The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-04-26
After Three Weeks of Prepara-
tiOn Huns Begin Hammering
and Make Small Gains.
NO NOTABLE RETIREMENTS
Heavy Fighting All Along Brit
ish Front South of SOmme
and North OfYpres-AviatOrs
Make Observations.

After three weeks of preparation
in the Somme, during which time
they launched an offensive in Flan-
ders, the Germans have resumed
their hammering at the front door
of Amiens. For days there has been
heavy artillery firing along the
northern sectors of the Somme sa-
lient, and finally the German infan-
try began their attempts to advance
on the line passing Villers-Breton
neux, Hangard, Hailles and Castel.
The first attacks were repulsed, but
subsequent attacks, centered abou
Villers-Bretonneux, have caused a
British withdrawal from this village,
according to a report from Field
Marshal Haig. This marks a German
gain of about a mile.
Villers-BretonneuX is about IL
miles directly east of Ameins and is
on the northern end of the lates
fighting front. 1t is situated between
the Somme and Luce rivers, and
while it is fianked on the south by
low-lying ground, it is backed by
rolling hills to the west and north
west.
The fighting on the rest of the
front, where the Germans have re-
sumed their drive toward the allied
base of supplies in northern France,
has not, so far known, resulted in
any notable retirement on the part
Of the allies. The German official re-
port issued on Wednesday was silent
as to events in this sector of the
front.
An attack on this particular part
of the line in the Somme region had
been expected, and it is probable
that preparations to meet it had been
made. The British lines held firm in
this region during the last days of
the initial drive, while the Germans
were able to forge ahead further
south until they reached the village
of Castel, about three miles from the
railroad running to Paris from
ter offensive at Castel won back con-
siderable ground and it was evident
that unless the line further north
could be advanced materially the
Germans had little chance to make
important gains in their operations
to the south of Amiens.
This new drive has been made at
the same time that another blow has
been struck at the British and
French lines northwest of Ypres.
Savage fighting is reported at va
rious points along the line from
Bailleul to Merville and Berlin
claims that heights to the northeast
of Bailleul have been stormed. Coin
cident with these attacks, there have
been assaults in the British forces
near Bethune. along the Lave river,
but these have been repulsed.
Some OF the uncertainty as to the
success OF the British exploit in at
tempting to seal up the harbors OF
Zeebrugge and Ostend has been
'S'iou UP Wy opSeINdtlOHS carried
out by aviators. Grave damage was
done to the mole at Zeebrugge
while the hulks of sunken steamers
are said to at least partially block
the channel leading out to sea from
the port of Ostend.
On the front in France. with the
exception Of the Somme salient, |
there has been little fighting of an
unusual nature.
The situation between Germany
and Holland is still obscure. 1t has |
been reported that virtual ultima
tum was delivered to the Neither
lands government by Berlin, but this
is not as yet known to be a fact. Dis
patches from The Hague insist that
Holland will not depart from her at
titude OF neutrality. An unofficial
report says that the Dutch minister
has left for The Hague and that the
German minister has started for Ber-
lin.
Congress, which has been consid-
ering a declaration of a state of war
with Bulgaria and Turkey, probably
VIII not take any action in the face
OF opposition on the part of Presiden.