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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1918)
THE gEMI.WgEKLY TRIBUNE. HOJTTM Pt-ATTK. NEBRASKA. INS PAY DEARLY FOR EVERY Gl DETAILS OF FIRST WEEK OF THE GREAT BATTLE TELL OF BRITI8H HEROISM. OVERWHELMED BY NUMBERS Fiercely Contesting Each Position, Halo's Men Fell Back In Good Order. Mowlno Down the Advancing Foe and Often Counter-Attacking. London. DotnllB of the first week Df tho grent bnttlo In Franco show thnt while tho fighting has hecn more severe than in nny previous offensive, thero hns hecn no cnuso for pessimism. Tho German losses linvo been' ter rific, probably 250,000 casualties buy ing been suffered by the kaiser's hosts. At such cost they won less tlinn one third of the ground on which they hnd counted. The mornlo of tho British troops hns been perfect throughout nnd they havo fought magnificently. Million Germans In Action. These facts stand out: It Is known that at lenst 1,000,000 Germans wero engaged on tho whole front of attack. In the Sommc area not less than C2 Army divisions were Identified. Tho British lino suffered Its most sovcro buffeting In this stretch, but was firm everywhere. Tho Germans bolloved that n loss of C00.00O would bo n cheap prlco for success in tho west, but with n loss already of 200,000 there Is no pros pect of their attaining the victory they ecok. They regained all tho ground lost In tho Cambral battle and havo token back sections of tho territory taken from them In tho Sommo offcnslvo of Inst year. Tho fighting was not by any menns j continual German advance. Tho .British counter-attacked hcnvlly nnd fought for ovory foot of -ground. Details of tho Flohtlng. In ono battlo on, tho cxtromo left ,tho Germans employed not less than ,nine divisions In an effort to break through. For three days tho three ,Brltlsh divisions held them at bay. Finally, under weight of numbers, tho .British retired behind tho lino marked by tho ruined villagca of Bullccourt, Bast Noguell and Crolsellcs. Tho next morning the Germans re ,nowcd the nttnek, striking northwnrd ifrom Fontalnelles and Crolsellcs and westward from Cherlssy. They drovo In mass formation, wnvo after wavo, itoward tho heights between Henin-sur-(Oojeul to Henln hill. Two hours of drum flro, In, which gas and high-cxploslvo shells wero .mingled, preceded tho Infantry attack. From eight o'clock in tho morning un ( jtil noon continuous waves of gray-clad troops stormed tho heights. British mnchlno guns posted on tho ridge owopt down lino after lino of Germans. By thrco o'clock in tho aft ernoon tho Teutons had succeeded In pressing past Ilonln hill on both sides tend threatened to cut off tho mnchlno gunners posted on tho crests. Not ntu tnon did tho latter rotlro and ro !Jolh tho main British force. Similar fighting was going on at the same tlmo on tho right wing. Tremen dous pressure was brought to bear around St Leger, Vaulx and' Vrau court. It lasted nil day. At times under tho German blows the British lino ungged heavily, but at no point did It glvo way. Desperate Defense of Vaulx. A bitter battlo was fought for pos session of Vaulx, but British machino gunners posted in tho ruins of tho vlllago held tho Germans at bay. A ruined factory served ns u fortress desplto tho shelling to which It was subjected. Not until late In tho nfternoon was it lmposslblo for tho British to hold tho town longer. Even then tho re treat only went for n thousand yards. Tho British reur guard fought every step of tho way, und, returning to tho main body, a counter-attack was launched against tho Germans In pos session of Vaulx and tho vlllago was regained. Tho lighting continued all night Finally Vaulx had to bo abandoned beforo heavy night attacks, but only bocauso German forces had pushed pnst further up tho lino nnd wero driving to tho nttnek of Mory. Another bitter strugglo wns fought around Crolsellcs. At Mory Scottish and English troops Inflicted tremen dous losses on tho Gennnns. Sunday Battle South of Peronne. Tho fighting Sunday was tremen dous. All day long heavy forces of Germans endeavored to forco a cross ing of the Sommo south of Peronno, while further along tho lino they con centrated their efforts against Da pme. Repeatedly German engineers at tempted to throw pontoon bridges HELP WAR ON PRAIRIE DOGS Government to Assist In Fighting Ro dents Whose. Depredations Men ace Food Productions. Santo Fe, N. M. Co-operation of the United States department of agricul ture hns been promised farmers of New Mexico In their war on prairie dogs and other rodents whoso depreda tions nro a growing menace to the food production of tho state. i'i.a Xnw Mexico Stato Council of across the river. On tho nenr-by heights British field guns flrln prnc tlcnlly at point rnngo smnshoi. every effort On some occasions British In fnntry, counter-attacking, dashed Into the water to light tho Germans. With tho object of capturing Ur vlllcrs and Esslgny, southwest of St Cuentln, tho Germans employed at least six divisions, or 72,000 ihcn of storming troops, tho BOth, 45th (n serves), 11th, 88th, 187th nnr 238th, In tho proportion of one division to overy British battalion. The nvcrago width of each attack wns 2,000 yards. Ten Tanks Wreak Havoo Amid Foe. Passing through Urvlllers, thero was n bloody strugglo In a chalk quarry, where many German dead now He, After the Germans hnd como somo way forward ten British tanks drovo Into thorn nnd shattered somo of their bat- tnllons with their mnehtne-gun fire, dispersing groups of the ndvnnclng units. 1 Tho British fought many renr guard actions and mndo numerous counter uttneks In tho neighborhood of ltolscl, falling bnck to tho lino of tho Sommo only when new masses of Gcrmnns passed through thoso bnttnllons which they had not met and benten. Between Gozcaucotirt and Epephy occurred a most desperate struggle. The Germans attacked In overwhelm ing strength. Their previous bom bardment hnd hnd Ilttlo effect nnd tho British troops hnd suffered but slightly. Tho wenther wns misty, nnd, screen ed by this mist, tho Germans were on top pf tho British before tho lat ter were nwnro of It In uenso for- million they enmo on, offering excel lent targets. Ground wns yielded by tho British only under pressure of overwhelming numbers. Heroic Deeds a the British. Fighting Saturday between Arms nnd Bnpnumo for possession of the heights between tho Cojeul nnd Sen see rivers wns especially bitter. Out numbered eight to one, the British troops clung to their positions to tho last In Gauche wood, whero Scott nnd South Africans wero plnced, nnother terrific strugglo ensued. Tho Ger mans sovcrnl times managed to reach tho wood but wero repeatedly thrown back. Their losses lu killed were especially heavy, as they came on In mnss formation. Attempt nfter at tempt was frustrated. From a height below Goucho wood known ns Chupel hill to Epephy thrco German divisions nnd parts of a fourth were thrown against tho Brit ish. At ono point tho enemy wns ac tually among tho British advance posft beforo ho was discovered. The fog thoroughly screened him. waves of Germans flowed pnst tho farm and around It, but In tho farm Itself tho Lclccstcrs held out, fighting and refusing to surrender until overy mnn was klllod or so severely wounded ho could fight no more. Tho British Bhowcd tho greatest strength bctwc.cn Bapaumo and Pc ronno nnd above Bnpnumo ns far as Arras. Tho Germans, however, con cerned with tho southern flank, nt tho Franco-British junction point, concen trated their most terrific blows against tho Pcronno-nnm-Chauny line, relying on tho necessity of an automatic Brit ish withdrawal in tho north If their line wbb bent or broken In tho south. Bapaumo was an obstacle on tho northern side, to capture which they sacrificed thousands of their best troops. Illvors of blood were shed for tho town's possession In a combat that lasted almost all night, until tho British finally yielded the ruins, after having exacted a fearful price. Kaiser Orders Jubilation. Tho kaiser was with Fold Marshal von Hlndonburg In Peronne surveying the bloody fields where thousands of his best fighting meii were killed or niatmcd beforo tho British finally with drew. The wnporor ordered n general Jubilation throughout tho empire, rockets and flags and n holiday for tho children being tho chief symbols of celebration. Ho conferred a gold In laid iron cross on Illndcnburg. WUhclm nlso sent dispatches to tho empress telling of tho progress mndo by his armies. ROLL STEEL FOR $215 WEEK Many Workers In St Louis Mills Av erage $5,000 a Year, Off clal Says. St. Louis, -Hollers employed at tho St. Louis and Grnnlto City plants of tho National Enameling und Stamping company aro making as much as $210 a wock, working eight hours u dny, nn otllclal of the company said, Ho cxplulued that rollers wero paid on a tonnngo basis, and thnt such- a fig uro was unusual, but estimated that many of tho 175 rollers employed In tho two plants average $4,000 to $5,000 a year. Boiling steel Is ono of tho forms of labor requiring tho highest degreo of skill, although men sometimes servo their apprenticeship In thrco or four years. Tho work consists of superin tending the beating of steel bars thnt aro to bo rolled, adjusting tho rolls and feeding tho steel Into thorn. Dofcnso has called upon all county defense councils to furnish mnps of counties with tho area infested by the rodents plainly mnrked, A cam paign will be launched shortly to treat all the Infected areas with poison, fur nished by tho department of agricul ture. A scheme Is on foot to toko tin ore from Bolivia via tho Panama canal to Jumalca bny, where a European Arm of tin smelters has Just purchased nine acres of laud. i . i- in, in i". opium .oi college men und their friends. 2 American bluejackets going aboard one of the Dutch steamers taken over by the American government 3 Italian soldiers placing wire entnnglements along tho Pinve river lino whore nn Austrian nttnek wns threat ening. NEWS REVIEW OF THE PAST WEEK Great German Drive Slowed Up and Allied Counter-Thrust Seems at Hand. AMIENS THE HUN'S OBJECTIVE British Speedily Check Diversion At tack on , Arras French Stubbornly Hold Line on Olse Americans Acquit Themselves Well Uk rainians and Bolshevlkl' Re capture Odessa. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. Another week of the bloodiest kind of fighting failed to bring, to the Ger mans the real victory on which they had so confidently counted, for though the British anil French armies had ecn forced to yield further territory, tneir lines were unuroKen nnd tneir spirits undaunted. As the German mil itary authorities. General Ardennc, says, It Is not the capture of territory thnf can bring a decision, but only a victory over and through tho shatter ing of tho enemy's armies. So fnr from being shattered, the allied forces, weary and bnttered ns thoy nre, nre full of confidence, nnd ns this Is writ ten nre but awaiting tho opportune moment to strike back with the big army of , maneuver which was placed nt the disposal of the supreme war council. 1 Amiens, a most Important link In the British line of communications, nppenred to he tho renl objective of the Germans, nnd they were able dur ing the week to push forward toward thnt city, along tho line of the Somme, an far ns Ham el, and a little farther north they took Albert nnd were hold ing It against fierce counter-attacks by tho British. To the south they hnd pushed a salient forward n little be yond Montdldlcr, hut there tho French came back at them with such clnn thnt they were checked and lost several commanding positions. East of this sector the French troops held stub bornly to their lines along tho OlRe nnd on Thursday nttacked dashingly south of Knynn and drove tho enemy back two miles at the point of the bayonet It was along this east nnd west base of the German salient thnt the allied world expected the grent counter thrust of the nrmy of maneuver to be made. Any considerable advance to the north there It wns pointed out, would forco the Germans to draw bnck to save their lines of communication, which already nre so badly stretched out that they hnvo great difficulty In bringing up artillery nnd food. What looked like n diversion rath er than u serious thrent wns tho at tack of the Huns In the middle of the week nt the northern extremity of the line of battlo toward Arms. There the British, nfter giving soma ground, repulsed the enemy with terrlMe slaughter. Presumably this thrust at Arrns was made to keep the British from sending men and guns to the sec tor whore their lines Join those of tho French, but It wns so quickly blocked that It failed of Hk purpose. Extraordinarily bold and Miccessful wns the work of the British nnd French nvtntors. In their low-flying battle planes they Hew In swarms con tinuously over the battlefields und bnck of tho German lines, playing havoc with tho enemy's transports nnd In flicting heavy casualties In his re' serves. Buttles In the air were Innu merable, but the allied airmen inntn tnlnod tho upper hand always. Tho nrtlllerymcn nlso distinguished them selves, sticking to their firing to the litBt momunt nnd usually saving their guns when forced to fnll hack. On the whole, the developments of tho week wero such ns to restore con fidence among the nlllesl for though the situation wns still ''critical,' It seem ed that Premier Clemenceau wns right when he sold that whatever might hap pen In the next few duys, .tho enemy could not win the path to the sea nor the path to Paris. Just what part hVAmerlcnn troops have been plnylng In tho Somme battle had not been mndt clear nt the time of writing, but testimony to their ex cellent fighting wns given by n wound ed French captain who arrived In Purls. "Entirely new In this wur furc," said he, "tho Americans worked like the best veterans." Some of Pershing's men, at lenst, were moved over to the sectors left by French troops who were sent further west to stum tho Germnn advance. In their own sector uenr Toul they hnd a rnther lively week of It, for the Ger man artillery shelled them continu ously und seemed to bo preparing for nn infantry attack. The American guns made effective response, and on occasion drenched the enemy positions with gas shells. n.i. "a There were Increasing evidences dur ing the week thnt tho Itullan front Is to be the scene of another Teuton drive. Airplane observers reported that heavy re-enforcements to the Austrian forces were being brought up dally from tho Roumnnlnn front, to gether with numerous new pieces of henvy nrtlllery. In the mountain sec tion tho artillery duels grew In In tensity, and everything pointed toward nn enrly effort to break through to the plains In thnt region. It wns supposed the Austrlnns believed tho Italians would be dispirited by the German suc cesses In France. ls The "miracle gun" with which the Gcrmnns have been shelling Purls from a dlstnnce of 70 miles turns out to bo a product of tho Krupp works, as Is proved by tho kaiser's message to Doctor Krupp von Bohlen und Hul bach congratulating him on the suc cess of the new weapon. A German ordnance authority says theso cjstruor dlnnry guns nre merely being tested on Pnris nnd have been built for the purpose of bombnrdlng London. Another considerable victory was scored lost week by the British forces In Mesopotamia, the entire Turkish nrmy In the Hit area being captured or destroyed. In Pulestlne Allenby's men continued their advance beyond the Jordan, approaching tho Hcdjnz railway on which they heavily bombed troop transport trains. !s The revolt of the Russians ugnlnst the brutal pfllnglng of the Germans who have penetrated their country Is beginning to bear fruit. Troops of the Ukrainian rnda are co-operutlng with the bolshevik forces and already have recaptured Odessa ofter a bloody battle, In which naval forces took part. Before that the red guards und armed civilians hnd retnken Kherson, NIkolayev und Znumenka from .the Teutons. In some places the peasants killed the Germnn soldiers who were taking away their foodstuffs. The Ukralnlnns were angered by attempts of the Germans to go fur beyond the terms of the peace treaty und strip tho country of Its stores of grain und sugar. It Is said a council of German officer? decided to continue operations in Ukraine until the power of the bol shevlkl there had been eliminated. Trotzky, speaking In Moscow, d clared Russia will never he un on Slaved country, though the soviet gov ernment Is now weak and poor. He sold they would Introduce compulsory military training for the workmen and peasants nnd create an nrmy of :i00, 000 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 K. Chesterton says, It Is plain that the bolshevik philosophy does not prevent u mnn from fighting; It only prevents him from winning. --tea Probably It was Inevitable that pol itics should enter Into the debates and doings of congress this year, but It has taken a particularly unfortunate turn owing to the senatorial election In Wisconsin. The president, because of his effort to bring about the elec tion of Mr. Dnvles, Is accused by tho 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 advuntage from the war. Scnu tor Williams really started this row by n speech In which he charged that revelations of the failure of the nlr plane program and of tho backward ness of shipbuilding were "poisoned gns" directed by the Republicans ugalnst the administration This u vigorously denied by Senntor Jones nnd others, who contended thut tho public should be told the truth and not fed on misleading statements of tho Progress of our war preparations. In a follow-up speech Thursday Sen ator 'Williams bluntly declared that Senntor Ln Follette should be expelled from the sennte, nnd thnt Victor Berg er, Soclullst candidate for the senate from Wisconsin, should be Interned. Mr. Williams' colleagues appeared to be startled by this, but not one of them hnd the nerve to Indorse his sug gestions. As to nlrplanes, It was admitted ln the sennte thnt Instead of the 20,000 or 12,000 planes the aircraft board had promised to send to Franco by July 1, only 37 will be shipped, nccordlng to tho present schedule. Testifying be foro the sennte committee, Gen. Leon ard Wood told of the crying need for airplanes for the American expedi tionary forces now on the other side. Mr. Creel's publicity committee came in for n sharp reproof for sending out misleading captions on photographs of airplane construction. On Thursday Senntor Overmnn aroused the senate by making the pos itive stntement that German, spies were employed ln the Curtlss airplane plnnt at Buffalo, and that their work had de layed the making of planes for months. These spies, he said, had weakened Joints ln the plnncs so thnt they col lnpscd, nnd he exhibited one of tho parts so tampered with to prove his assertion. Mr. Overnjnn advocated that the government commandeer the Curtlss plant and turn out every one of Its present employees. Following the debnte in the senate the shipping board Issued a statement of its work, showing that since it begnn Its activities 188 vessels have been Inunched, of which 103 have been completed and put Into service. Of the Inunchlugs, 103 were requisitioned vessels nnd 23 were built for the board on contract In new yards. Eleven of the launcliings were wood. "Quantity production will win the war, and that is what we are 'getting," said Chair mnn Hurley. Negotiations for the transfer of 150,000 tons of Japanese shipping to the United Stntes have been completed, nnd it Is understood much more will follow. Tho government, nnd Great Britain and Frunce ns well, continue to emphn slzo tho fact that the basis of victory for the allied cause Is an adequate sup ply of shipping, for America's armies must be transported to France, food and munitions for them and for the al lles must bo taken over, and for these purposes ships must be provided much faster than the German U-boats can sink them. The latest report of the British-admiralty siiows an Increase In the num ber of larger vessels sunk by subma rines. 11 As a spur to American activity and enthusiasm, Premier Lloyd-George sent to Lord Reading, British ambassador, an uppenl for urgent haste In Amerl enn troop movements to France. This Lord Reading read nt a banquet ln his honor In New York. "It Is Impos sible," said the premier's cablegram, "to exaggerate the Importance of get ting American re-enforcements across the Atlantic In the shortest possible time." J In the German-Infested regions of the country the enemy aliens and traitors wero unable to restrain their Joy oyer the German drive, nnd In con sequence there were many arrests. It Is to be hoped that at least some of the sedltlonlsts will be severely pun ished, but In view of the mild treat ment given most of them the hope Is rather falut. Americans tho country over arc growing decidedly impatient with the kid-glove method of handling tho spies and traitors who are caught. The feeling thnt many of them should bo stood up before a wall and shot Is prevalent, and the action of Impulsive patriots In certain sections makes It plain that It would be easy to revive the Vigilantes of the old days on the Pacific coast und clean up the whole unsavory crew. The genuine spy com mands a certain amount of respect, his work being recognized In a certain measure ns a part of warfare, but there can be only contempt for the ills- loyal American citizen, whether he be I pacifist, I W. W., senator or plain civilian. PRECIOUS FREEDOM AND COST OF WAR American People Must Lend Part, or Pay All to Finance Great Conflict. BUYING OF LIBERTY BONDS Liberal Loans to Government Is Ad vancing Financial Assistance, to Our Children, Obviating Total Cost by Taxation. (By EUGENE P. LYLE, JR., of The Vigilantes.) Freedom comes high, being a pre cious thing. Being tho most precious thing, it comes highest. No people is worthy of freedom thnt Is not willing nnd eager to puy dearly for it. In fact, you will flid no people possess ing freedom thut has not paid dearly for It, and you will find no peoplo con tinuing tto possess freedom that does not stand every ready to pay dearly, over and over, to retain it. If this were not true, Belgium, France, Italy nnd England with her oversea dominions, would now be ns Russia Is todny. If this were not true, America would still be neutral, contemptibly awaiting her turn to pass under the yoke. Blood and treasure, anguish and sac rifice theso are the coin we bring to market; tho'coln wb must pay. Yet tho coin may be, nnd, is expressed In dollars nnd cents, not alone as a sym bol of tho renl price we pny, but be cause this real prlco would be wan tonly squandered, or paid ln more ghastly measure than need be, If tho cold, calm, practical business of dol-lar-and-cents financing were not at tho heart of the heroic transaction. Vainly would tho soldier shed his blood If ho were not trained nnd equipped to make his blows count to, tho utmost, nnd tho cost of this train ing nnd equipment Is an item thnt may be, and is, expressed in an exact num ber of dollars added to an exact num ber of cents. Ills country must spend precisely this amount to enable him to defend her. Consequently we of America are now confronted with the biggest war bill ln history. One yenr of this war Is costing us as much as all the wars wo hqve had before added to all the, other expenses of our federal govern ment since we first won our freedom. Lending to Our Children. Ungrudgingly, yes I Of that wo aro proudly conscious that there Is no question. The ono nnd only question is the practical question of finance. How shall tho money be found? We ourselves must supply It, since It can not be borrowed elsewhere. But howl The bill is too big 'to pay cash on tho noil as we go. And, furthermore, to pny all as we go would be . Just neither to ourselves nor to our pos terity. It would not bt- Just to ourselves because we alone will not bo tho bene ficiaries. The generations to come will benefit incnlculnbly benefit ln the lib erties preserved to them and it is proper thnt they should be left to as sume a fair proportion of the debt They nre buying freedom todny as much ns we. But wo shall have to lend them, the money now to pay their share. In lending to our government ln buying Liberty bonds we lend to our children; and gratefully our children will pay. It ott. Any other arrangement would not bo just to them for the reason that should wo strip ourselves bare to pay all now, we would be crippled In pre paring our children for the ordinary duties of citizenship. Better far thut we retain enough to so equip them for success ln life thnt they may without undue hardship tnke over their quota of this war's burden! Better for us, and better for them I Sound common sense, then, ns well as equity, points the wny. The war's burden should bo divided; Let us pay In cash us henvlly ns wo wisely mny thnt is tnxntlon. But the rest let us lenvo to the future bencficlnrles, lend ing them the money now thnt Is buy ing Liberty bonds. Freedom's Great Price. Tho present moment Is n good time to contemplnto what will happen in evitably happen If we do not lend to posterity to help pay freedom's huge price. Nothing Is clearer than the al ternative. If wo do not lend our government whnt It asks of us In loans, then we must consent that the total cost be taken from us outright by taxation even by a prorated confiscation. Beforo such nn alternative even th German, or pro-Germnn, having prop erty Interests In this country, should choose to subscribe for Liberty bonds. In our own self-interest, npart from the Issues vital to tho integrity of our manhood, we can do no less no less than lend to tho Inst cent wo may pos sibly save; and this not once merely, but eairh and every time thnt Uncle Snm sfeps from his counting house to tell us that ho must have more money. Undo Sam Is telling us this now. no awaits our response. But he Is not tho only one who waits. Wherever men nre free or suffer to bo free, there they await our response as tho answer to their hopes. And thero is yet an other who waltH tho enemy. In whatever degreo our nnswor falls of n reverberating affirmative, In exactly that degree will ho take heart to pro lony Ji hideous slaughter.