The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1918-04-18
BRITISH STUBBORNLY
HOLD BACK GERMANS
ATTACKS ON FRONT

| London, Eng, April 1.-THE Brit
lsh have recaptured Meteren on the
northern battle front by counter at
tack, is announced officially. The Brit
iSh positions before Ypres have been
withdrawn to "a new line.
(Thls was made necessary by the
fact that the Germans had captured
both Bailleul and Wytschaete and now
dominate most of the Messine ridge.
thus threatening the British line in
the Ipres region.)
The British made Il successful coun-
ter attack in the neighborhood of Wy
tschaete. Repeated German attacks
north of Bailleul were repulsed, the
Germans suffering heavy losses.
South of Arras the Germans were
driven out of British trenches into
which they had forced their way.
Early this morning the German artil-
lcry became more active south of the
Somme.
The statement follows.
1eSterday evening we delivered a
successful counter attack in the vicn-
ity of Wytschaete. At Meteren also
our counter attack restored the stu
alton and the village remains in our
hands. Throughout the afternoon and
evening yesterday, repeated hostile at
tacks north of Bailluel were repulsed
With loss to the enemy. Bodies of the
German infantry advancing in close
formation were caught under the fire
of our troops at short range and suf-
fered heavy casualties. We secured n
few prisoners.
"The enemy also endeavored to de-
velop an attack yesterday afternoon
east of Robecq, following the bonn
bardment already reported, but his ad-
vance was broken up by our artillery
fire.
in consequence of the progress
made by the enemy on the Lys front
our troops holding our forward posi-
tions east of Ypres have been with
drawn to a new line. The withdrawal
was carried out deliberately without
interference by the enemy. Yesterday
afternoon, parties of his troops ad-
vancing over our old positions were
caught ny lIlc llIc VI OuI OulpOSlS anu
destroyed.
ION the battle front south of Ar
ras, parties of German infantry who
had entered our trenches opposite Boy
elles were driven out yesterday after
noon with the loss of several prisoners
Our line in this locality has been com
pletely restored.
THE hostile artillery actively in
creased considerably early this morn
ing on the British front south of the
Somme."
According to an Exchange Tele-
graph dispatch from Paris, the Ger
mans have advanced from Wytschaete
as far as St. Eloi and also have a
grip on the southern slopes of Mount
KENNEL.
There is no inclination here to min
imiZe the seriousness of the loss of
Bailleul and the possibility that it may
lead to the necessity of cvacuating
ipres and Passchendaele.
Correspondents on the front say the
Germans have used l2O of their 200
divisions in the west and have been
able to bring another two divisions
from Russia.
"These unpleasant reverses must be
faced steadily" says the Times, their
must neither he minimized
nor exaggerated. Far more serious
than the loss of ground is the revela-
tion of the growing weight of the Ger
man pressure.
I'VE hear far too much of the enemy
losses, mistakes, difficulties and of the
failure to reach appointed detectives
of particular days and not half enough
about the serious fact that they are
still bringing fresh divisions from the
eastern front in Russia"
The Times says the enemy will con-
tinue drawing on their reserve in Rus
sia until allied statesmen stop dream
ing vain dreams about Russia and do
something practical to compel the en-
emy to cease depicting the Russian
front"
The dispatches last night from the
front warned the people of the allied
countries against pessimism, saying
the commanders had the situation well
in hand and that prearranged plans
were being carried out. The British
have placed definite price on each