The Washington herald., 1918-04-04
British Successful.

British SuccessfuL
The British scored a number OF To-
cal successes in the last twenty-four
hours, the most notable one being the
recspture OF Ayette village. ten miles
south OF Arras. The advance netted
them l6O prisoners and three machine
guns.
A bloody cheek followed a German
attempt 70 pierce the British lines
before ATras. They sent shock bar
talions into a vicious thrust around
Fampouv village. Here is the Iaconic
way in which Hsig described the re
suit in his day communique:
The enemy left q number of dead
The British took a few prisoners."
Lincolnshire troops took thirty-one
prisoners and a machine gun in a raid
northeast OF Loos. A successful Brit
ish raid also was made TO the north
east OF Poelcapelle. above Ypres.
Trench Warfare.
On the two hsnks OF the great Ger
man wedge virtual trench warfare
has replaced the war Of movement.
Intense gun duels ragged throughout
the day between the Somme and
Montdidier. where the greatest Ger
man concentration has been observed.
There was also lively firing in the
Lassigny sector. which saw such
savage fighting last week.
A local gain OF ground was made
by the French to the north Of Pie
mont. near Lassigny. the PoIlus TAX
inr
rage stopped short a German thrust
north Of Roliot ten miles west OF
Plemont-
Eight German airplanes wee
brought down by French flyers. whne
aircraft guns accounted for two more
French raiding avistors rained 24.0p0
pounds OF explosives upon Ham,
Chsuny and Noyon.
The Germans are displaying in
creased aerial activity, taking ad-
vantage of the temporary handicap
embarrassing the British aviation
corps caused by the enforced aban-
donment Of great stores OF material
that had been accumulated i'm
mediately behind the British lines
fronting st. Quentin and. Cambrai
before the Picardy drive began.
Huns Concentrate.
Steady German troop concentrations
around Albert show he has not vet
abandoned the project to swoop down
upon Amiens from the northeast and
at the same time turn Arrss and Vir1y
Ridge from the south. He evidently
plans TO deploy large forces on the
Albert-Amiens road.
Leading German newspapers are do
ing their best to combat even the i'm
preston that the drive IL all over.
They point TO the devastation prevail
ing in the Somme area and to the ne
cessity OF reconstructing this difficult
sround for offensive and defensive
purposes and TO the dificulty OF SUD-
plying the armies across the barren
waste
Nor IS there any doubt in military
circles here that the enemy will re-
sumo his efforts on a large scale .
soon as he has finished his new pr
rations. Maj. Gen. F. d. ~ zee.
chief director OF operatio- q, Hr
war office, emphasized to Tlr Lsr .rr
battle is still as you - o.. r-rr
and that IL would - frIy g. rr.n-.e
that the GermHu- 70 dennh-.y re-
strained from E.s.'.r- ell oF,l again,
hNdNg NuOuEn lave been.
No fewer than -., .ivision. wer.
put out OF commi IN by the allied
defense tactics, he said.
The war office spokesman added be
looked for a TSuton drive against
Italy. Rome disp1tches have been for
weeks predicting such q drive and
the latest word from the Italian cap
ital is that the Austro-Gernan prep
srations seem complete.
New Battle COmfnE.
A more desperate and more bloody
battle OF Picsrdy is soon to come. II
Is awaited with exultant confidence
by the allies. The new phase OF the
fighting Is expected 60 develop within
forty-eight hours.
This is the view Of allied militia
experts here last night They
that the first phase Of the bat - -
not conclusive Their reports rom
the front indicate that tn allies
armies are lustinE for mo The
morale Of the French ant British
forces that retreated from tn old Iins
to the new is not that Of defeated
troops. They executed q n. eniflcent
oosrsVHD OF rAss Tva