Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-03
C Commander in Chief Opti-
mistic Regarding Situa.
ton on Battle Front.
LULL IN FIGHTING
LAST THREE DAYS
Little. Activity Aside From Artillery
Dusls and Raidins Operations on
Entire Line From North Sea to
Adriatic-Freneh Make Minor At
tack and Capture Advantageous Hill
Position Near Hansard.

y
While 4 new German stroke on
either the northern or southern bat
tie front has been delayed the
French have taken the initiative in
! t1s....s 1s....s latter field and delivered h!c"'
east Of Amiens.
Attacking on front of moro
than a milo between Hailles and
castel, General Petain's troops
yesterday evening drove the Ger
mans from hill 81, an eminenee Of
soms $50 feet overlooking the Avre
. river, and captured the wood to tho
east and southeast Immediately
bordering on the Avre.
The ground thus gained is prob
ably more valuable than any other
Of equal area which lies along tho
entire sor,me lines. It was at Hail
les that the Germans effected their
greatest penetration in their west
ward drive and At hill s2 they were
within. less than three miles Of the
important Paris -Amiens railway.
Adding this new terrain to other
high ground taken by the French
further south on the Avre not long
so. an excellent line Of defense
appears 70 have been taken up by
| fths ,9Tt6rte forces iu this region.
TkS poSitions " the French
aboGf Hansard and those Of the
J British on the viliers- 1rstonneux
ridge preserve the continuity Of the
line virtually thruout the battle
front.
id, the Viilers- Bretonneux sec
tor as we'll there has been fur
thsr Improvement Of entente posi-
tions, the French gaining ground
8 IN local fighting there last night.
The Germans still arc holding of
in the Flanders front and the Ger
man papers are telling the Ger:
man people that the high command
may dseide not to take Ypres after
al, as Il 10 not Of strategic value.
Last night the Germans were
bomb ardins the fifteen mile line be-
tween Givenohy and Nieppe wood.
In several thrusts at this 'front.' pre-
viously the enemy has been un-
abie to make, any substantial head
way with the British line sup
ported as they are by the barrier
Of LaBassee canal and backed by
the commanding positions behind
1ethuns.
The lulI In The fighting has lasted
4hrss days and there has been less
fighting than in previous breaks in
tho fighting in Flanders.
The supreme interallied war
council has completed two days
session with meeting ct Able,
Vile, northwest Of Amiens. Al
military questions were discussed
and decided on and the results OBJ
tanned are reported to have been
most satisfactory.
Premier Clemenceau, who pre-
sided, said thai, General Foch is
very optimistic.
n Flanders there has bsen no
activity except by the artillery,
while on the British portion OF the
P;cardy battle front, a German
raid near Hebuterns, north Of Al
bert. has been repulsed.
South Of the Somme the enemy
artillery 10 bombardins violently
the Vilisrs Bretonneux region.
EIaewhsre on the western front,
ii northern Italy, and in Mace
I donia there has been little activity.
In italy the rains have ceased and
the weather has improved, but the
fighting operations still are con-
fined 10 patrol engagements.
IA PaIsstins the British have re-
upisd Es.Ahit, east Of the Jor-.
dan and northeast Of Jericho. More
than 900 prisoners were taken.
Germany and Austria Hungary
apparently are meeting with diffi-
euitiss in expressing the peoples Of
the occupisd Russian territory and
as I result there 10 great uneasi-
ness il Germany. Tho Ukrainian
government, has been overthrown
81 the Gsrmans and It 10 reported
that q new government has taken
the rsjns Of power.
81 erin reports the occupation OF
ssbastepoI, tbs great Russian fort.
ress and naval base in the Crimea,
but pivss no details.
The strike in the important
X pomhrow coal mines district Of
wsstSrn. Russia 10 reported to have
DOT beyond the control Of the Aus
trian authorities, who have adopted
stringent restrictive measures.
lns the Ukraine tho invaders arc
spposed by armed peasants and il
/ 70 reported The psasa.ts have
ruined The crops.
Brjtish Army Headquarters in 4
I Franes, svia Ottawa May 3.-A
trew,oodous creOcendo OF gun fire