The Robesonian., 1918-03-25

Furious bombardment of the Brit n
ish front in France over distance of
so miles, marked the beginning of the
great spring drive of the Germans, y
and for the last days the fighting r
has been the most desperate of the &
war. The kaisers infantry was re- I
| ported to have penetrated Gen. Haig's 6
position at Lagnicourt and Louveral,
on the Bapaume- Cambria road, at
Gauche wood and ST. Quentin. (;
| Victory in the battle which has been ]
raging near Monchy, Cambria, St.
| Quentin and Lefere is claimed by the
! Germans. The British third and
fourth armies and parts of Franco
American reserves are declared in the
statement from Berlin to have been
beaten with the heaviest losses on the
line from Bapaume to Bouchavesnes
and behind the Somme between Pc
rome and Ham, as we'll as at Chauny.
A Washington dispatch states that
! no confirmation has been received
q there of German reports that Ameri- |
! can troops have participated in the
:. = fight on the British front.
- This mornings Associated Press
- summary gives the following:
- British Withdrawal Planned.
is The withdrawal Of the British forces
" along the battle front in France was
s, long ago planned in the event of the
De Germans attacking in great force. This
IS announcement comes from the British
" front through the Associated Press
correspondent, who describes the oper-
lie alton of the British army as master
u ly withdrawal, made possible by gal
cho hn
It. who checked the advance of the Ger
re mans, while artillery, machine gun
an and rifle fire worked appalling slauga-
ng ter among the masses of German in
fantry as they were sent forward
ril thus enabling the main body of the
lb- British to fall back deliberately ant
without confusion.
Main Army Conserved.
This army, it is declared, has beel
conserved and up to the present Yer.
,H5 few counter attacks have been mad
IN = against the Germans. Where ne Brit
ish have stormed the Germans newt,
ACQUIRED positions they have GrIse
ron them back. But each mile of advaEc
makes the bringing up of supplies t
e-l the German artillery and infantr
more and more difficult, and lnques
ter tionably the British strategy, as cen
M, onstrated since the beginning Ct tn
nv great attack, is to let the enemy, s
Irs. far as he may, wear himself /, OIL
against a powerful defense.
Both British and French force
where their lines meet south OF 5
Quentin, are watching events with q
:, timistic eyes.
ms, Sanguinary Struggle Goes On.
exc On the battle line in France II
oss, sanguinary struggle still is going 0
!une with the British troops on most ot Il
ldey sectors apparently holding their ow
TO but with the Germans at salient pom
urS- still pressing forward.
ad- The town Of Chauny, southeast
mem St. Quentin, situated on the road
told Go,,p;oono tho gateway to Paris, h
rad been occupied by the Germans and
Ohe cording to the Berlin official comm
nications, everywhere between =
way Somme and the Disc rivers the Ut
~ mans are pressing their advantage.
dren Battle All Day Sunday.
late Throughout Sunday along the ent
VI IS 5O-nile battle front the fighting ley
2 on ceased for a moment, and where FIJI
visit NIas.Lo1 ua;n,s mon were unable
ding withstand the terrific onslaughts
livered by greatly superior torc
neip ground was given, but always IN
gn1ts g1s, derly fashion.
apply More Than Million Germans.
1906 It now has been definitely asc
tanned that considerably more thai
million Germans have been brought
lted. the western front in an endeavor
nro- crush the British army holding
r. plE ~ line from the region Of Arras to
- Iros 60 south of St. Quentin, but it daily
Fl ~; 10 comes increasingly evident that
! ,,n enemy in his drive has met with
lson's pos1tlon noC :oui.eu u +ha Lp f,,1I his oh
which aDle u leaiiAo W
tives.
. Germans Claim Peronne and Ha1
up& atp,&c In addition to Chauny, the Germ
1o;ua5 s;ua are claiming the capture OF both
aanIu ssann+ rome and Ham, and to have 1ncr'
: stsa. b,as ed the number of prisoners taker
snn Sus more than 10000, in addition to
'ooo o11ns and large stores of war ma
rome ials.
les or IL - elo: ,d Eronch reoim
ly the tnat AnerleGm e,,n hro,,nht col nm to reinf
.ena,,, the British have been defeated Du
aoliom lo.a further information other than
MI MI mere statement has been vouchsa1
uil.ei ~ Little Left to Burn.
les g In their retirement, according
LII M Berlin. the British are burning tt
:, :. III and villages behind them. !hls S
y LII ~, ment. however, seemingly. is car
estii' of being received with reserve, as
Germans themselves IN their tai
- "strategic' retirement lett
per do standing in the territory they
uated, even denuding the countr