The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-04
Leader of United Allied Army
Has Both Sides Guessing.
Admittedly Germans Must Make
Attack Again Soon.
CLAIM WEATHER INTERFERES
'"Rains Rather Than Guns
Stopped U.s." Says Berlin.
Heavy Guns Active but No Gen
eral Infantry Move by Huns.

| Germany's peace drive" thru Pic
ardy enters upon its third week with
both forces preparing for the resump
ton of heavy fighting. The weather
has interfered somewhat but the Ger
mans have not renewed their heavy
attacks and the fighting front has re-
manned virtually unchanged since
Monday. North of the Somme the
British have improved their positions
in small attacks, while on the impor-
tant sector south of the river there
has been no infantry action In the
region north of Mont Didier, which
! has been the scene of much heavy
fighting. the artillery battle has been
violent but the enemy has made no
attempt to attack
While there is little doubt that the
/ Germans must attack again and Will
| have to sustain still greater losses in
further efforts against the allied line.
| much interest centerS in the plans or
General F'och. The attacks by the
British between Albert and Arras and
! by the French between Mont Dldler
and Noyon apparently were Tor the
/ purpose of improving local positions
/ Silence is being maintained by both
sides as to the next act in the titanic
military contest.
/ Hard Time Moving Big Guns.
I German newspapers declare that the
| German drive was halted by bad
! weather and not by the Franco British
defense. Admission is made that the
Germans are having great difficulty in
moving up guns and supplies over the
muddy area of the Somme and that
] the transport is in poor shape because
of the necessity of constructing new
roads.
| Amiens, the primary objective of
! German efforts in the past two weeks,
| is free from danger for the moment
A military proclamation posted there
| informs the population that threaten
! ing peril has been removed and ex-
horts them to maintain confidence.
BoInbard United States Troops.
| American troops in the region of
Toul and in an unnamed place have
/ been subjected to a heavy lombard
rlent from enemy guns. Gas shells
were rsed mainly in the fire against
the Americans. High explosive shells
/ and gas projectors were used in the
artillery attack, northwest of Toul,
i but no great damage was done.
| Reconnaissance and patrol activities
are increasing on the Italian front,
| especially from west of Lake Garda
/ to -he Piave river. The Italians have
captured several enemy outposts and
made number of prisoners
More Huns to Finland.
A German force has been landed at
Hango, on the southern coast of Fin
| land to aid in the campaign against
the Finnish rebels. The Finnish gov
ernment forces are bombarding Tam
merfors, north of Helsingfors. while
new Russian reinforcements are re-
| ported to have arrived to help the
rebels, who control most of southern
| Finland.
| Germany's offensive on the seas,
| like her land drive, fell down last
week. Only sixteen British, French
and Italian steamships were sunk in
the past week, while in the previous
seven-day period thirty-seven were
lost thru the activities of German
submarines.