The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-05-10
HUNS ARE DEFEATED
IN YPRES FIGHTING
EFFORTS OF GERMANS NOW BE.
ING DIRECTED AT SOUTH
ERN SIDE OF ANGLE.
EXTEND FOcHs AUTHORITY
lnter-aIied War Council Places Him in
Charge of Italian Front.-British
Admiralty Announces Channel
at Zeebrugge Blocked.
(War Review for May ~

w dT heNltW lOl va. II
Having met with reverse in their
operations on the northern side of the
Flanders salient, where the French and
British have stood shoulder to shoulder
In defense of Ypres and the high
ground which forms bulwark in front
of the channel ports, the Germans have,
as indicated by the most recent re-
ports, turned to the southern side of
the angle in the allied lines in northern
France On Thursday night and Fri
day the German artillery had seeming
ly centered its fire on the line be
tween Givenchy and the Nieppe forest,
and it may be that the enemy soon
will launch an attack against this vital
sector of the British line.
Dispatches from the British head
quarters tell of tremendous cannon
ade in the Lys region, which may
be taken to mean that part of the
Flanders battlefield at or near Mer-
vile, where the Germans made their
greatest advance after the fall of Ar
mentieres.
Articles appearing in Germans news
papers would seem TO indicate efforts
to prepare the German people for an
announcement that there will be no
immediate attempt TO take Ypres.
Experts, writing what may be con-
sidered inspired reviews of the situa-
ton, say that nothing would be gained
by the capture of the ruined city. This
may mean that the Germans will turn
their attention to some other part of
the front for new effort, and the
bombardment of the lines near Mer-
vile and further east may be the first
step in an attempt either to bore
straight through the allied armies, or
cut through toward the south and force
a British retirement from the Arras-
Lens salient So far as known. no in
fantry fighting has occurred in this
sector in the last day.
While waiting for sthe Germans to
make the next move, the allies have
not been idle. All along the line their
patrols have been active and at Han
gard and Villers BretOnneux, before
Amiens, they have taken tactical pc.
sitions from the feutonS. One of these
positions was Hill 81. north of Castel,
height which afforded good obserya-
ton of the allied communication lines
Zeebrugge Channel Blocked.
; The British admiralty has found
that the channel of Zeebrugge, -
which old British cruisers recently
were sunk during the naval raid on the
German submarine bases on the Bel
gian coast, is still blocked and will
probably remain so for considerable
time in spite of the efforts of the Teu-
tons to dredge new channel around
the obstacles formed by the wreck of
the warships.
Teuts Dominate Russia.
German troops operating in Ukraine
have advanced into the Donetz coal
region, in the eastern part of the gov
eminent of Kharkov The presence
of Germans as far east as this would
seem to indicate that Teutonic DOM
ination of southern Russia and the
Black sea is almost complete.
Extend Foch's Authority.
The authority of General Foch, who
was recently designated commander
in-chief of the allied armies in France
has been extended TO include the
forces ON the Italian front, as result
of the meeting of the inter-allied war
council at Abbeyyille