Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-15

/, jectives along a wide front, never
theless the aim of the German higher
command to obtain a decisive strate-
gic success by these assaults has not
been attained.
THE turning point in the west is
being reached. The Germans have
scored a distinct advantage which it
would be unwise to endeavor to be-
little. Yet they have failed in their
great purpose to achieve victory in
the field and will soon be forced to
| resume their old tactics, seeking to
gain limited detectives, striking first
at one point then at another in or
der to render the allied position un-
| tenable and give themselves greater
security"
Enemy Seeks Weakest Point
| The review of operations follows:
| AS time passes it becomes evident
that the enemy is striking with re-
newed vigor at the weakest point he
can find opposite him.
I'm the offensive in Picardy the
| Germans sought for a rift in the line
where the French and British forces
| joined. Failing to achieve any definite
| far-reaching results from this opera
tion they promptly returned to the
assault elsewhere hoping to roll the
| British towards the sea and effect a
break through.
This is the operation attempted
| this week in the region of the famous
battle ground of the early days of
the war in front of Lille. The British
were compelled to give ground after
| the Portuguese positions had been
broken through and have since retir-
I ed, abandoning Armentieres and
other points. The front of attack has
| since been further extended and the
British have been forced to abandon
positions to the north and south of
the Lys and west of the Lave.
THE enemy has made headway
along the La Bassee canal to within
the immediate vicinity of Bethune,
while other points northwest of the
city of considerable tactical import
| ance have fallen into the hands of
the enemy.
THE enemy now finds himself
within forty miles of Calais. The
main lines of communication to
| channel ports radiate vertically from
this battlefront and thus facilitate the
| German advance.
Hopes to Annihilatc
''If the enemy can muster the driv-
ing power he will in all probability
continue his assaults, hoping that by
an enveloping attack on an oblique
| front he may score a complete ami
hilation victory.
There has been less activity along
! the southern flank of the Picardy
! salient. Here the line taken over by
| the French now is fully consolidated.
The Germans by stubborn and
costly driven thrusts were able to
force the French out of the trian-
gular area formed by the Disc, the
Aillette and the old line stretching
| from La Fere to AniZy lie Chateau.
The French were able to check the
enemy's onslaught, and carry out
their carefully arranged plan for the
occupation of the line which they
now hold south of the Ailette.
THE German higher command
also made desperate attempts to en-
| large its gains in the area stretching
| from Montdidier to Noyon, but they
were everywhere repulsed by the
| French.
British Take Prisoners
North of the Somme the British
re-established their line in the Ave-
luy woods and took a number OF
prisoners.
Later in the week very heavy
bombardments developed in the re-
| gion east of Noyon and north OF
Montdidier.
"In the sectors where our own
forces are fighting considerable ac-
tivity prevailed. Northwest of Toul
our artillery was able to disperse the
assaulting columns. Our own infan-
try counterattacked and drove off
the remnants of the enemy units. A
number of prisoners were taken. Our
casualties were relatively slight.
THE enemy also executed a minor
raid against one of our outposts In
the Woevre. Hostile artillery has
been active throughout the week
both in the Woevre and along our
| positions in the Meuse hills and in
the Vosges.
Lively ShcIIing on Italian Front
Lively shelling took place along
the whole Italian front and the allies
executed number of minor raids in
the Asiago region.
THE regrouping of forces has been
| going on and the continuation of con-
centration of hostile units is re-
ported"
THE probability of an enemy Of
fensive in this area as soon as the
weather becomes more favorable, is
| increasing.
while no events bearing directly
on the general military situation took
place in the east, 1t is to be noted
| that German and Finnish forces
have occupied and passed beyond
| Tammerfors and hostile units are
moving northward with the object OF
cutting the Russian railway through
Finland to Sweden.
In Siberia the situation remains
obscure. The Japanese landing at
Vladivostok has been followed by the