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Show Germans Rush Forward Under Cover of Heavy Artillery Barrage Only to Be Pushed Back by Haig's Gallant Men. FRENCH TROOPS MAKE PROGRESS Lines of Both the Entente En-tente Allies Advanced in the Neighborhood of Meteren; New Offensive Of-fensive Is Expected. Austria-Hungary supplies some of the most important items of the curreut news, with a critical economic and political po-litical situation officially conceded to be developing at home, just as her armies at the front are apparently about to be launched in a new attack on Italy. The crisis in Vienna is marked by the dismissal of the Austrian parliament parlia-ment by the emperor's oTder, and the declaration that forcible measures would be taken to make a resumption of its sessions impossible. A statement state-ment issued makes it clear that tho government was embarrassed by the divisions in the legislative body over the grave food situation and the va rious racial grievances in the Austrian body politic and desired a free hand in the next few months. Such drastic action, taken in the face of unrest throughout Austria-Hungary, as the result of the war's privation, priva-tion, and the ever-recurring racial differences, dif-ferences, will cause the development of (Continued on Page Four.) BRITISH REPULSE JSSMT ITU (Continued from Page Od ) a situation in the dual monarchy to be followed with the keenest interest. EMPEROR CHARLES LEAVES FOR FRONT. Meanwhile, Vienna dispatches have reported Emperor Charles leaving for the front and have announced greatly increased activity along tho Austro-Italian Austro-Italian lines, where a renewal of the Teutonic offensive has long been threatened. The Rome official statement, state-ment, does not give a like picture of the front line activities, but records j intensive aerial operations, with the entente airmen evidently having the better of the encountors and bringing down fourteen enemy machines. The German offensive in Flanders has beon held up now for virtually five days, since the enemy waves last dashed against the rock-ribbed defense of tho British and French early last week and the Ypres line stood firm under tho attack. General von Arnim ovidently has been forced into this inactivity in-activity by the severity of his losses and the time necessary to marshal new forces for a fresh blow. FRESH GERMAN TROOPS READY. Concedcdly, however, the enemv has fresh troops for a thrust of greater power, if he thinks it advisable to employ em-ploy them here, and there have been judications for the last day or two that he was preparing to do so. One such hint of an impending thrust developed Saturday morning, when the German artillery began violently to pound the Franco-British line from Locre to the south of Ypres, where his main effort of April 29 was made. The bombardment was not speedily followed fol-lowed up by an attack, however, as was the case last Monday. Meanwhile there had been a strengthening strength-ening of the allied defense at important points along both the northern and southern sides of . the Lys salient. The French have thus operated successfully in the Locre region, which is one of the main objective points of the Germans-as an approach to Mount Rouge, and the British on Friday night strengthened their lines in the vicinity of Hinges, northwest of Bethune. BIG GUNS BOOM IN AVRE REGION. The Somnie front has been threatening threaten-ing to break out into its former furious activity for several days past, but, aside from the recent thrust by the French, which gained them commanding ground in the Avre sector, southeast of Amiens, and similar operations by the British around Villers-Bretonneux, just to the north, the fighting has been left almost al-most entirely to the artillery. The big guns are still booming threateningly in the Avre region and elsewhere around the great Montdidier salient, however. In Palestine the British have again met and defeated the Turks in engagements engage-ments in the vicinity of the river Jordan. Jor-dan. Attacks by the Ottoman troops on two successive days were beaten off with heavy losses to the enemy, and in the fighting the British took more than 300 prisoners. Dispatches from Paris announce that another of the German long range guns engaged in bombarding the French iapital has been put out of action . through a direct hit bv the French ar- tillery. BOTH THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH GAIN IN LOCAL ATTACKS LONDON, May 4. Geruiau troops early this morning, under cover of a heavy artillery barrage, attacked the British positions south of Locon. The statement issued by the war office says I the attack was completely repulsed. French troops, in their operations this morning in the Locre sector, made progress. prog-ress. British troops on the right of the French also advanced their lines in the neighborhood of Meteren. The statement says: The enemy's bombardment this morning south and southwest of Ypres, was vigorously replied to by our own and the French artillery. No attacks developed. The infantry fighting during the day was confined to local engagements engage-ments at different points. In successful suc-cessful minor operations carried out by us last night in the Hinges sec-'tor, sec-'tor, we captured over forty prisoners. prison-ers. A local attack attempted by the enemy early this morning south of Locon under cover of a heavy artillery ar-tillery barrage, was completely repulsed. re-pulsed. In their operations early this morning in the Locre sector, French troops made progress and captured over fifty prisoners. British troops, acting on the right of our allies, also made progress in the neighborhood of Meteren. On the remainder of the front there is nothing of special interest to report. DAY OPENS WITH BOMBARDMENT BY THE GERMANS LONDON, May 4. An intense bombardment bombard-ment was opened by the Germans early this morning on the Flanders front from Locre to the south of Ypres. There is great activity also in the sector between the forest of Nieppe and Meteren, the war office announces. The British slightly Improver! their position po-sition in a minor operation near Hinges, on the southerly side of the Lys salient, while on the northern front the French carried out a local enterprise in which prisoners were taken, in the Locre sector. The statement reads: We improved our position slightly ' last night by a successful minor enterprise en-terprise near Hinges and captured machine guns. A successful local operation, in which" several prisoners were secured by the French troops, was carried out in the Locre sector. Early tills morning the enemy artillery artil-lery opened an intense bombardment of the French and British positions from the neighborhood of Locre to the south of Ypres, and has shown great activity in the forest of Nieppe and Meteren sector." SEE SIGNS OF A RENEWAL OF THE HUN OFFENSIVE BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, May 4. There are unmistakable unmistak-able signs of a resumption of the German effort to force the allied positions on the hill chain west of Kemmel. Last evening eve-ning the Germans opened a tremendous bombardment on Scherpenberg and on Mont Rouge, but no infantry action followed. fol-lowed. At 5 o'clock this morning the German artillery crashed forth again upon the Anglo-French lines north of La Clyette and to the south of Mont Rouge. The allies are well prepared for the attack, but the weather is thick and wet, so that aerial observation virtually is impossible. TURKISH FORCES CROSS THE JORDAN AND MEET DEFEAT LONDON, May 4. Turkish forces in Palestine which crossed the Jordan rivci on Thursday made an attack on a British Brit-ish position and were repulsed, the war office announces. On the following day they again attacked, having received considerable con-siderable reinforcements, and were beaten off with heavy losses. The British took 214 prisoners. The text of the statement reads: Throughout May 2 the fighting continued con-tinued east of the Jordan and to the south of Es-Salt. Enemy forces Which had crossed the river and had advanced to attack our troops holding hold-ing the village of Es-Salt were driven back. Our air service attacked troops and rolling stock on the Hedjaz railway In the vicinity of Allan, and on the Wadi Sir, south of Es-Salt, with bombs and machine gunfire. Two of our machines failed to return. During the night of May 2 and the morning of May 3 the enemy renewed his attacks on Es-Salt from the northeast and north with considerable reinforcements. In each case the attacks at-tacks were repulsed, with heavy losses, and 314 prisoners remained in our hands. VIENNA REPORTS . HEAVY FIGHTING ON ITALIAN FRONT VIENNA, Friday, May 3, via London, May 4. Heavy fighting along the whole Italian front "between the Adriatic and the Giudicaria valley in the north, is reported re-ported In today's official statement. The statement follows:. The fighting activity again increased in-creased to considerable violence yesterday yes-terday along the whole Italian front between the Giudicaria valley and the Adriatic. An Austro-German offensive on the Italian front has been predicted as part of the plan of the central empires for a heavy campaign in the hope of obtaining obtain-ing a decision in the next few months. It has been expected such an attack would be launched while the British and French were occupied with holding their line in Flanders and France. , WJiether such an operation is under way Is not indicated definitely by the Austrian announcement, which may refer to artillery lighting, and Joes not indicate on which side the Initiative Initi-ative has been taken. The territory between the Adriatic and Ihe Giudicaria. which comes down just ?ast of the Aclamello region and skirts xlong the west shore of Lake Garda, takes n both the Piave and the northern moun-ain moun-ain fronts, embracing most of the fight-ng fight-ng line practicable for military operations n a large scale. AMSTERDAM, May 4. A Vienna dis-5atch dis-5atch today says: The emperor yesterday started for tho front," accompanied by the chief of staff. Field Marshal Arz von Straussenberg. and the German military mili-tary representative, Major General Cramon. The absence in the foregoing of refer- ' mfe to a specific front makes it appear irobable that the Italian front is meant rhe announcement therefore seems slg- ; lificant. In view of the official nnnounnp-nent nnnounnp-nent from Vienna reporting heavy fishing fishi-ng along the whole Italian front. French MaKe Raids. PARIS. May 3. Spirited artillery fishing fishi-ng along the Avre river on the front BRITISH REPULSE I ASSAULT IT LOGON (Continued From Page Four.) soul hens t of Amiens, is reported in today's to-day's official statempnt. The statement follows: There were rather heavy bombardments bombard-ments in the region of the Avre. The French carried out several raids near the Oise and Allette rivers, and west of La Pompelle, brinpinir back a number num-ber of prisoners. A German attack near Courcy and two others north and northeast of Rheims were without result. re-sult. Everywhere else the nisht was calm. |