The Washington herald., 1918-04-18
ENEMY ENCIRCLES
YPRES; BATTLE
LINE SPREADS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

French reserves. whose arrival Haig
heralded eight days ago. will get to
the fpres front in time to take a
hand in the crucial combat now rag
ing.
1t is weary. laborious route TO
Ypres across the one remaining rail
that could serve these reserves as
they come up from the South, name-
ly. the Hazebrouck-Ypre rail. But
to make passage of Foch's reserve
northward at all possible. the Brit
ish right is fighting with such death
defying bravery to keep the Teuton
armies in the South out Of Bethune
and Hazebrouck.
Nor 10 the Ypres front, vital as II
is. the final field upon which the bat
tie must be fought out. That is.
rather. the front northward from
Ypres to the sea-
Would Dash for Calais.
For if Ypres falls. the Germans
VIII Immediately make a dash for
Dunkirk and Calais by two routes
Northwestward from Ypres. and due
westward from somewhere on the
Ypres-Nieuport front.
On that line, therefore, between
Ypres and the sea. a front of scarce
twenty-three miles. the decision will
fall; and on that line will the Brit
ish. French and American reserves
be needed when the final round be-
gins.
The battle the British are now
fighting at Ypres. is thus regarded
more as a delaying battle than one
designed actually to keep the Ger
mans out of that sheel-swept town,
The counter offensive now under
way is aimed. it is believed, to gain
time for the bolstering up of the
sea front" by all available men
and guns.
Meteren Recaptured.
The days most hopeful sign Of the
solidity of the British flank was seen
in the recapture of Meteren. an
nounced by Haig in his day bulletin.
At this town, which lies two miles
slightly to the northwest of Bailleul,
the German advance had become most
threatening since, IL pushed further
to the north and northwest, II would
Isolate Hozebrouck from the British
Flanders army, leaving the British
southern wing. so tenaciously holding
out in the forefield of Bethune, prac-
tically suspended in the air."
Nor was the enemy able to shove
his lines any further northward from
Bailleul. His attacks there. vicious
as they were. met a stonewall of de-
fense and cost him heavy losses.
German Attack Fails.
Similarly. German attempt to
advance east of Robecq. where his
wedge has been farthest pushed
ahead from Armentieres (some ff-
teen miles) proved an utter failure
At Arras the Germans launched a
strong local attack opposite Boy
elles, but British counter attack
drove them from portions of trench
es they had occupied. A Iarge-scale
drive on Arras to coincide with a
southwark sweep by the German
left in Flanders is looked for as the
logical development of the north
ern battle.
Amiens seems a matter of hours
Haig today reported that south OF
the Somme the German artillery
fire increased considerably this
morning."
Concentrates In Pfcardy.
The German high command. it is
well realized in military quarters
is still in a position to hit hard in
Picardy. where he has used the IuIl
for concentration OF guns and
fresh forces probably equal to that
which ushered in the big drive
March 81.
Foch. who holds the unshaker
confidence of the armies and peo-
pies of the allies. is known to have
prepared counter measures for ev.
cry imaginable emergency, and the
new flare-up of battle in the south
Is looked for in a grim, defian,
mood by all here and in France.
There Is one danger point in the
northern battle which was only
casually mentioned in today's from
dispatches. This is the town OF
Dranoutre. three and a half mile,
northeast of BailleuL German
troops under Gen. Won Bernhard
attacked near this place heavily
yesterday. but were beaten off.
The presence of German troop,
there. however. indicated a north.
ward gain of between two and three
miles since the capture of Bailleul
The enemy here is evidently tryins
to get into the rear of Kemme
Height, as he did get behind tn,
southern slopes of Wytschaet,
RidOa hv fa in