The daily banner., 1918-04-13
BRITISH MAKE
|DESPERATESTAND
French Rush to Aid Of Hdig's
Weary Soldiers.
BOTH FLANKS STILL HOLU
Huns Push Wedge Deeper Into De-
fenses in Flanders Battle and Con-
fIct Becomes a Crucial Test.


derS, says:
Three weeks ago the enemy began
his terrific attacks against us on
tfifty-mile front. His objects are TO
Iseparate US from the French, TO take
the channel ports and to destroy the
British army.
in spite of throwing, already, 1O6
divisions into the battle and enduring
! the most reckless sacrifice OF human
life, he has yet made little progress
toward his goals.
"We owe this to the determined
fighting and Self-sacritice of our
troops Words fail me to express the
Admiration which l feel for the >pIen
did resistance offered by all ranks of
our army under the most trying cir
cumStanceS.
MANY amongst us now are tired.
To those | would say that victory
will belong To the side which holds
out the longest The French army
is moving rapidly and in great force
to our support. There is no other
course open to us but to fight it out
Every position must be held to the
Hast man. There must be n ret re-
ment With our backs to the wall and
believing in the justice of our cause,
each one of us must fight 10 the end.
The safety of our homes and the free
dom of mankind depend alike upon
the conduct of each one of us at this
critical moment
Continued advances by the Germans
in the center of the Flanders battle
line We're announced 10y lI,. war of
flee.
The statement admits the loss of
Merville, town eight miles north of
Bethune and eleven miles west south
west of ArmcntiereS. Further north
the British retired to Neuve EgliSe,
which is five miles northwest of Ar
mentieres and eight miles southwest
of Ypres The statement follows:
"Se~er and continuous fighting
took place i'll the neighborhood of
Merville and Neuf Berquin, in both of
which localities the enemy is continu
ing his pressure and has made prog
ress. Merville was captured by the
enemy during the night.
Attacks made by the enemy In the
neighborhood of Piogsteert succeeded,
after heavy fighting, in pressing our
troops back to the neighborhOOd of
Neuve Eglise, to new positions.
ION the remainder of the northern
battlefront the situation is SubStan-
tally unchanged. A part of our posi-
tions into which the enemy forced his
way north of FeStubert was regained
by d counter 5rrrack. 6iI tiife tfUht be-
tween Loisne and the Lave river and
| to the north hostile attacks have been
repulsed Fighting is continuing on
the front north of La BaSsee canal as
| far us Hollebeke.
South of Arras strong local attacks
were made by the enemy against our
| positions in the neighborhOod of Neu-
ville-Nitassee and were repulsed in
each case.
| "Further north the enemy succeed
ed after prolonged fighting in enter
! ing one of our posts near TillOy-le-
| Motfiaines, but he at once was driven
out and the post re-establiShed.
The hostile artillery has shown in
| creased activity astride the river
| SOmue.'
The London evening newspapers in
reviewing the situation on the west
ern front state that in the WytSchaete
region The Germans failed to get the
main crest of the ridge. The Ger
mans have taken the village of Messi-
nes. while the British are holding the
outskirts
Attacks on Wytschaete and the
Messines ridge failed, the Germans
losing very heavily in their attack.
AT least seventeen divisions are en-
gagged on the German side on the front
from HoIlebeke to Givenchy, the re-
| views declare, that being the number
it is estimated have been thrown into
the fighting up to the present.
This would mean that the Germans
put more than 2OO,e0) in action so
far on this comparatively narrow
front OF twenty-five miles or more, or
some 5000 men to every mile of 'front.'
age
ne ItNltNtIS pblll but tilS
Germans, checked in their advance to-
ward BethuHe have turned westward
with the idea of developing a success
in the direction of Bailleul, which is
an important railway center, and
| HaZebrouCk. about fourteen miles
west of Armentieres. They point out
| that the enemy is now within a short
distance of Bailleuil and that his ad
vance in the dirtctiOn of HaZebrOuck
| has taken him rather more than half
way there from his iriginal starting
point.
The enemys flank in the direction
| of Bethune and the remaining coal
area of northern France is compara-
lively broad one, making it appear
| that he may intend. if checked west
| ward. To renew his pressure south
ward on he other hand. it is point
| ed out that TIE enemy is advancing
| over il fiat, inriCate country and has
not Vet obtained Il foothold on any of
| the hills.
South of ArmentiereS, according to
the evening papers. the enemy, hav-
ing forced Il crossing over the Lave
and LyS rivers, has developed an at
tack which may be dangerous. He is
pushing generally westward. The cap.
ture of Merville represents an ad-
vance of about seven miles over fiat
country and under normal conditions
would not be serious, but to the north
the British are holding Il Compara-
lively narrow strip between their
front and the coast, which contains
very important railway functions, etc.
Therefore, an advance of seven miles
there is much more serious than twice
that distance further south.
The evening papers declare that the
British army has again reached Il
definite crisis and tine present situa-
tion is undoubtedly unpleasant.