Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-22
Kaiser's Greatest Blow
Fails-Berlin Claims
First Line Gain.

Berlin. March %. British
Admiralty, per Wireless Press.
The British first line has
been captured by German
troops attacking from the
southeast of Arras as lar as
Lafere, the war office an
nOunces.
Heavy artillery fighting con-
tinues in Belgium and French
Flanders. Reconn0itering de-
tachmentS are said to have
penetrated the opposing lines
at many points. 0stend was
bOmbarded from the sea.
British Army Headquarters in
France, March %, p. m.-(By
Associated Press 1.-The Ger
mans today continued their as
sault against the positions in
the Cambria sector, notably In
the region of CrOiselles and
HargicOurt. At least 40 divi-
siOns have been identified on the
battle front. No such cOncen-
tratiOn of artillery has been
seen since the war began.
On the southern battlefield a bitter
struggle was waged today. The
enemy had 1000 guns in one small
sector-one for every II yards.
Severe fighting was proceeding this
morning in St. Ledger, southwest of
Croiselles.
British Army Headquarters in
France, March %, (By the Asso-
ciated Press) The fighting is still
continuing, but the first stage of
the offensive has passed. The en-
,emy has failed badly in the execu-
'tion of his program as is attested
by captured documents showing
what he planned to do in the early
hours of his offensive.
Vigorous counter attacks la-e
yesterday restored some Y the po-
sitions which the British had aban-
doned temporarily.
The exact British line cannot be
made public at present. The only
reason is that it might furnish the
enemy with valuable information.
Last night was fairly quiet along
the front. This morning the Ger
mans were bombing in the region
of Croisello. There were intense
that they intended to continue their
attacks today.
The weather is cold and bleak.
A heavy mist makes air recon-
naisances impossible This is OF
advantage to the British as the en-
emy is deprived of greatly needed
aerial observation.
The Germans in many sections
yesterday attacked in three waves
of infantry, followed up by shock
troops. AS a result they suffered
very heavy casualties.
The heavily massed German ar
tillery has been badly hammered
by the British guns.
London, March 22.-The great
battle of the western front contin-
ued last night, the war office re-
ports. The British are holding the
enemy.
During the enemy's attack yes
terday his massed infantry offered
remarkable targets to our rifles.
machine guns and artillery, of
which full advantage was taken by
our troops. All the reports testify
10 the exceedingly heavy losses
suffered by the enemy.
No serious attack has yet de-
veloped this morning but heavy
fighting is still to be expected.
The statement follows:
Fighting continued until late
hour last night on the whole front
between the river Disc and the
river Sensee Our troops continue
to. hold the enemy in their battle
positions"
Kaiser at Front.
Emperor William, Field Marshal
Won Hindenburg and General Won
Ludendorff have gone to the west
ern front to witness the German at
tack says an Exchange Telegraph
dispatch from Copenhagen. Bull
garian and Austrian troops are
now on the western front. the dis
patch reports.
It is not yet possible to give more
than a very general and vague idea
of the fighting Thursday on the
front between the Disc and the
Sensee. which continues with
swaying fortunes according to the
account of the correspondents of
the British front in the morning
newspapers
After "Hindenburg Line
The German attack made on the
British front west and southwest
of Cambria evidently aims at re-
capturing all the Hindenburg line.
says a dispatch to the morning post
from British headquarters in
France. which adds:
The German army attacking
south of the Scarpe seems to have
delivered it's first blow principally
in the triangle of the Arras-Cam-
brai and Bapaume-Cambrai roads.
while the German army south OF
Cambria is striking against our
trench systems. in the region west
of the Schledt canal. No doubt the
enemy hopes that the attacking
forces of these two armies may
succeed in forming a junction and
thus cutting off considerable
slice of the British front and TAX
ing back all the Hindenburg
trenches lost exactly four months
ago"
StruRglaz for yillaaaa and ruin