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Show ! f GREAT FINCH j: - OFFENSIVE OPENS ; News Spreads Like Wildfire Through British Forces at the Front. NO OFFICIAL REPORT r But German Statement Gives : a Hint of the Mighty r ; Conflict. I' LONDON. April 16, 6.52 p. ni "News of the opening of the great I French offensive has spread like wild- ; f fire through the British forces," tele- I T graphs neuter's correspondent at Brlt-Jk Brlt-Jk ish headquarters in Francp today. 7T. No official announcement from Paris of a widespread offensive move ment by the French has been made. ( t The indications have been, however, I I that an offensive was about to be opened by Gen. Nivelle's forces In the i sector between Soissons and the Champagne, where the artillery battle ; J has been raging violently for several , days. j ,- Today's German headquarters re- : port gave a hint that this battle might ' i .' have started. After announcing ex- ! ceptionally heavy artillery fire and ' j' reconnoitering operations "from Sois sons to Rheims and in the western Champagne, the statement reported i that "infantry fighting developed this morning over wide sectors." The Paris official statement, cov- ering the events of last night, men-I men-I tioned an increase to extreme vio-1 vio-1 lence of the artillery fighting on the m Soissons-Rheims front. I oo |