The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-26
LINES BENT
BUT INTACT
Germans Try Desperately to Force Way
Toward Paris But Are Held at Noyon
by French---British Retiring to 1915
Position

ond stage of the great German
drive has set in. 1t consists I'm
a tremendous double turning
movement designed to throw
the whole British right back
on the Roye- Albert line and to
outflank the entire French
front from Noyon to Rheims
and, ultimately, as far az the
Swiss border.
The British main line LIS still
absolutely intact, though bad
ly bent back in places. Nor has
the Anglo French junction
been in any way ruptured so
far.
Berlin official bulletins pay
indirect tribute to stubborn
defense of the British
enemy" SO far the British
have launched no concerted
counter offensive, but many q
valiant and temporarily sue
cessful local counter thrust has
been delivered with the result
both of retarding the foes ad-
vance and of INJECTING fright
full losses on the dense attack
ing columns.
The kaiser was with linden.
burg in Peronne last night sur
veying the bloody fields vhera
thousands of his best fighting
men were killed or MANNED be-
fore the British finally with
drew. The emperor ordered
general jubilation to reign I'M
confined throughout the en-
pire, rockets and flags and q
holiday for the school children
beinr the chief symbols of cela-
bration.
With the capture by the Ger
mans of the towns of Nesle and
Guiscard, the British positions
on the Somme between b.
paume and Peronne have been
virtually outfanked and a re-
tirement to the 1915 line, Fres-
noy- Chaulnes- Curlu, Is under
a way.
!. With the fall of Bapauma
), officially announced by Berlin,
= the British line in the north
also is automatically forced to
!. draw back to the Arras- Albert
y sector of the front Of two years
d ago.
: A fighting retirement, there
fore, appears in progress along
!; a line of seventy miles, to for
y nidable, thoroughly prepared
r positions.
d The German advance in the
y center of the st. Quentin front.
W In the direction of Roye, has
!. reached q depth approximately
: fifteen miles since the drive be-
il gan.
20 The momentum of the Ger
is man onslaught Is being swung
e against the French front be-
9 tween Noyon and scissors.
IS The French have taken over
IS part of the British front and
late tonight were engaged in
=. terrific combat with what Paris
Z, officially declares is ''im.
to portant German forces. The
IN heights east of Noyon are the
e center of the fierce attack
t whose immediate object is to
Il, !. separate the French from the
y British and throw a wedge to,
ward Paris.
Berlin announces a total Of
d $4,000 prisoners, 600 guns and
a. n, thousands of machine guns.
eri Again the German on ial state
n. ment reports the defeat OF English
es French and American resrv troops.
,g All official or unofficial vrification b
n this claim from an allied or Amer
We can source lis lacking. The belle
sh here is that the German high com
n mand aims to add lustre to its sue
e. cesses by including Americans amons
he troops alleged to have been defeated
lit The Berlin report also says:
as I'VE bomharded Paris with long
20 distance gums"
ay Paris confirms the rerctition Of tn
TX. bomhardmcnt today. The damaE
re and casualties are neEiigthic and III
nd general theory II the Smelling Is a pD
IT. liticaI one.
~ The outnanking 81 the Brttsph n
Igittons On tt Gcrnne caxn4 AeeC