Evening Star Newspaper, August 21, 1918, Page 1

WEATHER. a Fair tonight and tomorrow; slightly warmer tonight. Temperature for twenty-four hours ending p.m. today: Hi 4:30 p.m. yesterday; lowest, 64, at 6:45 a.m. today. Full report on page 15. Closing New York Stocks, Page 15. HUNS USE SEIZED “TRAWLER IN RAID No. 27,147. ~-ONFISHING CRAFT triumph, Captured by Sub- marine, Is Equipped With Guns and Wireless. SIX U-BOATS IN WATERS, GERMAN CAPTAIN SAYS Declares They Intend to Destroy Entire Fleet Off Nova Scotia Coast. fs tar Associated Press. :R CANADIAN ATLANTIC PORT, }Mugust 21—The steam trawler Tri- ?bmph, fitted with two guns and wire- Jess and manned by sixteen Germans | from a U-boat which captured her i Yesterday, is raiding the fishing banks {Df the Nova Scotia coast. Crews of ithe schooners sunk by the Triumph “have arrived here. Capt. Myrrhe, master of the Tri- j umph, who landed here with his men this morning, said he was told b; {the captain of the submarine whic! jeeptured his vessel that he was only ne of six U-boats operating on this } eoast. | “We intend to destroy the fishing leets.” the German commander said ‘to Capt. Myrrhe. Held Up by Triumph. _ Capt. Wallace Bruce, master of the} @& Piatt Andrew, said on his arrival | here that his vessel was held up by | the Triumph yesterday afternoon and | that he and his crew were given ten .Mminutes to leave the ship. The Ger- | {mans then sank her with bombs. | The raider then bore down upon the na P. Saunders and the Francis J. O’Hara and sank them likewise. The @ories carrying the crews of the three hvessels reached here at 10 a.m. today. | e fishermen say that while making ‘or this port they heard firing and be- Heved other fishing vessels were sunk the raider. Gives a Different Story. = GLOUCESTER, Mass. August 21— it. Wallace Bruce of the schooner Piatt Andrew reported in a mes- je to the owners, here today, that vessel was sunk by a German sub- rine yesterday afternoon at 3 \ Face Problem in. Coaling. WostTon, August 21—Fishermen sald today that if the German ‘submarine made use of the trawler jumph, seized yesterday, as a raider ey would have to recoal the craft &t least every ten days. The Triumph ‘was manned by a Canadian crew and is owned by a Canadian company. The ‘vessel is 125 feet in length and reg- isters about 250 tons gross. Fishermen said the scene of the at- k undoubtedly was on the western ke off’ the Nova Scotia coast in je open ea and outside txe three- ile zone of Canadian waters. New gland yessels have not visited the tern banks» since German subma- ines were first reported in the Bay if Fundy, several weeks ago. Had Base at Portland. PORTLAND, Me., August 21.—The eam trawler Triumph, captured by a rman submarine, left here Monday for the fishing grounds. She had Janded her catches at this port during the summer for a canning company with extensive government contracts t and for local dealers. The trawier had | _& carrying capacity of 200,000 pounds jot fish. She took on a supply of coal ‘pn leaving here. Says U-Boat Is Raising Havoc. ‘AN ATLANTIC PORT, August 21.— German submarine late yester- ifiay seized the big fishing trawler jumph. The crew, who have reach- ed shore safely, said they believed that (he Germans’ intend to use the traw- ‘Jer as a raider. The fishermen re- ted that the U-boat is “playing woe" with the fleet of fishing ves- els on the Grand Banks. ‘The Triumph was halted on the fish- jag banks by the U-boat and the {Brew was permitted to take to the ' dories. The fishermen said that thé trawler was still afloat when they last ~-#aw her. “~ An armed guard of Germans had een placed aboard and no prepara- tions ‘were being made to sink the ship, the Triumph’s men said. This led them to the conclusion that the rmans intended to use her as a ider. The Triumph is owned by the North tlantic Fisheries Company and ‘is rene of the crack boats of the fleet. German May Have Been Ashore. NANTUCKET, R. IL, August 21.— A story indicating. that an officer of wne of the German submarines oper- ating off the American coast may have attended a New York theater on the night of August 8 has been disclosed by the wife of a well known New York playwright and prominent member of the summer coloney here. She was among those who rendered assistance to the fishermen brought to the island August 11 after a sub- marine had destroyed their vessels the previous day off Georges banks. One of the fishermen, a member of the crew of the Lena A., told her, she aid, that he was questioned by the erman petty officer, who boarded «the schooner. During the conversa- ftion they talked of New York and the ‘fishermen asked the German if lie had ever been there. ‘The officer, he said, Temiled and took from, his’ pocket two ‘geat checks for a ay theater, lated _ “Thu: y evening, August 8,” wo days before the atinek on the ~Bshing fleet. In telling the incident today, the woman explained that the story had slipped her mind until it was recalied ‘to her by reports from Washington <today that the raiders were believed to have landed men on the shores. Her story was corroborated by an- -other prominent resident of the island * ho also interviewed the fisherman. U. S. Will Send Destroyers. Strong forces of swift naval patrol boats and destroyers sped today to the ‘ighest, 80, at PRESENT GLAD 0 *SEEVARDANAN I i\Not Only One Here Who Is Pleased by Harrison’s Vic- tory in Mississippi. LATTER AGAINST PACIFISM | BY DAVID LAWRENCE. | Copsright, 1918, | ‘Post Company.) | President Wilton wasn't = bit dis- | pleased ‘by the result of the primary in | Mississippi, which means the ellmina- tion of James K. Vardaman from the United States Senate. In the first place, |Mr. Vardaman was an implacable foe of the Wilson administration and Repre- sentative Pat Harrison is a friend tried and true. The administration wins | heavily on the exchange. In the second place, it is a vindication of the Presi- dent’s outspoken opposition to Senator Vardaman, who has fought the adminis- tration on many questions of domestic policy. And in the third place, it is Jthe first victiry against the “willful |twetve’ wio filibustered against the armed neutrality bill, a circumstance | that is often cited as having convinced German statesmen that Americ was |disunited and would not fight. | Pleasing to Many People. | trrespective, however. of the Presi- dent's own utterances on the choice | of a senator in Mississippi, there are many peoplesin the National Capital who are pleased at Vardaman’s elim- ination, for by.no stretch of the imagination can it be said that he was a popular senator. He was one of the men always ready to bring the negro question into a debate when most people hoped it would be omit- ted. and he not infrequently voted with the republicans in- committees, | tion measures. Unlike many senators who vote against the administration from pure conviction, the Mississippi senator made it his business to be | an antti-administration man all along | the line and was rarely heard to say a word in favor of the policies of | the President, either foreign or do- | mestic. | Both Messrs. Noel and Harrison, who made the race against Senator |Vardaman, were friends of the Presi- | dent, and in coming out against Var. | daman it is to be noted that Mr. Wil- |tween the other candidates. Pat | Harrison, however, who has made an: | enviable record during his four term: in Congress, has been of consider. able help tothe President. In the critical moments when it was feared | that the House committee on foreign | affairs would not support the Presi- | dent in his demand for a report on e }can rights on the se: was Representative sisted materially in getting. a report that was consistent with American tradition an@ honor. © sas Stood Against Pacifiam. On other occasions, too, Mr. Harri- |son has taken up the cudgeis against |pacifist elements seeking to obstruct !Army and Navy appropriations. The people of Mississippi knew without |a word from the Presidest that he |liked Pat Harrison. In January, 1914, it was Representative Harrison who brought President Wilson to Pass Christian, Miss, which is in his‘con- |gressienal district, for a vacation: They have been close friends. ever since. ‘There are indications that the Pres- ident’s success in Mississippi ~ will, |ntimulate friends of the administra- |tion to press hard in Georgia for the defeat of Senator Hardwick and the jelection of William J. Harris, while in South Carolina the moral effect of |the victory in a neighboring state is |counted upon by the administration ito help beat Cole Blease for the | Senate. But the defeat of Vardaman may have a national aspect when some of lthe other members of the “willful | twelve” group come up for election | next fall. | declaration by the President against | some of these men who are repub- licans. Mr. Wilson's entry into the political controversies is already ex- citing the republican leaders, but in defense of his attitude it is stoutly maintained that the condemna’ of the course of the ‘willful twel was nation-wide at the time the armed neutrality bil} was before the Senate, and that Mr. Wilson, is not willing to forgive those fatal atts of obstruction as easily as are his opponents. It would not be ing, therefore, to see the fight in some of the western states conducted by the democrats along those lines. May Take Hand in New Jersey. President is likely to take an active part is New Jersey. Whatever may have been his forbearance against ex- pressing a preference as between democrats and republicans heretofore, it 1s quite likely that in his own state he will feel as free as he did in the past to say whom he would like to see elected. fe favored Senator Hughes in 1912, and did not hesitate to come out against Senator Martine in the democratic primaries in 1916. Mr. Mar- tine was renominated despite Mr. Wil- son’s opposition, but the President did not say a word in his favor in campaign for election that follow: The President has a high opinion of @eorge La Monte, who has just been selected by the democratic state committee of New Jersey to run for the te. r. Monte was inti- | mately associated with the President when he was — rnor of New Jer- sey, and if nominated will have a warm supporter in the White House. The contests in the various states are producing @ great deal of in- | terest in administration circles, As | for the oft-flung taunt of the repub- licans that they thought politics had been “adjourn by the President, men like Postmaster General Burle- son and other political advisers of Mr. Wilson are insistent that every- body who knew the situation in Congress at time thi used knew perfectly ‘Wilson meant. phrase what Mr. eration. of any revenue bill until after. the November elections,” fearing the effect on their own personal for- tunes. Mr. Wilson's point, according to Mr. Burleson, was that the Presi- dent said then what\he would be glad to say again—that a& between the po- litical advantages of individuals and the nation’s interest and part in the war, politics must be permanently ad-. journed. But, it is contended, on the ‘other hand, that until there is* an by the New York Evening thus balking or delaying administra- | son expressed no preference as be- | h jconduct of the war has gone and will | be devoted to payment for these ships. | she Metemore:rewatnton, the eeegee | Stun’ There is talk of a definite; Another northern state in which the| Gen. March Tells of Allies’ Success on North Sea to Rheims Front. GET CLOSE TO GERMANY AT ONE POINT IN VOSGES Chief of Staff Announces That United States Has Thirty-Two Divisions in France. As a result of the recent drives of the allies in France and Flanders, the battle line from the North sea to Rheims has been shertened by more than fifty miles. When the forward movement commenced the length of the Hine was 250 miles; it is now less than 200 miles long. ‘At one point in the Vosges the drive | | of the allies this week advanced their} line to within four miles bf the| frontier-of Germany. = | These statements were among the/ interesting announcements made to the newspaper men by Gen. March, chief of staff, in his talk to them this morning. Tells of Troops in France. The United States has now thirty- two divisions in France. The move- ment of this large number of troops has been possible by the chartering of | rcreign -shipping, taking over of in- | tioning of Dutch ships. The success ‘of the larger program of troop move-| {ment upon which the government is RS ee RE ET RD DP Bye terned German vessels and requisi- | a Poeninny WERE AS -Too! CLEARSIGHTED, JY KAS I, << ASQ Star. WASHINGTON, D. ©. ‘WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1918—-TWENTY PAGES. DRVES CUT MORE: THAN FIFTY MLE FROMBATTLE LINE N S D< Advance From FOOD HIGHER HERE |SPARKSOFREVOLT (PLANS T0 AMEND Figures Compared on 37)Worried German Command- Articles in Washington ers Urge Spirit of Rebel- and Oregon City. lion Be Crushed. | now proposing to embark will require | |continued ability to coment ship- | ping facilities. | A large part of the money furnished | by the citizens of this country for the Only one vessel has been given to the | government—Brazil furnished a ship |for two trips without charge. | Gen. March enumerated the thirty-two American divisions arrived in France. They are: First, 2d, 3d, 4th, Sth, 6th, . dist, 42d, 76th, T7th, 79th. 80th, Bist, 82d, 83d, 85th, 89th, 9th, ist, 92d. and 93d. | “Indicates Points on Map. Gen, March indicated on the map the points of the salient in Flanders which have been sent.in by attacks southeast ‘of Meteren, on the north flank, and near | Merville on the south side. thus made‘ “unhealthy” for the jenemy and he was forced to withdraw \for from one to two miles on a four- |teen-mile front. On the plains near the | Oise the allied advance has put the line well backeof the old 1916-1917 line. Lacking official details of thé British rive reported in Associated Press dis. patches this morning, Gen. March de- clined to comment ‘upon this new allied thrust. He said, describing the period which had elapsed since his last talk, that the allies had continued their a: tacks on limited fronts and at widely separated points. Many Recently Reached There. In answer to questions the chief of staff said that {Guard and 90th National Army di- visions, including many Texans, reached Fraffte between July 30 ana | August 13 and have been in train- ing. The 90th, he said, has not yet reached the front line. Gen.’ March corrected a report that the 77th Di- vision (troops of New York and vi- cinity) was being sent to Italy. It wag last reported, he said, in the Vosges. The 26th National Guard Division leau. was relieved from ‘its position on the Marne front on July 22 and i: now-back of the lines for recupera- tion. : Served With the British. The 80th Division, composed of Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania troops, was serving with the British army in Flanders. Gen. March announced last. Saturday that the 80th -was training with the British ‘army in Flanders. The 7éth Division (New England- and New York National Army) now is serving as a depot di- vision and is stationed in a back area. e| The department, the chief of staff said, stilt is without an official report concerning the alleged race riots at Camp Merritt, N. J.. which are said to have resulted in the deaths of two ee ARGENTINE PROTECTS SELF. ——— President Forbids Export of Fuel BUENOS AIRES, August 21—After several cabinet meetings to consider the high*cost of living, President Iri- goyan today signed a decree prohibit- ing the exportation of fuel and some ‘was }articles of food. The prohibition in- clu coal, wood, fuel oil, vegetables, potat beans, rice, peas and mineral oil. other food articles to the embargo list. The prohibition does not apply to sup- plies for ships. G. A.B, IN BUSINESS SESSION. Will Elect- Officers Tomorrow at Encampment in Oregon. PORTLAND, Ore., August 21.—Busi- ness sessions at the Grand Army of 2th, 28th, 28th, 30th, 32d, 33d, 35th, | aes ase The apex! ‘FRESH MEATS ARE CITED MEN CARRY ARMS HOME i | Tt costs the average family in Wash- ington more to purchase food, espe- cially fresh meats, than it does a fam- ‘ily to buy the same foods in Portland, Ore., according to @fures collected by experts in the two cities-on July 25, and made public t; , the bi of markets of the Bee of» a jure. in ‘making the com of pre- valling prices in the two-cittes, quota ‘tions on thirty-seven food articles were obtained. Taking these articles fon. the whole, Washington's average price was 6 per cent in excess of those in the Oregon city. This average was reached by means of “weighing” the) through a letter addressed to the royab various foods:so as to give special con-| Prussian ministry of war, that men on the|leave have spoken, publicly of a revo- sideration to those for which the ition which is to break out afteh the greatest percentage of. the family funds are spent. This method of fig-|“*" uring 1s believed by the bureau to be the best and fairest in comparing price Jeyele ial Giterent a eeeene the industrial region of Rhenish West Fresh Meats Especially High. | iis, declared in » train that in his “rne outstanding feature of the table | home district men were going onJeave, of comparisons which accompanied|taking weapons with them for the the statement from the bureau was:aforesaid object and that it was easy that Washington's fresh meat prices/to take home German or captured re- By the Associated Pre: BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, August 21.— Germany's military leaders now have become distinctly worried over the prospects of 2 revolution in Germany. Gen. Lugendorf, ipa teptured secret order, hag taken steps to employ the assist- ance, of his commanding “éffitets and various governmental agencies to help him stamp out the glowing spark which has been seen. ‘The order, which is more iJluminating than any- thing which has come out of Germany in many months, follows: “It has come to my knowledge, 3 Take Weapons Home. “A soldier, said to have come from the 36th National| j cent | were much higher than those in Port- jland. Sirloin steak, for instance, cost | the local consumers 43 per cent_more than those buying in Portland. Round steaks were 40% per cent higher in | Washington; rib roasts were 25 per higher; chuck roasts 20 per cent higher and plate stew 25 per cent higher. | Washington's poultry figures were 29 per cent in excess of those. pre- vailing in Portland, and lamb chops and leg ofJamb were 25 per cent and 13 per cent higher, respectively, in ‘Washington. the canned -vegetables - group ‘Washington fp from 13 to 33 per cent higher. Lard.and vegetable fats were higher in Portland.than in sWashing- ton. Other Comparisons Made. In the dairy products group Port- land is slightly higher on threé of the items, with the same prices prevail- ing on two. Bread and rice are high- er in Portland than in Washington, with the same prices prevailing on both. In the cured meat group Port- land fs higher on three of the articles, with the same price prevailing on sliced bacon. In the flour and corn meal group Portland is’ considerably higher on all of the articles. In,the breakfast food group: Portland. is. 12 per cent higher on both articles... Wi a ly . high- er on fresh fruits and vegetables, al- though the’ same ‘price prevails on and. Portland is HUNDREDS OF ROSSA FERS ‘ Executions, Now Seems in Prospect. AMSTERDAM, August . 21.—Severa| hundred of 15,000 officers ed a ‘Moscow have been shot,: rding to a letter written in,Moscow August 14 by Dr. Alfons Paquet and published im the Frankfort Zeitung. Some. of the officers, who renounced Russian citizenship and acquired German or Polish passes, were rel at the request of the German corisul general. ‘The remainder were sent to a concen- tration camp surrounded by artillery. The officers, it is added, were subject- ed to conditions “beggaring all de- scription.” és ‘Those imprisoned included a number pi ee generals and colonels. a ragest says that several hun- dred:British and French busisess men ‘not Haptic Diy Siptured “Seeatiay agreement. politi ‘the. Republic.annual.encampment here, - trawt@s. ‘Triumph, red *: ties them: rn ios, p have been arrested in Moscow, and ya German submarine which armed | until ‘and Mr. ‘Fart and| °d@Y Opened with the ‘address of the of represent- \d_ manned her,. is reported. raiding Mr. Roosevelt and others cease: || commander-in-chief, Orlando ‘A. Som-' atives of Be bourgeois . are “‘fshing fleets. Naval cating the election_of a republican] ers. and reports of national officers’| expected. ff this proves inadequate to of the trawier or her en-|Congress, the administra~j and various committees. The -ses-;| tain order, he contin +a destruction by the German crew | tion will continue its efforts to retain| sions are secret. Officers will. be|reign of terror, with public dna fe - control of both branches of Congress. elected tomorrow, © éx is unavoidable.” oes Bayo 635i = Ea 5 Spare ane a. volvers as well as hand grenades sep- arated into two parts. “I desire that’ the clothing of men ‘going on leave be searched as. test [cases before their departure. , It will be possible to carry this out at the baths and dressing stations. “I wish to impress upon all superior officers-who happen to hear such ob- jectionable talk or who hear of it through others, that they must deal with it at once and without hesitatio The home authorities and the direc- rected to take corresponding ,meas- tor of military railways have been di- ures.” ‘ ‘Men Refuse to Fight. Another order just captured, bear- ing the signature of the chief of staff of the 41st Infantry Division, re- cites that courts-martial have hed various and an increasing number, ef cases where subordinates emphatic- ally refused to accompany their units into the Mine, and where the “superior officers have negle@igd to enforce obedience by failing to compel the cowards to go into the front line.” Obedience in this respect, the order said, must be enforced, even though it may he necessary to resort to force and the‘ise of arms. It is right, the order said, even to go to.the length of Le rola a man as an extreme ne- y S . Shoot Down Own Aero. Another captured order, deals with the investigation into a-case where's German airplane was shot.down, prob- ably in mistake by German troops, and the occupants secretly buried. “Such procedure,” the order said, worthy of the German army.” * In still another document, Gen. Lu-: i ewer Says there’ are constant’ re- ports-of German officers on leave voic- “is .un- ing utterances that are calculated to’ awaken feetings of doubt as to ™man preparedness for ba’ He men-. further offensives were impossible on the western front because of the shortage of horses and oats: Gen. Ludendorff warns officers against spreading unfavorable ru- mors. ,He declares that it is remark- able that they never bring encour- aging news home from the front, and adds that it is better to. “color the situation with a rosy hue than with black paint.” ss . _ REJECT 6-CENT CAR FARE. - Buffalo Voters Hold Referendum on Raisé Made by Council. BUFFALO, N. ¥., August .21.—The city, by a referendum vote, repudi- ated the action of the common council in agreeing to a six-cent-fare on the street car lines of the city. The vote stood 35,661 for repeal and ‘7,044 against. The International Railwaf. cam- pafgners claimed that to force ‘the icompany to pay the:-wage scale fixed by the federal labor board’ meant, bankruptcy, unless the co: was mpany allowed advance the rate of fare. ition: based ym : ds of i Pet : ands of long-standi: Higadeguate service by au alleged over capitalized corporation, - | velopment bill, which has the right o pI battle. tions an, officer in Berlin who said that THANIN PORTLAND) SEEN IN HUN ARMY! —MAN-POWER BILL House . Committee Favors Separate Classification for Men of 18 to 20. WILL REPORT TOMORROW reached twe: shall not bar him from « com soldier has not ‘ion. A section added-at the-reqpest of the War Department providés that men of draft agé may be sent to. col- leges for technical. training. in uni- form, without changing their military status. No vote was taken by the committee on the Thomas “work or figh' ment, approved by; the Senate, but 1 was predicted the. subject . ‘will brought before the House in debate Nit Frovides that workers: exempted fro: oe Graft on industrial grounds shall r main at work so:leng as physically ab! todo 20 OF be drafted inte the cae ot Give Bill Right of Way. The House today at the: opening of its session adopted a special rule mak- ing the bill the order of business for tomorrow, even to the exclusion of the revenue bill. Chairman Sims of the House com- mittee on interstate and foreign com- merce, who is in charge of the admin- istration water-power bill, agreed to the setting aside of the Wwater-power legislation for consideration of the draft bill. Repre tative Madden of Illjpois, republic@& was responsible for giving the draft bill right of way in prefer- ence to -revenue-bill. He raised the point that even the revenue bill should not be allowed to impede in any way the passage of the draft act. ‘Will Go to House Tomorrow. The bill will come before the House for consideration tomorrow, according to an agreememnt entered into with the sponsors of the water-power d way. The man-power bill will replace the water-power bill on the House cal- endar tomorrow, and Chairman Dent has expressed a belief that the draft measure can be‘passed in a single day. The man-power bill also will come before the Senate tomorrow, when that resumes its regular sessions, with the expectation that the measure will be passed by Saturday: - Vigorous contests, however, are ex- pected in both branches. In ate sharp debate is expected on the “work-or-fight” amendment, while in the House a controversy is brewing over the committee's amendment to defer calling boys of General Crowder have vigorously 0 Po: ,With both Senate and House committees pledged to lowering the minimum..age to eighteen years it appeared the age limits will be fixed as eocommuetiled by the War Depart- men’ - “= Holds a Stormy Session. ‘Sentiment in Congress against call- ing youths found. expression in the House, committee’s mendment. After ‘stormy session, in which Represent- ative,Kahn of California. led a ‘fight, which he promised to renew on the House floor, to retain the administra. tion measure’s provision giving the President discretion’ to fix the érder of calls for all men’ within the new ‘draft’ limits, the committee voted $ to 7 to write in an amendment offered: by Representative McKenzie of filini republican, providing that all men years and aboye shall be called beforg those of nineteen and eighteen with the eighteen-year-old years, youths to be called last. ‘The amend- | for aerial ment es mandatory what Se tary Baker has indicated will be policy of the War De it. The McKentie amen: it i: “Provided, however, trants of the age of nineteen and not over twenty shall be desi; 19 and shail be di Fi Yesterday’s Net Circulation, 100,296 TWO CENTS. BELOW ARRAS AND ON FLANDERS LINE Two to Three Miles On Ten-Mile Front In Northern Picardy. _ |ALSO PROGRESS NEAR LOCRE; NCH STILL SMASHING ON .PARIS, August 21 (Havas).—French troops have reached a point not far from the village of Pontcise, two and four-tenths miles from and that the village of Cam: By the Associated Press. Noyon, according to the In- transigeant. The latest dispatches to newspapers indicate that the allied pressure against the Germans is unrelenting elin has been reached. LONDON, August 21, 4:25 p.m.—French troops ad- vanced three miles today along the Oise and reached Sempigny, a mile from the outskirts of Noyon, according to reports from the battle front. British forces struck the Germans over a front of approxi- mately ten miles on the line southwest of Arras at dawn this morning. According to meager details received from the scene of the new assault, the British have advanced from two to three miles and have captured the towns of Moyenneville, Courceiles, Achiet- le-Petit, Ablainezevelle and Beaucourt-sur-Ancre and have reached ois, | fantry cre- | ported ville the a. {the town of Achiet-le-Grand. assisted the British in their ad jin the attack. | Three Miles From Bapaume. | Unofficial dispatches appear to indi- cate that the British advance has carried \ the battle tite upto = point three miles from Bapaume, an important highway enter and @ place reputed to be an im- German’ Sim. morthern sector. bape. If the British drive continues to the Germans back along the ‘northern side of the Picardy salient, the enemy forces further south would appear to be in a serious position. They are at pres- ent holding back the French and British along 2 line. west of and parallel to the \Somme, and north of that river they |have been desperately resisting allied attacks as far north as Albert. The new | advance seems to have placed the north- ern section of the enemy's front in great danger. Fighting in Flanders. In the Flanders battle area the Germans also are under heavy pres- sure. The GSritish official report states that during last night an ai tack was made from Festubert, just British Attack | By the Associated Press. | WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN |FRANCE, August 21.—In the first hour of the offensive begun this morn- ing by Field Marsha) Haig the British troops captured the towns of Ablaine- zevelle, Beaucourt and Moyenneville. Courcelles and Achiet-le-Petit also were captured in the British drive. The British attacked on a front of nearly ten miles between Arras and Albert. s Some German field guns and 200 prisoners had been taken in the drive at an early hour. Attack Tactical Surprise. | although prisoners said the Ger- | mans had been expecting the attack | tor a week, it was a tactical surprise. ‘Tanks and infantry advanced through the heaviest fire in the gray morning. light. After a-brief “crash” bombardment the British troops were upon the enemy almost before he knew it. The high contour between Adinfer and Moyenneville was the northern zone ‘of attack and Puisieux-au-Mont, the southern land mark of the front. The enemy here lately has been with- drawing in order to increase the depth of his defenses. 5 ‘The heavy night mist, increasing to steam-like smoke, enabied the British to reach the points of assembly with- out the chance of detection. Tanks Get Into Position. ‘A great concourse of tanks maneu- vered into position as quickly as possi- ‘The first advance of the British was made at 5:05 o'clock this morning. The retaliation was very light at first, no doubt. owing to the difficulty of the Germans seeing the British troops in the haze, and they got on rapidly. Later the assault lengthent the BES Hehiubsa according to. ny gen ing eral impression is that things are go- a very atiatactontty sor the British. jsoners were 30° Guards Division and Bavarian Division. Some field to, the the attack. “The German Rg ies Plove than a strength of Afty of all raEarly today it was much too thick |82¢ 1 observation, but runners re- that by 7:30 o'clock Moyenne- and lainsevelle had _ been and that by 8:30 the British were at -Courcelles-le-Comte, Achiet- and Beaucourt-sur-. -ANCTe. expanding into a Oo British Meet Feeble Resistance. Only feeble resistance was encoun: “tered by the British at first on ao -The assault was begun under cover of a mist which materially vance. There was a very brief artillery preparation and it would appear that the plan of attack was similar to that followed south of the Aisne July 18 and north A favorable report was voted by the/Of Montdidier August 8. A large number of tanks participated House military committee today on the administration man-power Dill, with an amendment providing that youths from eighteen to twenty years of age shall be placed in separate ynorthwest of Lens, to the Lawe river, a distance of more «han four miles. The village of La Touret, at about the middle of this line, has been captured. This marks an advance of nearly a mile at thi int. On the northern side of the Lys salient the British made # local at- tack over & mile front pear Locre this morning. The important Dran- cutre ridge has been attacked and the Lécre Hospice, 2 group of build- ings which has been the scene of frequent and terrific fighting since April, has been attacked. French Jeopardize Enemy. Between the Aisne and the Oise French troops continued their advance this morning. The progress made there during the last two days seems to have placed in jeopardy the Ger- man Mnes east of Soissonus and also about Noyon. According to the latest advices, the French now are on the high ridges to the northwest of Sois- sons and have positions which over- look and ‘irtualty dominate the Ger- man positions along th east of Noyon. ater ea Is a Surprise; Forces Push Forward Swiftly front of about 10,000 yards south- ward from Moyenneville. Fifty min- utes later the front was widened to the southward until it extended all the way to the Ancre river. The Germans here seemed to have been keeping the bulk of their fo) well to the rear, although heavy fighting may be expected, especially along the wrras-Albert railroad. Scene of Bitter Fighting. The battle now raging, which is reported from all points to be pre- gressing satisfactorily, is being fought over ground which has seen some of the war's bitterest fighting. While the ground is flat, it is cut to pieces with trenches and shell holes and is covered with piece after piece of wire, old and new. Aside from the battle raging be- tween Arras and Albert, o'clock this morning still was pro- gressing satisfactorily, the British are pushing on at various other parts of the front. * Bharp Fighting Continues. Algng the Dranoutre ridge be- twed® Roudekot and the Locre Hos- Pice, where the British this morning attacked the whole of the enemy's outpost positions; sharp fighting is continuing. On another section of the front Le Tourst has been occupied. South of the river Scarpe the at- tack of the enemy yes com- pletely broke down under the Brit- ish fire, but there may be more fight- ing in this district. Late yesterday evening the British advanced line at Fampoux was viciously attacked by the enemy, who was driven off with heavy casualties without achieving any gain. In the Somme river zone no ex- traordinary activity has been re- ported. Big Attack in Flanders. All the tions along the important Dranoutre 3 alot ie ps between Koudekot and the attack been ed by the iti, result so far not known. front is in the ks eallent, LONDON, August 21.—British forces have captured Courelles, Achiet-le- Petit, and have reached Moyeneville Beaucourt-sur-Ancre in their drive which began this morning north of the Ancre river, according to advices from the front. Byng Is Leader. ry progress is being made, the statement adds. The attack of the British this morn- ing was made without artillery prep- aration. It was completely success- attack was made by the and a troops advanced another half to the east and reache@ Achiet-le-Grand. which at 11 |