The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-25
The Var for the Week

Inc Vllyr f01' me week
One, more week Of waiting" has pass
ed on the western front.
Waiting" should not be confused
with inactivity but the much heralded re-
neWal of the German drive has not mate
rallied. That it is coming is still firmly
believed by the allied commanders, as was
evidenced by the speech of Premier Lloyd
George yesterday, when he announced that
Germany was feverishly preparing for
renewal of the great offensive.
But during the last seven days the ac'
tivity has been confined almost entirely to
aerial fighting and artillery duels, with
a few local attacks which were rather
more than mere raids The British and
French have been nibblng at the German
positions, retaking small bits of trenches
and positions needed to strengthen their
lines locally. Probably dozen such sue
cessful enterprises have been reported
during the week, and each captured po-
sition means that the German task will
be more difficult and costly when it is
undertaken. o..
Intense Air Fighting
Some idea of the intense air fighting
may be gained from the British report
that more than 1000 German airplanes
have been shot down by the British since
March q, when the offensive began, and
that more than 1000 tons of bombs have
been dropped on German positions and de-
pots.
Complete control OF Tie ali is almost
impossible Of achievement, for the enemy
by masSing planes will always be able to
make sudden raids, but the allies appear
to have unquestioned superiority in the
air, which means that their observation
planes work with little interruption, and
that the fighting is done chiefly over the
German territory.
American aviators are becoming very
active, and the daily reports contain fire.
quent mention Of their battles. The air
superiority of the allies undoubtedly will
increase and increase very rapidly, for the
long awaited "quantity production" is
now becoming a real factor American
aviators are waiting for the training has
exceeded the work Of production, and they
need only the planes to get into the fight
ing. In the last German attack the work
Of the airmen was almost a vital factor.
1t is doubtful if the line would have held
without them. When the attack is re-
newed much greater results may be ex.
pected, and with every week that passes
the reception being prepared by the air
men for the Germans grows more elabor-
ate
News from Russia.
The news from Russia continues to be
very meagre. German and Finnish troops
are reported to have occupied the island
of Bojoko in the Gulf of Finland, but
thirty miles from Petrograd. Nothing fur
Their has been heard from this enterprise,
and evidently there is a division of opinion
in Finland regarding the Greater Finland
idea, for the general of the White Guards
resigned because Of the attempt to add to
Finnish territory.
The creation of new republic of White
Russia is in line with the German plan to
build up protecting layer of small states
under German control. White Russia has
always been understood to include the
provinces of Brodno, Smolensk, Vitebsk,
Minsk, Mogiley, and Chernigov. They in
clude about 100000 inhabitants, mostly
of the least enlightened classes in all Rus
STA. The boundaries of the new state have
not been clearly defined, but they prob
ably include approximately those prov
inces.
Meanwhile in the Far East China and
Japan have formed some kind of working
agreement for military operations How
extensive these operations will be has not
been made clear, but they probably will
be wholly defensive, at least until they are
given the recognition. of the other allies.
Famine in Cities.
All refugees from Russia, and they in
clude about all who can get out, tell Of
the terrible famine that is sweeping the
cities. The disorganized conditions in
Russia for the last year have played havoc
with farming operations and Russia in
stead of being the great worlds granary,
as it is popularity pictured, is literally on
the verge Of starvation
Submarines Losing.
Submarine figures are no longer given
out weekly, but Lloyd George was quoted
as saying that the time has come when