The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-22
Haig's Latest Report Says
enemy Failed Badly"
British Counter Spiritedly,- Re-
gaining Some Positions.
HARD FIGHT AHEAD, HOWEVER
London Admits Initial Smash
Bent Back Front Line.
Berlin Reports Front Line Cap
tured, Arras to LaFere.

The first stage of the great German
offensive on the western front mas
passed and it is to be scored as Ger
man failure. the enemy having fallen
short of realizing his aims in the first
great smash. according to dispatches
from British headquarters today.
After attacking all day yesterday
and until a late hour last night the
Germans let down in their smashing
operation along fifty miles of the Brit
isb front and had not resumed their
heavy assaults at the latest advices
from Sir Douglas Haig. Further hard
fighting was ahead, however, the field
marshal predicted. This enemy was
still being held in the British battle
positions he reported, Whlch means
that the British line is still intact al
~ 77nittedly it had been bent back
u at points under the terrific Teu-
to'-ic assault The battle lines have
not moved in only one direction, now
ever the British having struck back
spiritedIy at the German masses ara
regained some of the positions whlch
they had temporarily abandoned.
Infantry HaIts-ISig Guns Roar On
While the infantry is being held
temporarily in check the artillery bat
tie is still raging, according to indica-
tions in the news dispatches. Great
numbers of Austrian cannon are de-
clared to have been transferred to the
western front to reinforce the German
artillery Bulgarians. too, have been
brought into the field by the German
command. it is declared. the under
standing being that they are to be
used as a strategic reserve.
Altogether the indications are that
the central powers have massed all
possible forces at their disposal on the
west front for their present drive.
The prospects seem. however, that
they will need every man of them if
they keep up their attack long with
a. hing like its initial force, as all
TIL reports indicate that the German
losses have been terrific under the
withering fire of the British artillery
and machine guns. The German ar
tillery too has suffered heavily thru
counter battery work by the British
who found the massed guns fine tar
gets for effective destructive work.
First Stage of Drive Past.
British Army Headquarters in
France, March 22.-The fighting is
still continuing, but the first stage of
the offensive has passed. The enemy
has failed badly in the execution of
his program as is attested by cap
tured documents showing what he
planned to do in the early hours of his
offensive.
Capture First Line,' Says Berlin.
Berlin, March % British Admiralty
per Wireless) The British first line
has been captured by German troops
attacking from the southeast Of Ar
ras, as far as La Fere, the war office
announces.
Heavy artillery fighting continues
in Belgium and French Flanders. Re
connoitering detachments are said tC
have penetrated the opposing lines al
many points. Ostend was bombarded
from the sea-
London, March GIVE hold the
enemy in our battle positions, Field
Marshal Haig announced today.
Battle positions are the defenses
directly behind the first line trenches.
Haig's statement would indicate that
the German penetration has been
limited.
The statement follows:
Fighting continued until late
hour last night on the whole front be-
tweeI. the River Oise and the River
SenSee. Our troops continue to hold
the enemy in their battle positions
During the enemyS attacks yes
terday his massed infantry offered re-
markable targets to our rifle. ma
chine guns and artillery, of which full
advantage was taken by our troops
All the reports testify to the exceed
inSly heavy losses suffered by the
enemy.
NO serious attack has yet devel-
oped this morning but heavy fight
ing is still to be expected"
British soldiers have met and with
stood the most stupendous attack
Germany has hurled against the west
ern front in three and one-half years
OF warfare On a front of more thar
fifty miles the armed hosts of democ-
racy are at grips with the forces o1
Prussianism and what may be the
decisive struggle in the great war i:
raging in northern France.
Germans Into Jaws of Death.
In their first onslaught the enemy
after gigantic bombardment from
great masses of guns passed the Brit
lSh oUtposts at some points and at
Continued or Page Two.)