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Show ALLIES INCREASING FORCES FOR A COUNTER OFFENSIVE I Active Fighting Halts For the Next Onslaught i Field Marshal Haig s troops took the aggressive last night on the southern side of the Lys battlefront with quick and decisive results. They compelled the Germans to give up small bits of ground in the Givenchy-Festubert sector which were all the enemy had to show for his costly all-day attacks of Thursday. The British counter-blow resulted in the attainment of all the objectives sought and in the complete re-establishment of the British line as it existed before the Germans struck on Thursday. The only offensive action on the German side reported from the British front was in the Robecq region near the westerly tip of the Lys salient. The enemy met no success here, the British driving him back to his positions. Them is possible significance in raiding operations carried out by the British south along the lino below the Scarpa river, Jusl to the southeast of Arras. Apparently 11 was intended to develop what forces the Germans have ready for an attack in this rfgion. It ' resuited in the taking of prisoners, machine guns and trench morlars A Geiman counter-attack wr-s repulsed. it seems not lniprouauie mat me en-emy en-emy will again essa a drive around rras, although he tailed signally there In iho early stapes of the bat tie. Some way the Germans have got m force back the Iliitish line between Arras and Albert before they can so ranch farther ahead iD their push on tne Soinme battle front, as their ricbt flank is held fast by the British from Vimy to Albert and has not been able to keep pace with their left; south of iho Somme. Vimy Ridge Is Anchor Point. The British anchor point on this line is Vimy Ridge, north of Arras, the turning of which from the norili has been assumed to be one of the German objectives in driving in the salient alon;,' the Lys, whence they apparently hoped to work southward, siopprd in this attempt by the British in the fighting on Thursday and yesterday, yes-terday, they must either strike here acain or attack with a similar purpose pur-pose elsewhere, if Vimy and the line it supports is not still to stand in the way of their southerly drive. On the other sectors of the southern battle front held by the French there was a continuation of the heavy artillery artil-lery duel between Lassigny and Noyon, toward the French right flank. The only infantry operation was a raiding attempt by the Germans near Hangard, southeast of Amiens, in which the advantage was with the French, who took prisoners, includinc an officer. LONDON, April 20. Nine machine! guns, a trench mortar and prisoners were taken by the British in a local 1 operation yesterday south of the' Scarpe river, the war office an-nounces. an-nounces. A German counter-attack; was repulsed. On the Flanders battle front the British ejected the Germans from ad-' vanced positions gained by them in i Thursday's attack In the region ot Glvenchy and Festubert. The British gained all their objectives objec-tives in their counter-attack in Flanders, Flan-ders, advancing their defenses a Glvenchy Glv-enchy and Festubert and re-establishing their positions. In sharp lighting southeast of Robecq Ro-becq the British drove back German attacking parties. The statement follows: "As a result ot a minor enterprise curried out by us yesterday south of the Scarp river we captured a few prisoners, nine machine guns and a trc-nch mortar. Early in the night the; Demy launched a counter-attack in K this locality and was repulsed. "During the night a successful attack at-tack b the first division drew out the enemy from points in uur advanced defenses around Glvenchy and Festubert, Festu-bert, gained by him on the 18th instant, in-stant, al the cost of heavy losses. All objectives were gained and the position posi-tion here was re-established. "Local attacks against our positions southwest of Kobecq led to sharp lighting at the end of which the enemy en-emy was driven back." Review of the War Situation. Active fighting operations have halted for'thc turn3 being while each I side prepares tor the next onslaught. It Is not improbable that the Germans again will nttack, either in Picaruy or in Flanders-Artols, while over every move they mak bangs the menace of the allied reserve army and a counter-offensive. Unfavorable Weather. Unfavorable weather has sen led down upon the northern battlefield, but, up to the present, the Ger. ans hae selected mist and rain and cold periods as opportune for striking and the lull In their attacks is due more probably to their appalling losses, which in the past ten days have caused such depletions in organiza- I r- I Hons that offensive tactics must wait the arrival of new troops. The enemy en-emy is moving up new troops and i up-plies up-plies alon the Lys river and these are being bombarded heavily bv the British. Brit-ish. Many Reserve Divisions. Germany probably still has many reserve re-serve divisions and there Is little doubt that her masters will use up the last division in their attempts to crush either the British or the French They have borne t-he brunt of the present campaign vhleh will end its first month today and their line is still unbroken. The enemy has been un- able to pierce it and ro'.l up one side: as he apparently intended Racing them today on the western front the Germans find uritisb, French, American Belgian, Portuguese and Italian troops. The number is I increasing tcoristantl , while the Germans Ger-mans undoubtedly have used up their i veteran divisions in their battles of the past month. The Germans cannot halt now, if! they would, in their attempt to crush I the enemies while they, themselves, yet have strength. Field Marshall Haig's Fabian tactics have been more than a match for the strong, head-on rushes of the Germans In a month r of the heaviest fighting of the war the Germans have gained nothing the al-1 lies could not afford to lose when, at the same lime, they could inflict losses more than commensurate with the value of the positions sacrificed In fact, the allies now are in a better position for an overpowering offensive offen-sive than they were on March 21. oo |