The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-04-13
THEY REPULSE ATTACKS
OF ENEMY WITH LOSS
Haig's Troops Battling Like Lions---
"There Must Be No Retirement, Every
Position Must Be Held to Last Man"
Says Field Marshal---Huns Make
Slight Gains---French Troops on
March to Aid Hard Pressed Britons.

London, April 12The supreme crisis of the is at
hand the Flanders battlefield
Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig in an inspiring armv
order drove this truth home his troops today urging them
stand to the last until help the way reaches the
front.
With backs to the wall believing in the Justice
our cause each of fight end There must
no retirement Every position be held the
This message from Haig himself to the troops Of
Great Britain today With grave franness the peo
pie at home informed officially late today that Britan
and the hangs in the balance the Flanders
battlefield.
definite crisis has again reached and the situation
undoubtedly is not pleasant Major General F. Maurice
spokesman OF the office declared The enemy short
distance from Bael which is important railway CENTER
Upon the prompt arrival of strong French which,
Ha told his troops his order of the day rapidly ap
preaching the field battle depends the immediate fate of the
British front from Arras Ypre omnously shaken by the
flung German saen north and south the Lys and
ultimate fate of the British army from Amiens the
Halg troops are battling like lions taking terrible toll
of blood from the foe for every yard they yield they are
overwhelmingly ounumbered and their vital points of
support either enveoped in danger of being ouanked
Among the latter if the famous Wytschaete ridge At last &C
counts the British still firmly planted this bloody range
after it had changed hands again and again
But late today the situation turned grave as the Germans
were pushing on both to the north and south Hole
beke and Hill CO. with the whole Ypres area are similarly
menaced
Immediate renfocements are needed as sorelv as in M
previous battle of this The French on the march and
until they arrived Hag hold what it may Hin
denourg once again racing against time hurting his div
sions into the fray with reckless progay unprecedented
even in his career of boodwaste
by an allied avators bomb but only slightly wounded
Whether this true only hrewd play redoubled sv
pathy and support for his final drive the fury of the Ten
ton onslaughts has not skened but contrary Is still
growing.
The days results officially made known so far are that
the great German wedge between Bassee and Yprs has
been pushed F AN
l. In the center, from Steenwreck to Mervle-wh;ch
has been captured-seven and one half miles
On the right from Ploegsteert Neuve Eglise three
and one-haf miles. ~
3. On the left from Lestrem to Merville-converrinu
with the sweep souhwesward from Steenwrec and
half miles
At Neuve Egse the Germans four miles in the
southwest of Wytschaete which is the of the white
sheet ridge, and eight miles beyond Ypres
AT Merve they stand eleven miles to the southwest Of
Armentieres and eight miles northwest of Bethune
This vital rail head Behune their chief objective In
the south With in their possession they hope turn the en-
tire British Arra Vmy ridge front and subsequently swoou
down upon Amiens from the northeast
The loss of Merve admitted officially by Hag in his dv
communque brings the of the German center peril
ousy close to the British chief line of communication feeding
the whole northern wing resting the for scarce ep
miles the north of Merve lies Hazebrouck on the Lille
Omer Calais rail
Throughout the German operations from the very begin
ming of the Amiens battle the Teuton eastward ambitions
have been and accenuated by the directions his various
drives taken Via Amiens he coast
Abbeve by way of Bethune he aims Boulogne in the
north beyond Baeu he ured by the coveted channel ports
of Dunkrk and Calais.
April 12-There foes efforts to push