The Robesonian., 1918-04-11
VOL: XXI
TROOPS NOW
IN BRITISH LINE IN FRANCE
New Offensive of Germans is Being
Carried Out With Great Despera-
tion-Germans Have Not Been Able
To Break ThrOugh-Decrease in
Shipping Losses.

American troops are now reinforc-
ing the British line in France, along
the greater portion of which the Ger
mans are keeping up their strong at
tacks with hordes of men and great
concentration of artillery in assaults,
that now apparently have their objec-
tive in the penetrating of the battle
front in Northern France and Bel
GUM. 1t was a happy lot of men
that swung into the sector chosen for
them, and they were greeted with
great enthusiasm.
From the south of Ypres in Belgium
to the region of the La Bassee canal
in France, the new offensive of the
Germans is being carried out with
great desperation with thousands Of
men, under cover of unprecedented
bombardments OF the Allied rear lines,
endeavoring to pierce the bravely de-
Tended fronts held by British ard
Portuguese and now also at some un-
named point by Americans.
On several sectors Oh the new 20
miles battle line, few deep salients
have been driven by the enemy, but
in the process the Germans nowhere
have been able to break through, the
line merely bending back unier the
great pressure. Particularly deep are
wedges northwest of Armentieres and
northwest of La Bassee-salients
which seem to make certain the evac-
uation by the British of Armentieres
and to threaten seriously the impor-
tant railroad junction of Bethune.
British positions southwest Of Ar
mentieres along the five-mile front
between the Ploegsteert wood and the
Wytschaete- Messines ridge have been
pressed back by the Germans. Fast
of La Bassee, Givenchy hill, the key
to Bethune, has been tenaciously held
by the British and the town of Given
chy re-taken, while to the north in
the region Of Ypres the enemy's at
tacks against the high ground about
the Messines ridge everywhere have
been decisively repulsed. The British
in recapturing Givenchy made nearly
a thousand German prisoners.
The latest German official state
ment asserts that between Armel,tier-
es and Estaires the Germans have
crossed the Lys river and chat north
of Armentieres the British lines or
both sides of Waste -Warneton have
oners and 100 guns are claimed to
have been taken by the Germans II
the fighting between Armentieres anc
La Bassee canal.
The famous Vimy ridge, won veal
ago by the Canadians is receiving {
prodigious visitation of shells from
German batteries.
While the battle in the north ha:
been in progress the fighting soutl
of the Somme where the British art
aligned against the Germans has beel
rather subdued. Not so, however, "
the sectors where the French ant
Germans are disputing the occupanc!
of the terrain. Furious assault
and counter assaults have been go
ing on around Chauny, the villag
changing hands many times. At las
accounts the French not alone held tn
village, but also the nearby cemetery
The German submarine menace evi
IDENTIFY is growing less each week. Ac
cording to the British Admiralty
statement, the sinking of British ner
chantmen last week by mine or sub
marine consisted of four of more tha
1900 tons. The total of the previou
week was six merchantmen of tn
larger category and seven under tina
tonnage.
Only two French nlerchantne
were sent to the bottom during tn
week ending April 6.