The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-09
FRANCE ROCKING

iHtIVV6 IOVNbtvO
CONTINUED from Page One.s
the head of their wedge along the
Somme, and it is believed they again
will attempt to do it by attacks in the
Bucquoy area.
Below Mont Didier, the German
line bends. Here. also. the French
have held the Germans for nearly ten
days, despite severe attacks. To ex-
tend the battle front on the south, the
attacking front probably would in
clude the line eastward from Mont
Didier to Noyon.
Along the Ancre, Somme, Luce and
Avre rivers, where the Germans made
strong and fruitless attacks during
the past ten days, there has been no
infantry fighting. AS elsewhere, how
ever the enemy artillery fire has in
creased greatly.
InfIict Heavy Losses.
southern leg Of the salient The Ger
mans have been checked somewhat
in their advance southwark from
Chauny.
The French still hold a part of the
lower forest of Coucy and on Monday
the French rear guards inflicted heavy
losses on the Germans whose advance
was hindered greatly by the French
resistance. The enemy has not yet
reached the line of the Ailette river
there has been little activity.
On the American sectors, northwest
of Toul and in Lorraine, there have
been patrol actions and artillery firing
Artillery exchanges continued on
the Italian front but the bomb bard
ment is not violent. British troops
who have been stationed along the
Piave near Montello, have taken over
a sector on the Italian mountain front
in the region of the Asiago.
Violent Fighting.
Paris, April 9.-Violent artillery
various points north of Montdidier,
and also between Montdidier and
Noyon, it is announced officially No
| infantry action developed
French advanced troops south OF the
Disc river withdrew to prepared po-
sitions southwest of the lower forest
of Coucy and south of Coucy-Le-Cha-
teau.
| (By the Associated Press.)
! The Germans have encountered I'M
| favorable weather for the big attack
they apparently were contemplating
| against TIE British front and no in
| fantry action had developed when the
reports were dispatched from head
! quarters this forenoon. Neither was
there any movement of the infantry
alons the French front, probably for
the same reason.
The violent artillery battle, how
ever, is being continued in many sec
, tors on both fronts, notably in the
case of the British along the line of
approximately fifteen miles from La
| BaSsee canal to above ArmentiereS
| Just to the north of the present battle
area. 1t was reported yesterday to
be under a heavy bombardment. with
| German gas shells, and the enemy has
continued his pounding of the area
presumably with high explosives as
well.
Piece of Strategy.
The British line on this front has
not moved since the summer of 1915
and there has been little important
fight along it this period, the Ypres
and Arras battles of last year leaving
| it untouched on either the north or
| the south.
Altho the Germans may be contem-
plating an attack here with the object
of disiocatine the northern sector of
| the British line IL possible the proba-
bilities seem that the bombardment is
more of a demonstration than any
thing else. with the object of distract
ing British attention and conceivably
! drawing reserves from behind the
, more important front to the south.
| In the Somme region the Germans
are heavily Smelling the British line di-
rectly east of Amiens on the seven
mile front north from Viller-Breton-
neux to Mericourt Liable
French Inflict Losses.
The principal artillery battles in the
French area were around the Mont
Didfer salient and eastward to Noyon.
These struggles of the big guns We're
carried over from yesterday when the
| increased activity began to develop.
The French apparently are COM
| pleting their withdrawal south of the
Disc to the west of Layon where they
have made their line for strategic rea-
sons conform in general to the Ailette
| river valley, linking it up with the old
line southeast of Coucy-Le-Chateau.
The Germans who advanced as the
French opera tions was in prog