Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-22
Berlin Admits Defeat.

Berlin. inits official statement. describe
the action engthIlv Admission a made
that the fighting Ua- severe and Z -
claimed hat lS3 Americans including
five officers and - machine guns wcre
captured Heavy losses d Is said wcrc
inflicted By the Germans hat the effort
failed of its purpose s indicated by he
announcement that the attacker- returned
10 their pnu positions under cover ~
night Berlin makes uo mention a French
troops having been engaged ~ thi@ region
Haig Strengthening Line
While awaiting the nezt' GerInan blow
now mouentarilv expected Field Marshal
Haig IS taking advantage IF thc "omDara-
,ivc lull 10 strengthen his lines p various
spots
both north and south of the ~omme and
on the i.ys battlefront the British dcien-
-ive positions were improved n oral
operations last night similarly hc Ger
mans made an attempt to push forward
their lines in the Nles-Ines region north 81
Albert in which sector they are urepar-
/ ing for some important movement ne
British offered q sharp defence, however
and foiled the enemy effort. HeaTr arfii-
erv fire Is IN progress on 50 many parts ~
he front that little indication Il afforded
by this as 10 the point selected bv the
Germans for their renewed thrust
Naturally they may be expected to
make further efforts I'd extricate them
selves from the pocket into which they
have forced themselves along the Lrs.
southwest of Paris Thus. last nlgnl { he
enemy was reported shelling the Rrittsh
positions in Nieppe wood. whence lies the
route 10 Hazebrouck. he railway center
from which il IS veil nigh vital for the
British 70 hold him
BeIgians Expect Another Attack.
There has been no new development
in the region north OF ApreS where the
Begians stopped turning movement
last week preventing the British Iron
being danked out of the pres positions.
The nature Of the ground and the dis
position of the opposing forces, however
make it seem possible that a repetition
IS TO be looked for.
The Somme front j. Tor the uoueut
even more closely watched ana along
the Franco-Belgian border 10 the north.
tIeld Marshal Hang reports heavy shell
ing oi the British positions on both sides
OF the Sommc and the Ancre and he
correspondents send word of German
preparations for a movement oi some
nature between Arras and AmIenS, Rtfn
which the region under bombardment Is
located
Allies Hampering Germans Sey yerely.
The enemy is known 10 have brought I'D
some Of the heaviest guns 10 the >omme
battlefield where AmIenS IS his objective,
but the Entente artillery i matching
these ana hamperlng the Germans Sc
verely in their preparations for attack.
Last night the French repulsed German
rad along the Avre. ia this region
On the Pcardy ana Flanders battle
fields the Germans have not resumed their
attacks and apparently are waiting Tor hc
high command 10 decide where 20 >,r.Ae
next while fresh troops and new supplies
are being brought forward
French Reinforce British.
Meanwhile French reinforcementS are
/ pouring in behind the British hines French
troops are now with Field Marshal Hang
men on both the northern and southern
legs OF the salient south of pres Near
Robecq, ON the southern leg. the British
have driven the Germans from some ad-
vanced positions I'm this area where
strong German attacks were rcpulsed
sangunarilv last week the enemy artillery
is most active.
Artillery duels continue violent along
most Of he Picardv front where the Ger
mans arc using guns Of the biggest cali
ores
Offensive Failed Of Purpose.
To-day the German offensive begins &,
second month without having separate,
the British and French and with the BRIT
ish army still intact Where the next blow
viii fall IS uncertain. hat tho AlheS ar,
prepared 10 meet It as they have met Tho
others Ii IS probable the Germans ar,
not willing 70 end the Flanders attacl
without making another effort 80 drive il
the northern leg and get behind Npres.
Enemy activity south Of Arras also ha
been noticed