Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1918 — FRENCH VICTORS AT TWO POINTS [ARTICLE]

FRENCH VICTORS AT TWO POINTS

Foch's Troops Win at Amiens and Picardy-Take Prisoners LULL ON TWO BATTLEFIELDS Germans Enable to Continue Drive Following Defeat Southeast of Y'pres—Reserves Exhausted and Boys Are Called.

GERMANS UNEASY London, May 3. —There is grave uneasiness in Germany ' over the news from the east ' where apparently the Germans shortly will be confronted with ' overwhelming difficulties that will shatter the whole fabric of the Brest-Litovsk peace, says an Amsterdam dispatch to the Daily Express. From Finland to the Ukraine, there is ever increasing opposition to German oppression. Vienna reports, it is added, say that most of the Ukrainian crops were ruined by the peasants, who would rather starve than feed the Germans.

Paris, May 3.—French troops have gained ground on two sectors beforei Amiens, in Picardy. An attack wus delivered against the* Germans in Baune wood, near the village of Mailly-Raineval, 12 miles# sontheast of Amiens. After fighting at close quarters, the Germans were thrown entirely out of the wood. They left 30 prisoners and five machine guns in the hands of the French. A similar assault was made by the French in Hangard wood, just north of the village of Hangard-En-Santerre, on the left side of the River Luce. The French made an "appreciable advance." ’ The French also hold the western: portion of Hangard, and are making the German position In the eastern portion exceedingly uncomfortable. Enemy Artillery Active. London. May 3.—The German artillery became active this morning In tha Vlllers-Bretonneue sector on ’ th« Amiens front and in the neighborhood of Merris on the Flanders front, 1® announced officially. The statement reads: "A raid which the enemy attempted In the neighborhood of Hebuterae was repulsed. Except for thß usual artillery activity on both sides there la nothing to report.” "The enemy's artillery developed) considerable activity this morning Its the Villers-Bretonneux sector and In the neighborhood of Merris. Some activity was shown also during the night in the Arras, Lens and St. Venant sectors. No Infantrv action is reported.” Lull in Battle Continues. With the reports from the French war office and from Field Marshal -Haig showing almost complete Inactivity on both the Somme and Flanders battlefields, observers here ar» speculating on how many more, men the German higher command will be willing to risk In costly offensive operations.

Using New Classes. Not the least interesting of these bits of information is a dispatch from. British headquarters in France, which says: "The German field depots are being . heavily drawn upon to replace recent r casualties. The Thirteenth German reserve division has just received ’a company of 250 boys of the 1919-20 class, who had only eight weeks’ training, and were not to be put into the fighting unless absolutely necessary. But the fact that they are now in the division in the battle line suggests the anticipation that they may have to be used.” Coupled with this is the statement given circulation here and attributed to a source of authority, that the Germans have suffered casualties amounting narly to 900.000 men since Hindenburg and Ludendorff began their offensive oh March 21 which was to crush the power of the allies.