Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-23
ALLIES EXPECT HUNS
/. To STRIKE IN SOMME
AVID FLANDERS LINE
Germans Evidently Intend to
Inaugurate Another DeSper-
ate Movement Against Rail-
road Center of AmienS

NEW YORK, April 2O-t Summary of
European Cables to the Associated
Press Renewal of heavy lighting is
momentarily looked for along the West
ern battle front, not only on the Elan
ders line. but to the south, in the Somma
area. where the Germans made their DID
for a quick victory last month. and
failed in the larger purpose of dividing
the British and French armies at
single stroke
Reports from the front show that
signs are not wanting that the Germans
purpose attacking again in the Amiens
area where this important railway CEN
ter. the capture which would badly dis
rupt Entente allied communications, )
their main objective.
Against this blow the armies of SIX
nations are standing together today IN
the battle 'area-Rritish, French, Amer;-
can, Belgian, Italian and Portuguese d.
viSions-ready not only to repel the in
evitable attack, but to strike back when
the proper moment comes in the judg-
ment of their unified high command.
Apparently, the allies have thrown 10
only enough of their reserves to hold
the Germans, conserving their strength
as far as possible 1t has been noted,
however, that when the necessity of
holding became imperative to avert dis
aster, the holding power was there 10
stop the enemy Onrush.
In the north the enemy. after his
bitter reverse of Thursday and Friday
along the .Givenchy-St. Venant Lie
south of the Lys, apparently is appear
ing to originate more thorough attacks
upon Mont KENNEL the dominating
peak in the ridge zone which the Brit
ish are holding firmly southwest of
Ypres.
The Germans were constrained to
maintain infantry inactivity along vir-
tualIy the entire Lys front Saturday
after suffering the terrific losses which
the British imposed in breaking up the
massed enemy assaults
Haig Takes Offensive
Field Marshal Haig, however, found
himself able 70 take tn aggressive Fri
day night and carry out an operation
which deprived the Germans of even
such small gains as they had been
forced to content themselves with when
Thursdays battle was over. BY this
intensive British action the line as it
stood before Thursdays German at
tack was completely restored. The
Germans made a local thrust south
east of Robecq. near the westerly tip
of the Lys salient. but were speedily
driven back by the British into Pecaut
wood, whence they came
some new move by the enemy in the
Arras region, and Friday night British
attachments advanced in a big raiding
operation on a front of nearly a mile
south of the Scarpe. near Beaurains
taking prisoners and capturing machine
guns.
A rear attack here would be a logi-
cal proceeding of the Germans. it would
appear, after their failure to gain
IF
salient with the bending back of the
British line south of La Bassee canal
as one of their presumed objects. Such
result would have tended to uncover
Vimy ridge from the north and render
this cornerstone of the British defen-
sive structure in northern France pos
sibly more vulnerable.
French Improve Positions
1t may we'll be that the enemy is
preparing a stroke to the south of the
coveted object with a similar end in
view on that side. His initial attempt
astride the Scarpe in the March drive
was a costly failure, however, and the
British line has been standing like a
rock all the way between Vimy and AL
bert, just to the north of the Somme.
The French apparently are looking
for renewal of the German offensive
south of the Somme at no distant date,
on General Petains part to improve
his defensive positions along the Avre.
southeast of Amiens. The French gain
ed the easterly slope of the heights
overlooking the river by this move and
on Friday night they had the best of
accommodating encounter in this sector
repelling a raid and taking some pris-
oners themselves.
The play of the heavy artillery is
continuing along the southerly reaches
of the battle line, between Lassigny
and Noyon, near the French right flank,
but no infantry fighting of moment has
yet developed there
From Hardin, Manchuria, comes a re-
port that the Bolsheviki authorities
have ordered ammunition and supplies
that have accumulated at Vladivostok
to be shipped to European Russia. The
entente allies have long been concerned
lest these valuable materials of war
fall into the hands of the Germans
Japanese and British marines were re-
Gently landed at Vladivostok, and now
1T is unofficially reported that increased
anti-Japanese demonstrations there
have made it necessary to arrange for
the sending of reinforcements.
IL n