The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-24
Country Being Stripped of Last
Available Man.
Even MunitiOn Workers Being
Taken to Front.
ALLIES ARE MASTERS OF AIR
Tons of Bombs Being Dropped
on German Territory.
Heavy Infantry Fighting Waits
on Renewal of Drive.

I Washington, May 24.-As an indi-
Gation of the effort being made by
Germany to meet the strain on her
fnanpower, convict battalions are be-
ing formed, according to a dispatch
received by the state department to-
day, quoting a neutral newspaper.
8 Other drastic measures are being
taken according to the article. includ-
ing the stripping of munition factories
Of men and the substitution of women,
children and prisoners and the NOV
ing of troops from the garrison along
the Dutch frontier and from the Ru-
naanian front to the west. The latter
troops have been described as being
unfit for intensive action because of
the soft war of recent months on the
southern front
ssLondon, May 24.-Bombardment of
Various British sectors and continued
Fading operations were reported by
Field Marshal Haig today.
"Hostile artillery was active last
night west of Lens and in the neigh
korhood of Festuert." the statement
Ays THE Nieppe forest sector was
bombarded by gas shells. We took
few prisoners in a successful raid
southwest of Labassee and in a patrol
encounter north of the Ypres-Comines
@anal''
(By the Associated PreSS.
: With the American Army in France,
Thursday May 23.-"The day has
Seen quiet on all points occupied by
our troops" says the official statement
issued tonight from American head
quarters.
Z Heavy fighting operations on the
Western front still are in the stage of
anticipation. Continuation of the pres
ent calm much longer is hardly pos
sible with both sides prepared for a
renewal of extensive operations. The
Germans are known to have completed
their preparations and The allies are
confident in their ability to meet the
shock of enemy attacks wherever and
whenever they may come.
What really is going on behind the
German lines is uncertain, but it is
known the enemy has large numbers
of men along the front from Ypres to
Rheims. His artillery is in position
and weather conditions have been IA
vogable but the German leaders are
not ready yet to test their fate or at
least they have given no indication of
doing so.
The German morale is reported to
be much weaker than before the at
tack on March 81.
Allies Masters of Air.
Meanwhile the allies mastery of the
air is productive of much damage to
concentration and other military tar
gets. For lhore than a week now
British and French airmen have been
dropping ton after ton of bombs in
the area Immediately back of the Ger
man lines. In aerial fighting the Ger
man flyers have been bested and on
"wednesday British aviators accounted
Tor fifteen enemy machines while los
ing three of their own
RAIDS into Germany continue and
h0T h linz i.
VISITED Mannheim on the Rhine where
Two 1ireS were caused. An electric
power station near Saarbrucken. Ger
man Lorraine, was damaged severely
ana more explosives have been
dropped on railway stations at Metz
American Airmen There.
Berlin claims that three American
airplanes have been brought down on
The Lys battlefield This is the first
indication that American airmen were
front. ILLS
Infantry raiding operations and
artillery firing are at a noiniyoI,,
along the entire front from Switzer-
land to the North sea- Activity on
the American sectors has been below
normal
Italy begins her forth year of the
war To-Day. As in France, the enemy
withholds his offensive operations
heralded as certain some weeks ago
On the mountain front there has been
no lighting of moment, while along
the Piave the Italians have rennIsed
another Austro-Hungarian attack
against the new bridgehead at Capo
she.
3 Vienna, Thursday, May %, via Lon
don.-Reciprocal reconnoitering ac-
tivity yesterday again led to engage
ments at several points, says the Of
fetal statement on operations on the
Italian front issued from Austro-
Hungarian general headquarters to-
day.