The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-03-27

The situation is less critical than
at any time in three days"
"The enemy is in Albert" Maurice
said
1--WE hold the railway embankment
on the western outskirts"
(This confirms Simms' despatch
received earlier in the day:)
There have been two critical mo-
ments. Saturday the enemy crossed
the Tortile. seriously endangering
the separation of our forces north OF
the Somme. But the gap was filled.
Monday they broke through and
took Martinpuich and Cource!ette.
Again the gap was filed"
Crucial Stage Not Reached.
[By William Phillip Simms, United
Press Staff Correspondent
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD, March 27-As the bat
tie develops, the Anglo-French view
coming events calmly and courage
ously. The British are holding the
gates to Albert determinedly against
the Hindenburgian masses, as this is
cabled.
Along Pozieres ridge, astride the
Somme, across the obliterated vii
lagos of Ovillers, Warlencourt. Lee
sars, Flers, Longueval. Mantauban,
Mametz and Courcelette, the Ger
mans are strewing their corpses as
they slowly press forward.
The battle undoubtedly has not yet
reached it's crucial stage.
Hindenburg is striving desperately
to break through-now here, now
of the huge gaps
torn in his massed ranks by the Brit
ish guns.
The German storm troops are so
thick. the gaps close automatically,
like holes in soft dough.
simultaneously with lunges In the
direction of Albert, the most furious
attacks are being flung southwest
ward against line through Ros1eres
and the ST. Gobain forest, curving
outward toward Roye and Noyan.
Between the last two named, as
sault follows assault in rapid success
ion.
(Haig has admitted the capture of
Roye and Noyan since Simms' dis
patch was filed)
The French and British are forcing
the enemy to pay dearly for every
inch Of ground. Nesle was taken yes
tcludy OAly d1IC4 LII 1ouo SoAiceSeSp
the French resorting to bayonettes.
grenades and knives. fighting body
to body in death lock.
Much the same scenes have been
enacted by the French at Gerau-
villers, Lighny-Thilloy, Mantauban
and elsewhere. Withdrawing only
when ordered, or sticking until the
last man. fighting like wildcats until
ovrcome by sheer weight of numbers.
German spies continued to spread
panic among civilians. Refugees from
one village alarm the people in the
next with the most absurd rumors.
which become as facts five miles
away.
Warnings have been issued against
tales. Civilians have
been asked to turn over suspects to
the authorities.
Inevitably refugees are wars most
pitiful spectacle. The military has en-
the exodus owing to the
enemy Smelling and bombing towns
behind the lines. The refugees are
given every possible aid.
AS the Simms despatch was filed.
the Germans were within three miles
Of Albert. pressing in upon the city
from three pointS-the' northeast,
east and southeast.
The British evidently were still
holding Pozieres ridge where a pre-
vious dispatch from Simms mention
ed strong machine gun emplacements.
but their left at this point had been
bent sharply back to Ovillers, which
is three miles northeast of Albert,
Just north of the main Albert-Ba-
paume highway.
On the east the enemy has reached
about four miles from AL
bert on the Albert Combles highway.
To the southeast the Germans are
before Bray. located on the Somme.
Ave miles from Albert.
Bapaume IS about twelve miles
northeast of Albert. Warlencourt is
two and half miles southwest of
Bapaume: Lesars Is one and half
miles southwest of Warlencourt;
Courceeltt is midway between Albert
and Bapaume; Montauban is three
miles west of Combles. Longueval
Is three miles northwest of Combles
and Fleers is one and q half miles
north of Longueval.
The next big city in the line of
the German advance is Amiens,
eighteen miles southwest of Albert,
on continuation of the main Albert
Bapaume highway Amiens is eighty
four miles north of Paris, on the
Somme, and marks the high tide of
the German invasion in 1914 at this
point. Amiens is a city of about
100000 population and is an tmpor.
tant manufacturing and transporta-
ton center.
Rosieres, mentioned as the point
against which heavy assault is
being directed, is thirteen miles south
of Albert. Roye is nine miles south
Of Rosieres, while Noyon is twelve
miles southeast of Roye Nesle is
eight miles northeast of Roye.l
Program Of Teutons.
lBy Henry Wood, United Press Stan
Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
THE FIELD. March 26.-(night)-
Germany's offensive appears to en-