Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-05-17


.sn I'D French there out of some of
- firSt-line trenches. But later in
'ne night the British counter-attacked
and regained all that had been lost.
Two Hun divisions carried u this at
tack and they suffered heavy casual
ties. On Thursday morning the enemy
made a new attack on the Flanders
front north of KENNEL and slightly
bent the British line. At the same time
troops from Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick made a great raid on the
German outpost line at Neuville-Vitas-
sc, southeast of Arras, taking prison
ers and guns and inflicting many cas-
ualties.
Most of the American troops that
have been moved into the battle re-
gion appear to be placed along the line
between Montdidier and Noyon, and
they are giving a good account of them
selves there, as are also those hold
ing the Toul sector. There have been
no heavy operations in either sector
recently, but the artillery in both is
always active and the American gun
ners have proved their excellence. They
are now using their heavy artillery
northwest of Toul after several weeks
of preparation. The American casual
ty lists, still relatively small, are In
creasing daily.
There is no indication that the Ger
man high command viii abandon its
plan of smashing the British army and
forcing a breach between it and the
French. Ludendorff is increasing his
resources in every way possible and
Austria and Bulgaria have been called
on to supply troops for garrison duty
in order that the Germans may be sent
to the front. limitations such as have
appeared in some German papers that
the attempt, to reach Paris will be
abandoned mean nothing. No doubt
there will be repeated great offensives
throughout the summer, and the allies
are preparing to resist them to the ut
most, their intention being to main
tain their lines unbroken until Amer
ica's men are there in sufficient num-
bers to enable General Foch to do more
than resist. 1t is admitted that with
out our army the allies could not gain,
a military decision over the Germans
under existing conditions. How long
the German people will stand for the
slaughter of their men is another ques-
ton. From captured mail and the more
outspoken Of their newspapers it is evil
dent they are becoming sickened by
the awful bloodshed, but they prob
ably will continue submissive so long
as they think there is a chance of a
final victory.
-n-
The movement of Americans to
France continues with increasing
swiftness and it Is the avowed In
tention of the wal department to have
not less than 100000 men there by
the end of May. The administration
and the congressional leaders, except
ing such men as Kitchin, now view the
situation comprehensively and agree
that no limit should be put on the size
of our army, as 1t is likely as many as
100000 men will have to be placed
under arms within three years. A total
of about four millions will be available
Immediately, and Provost Marshal
Crowder and others believe it will be
necessary to increase the draft age
limit to forty years within a year. In
deed, many details have been worked
out with this increase in view. Glasses
2, 3 and 4 of the draft are being care
fully combed out to eliminate slackers
and many anne will thus be added
t.. class l..
IA
Austrian reports tell of the presence
of American troops on the italian
front, though this had not been IN
nounced by Washington. The expected
offensive on that front has not yet ma
~terialized, but 1t is believed it will not
be much longer delayed, because of
the critical state of affairs In Emperor
Carl's realm. Hunger and discomfort
are increasing so greatly that troops
have been concentrated In the most
disaffected parts of the empire. Also
there have been serious disturbances
in the Austro-Hungarian feet, the
crews of which are largely Slavs and
men Of italian origin.
IA
Roumania has submitted to what
seemed the inevitable and signed q
peace treaty with the central powers.
OF course she loses much and gains
nothing. The instrument provides that
most of the Dobrudja be coded to Bull
garia and other Roumanian territory
70 Austria and Hungary; the central