The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-04-18
BIG GERMAN DRIVE
COMES TO A STOP
Thirteenth Day of Battle lndi-
Gates Great Fighting Ma
chine Has Spent Itself.
KAISER PAYS FEARFUL TOLL
British and French Troops Now Take
Initiative in What Little Fight
ing Takes Place.

passing Of the thirteenth day OF the
new battle OF the Somme there came
increasing evidence that the great
German machine with which it was
Intended 10 crush the Allied line has
almost utterly spent itself.
Where previously the Germans had
thrown men into the fray, not count
ing the prodigious Eastage in killed
or wounded, Tuesday saw them de-
cline anywhere 10 give battle. On
the contrary in what little fighting
occurred, the British and French
troops took the initiative
Turn in Tide at Hand.
Thus it seems apt, with the reserve
forces of the Entente virtually intact
and with the added weight General
Pershing's troops VIII give them, that
the turn in the tide Of the battle is
at hand.
While admittedly both the French
and British armies have suffered rath-
CT severe casualties as they stood val
iantly 10 their task OF impeding the
Germans and making them pay an IN
heard Of price for every foot Of ground
gained, their reserves have been con-
served with the utmost care behind
the lines for the fateful time when the
whitening fire of the Allied guns and
machine guns should have so blighted
the German hordes as to bring more
equality of strength to the fighting
forces
American Aid Appreciated.
And, all along the British and French
commanders have not left outside
their calculations the stanch hands Of
Americans, exceeding 100000 men,
who are fully trained and equipped
and anxious to lend their aid in the
task Of defeating the Germans.
Daily the German losses in men
killed or wounded continued TO aug
ment as details are obtained from the
Germans made prisoner Some divis-
ions lost as high as 20 per cent OF
their electives, as they charged in
mass formation against the British
and French machine gunners and
rif1emen- Companies withdrew from
the fighting with their combstiEe
strength reduced TO forty men
Still Hold Germans in Check.
London, April 2-The day has
passed comparatively quiet" says the
quarters In France tonight Local at
tacks undertaken by small bodies OF
the enemy this morning in the neigh
borhood or Albert were repulsed with
the loss of the greater part Of their
number. We secured a few prison
ers''
Enemy Massinq Troops.
Great masses Of enemy troops con-
tinue to concentrate in the region OF
Albert, according to the Reuter- CORE
spondelt at British headquarters.
Fighting Is in progress toward Yillers-
/ Bretonneux, TO the north Of Hangsrd.
Up to o'clock in the afternoon,
| says the correspondent, no further in
| fantry attacks OF Importance were re-
ported against the British front, al
though the enemy artillery was very
active and ArTas was being heavily
| shelled
Delay in the resumption OF the
grand operations is supremeIy impor-
tant," adds the correspondent, giving
Us the opportunity continually to
strengthen the weaker spots in our
dispositions. The weather was fine
| and clear all day, and our airmen add
| ed another glorious page to their in
| comparable story"
The German Losses, 275,o00
Washington, April "A French Of
fetal estimate OF the German losses
in the great battle on the western
front received here puts their total
casualties at between 275, 900 and 3o0.-
0eo men The Germans are sending
most Of their wounded to Belgium, it
! is declared, to conceal from the Ger
man people their heavy sacrifices.
It has been possible TO identify, the
| dispatch says. nearly one hundred
! German divisions, more than ten OF
which were engaged twice Some OF
the divisions, II is declared, had 70 Be
relieved at the end Of the first day
! after losing more than half their men
There are at present something Ike
| forty divisions in the battle zone north
Of the river, and about thirty-seTen.
engaged IN the struggle further south
Ten Of these have been used against
the British and the rest against The
| French allies.