was under leaders
whose disregard for life was utterly
reckless.
AT the beginning of the week the
Germans, finding they could not make
much progress toward Bethune, at
the south part of their salient, because
Of the stubborn resistance of the Brit
lsh at Givenchy, Festubert and LOGON,
turned to the north and undertook to
HANK ipres by driving the British
from the Bailleul-Neuve Eglise, Wul-
vershem-H ollebeke line. For two
days the attacks of. the Huns were
beaten back with fearful slaughter,
nut then Field Marshal Haig was COM
PEELED to give ground and retired from
part Of the famous Messines ridge, at
the same time drawing his lines nearer
10 lpreS. There was still higher
ground at his rear, however, and his
generals and men displayed a cheerful
optimism that co~ntrasted with the de-
preston caused in England and, to n
considerable extent, in America by
what looked like serious reverses.
MOI for n minute did the men who are
polhs The fighting admit that they
were beaten or could be beaten by any
iorces H~indenburg could bring against
mem, and though the Hun, when he
"ad taken Bailleul, was within "a
miles Of Dunkirk. they still had no idea
VI permitting him to force his way to
the c0ast.
IN the effort to reach the La Bassee
'ahal and take Hazebrouck, the enemy,
ai'ef intense artillery preparation, at
.aeked along the front from Meteren
u hobecq, but was repulsed at almost
every point and sustained heavy
loSses' The allied artillery was espe-
,uIS effective here and east of Be
,'uhe n the Germans found 1t al
most Impossible to bring up their
transport trains.
Oh Thursday the enemy resumed
mS attacks in the Bethune region,
"Io"ing a number of light bridges
qo'"Ss La Bassee canal near LOGON.
'neSe We're swept away by the British
%N"efy and machine,gun fire and
- numbers of Germans were killed.
nsNIh and again the Germans re-
,sE the attack, using more than
-'ooo fresh troops on the 12-mile
m"n' "etween st. Venant and Given
GS nut each time they were thrown
usA with appalling losses. French
""tuhlly and batteries co-operated
with Haig's forces.
ID
save for certain engineer units, the
""eTlcan troops had not vet been en-