Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-20
BRITISH, in FIERCE COUNTER,
FORCE GERMAN LINE BACK
Haig Forces Recapure All Territory Taken by Enemy in
Costly Attacks of Thursday Also Gain All Objecives
by Quick, Decisive Action
ALLIES FORCES IN STRONG POSITI
Associated Press Summary. Issued at p. M

Associated Press Summary, Issued at D.
Field Marshal Haig's troops took N
side Of the Lys battlefront with quick az
Germans to give up the small bits Of grOun
were all the enemy had 10 show for his {
front.
The British counter blow resulted in
and in the complete re- establishment Of tn
mans struck on Thursday.
The only offensive action IN tho i1cr-
man ide reported from the British front
was IN the Rohccq region, near tho
westerly tip of the Lys salient, southwest
of Mervllo The enemy met no success
~ this local operation, thc British driving
hlm back 70 MS positions
Feeling Out Germans Strength.
There is possible significance IN rad-
ing operations carried ouf by the British
south along the line beloW the ~carpo
rivcr. Just ~ thc southeast ~ Aras
Apparently ID was feeling ont operation
to dcvclop nhat forces the Germans
have re..dg FIR an attack in THE regon
f. resulted IN the taking If prisoners and
a collection of machine guns and trench
mortars A German counter attack
was repulsed
1t sccrns not improbable that the enemy
again viii cssav drive around Arras
although hc failed Hgnallv there IN the
earIv sfagcs of The battle THE Germans
must forcc bark the British line between
srrae and Albert before thev can 70 much
further ahead n their push m the 7ofnmc
battlefront ls their 1ght sank r held
fast IT. British from tInv ridge and ha7
not bnnn able - aeep pare With their
left south of the Snrnme
French Take Prisoners.
RI the sectors n fhe southern battle
front held bv the French there was
continuation If the heavy artillery action
between I.ase1gnv and Eovon towards the
French right flank The only infantry
operation vas r4iding attempt bv me
Germans near Hangard, southeast q
AmIens In which the advantage was
Rlth the French Who took prisoners.
including an officer
Associated Press Summary, Issued
at II a. M
Active fighting operations nave naifed
for the time being. while eash side pre-
pares FOR the next onslaught. IL Is not
improbable the Germans again Will attack
either IN Picardy Or IN Flanders-Artois
whlle on every move tney make hangs
The menace of he Allied reserve army
and 4 counter offensive.
Terrible Losses Halt Huns.
I-nfavorabIe weather has settled On me
northern battlefield. but Up 70 inc pres
ent the Germans nave selected mist
ana ram ana cold periods as opprtlne
for striking and the It'll II heir attacks
g due more probably t0 their appalling
losses which Z the i4sJ 10 days nave
caused ~tich acnlcuons ID organizations
that offensive tactics must aSai- lie 4r-
rivaa gT ueW ErDop-,
The enemy S moving Ip aew r2ops
and supplies along tine l.ys anu these arc
being bombardeu heavily 10y / ne British
Germany Has Many Reserves.
Germany probably stut aas many re-
serve DIVISIONS anu there Is ltt-e doubt
her masters Will Use lp the last Glvlslons
in their attempts To crush eitne- the
British or The French. The British have
borne the brlmt o. the present campaign
winch viii end = hTst month TO-DAY and
their Inc unbroken. The enemy has
not been able 70 pierce 1t and roll Up one
side aS he apparently Intended
Faced BY Troops Of Six Nations.
Facing them today on the western
front the Germans hnd British, French.
American, Belgian. Portuguese 4nd ltal-
ian troops. The number Is increasing con-
Stantlv while the Germans undoubtedly
have used up their veteran divisions II the
battles OF tire past month.
The Germans cannot hal now u the,
would attempt 10 crush tbc Atiiee wnlic
they themselves Yet have strength. Held
Marshal Hags 5 Fabian tactics have boon
more than a match for nc strong 1caQ-on
rushcs of the Germans
Have Actually Gan.d Nothing.
La the month Of the heas.e>. lighting 81
the war the Germans have gained moth
ing the Allies could not afford 20 lose Vhcu
At the same time they could m.lict losses
more than CONNIE usuratc with The value
Of The positions sacrificed In fact Inc
Allies now are in a better position Tor an
overpowering offensive more than they
were on March p.
In Flanders and N ArteiS north OF
Arras the opposing guuners are active,
the Germans essentially SO north Of NIer-
vile. the apex OF the northern salient.
On the Picardy battlefield the German
artillery fire has been lively between the
Somme and Alontdidier
Americans and French in Raid.
Ga the right bank of the Mcusc, prob
ably on the American sector south Of
Nerdun. american and French troops
have carried out small raid into the
enemy trenches Several casualties were
inflicted on the Germans but their posi-
Gons were found unoccupled The Ger
nnau artillery is reported active in this
Region