New-York tribune. [volume], April 24, 1918, Page 2, Image 2

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The Great W a r ? 136 3 d Day
?orced to revise his plans for co- i
operation with Ludendorff in his
land operations in Flanders.
After the disheartening: news of
last mor.th, this story of one of the
most daring of British enterprises at
sea, has made a great impression.
Far back I heard officers of the
Grand Fleet discuss the probability
of an attack on the-Belgian coast
and express a hope that they
v.-ould have a part in it. The un?
fortunate feature was that the offi?
cer who planned the attack lost his
life while directing operations
around Zeebrugge mole.
Fog and Smoke
Screen Hid Advance
Of Raiding Ships
LONDON, April 2.3.?The British
navy struck to-day at the German
submarine bases in Belgium and suc?
ceeded, partially at least, in blocking
up the U-boats' pates to the sea.
Under cover of a heavy smoke and
fog screen destroyers and light aux?
iliary craft drove ?n at Ostend and |
Zeebrugge towing obsolete cruisers j
filled with concrete, and attempted to
sink these at the mouths of the
canals leading from these ports to
the heart of Germany's undersea
operations at Bruges.
At Zeebrugge they fought a whirl?
wind action, afloat and ashore, and
were able to blow up and sink two
* out of three of the concrete laden
ships at the entrance to the canal.
Results of the attack on Ostend
have not been definitely determined.
It is believed that this was not as
successful as the other.
In reporting to the House of Com?
mons on the action Sir Eric Geddes,
First Lord of the Admiralty, de?
clared :
"We have sufficient informa?
tion to show that the entrance to
the Bruges Canal probably was ef?
fectively blocked, that material
damage was done and that the
greatest credit is due to all ranks
for their galantry."
Admiralty Statement
The Admiralty Issued this state?
ment:
'?Early this morning a naval raid
was made on Ostend and Zeebrugge,
which are being used by the enemy
as destroyer and submarine bases.
Our forces are returning, and the
scanty information so far received
is. to the effect that the raid met
with a reasonable mensuro of suc?
cess.
"With the exception of covering
.-?hips, the force employed consisted
of auxiliary vessels and six obsolete
cruisers. Five of these ' cruisers,
filled with concrete, were used as
block ships, and, after being run
aground, were, in accordance with
orders, blown up and abandoned by
the crews.' A further communiqu?
will be issued when reports have '
been received from the ships which
are now returning to their bases.
? ''No report of casualties has yet
he- n received."
Geddes Praises Gallantry
Sir Eric Geddes, in supplementing
the Admiralty report, said in giving
the House of Commons such informa-1
tion as had come to hand of "this ex- j
tremeiy gallant and hazardous raid":
"I ask the members to appreciate that ;
most of the officers and men from whom
we have got to (ret the information have I
beer, iightinp the greater part of the j
night, and that some of them are not
yet in. I
"The raid was undertaken tinder com-j
mand of Vice-Admiral Roger Keyes, |
commanding at Dover. French destroy- [
era coopenited with the British forces.
Six obsolete cruisers, all from twenty
to thirty years o?d, took part in the
attack.
"They were the Brilliant, the Sirius,
the Jphigonin, the Intrepid, the Thetis
and tbe Vindictive.
"The first five of these were filled
with concrete and were to be sunk in
the channel and entrances to the two
ports, if this could possibly be man?
aged.
Volunteers Called For
"The Vindictive, working with two
ferryboats, carried storming and dem?
olition parties to storm the head of
the mole which runs out from Zee
V-rugKe. Thi> Vindictive was specially
fttted for landing storming parties and
was armed specially far the purpose
with flame thrower:?, Stokes mortars,
and that sort of thing.
"The men employed on the block
ships and in the storming and demoli?
tion parties on tha Vindictive were
bluejackets and marines picked from
a larjje number of volunteers from the
Grand Fleet and naval and marine
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Destroyers Blew Up
Zeebrugge Dock Gate!
LONDON, April 24.?Two d
stroyers got inside the mole at
Zeebrugge and blew up the dock
gate, the correspondent at Dover
of "The Daily Mail" reports. The
feat, he says, seems incredible,
but there appears to be no doubt
about it. Some of the men who
took part in it say they saw the
waters of the Br?gges Canal run?
ning out after the gate was de
sroyed and the vessels in the dock
straining at their hawsers.
depots. There was great competition
for the undertaking, and we could only
use a very small proportion of those
who volunteered.
"There were light covering force?
belonging to the Dover command and
Harwich forces under Admiral Tyr
whitt covering the operation in the ;
North. A force of monitors, together
with a large number of very small
motorboats, took part in the operation,
which was particularly intricate and
had to be worked to a timetable and in?
volved delicate navigation on a histile :
coast without lights and largely under
unknown navigational conditions do- ]
veloped since the war, with the added
danger of mine fields.
"I should like to mention that the of- ;
ficer who developed the operation was i
killed. , !
"The high development of scientific;
use of fog or rmoke was one of the
essentials to success. It was more fog
than smoke, which, combined with cer?
tain wind conditions, was essential 'to
tho success of the operation, so as to j
protect the operation from batteries
which might have flanked it.
The Plan of Attack
"The plan was, after an intense bom- i
bardment of Zeebrugge by the moni
tors, the Vindictive, with auxiliaries
to run alongside the mole and at
tack it with gunfire as they approached.
Storming and demolition parties were
to be landed. Meantime three block
ships, assisted by motorboats, were to
make for the entrance to the canal, ?
run aground and be blown up. Two j
old and valueless submarines, filled j
with ex-plosives, were to run against
the pile work connecting the masonry
with the shore, in order to cut off
the mole from the shore.
"At Ostend the operation was more
simple, but the difficulties were con?
siderably increased by mist, rain and
low visibility and the consequent ab?
sence of aerial cooperation.
"The results thus far are known to
be two block ships were run ashore
and blown up at pstend. It is too ;
early to say definitely whether they
accomplished their object, but so f ar !
as the off icers vcould see in the dark-j
ness they were slightly off the course. ?
At Zeebrugge two of three block ships j
obtained their objective, being sunk or ?
blown up at the entrance of the canal.
The third grounded while passing.
"A certain amount of damage, the
extent at present unknown, was done
by gunfire and torpedo attack on an
enemy destroyer and other craft lying
at the Mole. Coastal motor boats re?
port having torpedoed an enemy de?
stroyer which was trying to escape
seaward. One of the two old sub
marin?is gained its objective and do- !
stroyed the piling approach to the j
Mole.
"Storming parties from the Vin-1
dictive and, the ferryboats attacked I
under an extremely heavy fire and
fought with the greatest gallantry,
maintaining their position alongside j
the mole for an hour and causing, it is i
believed, much damage to the enemy j
and inflicting considerable losses. The'!
objectives for the storming and demo- '
lition parties on the mole were the j
enemy forces holding it and the bat
tery upon it, as well as the destroyer
and submarine depots and the large
seaplane base upon it.
"After re?mbarking their landing;
parties the aforesaid three vessels I
withdrew. This attack primarily was
intended to engage the attention of the '
garrison on the mole, thereby allow- !
ing the block ships to enter the harbor.
"The casualties to the personnel, as
we had expected in a hazardous ad
! venture of the kind, were heavy in
! proportion to the number of men en
j gaged. Up to to-day the British losses
? reported are one destroyer sunk by
| gunfire and two ' coastal motorboats
and two launches missing."
British Feat Recalls
Hobson at Santiago]
The feat of the British navy at Zee- ;
brugge yesterday is naturally com- i
I pared by Americans with tho exploit
of Richmond Pearson Hobson in sink?
ing the collier Mernmac at the en- '
trance to Santiago Harbor before day?
light on June 3, 1898, for the pur
I pose of "bottling up" Cervera's fleet,
! as the phrase of the day put it.
i The operation was not successful,
| for the gear of the stern anchors was
! shot away and the current swung the
j ship parallel to the channel instead
? of across it. Hobson and his crew
, were captured and treated with marked
i consideration by the Spanish authori
? ties.
Tho Spanith fleet escaped and was
destroyed by the American vessels.
Hobson later resigned from the navy,
and from 1906 to 1915 represented an
Alabama district in the lower house
of Congress.
Ostend and Zeebrugge
Chief Nesting Places
For German U-Boats
The ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge.
on the Belgian coast, are the principal
bases for the operations of the subma?
rines in their campaign against ship?
ping in the North Sea and English
Channel. They arc of great impor?
tance to the Germans for this purpose,
and it has been recognized by the Al?
lies to deprive the enemy of them
would bo one of the most effective
means of dealing with the submarine.
An attack on these port;? by the
British fleet ha8 been urged, but the
British naval authorities apparently
regard the land defences as too strong
to make this practicable. Various
measures have been adopted to de?
stroy German submarines on entering
or leaving these ports. Field Marshal
Haig's offensive in Flanders last sum?
mer was generally believed to have as
one of its main objectives the bendihg
back of the German northern flank, so
a? to deprive the enemy of these two
points.
The Bruges Canal is about six miles
long, running from tho city of that
name to the North Sea at Zeebrugge.
This canal is of great value to the
Germans, because the principal base
of the submarines operating from Zee?
brugge ?a at Bruges, where there are
extensive docks and shipbuilding
yards.
Definite Offensive
Against U-Boats On,
Washington Belief
WASHINGTON, April 23.-American
naval officers await eagerly th? full
j ?tory o? the French-Bmish naval blow
I ngainist the German destroyer and
j U-boat bases on the Belgian coast.
The impression prevail!? here, support
I nd by certain facts regarding Arneri
! can naval preparation??, that a eare
1 fully plann? naval offensive against ?
the Uboats has begun which is to be
pressed vigorously until the underwa- j
ter raiders are bottled up or checked
to such an extent that their operations
will no longer be a serious factor. .
There is nothing to indicate that the
Navy Department had any advance in?
formation as to the operations at
Zeebrugge and Ostend. It is known,
however, that officials here have been
anticipating developments in the anti?
submarine .warfare within the next few
weeks that would establish a definite
check on the U-boats. American co?
operation in this effort is bein? ex- |
tended in various ways which cannot
be disclosed.
Would Rot tie Them Up
It ha? long boon tho belief of many
officers here that much could be done j
toward bottlinjr up the U-boats at their I
sources, especially, their bases on the |
Belgian const. The means to this end !
suggested have boon many, including !
mine fields, increased numbers of lifrht |
surface patrol craft, new detection de
vices, aircraft and submarines. All of j
these and other elements enter into
whatever plan of operations the naval j
supreme council has formed.
It was suggested to-day that the. re
cent raidtin the Cattegat against trawl- j
ers by British ships was a part of the,
general plan for aggressive action. The ,
German Tight craft were engaged in |
mino sweeping. By their destruction '
the German U-boats and heavy craft
were excluded from the portion of the
sea where the engagement occurred un?
til other ways to remove the mines
could be provided. Presumably the
Allied naval forces now are preparing
to mine the Belgian and Gorman coasts ?
thoroughly, breaking up the mines with,
a guard of heavy ships to beat off the
German fleet should it come out, and |
with numerous smaller craft to drive
off or destroy mine sweepers that at?
tempt to clear lanes for the U-boats.
May Have Weakened Defence
Some officers thought it probable j
that the Germans had removed some I
of their shore batteries for use in the ;
fighting in Flanders. This might have
censed the Allies to move just at this
time and account for the boldness of
the operations.
Since the mid shows the German
coast defences are not invulnerable, to
some officers this action is looked upon
as forecasting the possibility of an
attempt to force a landing in the rear
of the Gerrqan lines, thus turning the
flank of the whole German position in
Flanders.
The peculiar formation of the Bel?
gian coast has acted as an unsur
mountablo obstacle to any major Al?
lied naval offensive on the submarine
bases. The gradually shelving beach
prevents tithe approach of any but the
lightest draft vessels. Narrow chan?
nels piercing this shallow stretch of
water were extensively mined by the
Germans. Shore fortifications of un?
usual strength add to the protection
against attack from the sea.
The importance attached by the Brit?
ish to the Ostend Zeebrugge bases is
indicated by the report that the Brit?
ish have designed and constructed a
special type of monitor for the sole
purpose of attacking the places.
? -
Losses in Sinking
Of Ships Slight,
Says British Writer
LONDON, April 24.?Archibald S.
Hurd, the well-known writer on naval
subjects, reviewing the naval raid on
Zeebrugge in the "Daily Telegraph,"
says :
"The sea was smooth and the wind
favorable, but unfortunately the wind
changed after the operation was be?
gun, with the result that the ingen?
iously devised smoke screen was less
effective than was hoped, and the
British casualties were consequently
increased.
"Although the desperate fighting on
the breakwater resulted in severe
casualties, the losses in the desperate
exploit of sinkins? the ships in the en?
trance of the canal wore very light,
owing to the skill with which the re
iif ships were worked."
Haig Advances
His Lines at
Three Points
Continued from pape 1
volume of his fire, but he has made '
answer to our general raiding and gas
activities by projecting much tear gas '
against our positions north of Lens.
Gas Attack Fails
This projection was bigger in volume
than anything ever attempted again? I j
the Canadians by the enemy. Its of
feet, beyond discomfort, was slight. ;
The weight of evidence gathered from !
! enemy sources gives every ground for
i belief that it must be far otherwise !
with the Boche. His gas is not so ef-1
! fectual and his masks arc not nearly |
: as good as ours.
Of the batteries bombarded bv our;
: gunners during the last twelve hours i
I many will not be heard from for some
I time. Continuous forcible feeding for
such a protracted period on lethal and
j tear gas, mixed with high explosives,
I has proved too successful before to
i doubt its destructive virtue now. Un
! able to obtain rubber to give the masks |
j that close lit which is essential for full j
j protection, the Germans' protective
measuros fall short of our own, and :
the enemy gunners must have suffered
heavily under our bombardment, f or j
j we used nearly G,000 shells against :
\ some thirty battery positions. Our 4.5 '
i howitzers secured six direct hits on ?
1 concrete shelters in the Avion district. :
Encountering gas in raiding opera- ?
; tions, one of our patrols, consisting of |
i one officer and ten of other ranks, i
| donned masks and proceeded into the ',
? enemy trenches until they encountered ,
I a hostile party of fifteen. A lively ,
? fight ensued with bombs and rifles.
Early in the morning another one- '
j hour battle occurred between patrols '
; under cover of a smoke barrage from i
grenades. Our men entered the enemy's ?
line, bombed dugouts and killed two ,
and wounded one, and also secured val- !
uable information.
With fair weather succeeding the
cold, dark days of last week, our air- j
planes were busy. With reckless disre- j
gard for the regular machine gun or!
rifle bullet barrage, a patrol of four of
our machines flew up and down the |
enemy trenches for fifteen minutes, at I
altitudes of from fifty to a hundred '
yards, emptying mnchine gun drums .
into the enemy front line. Similar
work was carried out in other parts of
the line, and at midnight one of our
'planes bombed the hostile firing
trenches.
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Military Comment
By William L. McPherson
A novel development on the Western front was the British and
French naval attack on Zeebrugge mole and harbor, combined with a sup?
plementary attack on Ostend.
The Allied navies have never before attempted to land forces on a
strip of coast held by the Germans. Their gallant exploit at Zeebrugge
is, therefore, a sensational incident, whatever effect the attempt to block
the entrance to the Bruges Canal may have in obstructing German
U-boat activities.
From Zeebrugge Harbor, which is protected by a mole extending i
in a sweeping half circle into the North Sea, a deep canal leads inland
to Bruges. The German submarines lie there in safety, when they return
to refit. The object of the naval raid was to seal the mouth of the canal
by sinking across it old vessels filled with concrete. It was the same
idea which Lieutenant Hobson had when he tried to sink the collier
Merrimac in the narrow entrance channel to the harbor of Santiago de j
Cuba. Hobsorfs collier swung around parallel to the channel before ?
it sank and plenty of room was left for Admiral Cervera's cruiser
squadron to come out.
Time will tell how effectually the Bruges Canal entrance has been
blocked. But the apparent success of the enterprise will have a stimu?
lating moral effect in Great Britain, where the patient waiting r?le
assigned to the navy has long been keenly deplored. The British public
likes nothing better than to see its splendid fleet in action, striking at the
enemy, instead of guarding "rat holes" from which the rats seldom
emerge.
Those who have longed for a display of greater initiative on the part
of the Allied sea forces will be heartened by the dramatic descent on Ger?
many's chief Belgian port. It smacks of the sea traditions of older days.
If it proves to have been even a partial success, attempts of a similar
character will undoubtedly be made to seal up other German submarine
bases.
For two days in succession there has been a display of activity on the
Sal?nica front. '.This does not indicate that a real offensive is about to
be launched. Probably all that the Allied command has in view is a demon?
stration which will attract attention in Sofia and increase the Bulgarian
government's reluctance to lend troops to Germany and Austria-Hungary
for use in France or Italy.
The time for an Allied offensive in the Balkans is long past. Con?
ditions which would have made it opportune ceased to exist after Rumania
had been crushed and Russia had decided to draw out of the war. The
Sal?nica army is now only a makeweight. It fulfils its function if it safe?
guards Greece and keeps Bulgaria nervous.
On the Flanders and Somme fronts only desultory fighting was re?
ported yesterday. The new German blow in the West is still in prep?
aration.
Boche Checked;
Foch Planning
A Surprise
Continued from pn^e 1
Kency is difficult and unlikely of per?
formance, as his unsuccessful essay '
against the Belgians, and the latter's \
stout retaliatory defence indicate.
The Germans at Bailleul and
Neuve Eglise isolated the hills south
and east of thi3 chain dominated by
Kemmel, which the foe is trying to
take, by pushing between Wytschaete
and Wulverghem, to turn the British
positions.
The last days of the fighting have
favored the Allies. The Boche waves
have broken against a supei'b British
defence and sharp, forceful French
strokes. The lull, after two weeks of
unceasing, desperate attack, with at?
tendant heavy losses, undoubtedly
presages an equally determined new
effort, the Boche bringing up new
men and supplies.
While the German designs thus
far have failed, their army remains
undefeated, even though it appears
to have lost its momentum, which in
the past rarely has been regained.
But the terrible struggle will con?
tinue for a long time, for on its out?
come restKthe German hopes of suc?
cess in their whole costly offensive
and their prospect of winning the
War.
Not the Final Battle
This is not the final battle of the
war, but the last one where the
Boche can reckon on such a cliance,
and there will be many critical,
anxious days before the outlook can
be declared safe for the Allies. The
Germans are reported as having
fifty fresh divisions untouched in
France and as being able to draw
upon further reserves from Russia,
not to mention many divisions in
Rumania, not engaged and unac?
counted for.
It is advisable to keep in mind
that Germany's man power is as yet j
unexhausted, rather than to dwell
joyfully and heedlessTy upon her
losses, which, though tremendous,
can be repaired long enough to
maintain her present great striking
power.
Allies Are Stronger
Grave, indeed, as is the situation,
j there are several good reasons for
faith in final Allied results, Man
for man the British and French
have shown a distinct superiority
over the Boche, against great odds.
The battle is being fought accord?
ing to the plan of Foch, in whom
complete trust may be confided, and
who undoubtedly has a surprise in
store for the Germans, with a cer?
tain army abiding its time to strike.
This reserve force the Germans are
trying hard, but unsuccessfully, to
locate.
The Allies for the first time are a
real amalgamation of the Allies,
with unity of command, of which
there has been such ueed, and
which, had it been accomplished
earlier in this war, would have pro
| duced results quite beyond calcula
| tion.
i French Bolster Battle Line
The present battle line, at first
entirely British, is now half French,
; to whose swift advance and fierce
? fighting, always where needed?first
I in the drive at Amiens and now in
i the threat at Ypres?the German
??check must be credited.
The spirit of the Allies is buoyant,
and the armies are prepared to meet
I the next shock, however severe,
j Doggedly courageous, the British,
at best against heavy odds, have
I their backs against a wall which
! grows increasingly stronger with re
! serves of men and guns; the French,
1 always intrepid and reliable, have s
! General Staff to whom the stratcgj
i of war is an open book.
But to overcome Germany's im
j mcnse resources, which she uses wltr
a prodigality beyond all compare
j and which constitute her present for
'midability and her future weakness
RE you just a Boo - Hoo
Patriot? Does a lump swell your
throat and a tear pearl your eye,
as you read of our "boys over
there" fearlessly facing the Black
Blank of the Great Beyond? Man
alive, that's not patriotism?it's
only emotional auto-intoxication.
True-blue patriotism indulges neither in weak emotion,
nor wasted motion. It works, it doesn't weep; it suffers,
it doesn't snivel; it renounces, it doesn't repine; it fights,
it doesn't falter. The proof of Patriotism is to buy Liberty
Bonds to cast into Bullets to hew a heroes* lane to Victory.
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msn power is the vital question of
the hour, and in America rests the
Allies' chief reliance.
Allies Look to America
The Allies are prayerfully follow?
ing the course of Crowder's sugges?
tions as the only practical assurance
of uninterrupted and undelayed
necessary ships, aeroplanes and
other war supplies. America must
look open-eyed into the situation
which menaces her as much as the
Allies, and her duty for safety is
now to adopt quickly all approved
measures and end the war vic?
toriously.
Half measures are insufficient for
the Allies, herself, or the cause.
She has dallied too long at fearful
cost to the Allies. Her duty is not
only to register and militarize labor
as elsewhere, but to call up further
soldier drafts immediately.
If America to-day had a million
? fighting men on the Western front
the war would be finished this sum?
mer. That she is not prepared to do
her full part now is costing thou?
sands of lives and millions of dollars
which could have been saved.
The need is for men in this war
of endurance, and for aeroplanes to
fight them economically, and ships
to bring them. In addition to a
million fighters here by December,
America, to do her share, must
send another million by the spring
of next year and a further million
by summer. Three million is the
minimum if we wish to exist as a
free people, and we must realize
that we have as much at stake as
the others.
Killing .Germans is the only
thought open to patriots in this
hour.
German Losses
Only Normal, Says
War Minister
AMSTERDAM, April 23.?Advices re?
ceived from Berlin say that at a meet?
ing of the Main Committee of the
Reichstag, which was discussing army
estimates, War Minister von Stein
made a statement on the Western of?
fensive in which he paid a tribute to
what he termed the splendid per?
formances of the German troops.
"Our officers," said Lieutenant Gen?
eral von Stein, "once again have proved
their well tried faithfulness unto
death."
The War Minister said that some de?
tachments had lost twothirds of their
company leaders.
"Our losses have been quite normal
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and in some cases remarkably small,"
he continued. "They are mainly at?
tributable to infantry and machine gun
fire, and a great number of the wound?
ed already have been sent back to the
front, thanks to the devoted activity
of our medical officers.
"Our successes -in the West are to
be regarded as a great victory. From
southwest of Arras to La Fere We
broke through the English positions
to a depth of sixty kilomjtres (thirty
seven and a half miles). About 100,000
prisoners and 1,500 guns were our
booty there.
"Afterward we drove the French
from strong positions across the Oise
Aisne canal and beat the English
again in battle at Armentieres, captur?
ing over 20,000 prisoners and 250
guns."
After an allusion to the long-range
bombardment of Paris, the minister
described the difficulties of rapidly
pursuing an army.
British Make New
250-Yard Advance
Near Aveluy Wood
[By Tho Associated Press]
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
FRANCE, April 23? The fighting con?
tinued yesterday in the region of Ave?
luy Wood, near Albert. The British ad?
vanced their line south of the wood
some 250 yard3 alone a front of 1,000
yards, thereby improving their position.
Otherwise there was little change in
the situation yesterday or last night.
In touring virtually the whole line
from north*to south the correspondent
everywhere found a feeling of op?
timism. Yesterday, as the shell-shaken
town of Villers-Bretonneux. was
reached, a British military band in a
The Official Statements
LONDON, April 23.?Field Marshal Haig's reports to-day fol?
low:
NIGHT.?In local lighting east of Robecq reported this morning, another
minor' operation having as it object the improvement of our line in this
sector was carried through to complete success. In addition to a gain of
ground we captured 120 prisoners and a number of machine guns.
We also improved our position slightly early this morning in the neigh?
borhood of Metercn, and secured several prisoners and four machine guns.
The hostile artillery developed considerable activity early in the morning,
with gas shells, in the Villers-Bretonncux sector.
DAY.?As a result of a successful local operation carried out by us last
' night ncrth of Albert we improved our position and captured sixty pris?
oners. A number of prisoners have been taken by us also in the Robecq
sector and near Wytschaete, in both of which areas local fighting occurred,
to our advantage. In the neighborhood of Fampoux one of our raiding
parties entered the enemy's trenches and penetrated his support lines.
The hostile artillery was active yesterday afternoon and during the
night west of Albert and on the greater part of our front from south of the
j Forest of Nieppe to east of Ypres. Concentrations of hostile troops ob?
served in the Villers-Bretonneux sector and in the neighborhood of Serre
were engaged by our artillery.
! Artillery Activity Reported by Paris
PARIS, April 23.~The French War Office to-day issued the fol?
lowing statements:
NIGHT.?There was great artillery activity on both sides in the region
of Hangard-en-Santerre and in the sector west of Noyon, but no infantry
action.
DAY.? Rather spirited artillery engagements occurred on the Somme
j front and east of Rheims. German raic'3 between Lassigny and Noyon,
northwest of Rheims and in the Vosges were without results. Prisoners
remained in our hands.
British Repulsed at Aveluy, Berlin Says
BERLIN, April 23.?General Headquarters to-day gave out
ths following:
| DAY.?On the battlefronts the fitting activity was limited. Artillery
i duels and local infantry operations were resumed temporarily.
The British infantry was especially active between Lens and Albert.
Reconnoitring detachments which advanced at numerous points against our
lines were everywhere driven back. The enemy with strong forces at?
tempted to regain ground lost at Aveluy Wood Sunday, and also to capture
the railway north of Arras on both sides of the Bouzincourt-Aveluy road.
In repeated costly assaults he lost a number of prisoners.
j_ During the last two days thirty enemy airplanes were brought down.
JPJU ^?^?- ?fSgJp i*%** lt>* P # i i3| '^i*% ^EM|P ?
^3#P 564 S?16 568 3?'if?h ^AftiltUt*. jS^P AT 45~5T H.?
Subscriptions for Liberty Bonds
Will be taken at our booth (Main Floor)
Will place on sale to-day
Several models in Fashionable
Tailormade Suits taken from
regular stocks of Fine Serges?twills
and tricotines?and made according to the
Gidding standard of excellence at *45e
Also
Twenty distinct and fashionable models
in suits of superior excellence at *65.
camp not far away struck up a smash?
ing American march. It was a small
incident, but indicative of the spirit of
the men.
ADVERTISEMENT
The follov . w resolution v:ax passtg at
the last meeting of the. Nevo York Bwr?
of Trade 'und Transportation:
SHALL WAR EFFICIENCY BE
LIMITED?
The highest possible efficiency in
every department of the Government,
and in every branch of work under
such departments, is requisite at this
time to achieve the greatest attainable
expedition in the Nation's preparation
for war.
The standard efficiency methods ap
I proved by long experience and practice
? in large private industrial plants by
time studies, by premiums, bonuses
j and cash rewards to workers in addi
? tion to regular wages have been pro?
| ductive of marvelous results in the in?
crease of the output, and have given
| remarkable rewards to capable work?
ers, who by greater natural or ac
I quired skill were able to outstrip tho
laggard and less efficient workers.
But the walking delegates' mandate
is that the output of the capable and
efficient worker shall be no greater
th-n that of the incompetent, and,
therefore, all time studies, bonuses
and like inducements to efficiency are
forbidden wherever trade unions dic?
tate and the efficient man is held in
check and to the pace fixed by the in
, efficient.
In the 62d, 63d and 64th Congresses
? the walking delegates' influence nre
vailed and provisions enacted in the
various naval, military and sundry
civil bills forbade the adoption of any
efficiency methods affecting employees
engaged on Government work.
The walking delegates, with head?
quarters at the National Capital, are
supporting the following provision in
the pending Naval Appropriation bill,
viz.:
"That no part of the appropriations
made in this Act shall be available for
the salary or pay of any officer, man?
ager, superintendent, foreman or other
person having charge of the work of
any employee of the United States
Government while making or causing
to be made with a stop-watch or other
time-measuring device a time, study of
any job of any such employee between
the starting and completion thereof, or
of the movements of any such em?
ployee while engatced upon such work;
nor shall any part or the appropria?
tions made in this Act be available to
p . any premiums or bonuses or cash
reward to any employee in addition to
his regular wages, except for sugges?
tions resulting in improvements or
economv in the operation of any Gov?
ernment plant."
In February. 1917, the House of
Representatives bv a vote of 114 w
101 attached a similar provision to the
Army Appropriation bill in defiance of
the adverse report of the Committee
on Military Affairs, the prof?';- of the
I Secretarv of War and the Chief of
Ordnance.
That was before the United States
had entered the war. It was repre?
hensible then, but approaches treason
now, and is treasonable to the extent
that it will give aid and comfort to
the enemy by hampering efficiency and
diminishing the output of material im?
peratively needed to supply our Army
and Navy with the means with which
to fight.
On Thursday last the U. S. Senate
by a vote of 34 to 25 rejected an
amendment to the Sabotage bill, which
had been introduced in the House, and
reported by the Conference Commit?
tee of the Senate, which would have
exempted trade unions from the pro?
visions which imposed heavy fines and
imprisonment.
A press despatch from Washington
says that 11 Democratic and 23 Re
nyblican Senators voted against the
proposed exemption of trade unions,
while -1 Rcnublican Senators voted for
such exemptions, so that party lines
were broken on the question. Several
Senators pointed out very definitely
that under, the Ruise of striking for
more wages trade unions might easily
be nor^uaded by pro-German agitators
or I. W. W. to stop work in vital war
industries. A number of Adminiatra
? tion Senators denounced any policy,
that would permit interference with
wnr work at the very time when Amer?
ican troops are going into action in
the battle of Picardy and asserted that
strikes would be a direct blow at the
soldiers.
It is quite as manifest that if all
efficiency methods shall be forbidden
by Congress as proposed in the pro?
vision of the Naval Appropriation bill
that we have quoted, and if the pace
of our war work is to he gauged by
the pnce and capacity of the indolent
worker and no advafntape cr.n be taken
of trie possibilities of the capable and
the efficient, it will constitute a direct
blow nl the soldiers quite as disas?
trous in its effect as a strike.
Although the walking delegates are
responsible for the introduction of the
pending anti-efficiency provision of the
Naval Appropriation bill. it. neverthe?
less, will not be enacted unless cow?
ardly fear and selfish political consid?
erations prevail with Senators ?n?
Representatives in Congress over
patriotism and the performance of a
clear duty to our- fighting men at the
front and to the Nation.
In this attitude towards the pe.idmg
provision the loyalty of every Senat?'
and member of Congress is on tr>*'*
The issue is clear. Its support will &*
from selfish motives and a disregara
of the vital war situation. .
We therefore verv earnestly ?PP**1
to Senators WadswoVth and Calder *w
I to every Representative in Congres?
from this State to oppose by their m
! fiuenco mid their vote the passage ox
the above quoted provision of ttw
; Naval Appropriation bill, ?nd e'f,-?J
i other proposed measure which wou'*
operate to limit the efficiency of ??X
employee of the Government ?"V
hamper tho prosecution of the ??? ?