The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-14
Diplomats Spar For Peace As
GREAT ARMIES IN WEST PREPARE
FOrtheGredteStBattleofW War
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUMMARY OF WAR

important developments have
grown out of the bu French raid in
the Champagne region yesterday
Primarily il has been revealed in
this connection that American artiI-
lerymen are in action on the Cham
psane front. The French official
statement Of today, in reporting
further on this raid, first mentioned
in last nights communication noted
the presence of American batteries
and announced that they had given
very effective support" to the raid
ers.
1t had not been previously known
to the public that American troops
were stationed at any point along
the line other than in the French
Lorraine sector they are holding
an indeterminate stretch east of St.
Mihiel. The assumption is that the
American artilIerymen mentioned
are part of the numbers undergoing
instruction by the French before
taking up the task of supporting
their own infantry.
The Butte du MesniI, near which
the raid was carried out, lies in the
area in which the great French Of
Fsnsive of 1915 took place. II is
some two miles northeast of the
town of LemesniI-L HurIus and
sIiahtIy less than that distance
southeast Of Tahurs-a place fire.
quentIy mentioned in the official
statements.
Tahure is named in today's Of
fetal Berlin report which comedies
a French success in the raid near
that place admitting that a footing
was secured by Pstain's troops in =
salient Of the German positions.
Uneasiness over the Russian situa.
tion in German and Austrian official
circles is indicated in reports in the
German press. The central powers
are said 70 be uncertain concerning
the future attitude of Foreign Minis
ter Trotzky and the BolsheVik gov
ernnent, and one Berlin newspaper
Gays that the announcement that the
Russian army had. been ordered
demobilized was a "sham nnaneuver".
German leaders are said to have
held conferences as TO the best course
to pursue. One report is TO the ef-
feet that military operations against
the Bolshsviki might be resumed but
both Berlin and Vienna appear to be
anxious over the probable fate Of the
many thousands of Austro- German
prisoners In Russian hands.
Circulation of the message order
Ina the rehabilitation of the Russian
army, the German papers say, was
halted three hours after the order
was sent out. Concerning the situa-
tion in Petrograd there have been no
day. Dispatches last Thursday re-
ported rioting in Petrosrad in which
120 persons were killed.
In France there has been q slight
increase in the fighting activity. On
the British front Canadian troops
have carried out two successful raids
and in the Ypres sector, the Germans
failed in an attempt TO hold two
British posts they had taken. In
French troops penetrated
to the third German line south OF
Butte MesniI on q front of about 200
yards. Shelters and dsfsnses were
destroyed and 100 prisoners captured.
On the American front in France
there has been no activity Of conse-
quenee. The Germans are reported
to be working assiduousIy building
new defsnsss and bringing fresh
troops TO the western front. The
Press correspondent at
French army headquarters says the
Germans now have 1875 divisions,
DrODApI1 Gy5TUyDIU men, OF EVE EFUHA
between the North sea and the Swiss
border.
Nineteen British, four italian and
two French merchantmen are report
ed sunk by submarines or mines in
the current statement of shipping
losses.
Disclosure Of British production in
1917 shows that the tonnage sunk last
year by submarines was three times
az great az that built in the United
States and Great Britain. The COM
oined total of production is slightly
more than 100000 tons, while sink
ings by submarines have been esti-
mated at 10000 tons. Greatly in
creased production is expected In
1918.
The British house of commons late
yesterday by large majority defeat
ID an amendment offered by a radi-
cal member which regretted that war
the energies OF the gov
srnmenE The government ministers
had declared that passage Of the
resolution would cause the resipna-
ton of the Lloyd George cabinet.
In the debate In the house, Lord
Robert Cecil, minister of block
lde, said that the British govern
nent was giving attention 10 a league
of nations and that he had prepared
a scheme for II.