Evening star. [volume], August 26, 1918, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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WEATHER.
Cloudy, probably light rain late to
ri ight and tomorrow; not much change
in temperature. ,
Temperature for twentv-four hours
ending 2 p.m. today: Highest, 91, at
2 p.m. today; lowest, 70, at 7 a.m.
today.
Full report on page twelve.
Closing New York Stocks, Page 12.
Member of the Associated Press
Tka lirtUM Fna. I, actntrclr (atltM ?
tlM w for lepoblietttoi of all am dlimtchM
credited to It or not otherwise credited la tkl?
All rights of pnbllcatloa of epedsl
Saturday's Net Circnlation, 91,152
Sunday's Net Circulation, 764)57
No. 27,152.
*?
WASHINGTON, D. C., MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1918?SIXTEEN PAGES.
TWO CENTS.
Substitutes House Measure
for One Pending and Gives
It Clear Track.
SOME CHANGE PROPOSED
A clear track was given in the
Senate today to the manpower bill,
broadening the Army draft age limits
to eighteen and forty-flve years.
When the Senate convened, under a
long stand4ng agreement to take up '
the national prohibition measure, it
was temporarily laid aside upon re
quest of Senator Sheppard of Texas, j
and the man-power bill, passed last
Saturday by the House, given right
of way. Senate debate on amend
ments to the measure was resumed
and its passage late today or tomor- i
row was expected.
To expedite and simplify procedure,
the House bill today was substituted J
for the draft which has been pend
ing in the Senate. The Senate mili- |
tary committee met before the Sen
ate convened today and reported the j
House bill with minor amendments, '
as well as adding the Senate amend
ments, including the "work-or-fight"
proposal, without change.
One Amendment Stricken Ont.
The Senate committee, however,
struck out the amendment of Rep
resentative Tread way of Massachu
setts, adopted by the House, provid
ing for appointment of special ex
aminers by the provost marshal
general to re-classify men in existing
deferred classes.
This amendment, the Senate com
mittee felt, would cripple authority of
state draft boards and also is un- i
necessary, because Gen. Crowder al
ready has power to make any re
classification deemed desirable. Other
changes in the House bill made by the
Senate committee were unimportant.
Vigorous contests were expected on
the floor of the Senate today center
ing about the "work or fight" amend
ment, which provides that men given
deferred classification upon abandon
ing their civilian work through
strikes or in any other way will there
by lose their deferred classification
and render themselves liable to imme
diate induction into military service.
.Labor leaders have vigorously op
rosed the amendment on the ground
that it is a reflection on the loyalty of
American labor.
President Wilson's Suggestion.
President Wilson, in conference
with Senate leaders last week, is '
understood to have suggested that j
the amendment is unnecessary, the
War Department already having the
power which the amendment would
confer.
The fight on the "work-or-fight"
amendment, however, was not counted
upon as retarding a final vote on the
bill to any great extent, and Senate
leaders today confidently expected to
dispose of the measure by tomorrow
at the latest.
Vote on Proposed Changes.
By a vote of 40 to 30 the Senate to
day rejected an amendment offered
by Senator Shields of Tennessee,
which would permit the employment
of wives of soldiers and sailors in the
various government departments
without their being compelled to take
a civil service examination. The Sen
ate then adopted a committee amend
ment which provides that the fact
that a woman is married, when her
husband is a soldier or sailor in ac
tive service during this war. shall be
no bar to her entering the civil serv
ice of the government.
Call Shields Amendment Unwise.
The Shields amendment was vigor
ously denounced by Senators Thomas,
Cummins, Smith of Michigan and
Smoot, the first-named charging that
it was "unwise and unnecessary legis
lation of the most pronounced charac
ter." Opponents of the proposal as
serted it would practically set aside
the civil service regulations and per
mit any woman who was the wife of a
man in the military or naval service to
?btain a government position without
regard to her qualifications.
Another committee amendment
adopted provides that men under
twenty-one shall not be denied com
missions or entrance to officers' train
ing camps because of their youth.
Free Education Clause Debated.
The amendment proposing free edu
cation of not more than two years
for men enlisted or drafted under
twenty-one caused considerable dis
cussion. Senator Smoot complained
because no educational plan had been
worked out and no cost estimate
given.
Senator Borah replied that educa
tion of the boys who return from
abroad is not a question of dollars
and cents and is the best investment
the government could make. They
are entitled to free education. Sena
tor Borah and others declared, be
cause they will be fighting when they
would be getting their education.
AMERICAN AIRMEN MET
SUPERIOR FOE FORCE
By the Associated Press.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, August 25.?An account of
the aerial operations carried out by
an American squadron over the Ger
man lines, from which Lieut. John
McArthur of Buffalo, N. Y., failed to
return, shows that McArthur and his
formation met superior German for
mations while almost thirty miles
north of the American lines. They also
encountered heavy anti-aircraft fir
ing. The engagement took place
north of the Aisne.
McArthur and one other airman
failed to return to their lines. Three
planes came back, but the pilot of
one of them was so badly wounded
that he died later in the hospital.
His name and that of the second avia
tor who failed to return have not been
made public.
AMERICAN FORCES ON THE LOR
RAINE FRONT, Friday. August 23.?
American bombing airplanes yester- I
day dropped thirty-eight bombs on
Conflans, a town on the Verdun-Mets I
railroad. Ten direct hits were ob
tained.
Three aerial combats were report
ed yesterday in the Woevre region.
Lieut. Jones attacked and apparently
destroyed an albatross biplane over
Marre, northwest of Verdun. Lieut.
Hugh Bridgeman while on a recon
uoissance patrol attacked two Fok
" kers which disappeared, seemingly!
falling to the ground. Another air
man saw a German machine going
downward in a steep side slip after
if had been fired upon by each pilot
the American patrol
HUN ARMY NOW IS
INFERIOR TO ALLIES
Entente Hitting With Re
newed Vigor, Thanks to
Americans' Arrival.
TURNING POINT IS SEEN
BY DAVID IAWHENCE.
(Copyright, 191*. by the New York Ermlil*
Post Company.)
Gen. March quite recently made
it clear that the gain or loss of terri
tory was not so important a phase of
the war just now as the blows being
inflicted on the enemy by the allies.
"The objective of each army.'i he
I said, "is the other army." A canr
vass made today of the best military
minds here leads to the conclusion
that the entente armies are meeting:
j with substantial success in every re
| spect and that both in morale and
? number^ the German army now is ln
j ferior to its adversary.
I It is true that the allies have not
| yet reached the same points on the
map which they occupied before* the
Germans undertook their super-of
fensive in March last, but If German
losses have been greater than those
of the allies, if the spirit of their
troops has been weakened by the
steady blow^ with which Marshal
Foch has been hammering away at
the enemy all along the line, then it
can be adopted as absolutely logical
! that the entente is in the process of
| winning the war.
See Turning Point Now.
The military men here are not swept
away by glowing headlines and spo
radic successes, but are conservative
in their judgment of the enemy's
strength.
They are not inclined to rash
statement and they have been un
willing up till now to admit that the
war had entered into the final stages, j
They believe, however, that the turn- I
ing point has come. Every report
from the other side which reaches
here shows that while the allied j
armies were in a more or less des- j
j perate situation on June 8 last, when i
j the moiale of the French was partic
ularly low, the subsequent advance of,
the French and British, in co-opera-1
tion with the American forces, re
versed the situation entirely. While |
the allied peoples were probably a
little more despondent in June than
they need to have been, it is corre- 1
spondingly true that the initial vie- j
tories carried them to a point of ela
tion which was somewhat in excess of
that warranted by the actual facts.
But the change in morale has had its
beneficial effect, and can be measured
in the increased offensive power of ;
the entire allied army. Our military
observers have modestly sought to
find the reasons for the allied success
in operations other than those in
which the Americans have partici
pated. but making every allowance
for the rejuvenated spirits of the
French and the British due to the
presence of the bin American Army In
France, there is absolutely no preju
dice in the conviction which now pre
vails that Gen. Pershing's men
turned the tide of battle.
Both the French and the British
were somewhat surprised at the;
adaptability of the American troops
to European conditions of warfare,
and there is good ground for the be
lief that when the first American
forces met with success at Chateau
Thierry. the French high command
promptly decided to use Americans in
great numbers along vital stretches of
the front. Details of what America
did to check the German offensive are
not yet collected sufficiently to pre
sent in any comprehensive form, and
the speed with which the situation
changes on the western front makes .
it impossible to form a careful judg- !
ment of America's real value in the
fighting thus far. But when the Ger
mans are finally pressed back to the
old Hindenburg line there will prob
ably be appraisals on both sides.
Most Let Germany Know.
From a publicity point of view it Is j
of the utmost importance that the j
part America has played thus far in
the actual fighting operations be made
known in Germany.
Already the German press reflects
great uneasiness over what the
American divisions of the future are
likely to do. The business of war so
far as America is concerned, has been
greatly simplified by the pooling of
allied resources, and the Germans can
expect the regular transportation of
American forces at the rate of 200,000
a month for many months to come.
Gen. March's own prediction is that
eighty American divisions can win the
war, and the rapidity with which I
American drafted troops have been i
trained in the past gives ground for |
the further assertion that a large
part of the eighty divisions will be !
ready for the fray in the early spring
of next year. Many American troops
have gone into action with tipward j
of three months' training and have j
given a good account of themselves.
Every lull in the situation on the
western front gives more time for
training. At present it looks as if
the policy of the allies would be to
keep annoying the enemy and forcing
his retirement at the least cost of
man power, but that the main effort
of the entente will be made late this
year or early in 1919.
Germaa Retreat Forced.
i Every examination of cabled and
mail reports from the other side leads
| to the judgment that the German
withdrawal is by no means voluntary,
I but forced, and that it is accompanied
j by hardly as much order and strategic
| movement as was possible in previous
I retreats. The farther back the Ger
mans are pressed the closer wil^the
allied airmen be to German terrWbry
and the more successful will be their
bombing expeditions. The German
long-range guns, moreover, diminish
in usefulness as the allies force the
enemy farther away from important
French cities.
On the whole, the military side of
Washington, which has proved very
conservative in the past and not in
the least affected by the occasional
advance and gains in territory in
which many military critics have pro
fessed to see tremendous significance,
now believes that the allied armies
are injuring the Germans far more
than they are themselves being in
jured, that the morale of the Ger
man troops and people is much lower
than it has been since the beginning
of the war, and that the morale of the
French and British is excellent, and
that with the prompt response of
the people of the United States to the
call for men between the ages of
eighteen and forty-flve, the end of
the war and the right kind of peace
are not matters of the indefinite
future, but can be definitely counted
upon for the year 1919.
Big Effort Lies Ahead.
But the process of winning* flie
war has only begun and the maximum
effort of the allied peoples hits not
been made in the past, but must yet
be made in the remaining months of
this year and the critical twelv<?
?onth thereafter. v
YOUR FIGHT, TOO.
CHURCHMEN TOLD
Gen. Pershing Points Out In
calculable Force of
Prayers.
REPLIES TO A MESSAGE
By the Associated Press.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. August 25.?"In the name
of the American Army in France, as
well as in my own, I thank you for
your kind and stimulating message."
said Gen. John J. Pershing, the Amerl
I can commander-in-chief, in replying
; today %to a message from the Federal
Council of Churches of Christ in
I America.
"It is the consciousness that the
soldier has behind him an undivided
i nation," Gen. Pershing continued,
"which enables him, whatever his rank,
j to face his task with courage. We
Americans have the added inspiration
J and encouragement that flows from the
example of friendship of our allies who
for four years have been fighting our
battles in their fighting.
"Standing by their sides we expect
not only to indicate the common cause
of justice, honor and righteousness,
but also to lay a solid foundation for
a world's peace.
Set Faces Toward Goal.
"We dare not claim that as. an army
we have yet achieved that high stand
ard of manhood and conduct on which
the largest human effectiveness should
I be built, but the ideal of the nation
and the churches is still constantly
before us. With sincerity and a firm
purpose we have set our faces toward
the poal. ^
"After all, it is a common fight?
I yours there and ours here. What is
I necessary for the manhood of the sol
j dier is necessary for the manhood of
citizens. The powerful resources of
the nation, which have been placed
ungrudgingly at the disposition of the
Army, are indispensable for the ac
complishment of our duty. But we
know that mere wealth and material
resources, and even technical skill,
will not suffice.
Incalculable Force of Prayer.
"The Invisible, unconquerable force
let loose by the prayers, hopes and
ideals of Christian America, of which
you are the representative, is incalcu
lable. It furnishes the soul and the
motive for the military body and its
co-operation; it steadies us to resist
manfully the temptations which as
! sail us in the extraordinary conditions
in which we find ourselves.
"Your message of loyalty to us
draws this reciprocal message of
loyalty to you. We of the Army think
with gratitude and emotion of the un
flagging service and wonderful trust
in us of the churches at home. May
we prove ourselves worthy of it*
The message -to-which Gen. Pershing
refers was signed by Rev. James L
Vance. Albert G. Lawson and others. It
assured Gen. Pershing and the Ameri
can Army that the churches were ma
terially and morally with them until
a full victory was attained.
SMEKK
THRJEMENLOST
I Ensign Pero and Two Others
Victims of Collision Off
Fire Island.
Losfl of a naval seaplane, with her
crew of three, Including Ensign Don
ald C. Pero, In collision with another
seaplane off Fire Island Saturday
evening, was announced today by the
Navy Department.
Pero's machine Is believed to have
sunk immediately after falllnr Into
the water. Mine sweepers searched
the vicinity, but could discover no
trace either of the crew or of the
plane.
Ensign Stevens Lands Safely.
Ensigrn H. Stevens, piloting the
other plane, landed safely on the wa
ter with his mechanic and assistant
and aided in the unsuccessful search.
The accident occurred about 7 o'clock
is the evening. ? ,
The two men missintr with Enslsn
' Pero are W. C. Jaegel. chief machinist
mate, and F. A. Newman, machinist
! mate.
AIRPLANE AMBULANCES
FOR ALL FLYING FIELDS
Airplane ambulances to carry injured
j aviators quickly from the scaene of an
> 'accident to a field hospital, are to be pro
j vided at all flying fields.
Successful experiments with the am
| bulance plane at Gerstner Field, Lake
I Charles, La., led to their Introduction
at the nine Texas fields, and the War
I Department announced today that all
field commanders had been instructed to
follow the example.
STRIKE HALTS WORK OF
FLEET CORPORATION
SEATTLE, Wash.. August 26.?Fol
lowing the breaking off of negotia
tions last night between representa
tives of the Pacific Coast Steel Com
pany and employes of the company
engaged on contracts for the Emer
gency Fleet Corporation a strike was
declared at 7 o'clock today. The em
! ployes declared that more than one
thousand workers went out. They de
I mand pay and working conditions
[ similar to those in effect in the ship
| yards.
SEVEN SUITE BY U-BOAT.
Fishing Craft Were Few Miles
Outside of "Free Channel."
YMUIDEN, Holland, August 26.?
Seven fishing boats have just been
sunk by the same submarine. Three of
them were of Dutch registry. The
crews of the destroyed boats have
-t*ften landed here. The craft were fish
ing a few miles outside of what has
been known as the "free channel."
U. S. LABOR'S STAND
TO BETOLD ALLIES
Samuel Gompers Heads Del
egation on Way to Present
Facts to Workmen.
Accompanied by a delegation of
i eight labor leaders of this country,
Samuel Gompers, president of the
I American Federation of Labor, has
left for Europe to, present to the
i workingmen of England, France and
1 Italy the position which labor In the
United States has taken on questions
Involved lo the war,
yrm Confer With Unions.
Frank MorrUon. Secretary of the
American Federation of Labor, said
the delegation will confer with trade
unions in each of the three countries,
explaining to them the stand which
the workingmen of this country have
taken on the big problems of the day
for labor.
It is understood that Mr. Gompers
will advocate President Wilson's un
qualified peace conditions among the
tabor circle of the allied countries.
The delegates will attend an inter
allied war conference in England
September 17, 18 and 19.
Reports are current that Mr. Gom
pers also will use bis Influence in
British labor circles against the so
cialist labor element of Great Britain,
which is urging a speed/ peace re
gardless of whether (Mluiany Is
crushed.
Those in the Party.
Those accompanying Mr. Gompers
are: C. L. Batne, secretary of the Boot
and Shoe Workers; John P. Frey, ed
itor of the International Molders'
Journal: Edgar Wallace, former ed
itor of ' the United Mine Workers'
Journal; James Wilson, president of
the Pattern Makers' league; F. J. Mc
Nulty, president of the International
Electrical Workers;1 John Golden,
United Textile Workers; Michael
Green. United Hatters; Peter Joseph
ine. Garment Cutters' Association,
and William J. Bowen, representing
bricklayers, masons and plasterers.
"CLEVER RETREATS" WIN
PRAISE FROM FOE PAPER
AMSTERDAM. August 25.?After
summarising the recent fighting on
the western front, where he declared
the entente allies everywhere had
failed to attain their object of break
ing through the German lines, the
Berlin correspondent of the Cologne
Gazette, in an attempt to reassure
his readers regarding the outcome of
the battles, concludes his article as
'""These tremendous failures of all
narts of the front give the German
command and their troops reason to
look forward with entire confidence
to the further heavy battles which
i?e expected. ? ? * The fact that
after the heavy battles an unobserved
withdrawal has been possible shows
In the clearest manner that the Ger
man command Is master of the situa
tion and has retained freedom or
decision in all Uwse battle days.
AUSTRIAN LIFE GUARDS
FIGHTING WITH GERMANS
PARIS, August 26 (Havas).?The
appearance of Austro - Hungarian
troops on the -western front did not
surprise the newspapers, which de
clare that the presence of the Aus
trians behind the German lines was
actually known for several months.
The presence of the Austrian* as
fighting troops at the request of Ger
many IS declared to be striking proof
of the seriousness of the enemy's sit
ulThe" Petit Journal says that the
Austrians captured by the French
belonged to the life guards.
for SUSPENDING DUTIES
ON RED CROSS IMPORTS
A Bouse bill suspending customs
duties on Red Cross Imports was
passed today by the Senate and sent
io President Wilson for his approval.
?
ALLIES "GUESSING" GERMANS
SO AS TO PLAN FOR WINTER
Looking beyond the continued gains
of the allies on the western battle
fronts, the taking day by day of small
areas of territory, of men and guns,
military men here are seeking to forecast
the alignment for the coming winter
and the effect of the current successes
upon the ending of the war. This en
deavor involves trying to penetrate the
design of the German high command
and guess its object.
Convinced that the Germans have
failed in their objectives of a military J
decision this year?which was the goal
of the drive of March 21?and believing
that such a decision will be impossible
hereafter, the military experts are cast
ing about in their minds for what the
Germans hope to accomplish. The
enemy is resourceful, it is acknowl
edged. adroit and tricky and no one here
deludes himself witk. Jfce thought that
the Germans have give* VP hope.
Look for Peace Drive.
Am nearly as they figure it out ndw,
the experts here think that the Ger
mans intend to rest in a secure de
fensive on the old Hindenburg line
during the winter, in the meantime
to resort to their second linerof ac
tion, "peace" intrigue; to build up
their defensive s# that it may present
an apparent front of impregnability,
hoping to convince the allies in the
spring that Germany cannot be
beaten, while trusting to the chance
of the allies becoming wearied and
agreeing to a patched-up peace. All
this time the Germans will be rest
ing on captured territory, not hav
ing yielded an inch of their own
ground, so that what they might give
in the end would be only what they
had wrested from the opposition up
to this time.
Gen. March, chief of staff of the
United States Army, within the last
few days has pointed out in positive
Lnd unequivocal language that this
expected calculation of the Germans
bids fair to end in disappointment to
them. The "cold military opinion" of
the authorities of this country, quot
ing from Gen. March's words, is that
by June of next year, with the 4.000.
000 men this country is preparing to
throw onto the battle front, it will
be possible to break down the defense
of the Hindenburg line and quite
practicable for the allies to force a
military decision, which will be a
military victory, the victors to dic
tate the terms of peace.
There is at present no indication of
a weak spot in this calculation of the
TRAWLERS TO REPLACE
FISHING CRAFT ON COAST
Pishing craft destroyed by German
submarines off the New England coast
will be replaced^ by the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, at the request of
the food administration, with deep
sea, modern trawlers.
Construction will be begun immedi
ately on the seventy-five vjessels, to
be in operation on the Atlantic and
Pacific coasts and in the Gulf of Mex
ico early in 1919. The food adminis
tration asked for the boats in order to
increase the production of salt-water
fish. /
Heavy increases in the annual pro
duction of haddock, small cod, flat
fish and other salt-water varieties
are expected to result from operation
of the new trawlers and enable car
loads to enter all the Interior mar
kets of the country every week in
the year, stabilizing prices at low
levels.
LODGE PEACE TERMS
NOT TO PAPER'S LIKING
Berlin Lokal Anzeiger Comments
on Senator's Speech Against
' German Position.
AMSTERDAM. Augnat 26.?Com
menting on the speech of Senator
Lodge, advocating a peace dictated
by the allies, the Lokal Anselger of
Berlin says:
"Even those who most keenly Ke
slre an understanding must realize
that an understanding Is Impossible
so long as such views obtain among
the enemy. All love of peace Is use
less In such a case and our sword
rnqst continue to speak until our op
ponents have convinced ttowilwi
that they cannot ?vwi at,*
general staff as voiced by Gen. March.
The 4,000,000 men are available; Con
press by its vote in the popular
branch Saturday is showing: cheerful
disposition to grive them to the Army:
the country is acquiescent with equal
enthusiasm; preparations to secure
?shipping: to transport them are in
creasing: apace, and the U-boat men
ace is not to be allowed to hamper
their sailing; the country is submit
ting: to increased taxation and ready
for additional loan subscriptions to
finance the expedition; labor is will
ing:, business is curtailing in non
essential branches to release more
labor for war work. Everywhere is
the spirit of sacrifice and endeavor.
The French, British, Italian and
Belgian war missions in Washington
are thoroughly alive to all these con
siderations and keep their govern
ments and the press of their countries
posted as to developments, to encour
age and hearten the allies to "sit
tight."
If the winter can fee gotten over
without Germany's ? Insidious "poison
peas of peace." as Senator Lodge term
ed it in the Senate the other day,
asphyxiating the allies, the military
authorities here believe the weight of
military strength will be with the
'"allies when the hour comes for the
final advance, the outcome of which
may mark the decision of the strug
gle. They . do not underestimate, the
recuperative power of the Germans,
which will undoubtedly be drawn upon
to the limit; do not lose sight of the
possibility of the enemy drawing
great strength from Russia, do not
forget that the Germans will be fight
ing at their own thresholds and nerv
ed by the thought that they are fight
ing the last battle for existence.
Will Not Permit Let-Hp.
All these considerations are taken
into calculation here, and with them
all totaled, the "cold military opin
ion" still remains that the weight of
battle will be with the allies. But, it
will be the aim of the military au
thorities here, and the government,
to impress upon the American people
continually the danger of relaxing ef
fort and harboring the thought that
the victory is as good as won. Ger
man peace intrigue must yet be dealt
with, and the thought must be kept
continually before the American peo
ple, it is iterated and reiterated by
military authorities, that the calcula
tions of victory are based upon maxi
mum effort.
Falling short of this maximum ef
fort will shift the balance of power
to the enemy. American effort, to ac
complish the end in view, must be
100 per cent, and not a decimal point
less. Overcon fide nee must be scrapped.
PAPER HITS WEBB LAW
By the Associated Pit*s.
BUENOS AIRES, August 26.?The
Webb law which has been adopted by
the United States Congress and per
mits American exporters to co-operate
in foreign trade is sharply criticised
in a long editorial printed today by
La Epoca, the government newspaper.
This measure has been repeatedly at
tacked by other leading newspapers
of Argentina.
"South American markets will be
left to fight as best they can against
the same commercial practices which
are prohibited between the states,"
says La Epoca. "It is not likely we
shall find tolerable that which the
states have prohibited because it was
obnoxious to them."
The newspaper expresses the hope
that after the war the competition of
other nations will counterbalance the
effect of the Webb law in Argentina.
CONFIRMS THE KILLING
OF SON OF FORMER CZAR
Shot by One of Bolshevik Band
After Being: Told of Father's
Execution.
LONDON, August it.?A Russian
prince who recently arrived in Lon
don, according to the Daily Mail, con
firms the vague rumois of the killing
of Alexis, the son of the former em
peror. After the father was executed,
the bolshevikl went t^ the son say
ing:
"We killed your father?a dog's
death for a dog."
Alexis burst Into tears and one of
the band then, shot him dead. The
pmf wu fourteen rears o!4 Jul? >8.
BRITISH REACH OLD
"HINDENBURG LINE"
ALONG THE SCARPE
Take Several Villages in New
Drive in Vicinity
of Arras.
BAPAUME, NEARLY ENCIRCLED,
TESTS HUNS' HOLDING POWER
By the Anoeiated Pre**.
Extending the Picardy battle line far to the north into the
Artois se'ctor, the British launched an attack this morning in
the Scarpe region east of Arras. This attack may be considered
as a new development of the terrific battle east of the Ancre river
which has been going on since last Wednesday.
The British war office says that good progress is being made
in the new attack, which was begun in an area where the Germans
hold strongly fortified lines which have been held by them for
the last two years.
Just to the south of the Cojuil river the British have seem
ingly encountered a slight setback, for today's reports show that
they are fighting west of regions where the battle was said to be
going on yesterday.
Bapaume is seemingly being slowly pocketed by the British.
Favreuil, a mile and a half to the northeast, has been taken by the
British, who have passed beyond the village, while further north
Mory has been left behind by Field Marshal Haig's men.
Progress Along Somme.
Progress on each side of the Somme
river is officially reported from Lon
don and it is said that the British are
advancing toward Maricourt, four
miles northeast of Bray.
There has been great artillery ac
tivity from Roye to the Aisne river,
according to the French official report,
but there is no mention of new in
fantry attacks in this vital sector.
German surprise attacks on the
French lines in the Vosges sector ltave
been repulsed, according to Paris.
As the battle stands today the British
appear to be Quite near the old Hin
denburg line south of Arras, while
they are making an attack directly
against it along the Scarpe river. If
the attack launched this morning is
successful it may have a determining
effect on the course of the battle fur
ther south, for a German retreat over
wide section might be forced. It
tie area, It is reported. This will tend
to slow down the movement of troops
French Artillery Hammering.
North from Soissons, past Xoyon to
Roye, the French are hammering the
Germans with their artillery. Except
on the vital sector north of Soist*ons
the infantry has been inactive, liast
of Bagneux Gen. Mangic has captured
400 prisoners in a successful thrust
eastward. It is not improbable, in
view of the reports of an enemy re
tirement north of the Vesle. that the
Germans are holding here in order to
protect the flank .of the withdrawal
movement between JRheims and Sois
sons.
Premier CSemencetru say* the for
tunes of the war have been definitely
decided owing to the victories of the
last six weeks. Austro-Hungarian
soldiers have been taken prisoner by
the allies at two different points on M
the main battle line, but there are no *
indications that Austrian aid for the
battered German divisions is in great
force.
Comparatively heavy fighting is
taking place in Albania. Vienna says
that Austrian troops have crossed the
Semeni near the Adriatic and claims
also will affect the Flanders sector to J successes also in the center and on
the north from which the Germans the enemy left. Rome reports the re
fcare said to be retiring. pulse of Austrian attacks against ad
Heavy rain is falling over the bat- I vanced posts along the Semeni.
British Drive Germans Out .
of More Villages in New Push
LONDON. August 26.?British troops
attacked this morning in the Scarpe
sector east of Arras, and good prog
ress is being made, according to the
official statement issued at the war*
office today.
The attack %was launched between
the Scarpe river at Fampoux and the
| heights northeast of Neuvill^-Vitasse.
1 The battle this morning again ex
tended the active front to the north
ward, fresh British forces launching
a new attack from the River Scarpe
to what heretofore had been the left
flank of the battle line. Everywhere
the German line is reported to have
been beaten in as the British troops
push forward. With the customary
"crash" bombardment the British
went over at 3 o'clock this morning
and seem to have made good progress.
The official correspondent with the
Australian forces in France tele
graphs:
"The Germans are retreating, fight
ing rear guard actions. On Saturday
night ammunition dumps could be
seen burning everywhere.
"About 12,000 Germans have been
captured by the Australians alone
since August 8, a much greater num
ber than all the Australian casual
ties.'4
, Advanced Two Miles.
In a few hours the British made an
advance of two miles on a front of
four miles, according to advices re
ceived here from the battlefront.
Five Villages Taken.
Monchy-le-Preux, Guemappe and
Wancourt, a little less than five miles
southeast of Arras, have been taken.
Further south the British have taken
Mory and made progress to the south
east of the village.
Fighting is reported proceeding at
Heninel.
WITH THE BRITISH FORCES IN
FRANCE, August 26.?British troops
in their new drive on the Arras front
this morning are reported to have en
tered the town of Monchy-le-Preilx
and to have captured Orange hilL
North of Bapaume the Germans
have been driven farther back. Ac
cording to a report from the front
lines, the British have reached the
Bapaume-Beugnatre road and have
established themselves there.
The Germans are making great ef
forts to hold Bapaume, but the town
is gradually being surrounded.
The line of battle, starting with
Fampoux. on the Scarpe river, fol-1
lows: Monchy-le-Preux, Guemappe.
Wancourt, Heninel, Croiselles, east
of Mory, Favreuii, Avesnes, Eau
court-l'Abbaye, Martinpuich. west of
Bazentin-le-Petit, Mametz and Car- j
noy and then proceeds to the Somme 1
Just to the west of Maricourt. There j
is little change south of the Somme
except that the British line has been
improved to the east of Chuignes.
Fresuoy-les-Boye Taken.
In the battle area south of the
?gmma Gen. Dwbeney', French army
has captured Fresnoy-les-Roye. about
three miles north of Roye, according
to today's pispatches. Gen. Mangin's
army also has made a slight advance
between the Ailette and the Aisne.
Four hundred prisoners were taken
by this army yesterday.
The towns of Monchy-le-Preux.
Guemappe and Wancourt were on
the Hindenburg line as it stood
prior to the German drive on
Afarch 21. In this sector the Ger
mans drove ahead slightly, but
were held up after the second dav
of the fighting:, and after that time
could not get near Arras. This
morning's attack apparently was
between the Cojuel river and the
Scarpe, and adds about four miles
to the length of the battle front.
Heavy Bain Falling.
The British oosition southeast of
Mory and west of Croisilles has been
improved in spite of a heavy rain,
which is falling on the battlefield, the
statement says.
F-avreuil, a mile and a half north
east of Bapaume, has been captured
and the British have advanced beyond
the village.
The British lines have been ad
vanced slightly astride the Somme and
progress has been made in the direc
tion of Maricourt, four miles north
east of Bray.
Strong German counter attacks no rib
and south of Bapaume have been re
pulsed.
Counter Offensive Fails.
PARIS. August 26, 1 p.m.?The Ger
mans today attempted a counter of
fensive on a large scale against the
right wing of Gen. Mangin's army, in
the region between Vailly and Sois
sons. The attack utterly failed.
Gen. Mangin's army nepulsed the
i German onslaughts everywhere and
in some instances gained ground. The
French flung back the attacking
troops even beyond their starting
points.
BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, August 26 (Reuter's Limit
ed).?British troops yesterday took
another 1,500 prisoners and made a
further collection of guns, trench
mortars and machine guns. Field
Marshal Haig's forces swung forward
as far as Longueval in thefr advance
north of the Somme.
British Beport Losses.
LONDON, August 26?The British
third and fourth armies suffered cas
ualties estimated at about, 23.500 be
tween August 21 and AXtgust 25, ac
cording to advices from the front.
During this same period the German
losses in prisoners alone have
amounted to 20,000 men in the battle
east of the Ancre.
Fresh Toe Troops Appear.
PARIS, August 26 (Havas Agency).?
According to La Journal, three new di
visions have been identified opposite the
British. Since August 8 nearly fifty
German divisions have been in the fight
ing against the British.
The allied high command had great
hopes in the British army and the lat
est news from the front ngyi ttn*