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THE WEATHER
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VOL. XLVII. NO. 240.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 25, 1918.
On Train, it Hot.ll
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SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
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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
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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.)
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