The Elbert County tribune., 1918-03-22
VERDUN CENTER
OF FIERCE RAIDS
FRENCH PENETRATE STRONG
GERMAN DEFENsEs IN SERIES
OF THRUSTS.
DROP TONS OF BOMBS
GERMAN DEFENSEs SHATTERED
AT cHEPPY WOOD AND
AROUND MALANcouRT.

AROUND MALANCOURT.
London.-Two hundred and fifty
five flights into Germany have been
carried out By British ayiators, and
only ten machines have been lost,
James Ian MACPHERSON. parliamentary
secretary of the war office, announced
in answer to a question in the House
OF Commons regarding the results OF
recent air raids into German terri
tory.
On the French Front in France,
March 20.-The center of interest dur
ing the last few days has passed from
the Champagne to the vicinity of Yer
dun, where both the French and the
Germans have broken into marked
activity.
In the Verdun region the corre-
spondent watched the execution OF
two trench raids on a large scale car
ried out by the French on Saturday
evening and at dawn on Sunday. the
results of which exceeded all expecta
tions. Within twelve hours the French
systems of German trenches in both
Cheppy wood and Malancourt wood to
depth at some points of more than
quarter of mile,
They destroyed all the enemy
works, his blockhouse and shelters,
which had taken the Germans years
to construct. They brought back two
groups of prisoners, each comprising
eighty men, while the French them
selves suffered only the slightest
losses.
Washington.-Germa is charged
in official dispatches reaching here
from France with having attempted to
force Sweden to become participant
in the Brest-Livotsk conferences for
settlement of questions affecting
the Baltic. Failing with her diplom-
acy, the dispatch says, Germany re-
sorted to force in occupying the Aland
islands, landing her troops under the
pretext of acting on a request from
the Firms.
Washington.-The key to the 1918
riddle of the western battle front is
in the hands of the Supreme War
Council at Versailles. Decision as to
the time and place of major offensives
by the allies rests with that body. Il
directly controls, also, officials here
believe, a new weapon forged during
the winter with which to make effec-
tive its plan of grand strategy The
weapon is believed to lie in pooling
of the army reserves of all the allies
armies. permitting overwhelming con-
centrations TT selected points of At
tack.
American observers now are con-
vinced that the German high COM
mand plans defensive campaign. and
that the long-talked-of drive on Paris
or the channel ports has been aban-
doned. The initiative, according to
this view, rests with the allied and
American forces.
Paris, Marcn 19.-Attacks by Ger
man storm troops in the regions of
Nieuport, Dixmude and Merckem
gained a footing at some points, but
all were expelled by counter attacks.
AS the allied world has day after
day read the official reports from the /
allied and Teuton war offices in the
hope that some inkling of the real sit
uation would present itself. the realiz-
alton has come home that the Ameri-
cans. French. British, Belgian and Por-
tuguese troops are maintaining their
control over the front running from
the North sea to Switzerland.
Artillery fire, at some point growing
in intensity. is reported but the allies
have held their own and their raiding
parties are everywhere busy in the en-
emy's trenches.
The long expected and confidently
awaited German drive has not mater
ialized and the allies threaten to start
an offensive of their own at various
points against the Teutonic legions.
Paris, March 1S.-Actiye artillery
fighting on the Verdun front and in
the Woevre is reported in the official
communication. The text of the state
ment reads: There was intermittent
activity by the artillery on the right
bank of the Meuse (verdun front) and
in the Woevre. A German raid in the
sector Of Flirey was repulsed. Ger
man raid in Lorraine was repulsed.
and large number of bombs have
been dropped by French aviators.
A British all squadron bombed
zweibrucken says the British official
report on aviation The report says:
Twelve hostile machines were
brought down and seven others were
driven down out of control. None of
our machines is missing"
The British casualties renorted for