iTVn-inrA f n IT A TT Y 4 TTh A 7 TUP EE THE WEATHER Fair I . t , i . 4' V. VOL. XLVII. NO. 240. OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 25, 1918. On Train, it Hot.ll Ntwt StMdt. tte., So. SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS. MIH iPW BIB ftffll Ufal flf s i ' 1 BRITISH REPULSE SURPRISE STROKE WITH GREAT VALOR Hurl Back Enemy Forces At tacking South of Juvin court; Germans Fail Objectives. Paris, March 24.-Germaii troops, after a violent bombardmentundertook a surprise attack to the south of Juvincourt, but quit without success. There has been fairly spirited artillery fighting in the region of LePretre wood; in the Vosges not far from LaFontenelle, and at Hartmanns-Weiler-Kopr. GAS ATTACK UNPARALLELED. London, March 24. The Canadian war correspondent's dispatch from the Franco-Belgian front today says that while the English were battling with the Germans further south, the Canadians on Friday night launched the greatest gas bombard ment in the world's history between Lens and Hill 70. ' "The battle is continuing with the greatest intensity on Haig's report tonight announces. , "South and west 'of St. Quentin bur troops have taken up their new positions and we are heavily engaged with the enemy. "Durinar the night strong hostile attacks in the neighbor hood of Jussy (south of St Quentin), were repulsed with great loss to the enemy. COST NOT, CONSIDERED. "On the northern portion of the battle front the enemy's attacks have been pressed with the utmost determination and regardless f losses. Our troops have maintained their posi longed struggle." GERMANS FAIL OF OBJECTIVES. Copies of the German plan of offensive taken from prisoners, according to Reiner's correspondent at British headquarters, show the enemy's ob jectives were as follows: First day, average penetration along the whole front of attack, eight kilometers; second day, 12 kilometers, and on the third day, beyond which the scheme does not appear to be carried, 20 kilometers. The success attained thus far much short of these objectives, the dis patch states. BRITISH HOLD TO PERONNE. There was no material change in the situation on the battle front in northern France throughout the night, although" further fighting occurred at a number of points, the war office announced today. British troops, the statement announces, are holding the line of the fcqrnme river to Peronne. Small enemy parties which attempted to cross the " ver in the neighborhood of Pargny were driven back. Northwest from the Somme at Peronne the British troops are holding their positions after beating off a number of attacks during last night. The text of the statement reads: BEAT OFF ENEMY BLOWS. "There has been no material change in the situation on the battle front during the night, although further fighting has taken place at a number of points. "Our troops are holding the line of the Somme river to Peronne. Small parties of the enemy which endeavored to cross in the neighborhood of Paigney were driven back. "On our right we are in touch with the French and to the north of the River Somme at Peronne our troops hold their positions after beating off a sumber of attacks on different portions of the front during the early part of the night. "Heavy fighting is still to be expected." An official statement dealing with with aerial activity on the Italian front issued today says: "Saturday our aircraft superiority was maintained. Eight enemy ma chines were destroyed, one was driven down out of control and we suffered no loss ourselves." HINDENBVRG GLOATS CARNAGE WROUGHT BY GERMANY'S HORDES Amsterdam, March 24. The Berlin Tageblatt says that when Field Marshal von Hindenburg received the first telegrams reporting on the of fensive he remarked to Emperor William: v "Well, your majesty, I think we may be well pleased with the initial success. The newspaper adds that the date for the offensive was fixed long ago and began at exactly the time set, even to the hour. I 1 Germans Claim British Burning Towns in Wake Berlin, Via London. March 24. Paris has been bombarded by Ger man long distance guns, according to the German official communication is sued tonight. The statements add that the British in their retirement are burning French towns and villages and that between the Somme and the Oise the Germans .re still going forward. Enormous quantities of booty have 1 ten taken by the Germans, accord ing to the statement. , Roumania Said to Seek " Alliance With Teutons Amsterdam:, March 23. V'ienni ' newspapers state that the new Rou , rnanian prem.er, Alexander Marghilo , man, is striving for an alliance be- tween Rou.iiania and the central i powers. This idea is being discussed j sympathetically in the Vienna press ; saiM a dispatch from that city. jissy, Rumania, March 23. The newspapers announce that the Rou manian Parliament is to be dissolved and that new elections have been ordered. 54 Enemy Airplanes Have Been Wrecked by British London, March 24. An official re port on the aerial operations says that 54 enemy airplanes have been brought down. "God Aided Victory,", Kaiser to Empress Amsterdam, March 24. The Ger man empress, says a Berlin official dispatch, has received the follow ing telegram from Emperor Wil liam: "I. am pleased to bt able to tell you that, by the grace of God, the battle by Monchy, Cambrai, St Quentin and LaFere has been won. The Lord has gloriously aided. May He further help." - - - - MONSTER GERMAN GUN IS LOCATED Terrible Weapon of Death Operated from Wood 76 Miles from Paris; Shells Thrown Into French Capital at Intervals of Fifteen Minutes. Paris, March 24. The German "monster cannon." which has been bombarding Paris has been located in the forest of St. Gobain, west of Laon, and exactly 122 kilometers, approxi mately 76 miles from the Paris city hall. The gun, says the Matin, is established near Anizy, in St. Gobain forest. This would place it somewhat further south' in the wooded area, and it estimates the distance as about 70 miles from Paris. ALARM IN EARLY MORNING. Palm Sunday in Paris was ushered in by the loud explosion of one of the 10-inch shells fired by the Germans from their new gun, more than 70 miles distant, at 6:55 o'clock this morning. The alarm was sounded immediately. Many people took shelter, but larger numbers appeared in the streets on the way to the churches, which were almost as crowded as usual, the women who sell palm leaves doing their customary thriving business. SHELLS EVERY 15 MINUTES. The shells arrived at regular intervals of 20 minutes at first. The detenations seemed louder, amid the ordinary Sunday calm, than yesterday, but they seemed to have lost their power to disturb the population, which refused to be distracted from its Sunday habits to any great extent. In the. absence of means of transportation 8 great many persons were seen on the streets, leading to the center of the city, walking to keep their appointments. The rapidity of the fire increased after the first few shells landed, explosion following each other every 15 minutes on the average. Some of the shots came after an interval of only 12 minutes. BEAR RIFLING MARKS. Plt(sft ftf ft lit If. fn TBmintinn utava f rTA Kasw rifling marks, which proved that they had not been dropped. t . I I I r. - 1 r rvi .. . . out nau Deen nrea rrom a gun. i nis apparently lett a greater mVSterV than ever aft trt wVl thrt axtn in miAttlnn i the nature of it and by what method it was being operated. Anotner tmng wnicn turned the thoughts of the officials at the municipal laboratory to the possibility that the cannon was being used was the regularity with which the bombs fell, one every 20 minutes. ALARM COMES AT NIGHT. Paris received h third waminor nf an ttr uiitk!n OA hours with unshaken nerves tonight when an alarm was given at 9 o'clock. The "all clear" signal was given at 10:20, before the population could learn whether the warning was against an airplane raid or whether the long distance German cannon I I - l ; imu rcsumea operations. People were crowding to music halls and theaters, fully confident nothing further would happen tonight, only to be advised to seek the nearest shelter as quickly as possible. PRAISE BRAVE STAND MADE BY BRITISH TROOPS London.March 24. The followi.ig telegram, 'dated March 21 .has been sent to the general officers 'command ing the Third and Fifth Britist armies: "The field marshal commander in chief sends his congratulations to the troops of your army on their splendid defense today. He relies upon their continued steadfastness and valor to crush this new attack and with it the enemy's last hope of success." Blames British Command. The Berlin Vossische Zeitung's war correspondent, telegraphing from the neighborhood of the Oise, is quoted bythe Central News correspondent at Amsterdam as saying: "All of our movements have taken place with miraculous exactitude, ac cording to the plans of the master who organized the attack. The English are defending themselves bravely, but the British command was not equal to the attack, which although doubtless fore seen, probably was not expected so aerly." Things Are Not Looking BajJ, Says English Leader London, March 24. "Nothi nif we have heard up to the present would lead me to think that anything has happened which would not have been expected. There is no reason to come to the conclusion that things are looking bad," General Sir Horace Lockwood Smfth-Dorrien said in -an interview with the Weekly Dispatch. L S. Artillery Retaliates For Mustard Shell Raid (By AiiMxisted Pre.) With the American Army in France, March 24. The Ame'-rfn gun retaliated heavily against the Ger mans, who again last night dropped more than 600 mustard gas shells into a certain town within the American lines. There was no wind and the gas remained for hours. The Ameri can artillery work was very accurate. Ninty-seven Divisions Used In German Grand Offensive Washington, March 24- A dispatch from Paris constituted the only official information which had come to the capital until this afternoon, aside from the Associated Press dispatches. President Wilson and all officials and diplomats were eager for every word. , The apparent ilackening of the German drive was taken as support for the calm confidence that the attackers cannot break through. The dispatch says: "March 24, 2:30 a. m. The German offensive is continuing from Croisilks to Tergnier with violent fighting in which the Germans are said to have used 97 divisions. 'The English resistance is very efficient in everything, and the Ger man losses are heavy. ' "The fighting line is broght back to about six or seven kilometers . behind the third line. Confidence remains complete." El U2 m Alt nn iTKU HAIG'S TROOPS HOLD LINE FIRM English Beat Off Attacks at Important Posi tions While Allied Line Solid As Con fidence Comes to Britons. London, March 24. There was no material change in the situation on the battle front in northern France, throughout the night, although further fighting oc curred at a number of points, the war office announced today. British troops are holding the hne.of the Somme river at Peronne. rVr r - Small enemy parties which attempted to cross the river in the neighborhood of Pargny were driven back. BEAT OFF ATTACKS. Northward from the Somme at Peronne the British troops are holding their position's after beating off a number of attacks during last night. The text of the statement reads: "There has been no material change in the situation on the battle front during the night, although further fighting has taken place at a number of points. u0ur troops are holding the line of the Somme river to Peronne. Small par ties of the enemy which endeavored to cross in the neighborhood of Pargny were driven back. ; ' - IN TOUCH WITH FRENCH. "On our right we are in touch with the French, and to the north of the river Somme at Peronne our troops hold their positions, after beating off a num ber of attacks on different portions of this front during the early part of the night. "Heavy fighting is still to be expected." 1 KILL 30 TO 40 PER CENT. All the roads in the rear of the German advance are blocked by columns of troops, guns and trasport vehicles, furn ishing targets upon which the British artillery is making dead ly play. Rough estimates of the casualties inflicted upon the Ger mans vary between 30 and 40 per cent of all enemy divisions identified. , "I give these figures for what they are worth" Reuter'ij correspondent says. "They probably are based mainly upon) statements made by prisoners.". FRUSTRATE GERMAN CROSSING. The Germans made attempts on Friday night to cross the Somme by means of four bridges. The attempts, however, were detected and frustrated with loss by the British artillery fire, his message states. The correspondent also reports that among the captured machine guns are some that were identified as having been used in the Balkans last year... A semi-official note, issued at Paris today, warning the pub lie against pessimistic reports that Germans have brokeh through the front and thus are able to bombard Paris from close by. "The French front is intact; any assertion to the contrary is a. lie," the note reads. The bombardment of Paris seems to be over as this dis patch is sent. No shell explosions have been heard for more thah an hour from the Associated Press office in the French capital. GERMANS REPULSE AMERICANS. Berlin, March 24. Victory in the battle which has been raging near Monchy, Cambrai, St. Jeuntin and LaFere is claim ed for the German army in today's headquarters' statement. ' TKe British Third and Fourth armies and parts of Franco American reserves which had been brought up are declared to have been beaten and to have been repulsed with the heaviest losses on the line from Bapaume to Bouchevesnes and behind the Somme between' Peronne and Ham, as well a at Chauny. The German official statement reads: "Western War Theater- The battle near Monchy. Cam brai, St. Quentin and LaFere has been won. "The British Third and Fourth armies and portions of Franco-American reserves which had been brought up were beaten and on the line of Bapaume-Bouchevesnes and behind (Continued on rj Two, Column Two.) GERMANS USE MORE THAN ONE MILLION IN BLOW Ninety-Seven Divisions Sent Into Attack; British Retiring in Good Order; Use Half Men on Front. (By Auorlated Tre.) London, March 24. Describing the . great .truggle in France, the Havas correspondent says: "The British retired in good order, ceding ground foot by foot, to strong positions prepared mouths ago. "In the later stages of the. battle 97 German divisions were engaged. Thus the German command concen trated against the British front half of the forciii at their disposal on the whole western front. Based on 12,000 men to a German division, the number of Germans en gaged, according to the Havas cor respondent, was approximately 1,164,000. Behind Third Line. Washington,. March 24. Violent fighting between the British and Germans was continuing at 2:30 o'clock this morning between Croi sille and Perzrrier, an official dispatch from Paris today announced. The Germans are using 97 divisions of troops and their losses are heavy. The British resistance is declared to be efficient "March 24, 2:3a a. m.-The Ger man offensive is continuing between Croisilles and Tergnier with violent fighting in which the Germans are said to have used 97 divisions. The (Continued on !'( Two, Column One.) I 1 B tt I I i it x V k ll s : te If n If si Sf1