The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-04-03
fierce FIGHTING
AROUND PICARDY
Teutons Probably Have Had Time to
Reorganize Divisions and Bring Up
Supplies and Big Guns
AMIENS STILL OBJECTIVE
Artillery Fire Reported from Several
SectOrs-French Raid Success
fully at Rheims and
Verdun

Picardy, bitter fighting has been re
sumed along the western sector of the
salient in the lines Of the Entente
Allies. Attacks by the Germans
against the British and French forces
are admitted to have yielded some
gains to the invaders in critical Sec
tors just to the east of the city of
Amiens.
The fighting according to latest re-
ports, has been heaviest in the neigh
borhood of Hamel, where the British
were forced back slightly and the
triangle formed by the rivers Luce
and Avre, farther to the south, where
the French were forced to give ground.
Nothing is known as to the details
OF the battles in these sectors, but the
fact that the Germans have been in Il
degree successful wou:J seem to in
dicate that they have succeeded in
bringing up some Of their heavier
cannon and new divisions with which
to continue their attempts to capture
Amiens.
Rains Help Allies
Reports from the French and Brit
ish fronts have mentioned heavy rains,
which would mean tnat the Germans
have been working under severe
handicap in bringing up guns, am
munition and supplies to the front.
The battlefield was leIt in a devas-
tated condition. The lull in the bat
tie for the last few days probably
was caused by the inability of the
Teutons to move their heavy supply
trains over these roads, together with
the necessity of reorganizing the shat
tered divisions which bore the brunt
OF the fighting after they had passed
tn1I nf
guns.
The British since retaking Ayette,
south of Arras, have not resumed their
offensive operations so far as reported
by London, but the German official
statement says that four attacks by
the Entente forces against the heights
southwest of Moreuil were repulsed
with heavy losses. There are no re-
ports of fighting except outpost en-
counters.
No Big Attack Indicated
There have been heavy artillery
bombardmcnts Of British positions on
the Menin road and at Pasachendaele,
east and northeast of Ypres, accord
ing to London. AS yet, however, there
is nothing to foreshadow an effort by
the Germans to attack there. Con-
fronting them are we'll fortified lines
and high ground held by the British.
On the French front before Rheimes
and Verdun successful raiding opera
tlons have been carried out by the
French. The French report very heavy
artillery engagements north of Mont
ldldlor, sector which has witnessed
savage fighting.
Nothing has been reported from the
Italian front, and it is not likely that
an attack has been launched there by
the Austrians, who have gathered an
enormous army for a possible drive
southward into the plains of Northern
Italy.
Armenians Retake EZarum
Driven to take measures for their
defense, the Armenians have organ
lied an army and have recaptured
EZarum from the Turks, as we'll as
other points in the neighborhood of
that city.
The landing of German troops in
Finland is apparently going forward
reports stating that 10000 men have
arrived at Hango, a fortified port on
the extreme western tip of the Fin
nish peninsula.
There has so far been no official
reply to the. peace kite sent up by
Count Czerning, the Austro- Hungari-
an foreign minister. Newspaper com
ment, which may be considered as
showing the trend of opinion in En-
tente Allied chancellories, is unani-
nous in rejecting the idea of peace
under the conditions and it is prob
able that they forecast the replies
which will be enunciatcd by govern
ment spokcsmen in Allied countries.