The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-02-05
AMERICANS IN
THETRENCHES
DEFEAT PLANS
OF GERMANS
Plans to Raid American
Trenches Frustrated and
Heavy Casualties Are In
flicted on Germans.
VENICE IS BOMBARDED

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. Monday. Feb. 4.-(By th4
Associated Press.)-German plans I'd
raid the American trenches were frus
trated early this morning. Tho Amer
ican arttllerymen put down a heavy
barrage in front Of and on the German
lines. which are said to have been fin
ed with men and officers awaiting the
signal to attack
It was discovered at a certain hour
that the Germans intended to carry out
q silent" raid. Fifteen minutes befora
the time set all the American guns
concentrated their fro where, accord.
ing to the information. the enemy was
massed. It is believed heavy casual
ties were inflicted on the Germans
There has been q general increase In
the artillery activity for the last day
or SO. all along the American front.
The Germans are still unable to occupy
the first line trenches which wera
caved in by the American artillery fire.
They have now constructed another
line of trenches at that point.
inspect German Trenches.
American patrols have worked their
way over No-Man's Land and inspected
the damaged trenches as well as they
could.
The Germans are using gas shells
freely and endeavored to envelop one
Of our battery positions with gas but
NIT AA-
number Of shells in the roads behind
the American lines.
Two men were reported wounded to.
day by shells. The visibility remains
bad.
American troops are holding q SEQ.
tor OF the westarn front northwest Of
Toul.
The length Of tho American sector
and the number of men In the front
line cannot be disclosed for military
reasons. Northwest Of Toul. the bat
tie line runs almost due east and west
from st. Mihiel toward the German
border. From st. Mihiel to Alsace
the terrain is billy. with forests here
and there.
Strike Situation Not Clean
Meagre information concerning the
strike situation in Germany does not
make clear whether the workmen re-
turned to their tasks Monday, as their
leaders had advised after threats Of
force had been issued by the military
authorities. Wilhelm Dittman, an in-
dependent socialist deputy in the
Reichstag, has been sentenced to con-
finement In fortress for five years
by courtmartia1 by which he was
tried on charges growing out Of the
strike movement.
Conferences in Berlin between
statesmen and military leaders Of the
central powers are reported to con-
cern the food question and the prob
able attitude toward Russia and the
Ukraine. German political circles
feel, report says. that the return to
Berlin Of Foreign Ministers Won
Kuehlmann and Czernin forecasts the
breaking Of the negotiations at Brest-
Litovsk
Active fighting between the Ru-
manians and the Bolshevih has be-
gun. Two Russian divisions were cap
tured by the Rumanians, who also
have gone to the aid of the authorities
of Bessarabia against the Bolsheviki.
Heavy fighting is in progress in Bes-
sarabia between the Russians and the
There has been no change from the
daily routine Of raids and artillery
duels In France and Italy. Entente
aviators again have bombed the Ger
man submarine base at Zeebrugge.
Bombs also were dropped in the har-
Dor of Bruges.
Venice, Padua, Treviso and Mestre
have been bombarded by Austro-Ger-
man airplanes. There was no loss Of
life or property damage in Venice,
but the other cities suffered casual
ties and property loss. Italian
planes have bombed the enemy rear
lines and railway traffic.