The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-04-20
Germans Divert Their Attack to
Flanders, Again Failing to
Break Through.
BLOODY FIGHT At GIvENCHY
Kaiser Seeks TO AnnihiIate British
Army-Amerlcan Now in Great
Battle-Premler Lloyd George
Proposes CONSUMPTION for
ireland.
BY EDWARD w. PICkARD.
"They shall not pass"

"They shall not pass"
Not CLOSING over the increasing
seriousness Of the German offensive
on the west front, not making vain
boasts, but with unfaltering courage
and logged determination, all the
allies, French, British Americans and
Portuguese, ia France aud Belgium
have adopted the VeFdun slogan and
refuse to let The Huns break through
their Hne Weary and battered,
dronched with gas and explosive shell.
pushed hack here and there by power
ful attacks Of uIQssed infantry, greatly
outnumbered all along the line, they
cling as long as possible to every de-
fensive position and exact a terrible
price for every yard Of terrain they
give up.
Failing to push his way through to
Amiens, the kaiser last week turned
his attention to Flanders, and after
three days of intensive bombardment
attacked the British on % mile front
of which Armentieres was the center.
In the three days Of fierce infantry
fighting that followed the Huns showed
back the British and Portuguese line
some five miles between Armentieres
and Givenchy, and three miles at the
north Of the former city. On Thursday
the British retired from Armentieres,
| which Is Of little Importance as a STRAIT
| egic point and Is now but heap of
| ruins They also had abandoned sew
eral villages but still dominated the
battlefield from Messines ridge on the
north and Givenchy on the south. The
latter place was the scene Of the blood
lest fighting, being taken and retaken
several times. The British were out.
numbered there more than four to one
but defended 1t splendidly and retain
ed possession Of the town, which is
situated on high ground. The losses OF
the Germans here as well as elsewhere
were very heavy, and considerable
number Of them were captured.
Though the immediate object of the
Germans in this sector apparently Ii
to take Bethune, an important center
Of British operations, and then by 8
wheeling movement push on to the Eng
fish channel, their greater purpose, &C
cording to prisoners and captured doc
uments, Is nothing less than to annihi
late the British army. 1t is expected
that the kaiser will direct his full
strength to the accomplishment Of this
aim and that the battle In Flanders
will be considerably extended to the
north and continued with desperation
Ia
On the southern front of the Ger
man salient the French, at the begin
ming of the week, withdrew to the ives
bank of the Aiyette river In the Coucy
region, thereby rectifying their lines
and leaving to the Germans the marsh
es of the Oise. Since then the enem!
have been greatly harrassed by thu
French outposts and have been unable
TO carry on any operations In thu
swampy ground. A little further t.
the west Chauny has been the centel
of furious struggles but up to the tint
of writing the French had repulset
every attack, and were in possession
Of the town and the nearby cemetery
For the present, at least, Amien'
seems to be safe for, though the artii
lery activity in that sector has beer
continuous and violent, infantry oper
ations almost ceased during the week
-
As has been said, the allies 90 no
seek to minimize the menace In tn
successes the Huns have gained, Du
their commanders are as confident a.
| ever that the kaiser cannot accomphsi
his aims. and the men In the rank