Rockingham post-dispatch., 1918-04-04

had not been made clear at the ti:--
of writing, but testimony to their ex-
cellent fighting was given by wound
ed French captain who arrived in
Paris. Entirely new in this war
fare" said he, "the Americans worked
like the best veterans"
Some Of Pershing's men, at least,
were moved over to the sectors left by
French troops who were sent farther
west to stem the German advance. In
their own sector near Toul they had
a rather lively week of 1t, for the Ger
man artillery shelled them cOntinu-
ously and seemed to be preparing for
an infantry attack. The American
guns made effective response, and on
occasion drenched the enemy positions
with gas shells.
There were increasing evidences dur
ing the week that the Italian front Is
to be the scene Of another Teuton
drive. Airplane observers reported
that heavy re-enforcements to the
Austrian forces were being brought CD
daily from the Roumanlan front, to
gether with numerous new pieces Of
heavy artillery. In the mountain Sec
ton the artillery duels grew In in
tensity, and everything pointed toward
an early effort to break through to the
plains in that region. 1t was supposed
the Austrians believed the Italians
would be dispirited by the German sue.
cesses In France.
The miracle gun" with which the
Germans have been shelling Paris
from q distance Of 76 miles turns out
to be product Of the Krupp works,
as is proved by the kaiser's message
to Doctor Krupp Won Bohlen und Hal
bach congratulating hila on the sue
cess of the new weapon. A German
ordnance authority says these extraor-
dinary guns are merely being tested
on Paris and have been built for the
purpose of bombarding London.
-EA-
Another considerable victory was
scored last week by the British forces
in Mesopotamia, the entire Turkish
army in the Hit area being captured
or destroyed. In Palestine Allenby's
men continued their advance beyond
the Jordan, approaching the Hedjaz
railway on which they heavily bombed
troop transport trains.
The revolt of the Russians against
the brutal pillaging of the Germans
who have penetrated their country is
beginning to bear fruit. Troops Of the
Ukrainian rada are cooperating with
the bolshevik forces and already
have recaptnred Odessa after bloody
battle, in whichS naval forces took
part. Before that the red guards and
armed dscivilians had retaken Kherson,
Nikolayev and Znamenka from the
Teutons. In some places the peasants
killed the German soldiers who were
taking away their foodstufts. = The
Ukrainians were angered by attempts
Of the Germans to 90 far beyond the
terms of the peace treaty and strip
the country of its stores Of grain and
sugar. 1t is said q council of German
officers decided to continue operations
in Ukraine until the power of the boil
sheviki there had been eliminated.
Trotzky, speaking in Moscow, de-
clared Russia will never be an en-.
slaved country, though the soviet gov.
ernment is now weak, and poor. He
said they would introduce compulsory
military training for the workmen and
peasants and create an army of 300,'
600 men within eight or ten weeks
The allies still stand ready to support
all elements within Russia which will
oppose the German invasion.
However, as Gilbert X. Chesterton
says, 1t is plain that the bolshevik
philosophy does not prevent man
from fighting; it only prevents him
from winning.
-E-
Probably it was inevitable that pol
itics should enter into the debates and
doings of congress this year, but II
has taken a particularly unfortunate
turn owing to the senatorial election
in Wisconsin. The president, because
of his effort to bring about the cleo
tion of Mr.. Davies, is accused by the
Republicans of going out of his way
to confuse partisanship with loyalty
and for this he was attacked by Sena
tor Smoot and others, who assert the
Republicans have not sought to secure
party advantage from the war. Sena
tor Williams really started this row
by a speech in which he charged that
revelations of the failure of the air
plane program and Of the backward
ness of shipbuilding were poisoned
gas" directed by the Republicans
sgainst the administration. This Wal