Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-03
TERRIBLE MACHINE
OF WAR HAS SPENT
ITSELF, IS BELIEF
Military Authorities Salts.
fed Turn in Tide Is
Now at Hand.
DEADLY SLAUGHTER HAS
DEPLETED FIGHTING LINES
Captured Prisoners Tell of Some
Divisions Losing 70
Per Cent.
MOVE TO WAR on HUN AlL1Es
Resolution Declaring Against Tur.
key and Bulgaria Offered in
United States Senate.

"''h 'nc passing OF tho thirteenth
DAY of tho new battle OF tho somme
there came increasing evidence that
the great German machine with which
II was intended to crush the allied line
has almost utterly spent itself
Where previously the Germans had
thrown men into the fray. not counting
ihe prodiEious wastaEe in killed or
wounded. Tuesday saw them decline
anywhere to give battle. On the con-
{ 'rar!-. IN what little fighting occurred.
, the French troops took the initiative.
Thus 1t seems apparent. with the re-
serve forces OF the entente virtually
intact, and with the added weight Cen
eral Pcrshtns's troops will give them.
the turn i'll the tide of the battle is at
hand.
While admittedly both the French
ana British armies have suffered rather
severe casualties as they stood val-
antly TO thelr task OF impeding the
Germans and making them pay an un-
heard-of price for every foot of ground
gained, their reserves have been con-
served with the utmost care behind the
lines for the fateful time when the
whitening force OF the allied guns and
machine guns should have so biishtcd
equality in strength 10 the lighting
forces. And all along the British
French commanders have not left out
side their calculations that stanch band
OF Americans. exceeding 100000 men,
who arc fully trained and equipped and
anxious to lend their aid in the task
OF defeating the Germans.
Daily the German losses in men killed
tails are obtained from the Germans
made prisoner. Some divisions lost rs
high as 20 per cent of their electives
as they charged in mass formation
against the British and French machine
sunncrs and ritiemen. Companies with
drew from the lighting with their COM
bative strength reduced to forty men.
ONLY MINOR OPERATIONS
MARK DAYS FIGHTING
The latest accounts of the lighting
from the various war chancclories
show no new important change in tbs
battle front. Only minor operations
took place On that portion OF tho front
south of Arras held by tho British,
and little aside from artillery duels
occurred between tho French and this
Germans on the lower end of tho line.
The lighting between the big guns WAS
particularly heavy between Montdid!er
and Noyon. where the battle line bends
eastward and which is danger spot
OF great Importance TO the Germans,
the breaking through OF which by the
French would ncccssitate a rapid
wthdra wal OF tho Germans eastward
from the hm!cns sector.
Although the Germans have been
lombard ing British positions in Bel
Sium, particularly at Passchendacle
and along the GoeberS Ridge north-
east OF Iprcs there is no indication
as yet that an infantry attack is con-
tcmpiated. In addition to a continua-
ton OF their bombardment OF Paris
with lonsrange gun. the Germans
again have endeavored TO drop bombs
on the French capital from airplanes.
Two sGuadrons OF aircraft early Tues
day morning attempted to reach Paris.
but tho French barrase held them off.
BAD WEATHER DELAYS
OPERATIONS IN ITxLY
Bad weather again is hnderinS
operations in the Italian thcater, but
nevertheless there has been consider
able patrol activity in the mountain
region and artillery duels of soma
NiuSiCC oFcT inc WnOlS front frCn
Lake Garda TO the Adriatic Sea. At
several points in the mountains Austro-
German troops endeavored to gain ad-
vantases over the Italians, but were
successfully driven back.
In Palestine the British forces which
penetrated Turkish territory northeast
OF Jericho have successfully carried
out their objective in cutting tho He'd
JAZZ railway and have now begun, to
retire toward Es-Salt. A large num-
Der OF prisoners and guns, machine
guns and other war stores have been
taken BY the British.
Armenian and Georgian inhabitants
OF the three Caucasus districts turned
over 10 Turkey in accordance with tho
recent peace treaty between Russia and
the central powers have formed an
army TO defend themselves against tho
Turks who have begun the military
occupation OF Batum. Kars and Arda-
ham.
Preliminary steps were taken Iata
Tuesday, afthrn0o1 nv tNS Tyn4fAd 80