The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-04-25
Germans Divert Their Attack to
Flanders, Again Failing to
Break Through.
BLOODY Fight AT GIVENCHY
RaIser Seeko TO Annihilate British
Army-Amerleans Now in Great
Battle-PremIer Lloyd George
Propoeeo Conecription for
ireland.
BY EDWARD w. P,ckARD.


They shall not pass"
Not CLOSING over the increasing
seriousness Of the German offensive
on the west front, not making vain
boasts, but with unfaltering courage
and dogged determination, all the
allies, French, British, Americans and
portuguese, In France and Belgium,
have adopted the Verdun slogan and
refuse to let the Huns break through
their line. Weary and battered,
drenched with gas and explosive shell,
pushed back here and there by power
ful attacks of massed infantry greatly
outnumbered all along the line, they
cling as long as possible to every de-
fensive position and exact terrible
price for every yard Of terrain they
give up.
Failing to push his way through to
Amiens. the kaiser last week turned
his attention to Flanders. and after
three days Of intensive bombardment
attacked the British on 25 mile front
Of which Armentieres was the center
In the three days Of fierce infantry
| fighting that followed the Huns showed
back the British and Portuguese line
| some five miles between Armentieres
| and Givenchy, and three miles at the
north Of the former city. On Thursday
the British retired from Armentiercs,
which Is Of little Importance as STRAIT
| egic point and is now but a heap Of
ruins. They also had abandoned sew
eral villages but still dominated the
battlefield from Messines ridge on the
north and Givenchy on the south. The
latter place was the scene Of the blood
lest fighting, being taken and retaken
several times. The British were out
numbered there more than four to one,
but defended 1t splendidly and retain
ed possession. of the town, which is
situated on high ground. The losses OF
the Germans here as we'll as elsewhere
were very heavy, and considerable
number Of them were captured
Though the immediate object of the
Germans in this sector apparently is
to take Bethune, an important center
of British operations, and then bv n
wheeling movement push on to the Eng
lish channel, their greater purpose, ac-
cordina to prisoners and captured doc
uments, IS nothing less than to annihi-
late the British army. 1t Is expected
that the kaiser will direct his fnli
strength to the accomplishment or TINS
oim and that the battle In FLANDERS
will be considerably extended to the
north and continued with desperation
-@a-
On the southern front of the Ger
| oh, ot
ming Of the week. withdrew 10 the "es'
bank of the Aiyette river IN the Co"cs
region, thereby rectifying their hnes
and leaving to the Germans the marsh'
cs of the Disc. Since then the enem!
have been greatly harrassed by inc
French orltposts and have been uhan'e
to carry on any operations III 'he
swampy ground. little further 10
tho west Chauny has been the center
of furious struggles but up to the time
of writing the French had repuiseo
every attack, and were In possession
of the town and the nearby celnete's
For the present, at least h'i''o.,'
seems to be safe for, though the urn
lery activity In that sector mas peer
continuous and violent, infantry oper
ations almost ceased during the "e'h
-Ea-
AS has been said, the allies 40 i"
seek to minimize the menace IN lh'
successes the Huns have gained, pu
their commanders are rs confident a'
ever that the kaiser cannot accomplish
his aims, and the men in the rank