The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-19

being checked everywhere with large
casualties. Givenchy is again the
center of fierce struggles as it was
ten days ago, but the British there
are still as firm as formerly. 1t is an
important position in it's bearing on
the defenses of Bethune and Lens.
Berlin for the first time since the
northern operations began announces
in it's latest communication that the
situation is unchanged.
The French success on the Picardy
battlefield was gained on a three mile
front running from the north to the
southwest o. Moreuil. The apex of
a sharp pointed salient west of Castel
was within three miles of the railway
turning south from Amiens and was
the nearest the Germans had got to
Amiens in the offensive which began
more than, four weeks ago, the Ger
mans have been driven from Senecat
woods and the French have reached
the outskirts of Castel and progress
also was made south of Castel. Five
hundred prisoners, including fifteen
officers, were captured by the French.
French Pound Hard.
French artillery pounded the Ger
man positions in Picardy on front
of more than fifty miles from the
Scmme to, the Disc, in one of the
heaviest commandments ever laid down
by the allies. United Press dis
patch from Henry Wood Thursday
said this bombardment extended for
miles 70 the rear of the enemy posi-
lions.
Unable to determine from what
quarter the expected assault was COM
ing, the Germans were caught by sur
prise when the French suddenly swept
forward on a narrow front of scarcely
more than four miles along the Avro
between Themes and Mailly- Raineval
The enemy was pushed back and the
French established themselves in the
outskirts of Castel, mile and half
south of Themes. This is at the point
of the closest approach of the Ger
mans to Amiens, a distance of eight
miles and a half.
The fighting in Flanders Thursday
appeared to result from an effort by
Hindenburg to seize the strong defen-
sive positions along La Bassee canal,
near Givenchy. so he might establish
himself firmly here and protect his
left flank while he pushed westward
toward Hazebrouck. His attempt
completely failed.
British Retirement Small.
The British retirement east of
Ypres-the extent of which has been
vague-now seemed to have been ex-
planned by the German war office.
Berlin announced that the British have
been driven behind the Steenbeck-
This small stream flows into the st.
Jean river at the town of that name,
Va mile east of Bixschoote. Its course
extends in a comparatively straight
line between ST. Jean and st. Julien,
a. distance of about three miles and a
half in a line from northwest to south
east.
At st. Julien the Steenbeck is
formed by the junction of two
branches of the Haanebeck creek.
The western branch rises about mile
and half south of Zonnebeke and
flows northwestward to st. Julien.
The British probably have estab-
lished their new lines along the west
ern bank of the Steenbeck and the
Haanebeck This would bring them
to within three miles and a half of
Ypres on the east and five miles and
a half on the north.
The retirement is much smaller
therefore, than at first believed. The
average distance fallen back undoubt-
eddy was less than two miles.
Enemy Determined at KENNEL.
The attacks against the line in the
KENNEL sector, the repulse of which
was reported today, took place yester-
day morning. In minor enterprises
at various points during the night the
British captured a few prisoners and
some machine guns.
Six different German divisions it
has been determined, were engaged in
the unsuccessful attack in the Given
chy-St. Venant sector.
The enemy launched further attacks
last evening south of KENNEL. These
were broken up by the British artil-
lery and machine gun fire.