The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-03-19
GET In VITATION
TO WITNESS Big
GERMAN DRIVE ON
WESTERN FRONT
Neutral Correspondents
Will Leave for the
Scene Wednesday
HEAVY ARTILLERY
DUEL AT VERDUN
Germans Expelled From
Positions Occupied By
Them in Belgium
(Rv AnnncIatnd prnrnn


London, March 19.-The heads OF the
German army have invited A number
! of neutral correspondents to be pres
| ent at the German offensive on the
| western front, the Exchange Tele-
! graph correspondent at Copenhagen
/ reports. The correspondents, IL IL
| stated. will leave for the front on
| Wednesday.
Paris. Monday. March 1s.-Heavy
artillery fighting is in progress on the
Verdun front. SAYS tonight's com
muniCation. on the Belgian front
there were severe struggles before
the Germans were expelled from
positions in which they had gained a
footing.
Washington. March 19.-Germany
is charged in ofiicia / dispatches
reaching here today from France
with having attempted 10 force
Sweden to become a participant in
the Brest- -Ldtovsk conferences for a
settlement Of questions affecting the
Baltic.
Failing with her diplomacy. the
dispatch says, Germany resorted TO
force in occupying the Aland islands,
landing her troops under the prctext
Of acting on request from the
Firms.
With the American Army in
France, Monday. March is.-tBy The
Associated Press. 1T lis now per-
missible TO announce that American
artillery in the Luneville sector has
located and blow up a battery OF
mine throWers. one Of which a few
DAYS ago obtained a direct hit on q
dugout in which were a number OF
American soldiers, most Of them OF
Irish descent.
The battery has been causing
great deal Of trouble for several dayR.
and the Americans were determined
TO put IL out OF action. 1t was locat-
cd after considerable trouble and the
artillery concentrated high explosives
on It,
A patrol Of "a men. half Americans
and half French last night went into
the German lines from an isolated
portion Of the sector. II completed
its mission Of reconnaissance. bring
ing back the desired information The
patrol had a short skirmish, but OBJ
tatned no prisoners.
Yesterday-St. PatriCks day
Irishmen Of a certain regiment. Fery-
ing in the Luneville sector. held ain
appropriate celebration. The men
had entertained hopes that something
would develop which would enable
them to lay low or capture some Ger
mans by way Of celebration, but
nothing out Of tho ordinary Happened
Last year on st. Patrick's day these
men held their celebration in ---,
and yesterday the remark most fire.
quently heard was something like
this: We'll, this day last year I was
stro!ling down --- -. Now I am
strOlling down the narrow way OF
duckboards. in the mud"
Yesterday extraordinary artillery
activity developed in the Chemin-
des- Danes sector. where some troops
from New England are in training.
The enemy began a gas bombardment
late Saturday night and continued Il
until yesterday. A vigorous reply
was made by both American and
French batteries. which gave the Ger
mans about four times as much as
they sent over Massachusetts, troAps
bore the brunt OF a portion Of the
Six thousand shells
were fired yesterday from the sector
in which the Americans are station
ed. a large proportion OF them being
gas shells.