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ystery Gun Which Has Been Bombarding Pa fade in Austria, Vienna Bispatche Say
HAKRISBURG TELEGRAPH Mt
' / ®l)t Star-In&epenbcnt /
LXXXVII— No. ;2 16 PAGES ■"TSagK**
BRITISH S TIF FEN RESISTANCE
TO MIGHTY GERMAN BLOWS IN
GREA TES TBA TTLE OF THE WAR
IN FIVE DA YS HUNS
RETAKE BUT PART
OF OLD
Fighting Dies Down Daring Night; British Establish Themselves in New Positions
East of Roye and Albert; Teutons Begin New Attacks Against Combined Forces
of Allies South of the Somme; German Losses So Heavy That Enemy Is Required
to Bring Up Reinforcements From Every Part of Western Front
London, March 26—Exacting the heaviest toll for every foot of ground, the British
line continues to withdraw slowly before the pressure of the German masses, Reuters
correspondent at British headquarters wires.
Over a large part of the battle zone the retirement is being made voluntarily so
as to maintain an unbroken front. Prisoners say the advance of the Germans is behind
their schedule.
The tenacity of the British forces, the prisoners say exceeded anything the Germans deemed
possible. They complain of great privations, 011 account of lack of supplies and extreme weari
ness also is telling heavily. Owing to the dense masses of supporting troops, however, the
enemy is able to replenish his forward line with fresh units.
British Loose Pandemonium
British airmen last night made veritable pandemonium of every center of concentration of
traffic behind- the German front. Te*ns of thousands of rounds were lired point blank into enemv
formations while airmen fulfilled effectively their role as eyes of the artillery.
Yesterday was the supreme day for the British gunners, says the correspondent. Attacking
from north of Ervillers to the point of British contact with the French, the Germans were held up
nearly everywhere by the ceaseless intensity of the British artillery lire.
Met Fate of Old Guard at Waterloo
Masses of enemy troops which, coming forward in waves, again and again attempted to
reach their objectives, met with the same fate as the Old Guard at Waterloo. In only one sector,
near Sapignies, did they succeed in bending back the British front. It was to conform thi front
with this indentation that the British fell back during the night, straightening the line.
British Take Up New Position
London, March 26-—The fighting died down during the night, the war office reports. The Brit
ish established themselves in new positions cast of Roye and Albert.
The Germans this morning began new attacks against the combined French and British
forces south of the Somme.
The German losses have been so great that the enemy has been obliged to bring up reinforce
ments from all parts of the western front. The war office has established the fact that more
than 70 German divisions (in the neighborhood of 840,000 men) have been engaged.
jr The Official Statement
The statement follows:
"The lighting died down during the night. Our troops established themselves on new posi
tions cast of Roye and Albert.
"North of the Somme continuance of the fighting is expected, but it has not vet developed. At
tacks are reported to be developing this morning south of the Somme against our troops and those
of the French in the neighborhood of Roye and Chaulnes.
"The enemy's losses continue to be severe. lie has been obliged to reinforce his battle front
from all parts of the western theater. Over 70 hostile divisions arc known to have been eneaeed
in the battle."' h s
Although still giving ground at
points before tho desperate German
drive, tho British and French armies
< ngaged in the great battle in North
ern France are preserving their
united front intact and apparently
awaiting the opportune moment for
the delivery, of a counter blow to
dispel the German dream of world
nomination.
Big Events Impending
I;ig events are impending in the
Immediate future, at any rate, and
the advices from the front indicate
that these are expected to develop
favorably to the allies, probably
•within the next few hours.
All accounts agree Germany is
paying heavily for every foot of
ground she has wrested from the al
lied armies. Her casualties are
shown by the British official state
ment to have mounted so high that
every part of the western front has
had to be drawn upon to provide
badly-needed reinforcements for the
battle area.
l r ield Marshal Haig's report re
veals that more than seventy di
visions, or between 800,000 and 900,-
000 men already have been engaged
in the battle on the German side,
and the widespread call for fresh
troops makes it plain that fighting
forces are being rapidly used up in
the terrific and costly onslaught.
Forty divisions of the German re
serve are reported 'to have been
thrown into the line as early as the
second day of the battle.
The rearward movement in the
face of tho Teutonic attack now has
brought tho allied armies well to-
THE WEATHER
I'nr Hnrrlxburic nnd vicinityi Fair
• 10-nliiht Mini Wcdneailuyi not
>n ii i-Ki chniiKr In temperature,
loneat to-night about 30 de-
For Knatern Pennaylvmi In: Part
ly cloudy to-nlfilit anil Wcdnea
dny, little chimge in tempera
ture! moderate north Went to
north irlndK.
Temperature! ft u. m., 34.
Sum Itlaex, 5)53 n. nt.| net*. OiOT
p. m.
Yeaterday'a Weather
Hlgheat temperature, .T4.
I,otreat temperature. JIB.
Mean temperature, 44.
Normal temperature, 41.
Important Events
Are Forecast For
Next Few Hours
llriti>h Army Headquarters in
France, March 26.—There is rea
son to believe important events
will be recorded within the next
few hours, which may lead to a
betterment of the position of the
armies which are stemming the
German onslaught.
The enemy is fighting desper
ately hard against time. ' On the
iirst day his reserves wero re
duced to fifty-two divisions. At
tho end of the second day some
forty divisions from the reserves
had been put in.
A heavy German attack yester
day about Ervillers was com
pletely smashed by the British
artillery fire.
ward the edge of their former bat
tle lines in the Somme area and in
the devastated region to the south
east.
• French Kxtcnd Lines Southward
Field Marshal Haig reports the
new British line drawn somewhat
to the east of Albert and Boye.
Paris indicates the French fighting
front is extending southward from
Chaulnes, past Noyon, which has
been evacuated by the French, and
then running eastward along the
southern bank of the river Oise.
The German troops have been re
ported as rapidly tiring from their
breathless plunge into the entente
lines, and they evidently were forced
to take a breathing spell last night
opposite the British front as the
London noonday statement reports
the fighting to have died down.
This morning, however, fresh
forces probably had been brought
up and the attack was being re
sumed south of the Somme in the
Boye and Chaulnes areas.
Counter Blow Exported
It is in this sector artd in the
Noyon region that the German
wedge is being driven in hardest,
and it is here, or on the line to the
east, should the Germans further
expose their left wing, that the
weight of the expected counter blow
may fall.
The French on their front are
holding the line of the Oise strong-
HARRISBURG, PA., TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 26, 1918
ly. Their artillery is cutting huge
swaths in tho German columns nnd
I'rencli infantry is making fre
quent counterattacks, inflicting
Heavy losses upon the Germans and
retarding their advance.
British Maintain Superiority
The British evidently are main
taining their marked superiority in
the air on the battle front and arc
throwing the German supply stations
ana lines of communication in the
rear into confusion by air attacks at
close range.
On the extreme north and in the
| center tho Herman progress has
been appreciably slower, while
around Bapaume, on tho old battle
i fieUl of the Somme and east and
J north of Noyon the enemy has
I made gains, but only at the cost of
oesert land the British inflicted enor
ii'ous losses on tlie enemy, who sac
j I'iflced thousands of lives in an ef
[Continued on Page 2.]
Two Regiments of U. S.
Engineers in Path of Big
Battle Unheard From
By Associated Press
Washington, March 26. —Two reg
iments of American railroad en
gineers attached to the British
armies in the path of the German
onslaught on the western front and
three companies, as ye* unheard
from, were.employed near the Cro
zat canal where German official
statements mentioned engagements
with American troops.
This information cabled the War
Department last night by General
Pershing while definitely disposing
of reports that Americans had been
sent into battle, caused no little
anxiety here regarding the fate of
the engineers who have not reported.
Based on official statements from
London, Paris and Berlin, allied and
American army officers here to-day
advance the opinion that, the Ger
man offensive appeared to be slow
ing up under the British system of
defense. They regarded the battle
as having entered its second stage
with the Germans facing increased
resistance.
Major General Marsh, chief of
staff, summed up the view of the
American military observers when
he declared the War Department saw
no.cause for ularm.
What the Man in the Bleachers Can't Understand
I
I li 1 1"'
WHILE: THIS WHOLE TBA.II IS OVEK THYL\G TO CATCH UREAT HIT IT AIN OFF FLIT ST UASES
FRANCE REPORTS
A SLOWING UP OF
THE GREAT DRIVE
Entire Confidence Is Placed
in Ability of British to
Stop Advance
By Associated Press
French Front in Friince, Monday,
March 25. —Lytire conlidence reigns
that the Germans' last trump in the
world battle will be overtrumped
when the proper moment comes. The
Allied military authorities wero fully
cognizant that the enemy's supreme
effort would cause a retreat until
measures could be taken to check
the irruption into the Allied posi
tions.
As always, the attackers possessed
the advantage of knowing exactly
where they would launch their on
slaught. while the defenders were
[Continued on Page 2.]
American Position on
Toul Sector Is Again
Bombarded With Gas
I With the Amerlrnn Army In
France, Monday. March 25.—The
American positions on a certain part
•O- the Toul frAnt were bombarded
I with mustard gas shells at the rate
of six a minute last night, but in
effectively. The Americans replied
with a heavy fire and demolished seg
ments of the German front lines and
other points.
A German airplane flew over the
American lines during the night and
dropped a shell, which did not ex
plode but dug a deep hole. At noon
to-day a French airplane brought
down a German machine opposite the
American trenches.
American observers find increased
activity behind the enemy 1i n .■>.
Many horses, vehicles and bicycles
are moving along the roads. The us
ual patrols were active during the
night and an American party found
a camouflage suit abandoned by a
German sniper.
American gunners have bombarded
the mouth of a tunnel Inside the
German . lines and an observation
Tost recently discovered
HUNS USE TANKS
! TO SMASH LINES
HELD BY HAIG
Berlin Admits British Defense
Is Brave and Tc- /
nacious
Berlin, Monday, March 25, via
London.—German tahks reinforced
by captured British tanks, says a
semi-official statement to-day on
Sunday's lighting -in the west, "took
a leading part in breaking the
enemy's brave resistance."
Tanks attached to the German di
visions lighting below St. Quentin
stood the test brilliantly, the state
ment says and their mobility was
praised universally. All the tanks
which took part in the fighting are
said to have returned undamaged.
It was mainly due to their inter
vention, the statement continues,
that the tenacious resistance of the
British, especially the machine gun
nests was broken quickly. Troops
manning a concrete redoubt near
Urvillers are reported to have been
overpowered immediately by the
tanks.
ANOTHER SMALLPOX* VICTIM
John Spahr, 50 Balm street, an
employe at the Harrisburg Pipe and
Pipe Bending works, who has been I
under quarantine since last Friday, i
is the latest victim of smallpox lo- j
cated by city health authorities. He
is related to the family In York '
county suffering from the disease,
and discovered by state health
authorities. City officials believe he
contracted it while visiting there.
Don't Spend All
you planned
For That Easter Hat
Put Aside $4.14.
and Get $5.00
&W Ask John A. Affleck
" 4
"MYSTERY GUN"
MADE IN AUSTRIA:
I ONLY THREE BUILT
; Long-Range Gun Built at
Skoda Factory, Is Report
From Vienna
. By Associated Press
I Cicncvii, Monday, March 23. —The
L long-range guns bombarding Paris,
i stya a Vienna dispatch received here,
; are of Austrian manufacture, having
! been built at the Skoda factory.
The gun ItMcir in not new, lint lla
novelty foinrs from n new type of
shell mill the exploitive itnxrx used
In the Klin. There nre nnlil to be
only two or three of the gun*.
I.omloii, March 2fi.—ln the "mys
tery gun," the name generally given
to the weapon with which the' Ger
mans are bombarding Paris from a
distance estimated at seventy-live
miles, it is frankly conceded by ex
perts the enemy has sprung one of
the greatest surprises of the war.
Powerful I'ropellimt
General Sir Desmond O'Callaghan.
formerly president of the army ord
nance committee, says of the Ger
man gun:
"The project'les must have been
[Contlntftd on Pase 2.]
j Harrisburg Likely to Be
Asked to Subscribe Four
Million to Liberty Loan
I No word hfis been received in the
city regarding the quota assigned to
Harrisburg and the Harrisburg dis-
J trict for the Third Liberty Loan
j drive. Local chairmen are at Phila
delphia attending the conference of
I state chairmen, and it is likely they
| will announce the quotas upon their
I return to the city this evening.
| ' Local authorities have estimated
fhat the Harrisburg quota will be
$4,000,000, the name as the second
quota. The quotas for the district,
composed of Dauphin, Perry, Cum
berland and Juniata counties, would
then be $7,5p0,000. Local chairmen
are ready t<} begin the drive for
bonds, it hifs been announced.
oaii.v uvuainu ruu i'iti<.a
MOW M'A I'ICK L.\ II A IIIIISIIII ||(;
—
WILD RUMORS
ARE PART OF A
GERM AN PLOT
Mask Evil Plans Behind Wil
lingness of Many to Pass
Misinformation
TO PLACARD THE COUNTY!
Public Safety Committee Plans
Prosecution of Those Who
Lie Deliberately
A well-defined plan to shake the
confidence of the American public)
thereby hindering the progress ofl
the war plans and the success of the
coming Liberty Loan and Red Cross:
campaigns to-day was seen by tliei
Dauphin County Committee of Pub-i
lie Safety to be back of the dozen
or more rumors circulated last night
and to-day.
While most of the rumors pre
harmless enough in themselves, it
is said tliat they are simply a smoke
screen behind which arc being
launched lies that arc well designed I
to strike at the country.
Members of the committee to-day
said that there are a number of Ger
[Continued on Page I t.]
50 Germans Arrested
in Chicago Following
Noisy Celebration
l liicago. March 20. —Celebration i
ot the German offensive resulted in |
the arrest here last night of more
than fitty persons. Police first were
attracted to one house by strains ol '
"Die Waclit Am Rhine," and as !i !
result of arrests made there-Federal I
and civil authorities combined in'a
drive throughout the German set-!
tlement. where it was found that n I
general celebration was being held.'
German flags were displayed in nianyj
places and in many houses groups;
were found raising their voices in |
German songs. Bonfires also were I
lit in some parts of the city.
One prisoner, when asked the
cause of the celebration, declared ho
had "held himself back as long as
possible, but the great German vic
tory was too great an event not to be
celebrated."
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< i American military and naval forces **
e * torn the allied governments. £
II SIX HOSTILE PLANES BROUGHT DOWN 4
' * R
* ual artillery actions and moderate activity by our re JL
* •
Mf S
4* KILLED IN X
< # Washington—A'seaplane accident at Pensacola, Fla.,, JT
< *|
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r.
* * *V*
4
AIRPLANE PROGRAM GREATLY REDUCED ♦
0 J|
X Washington—Senator New, Republican of Indiana. X
[peaking in the Sent day declared that instead of .4*
0 t' j
T 12,000 . ( . ,
* a-. , * f
ber v.-ill mount to On) -37 *
I | ACTION WILL TRANSFER THOUSANDS * 1
T ***
-* Was ♦
er
, „ scngcr tragic sc>ii 'inct; has been tU i
<*• or
•* * >
<jb "ccame known here s action will elimin
t# miilioi * |
* * men to o*hcr railroad ♦£'
I! •' N. Y. ALARMED BY EXPLOSIONS |
'* • New York—This city was shaken and alarmed bv ■'f 1
* three cr Icur'violent explosions at 3.06 o'clock this aft- #■ 1
e * £
„ noon. The sounds came from the direction of New T X
* * sey. The explosion continued, rapidly, a column o. |
4 smoke was observable rising in Jersey City. /„
3[ ' *T
t MARRIAGE LICENSES *
<s# \1In S. i:,knir.Mlr. Sterlton, nml Ethel .\. Banner, Ilnrrla- *L ' '
4* burß -
&-WK* •HWHHhi'
HOME EDITION
DONATO GROUP IS
TO BE PLACED IN
RESERVOIR PARK
Council Picks Site For Plac
ing of Famous "Dance
of Eternal Spring"
ACTION IS NOT APPROVED
I Commissioner Gross
to Take Over Fountain if
Funds Are Provided
i'ominissioner Gross was directed
| in a resolution passed by Council to
day to select a site in Reservoir Park
to be used for the Donato fountain.
! "The Dance of Eternal Spring,"
j given to the city by M. S. Hershey,
I and kept in a storage warehouse for
j more than two years.
Tlle resolution was Ihtroduced by
Commissioner 1-ynch, seconded- by
Mayor Keister and passed unani
mously. Commissioner Lynch and the
other members of Council said funds
would be provided to erect the fuon
| tain, which is of bronze and was de
signed and made by the famous
sculptor Guiseppc Donato.
The interest of the creator of tl)e
work of art was evidenced by his
offer to pay half of the expense of
: erecting the fountain in River Front
! Park in a setting designed by him
i and estimated to cost about $4,500. '
| site Not Approved
; The proposed plan to place the
l bronze group in Reservoir Park is
j believed will meet with disapproval
[Continued on Page •!.]
Insurance Rates Increased
25 Per Cent, on Most Three
and Five-Year Contracts
Because of .-in Increase in the tire
! insurance fates on any policies for
j more than one-year terms, effective
; next week, the County Commlssion
j ers have canceled the present con-
I tracts, which were to run for several
j, months yet, and have made new
agreements under the present lutes
insuring the Courthouse, furniture
and outbuildings. Insuraneefnen ex
plained that the charge will be in
creased about twenty-five per cent,
on all three and live-year period*.