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Show GERMANS LOSING CONFIDENCE I AS GREAT CRISIS APPROACHES I French Bringing Up Reinforcements For Telling Blow. Make Notable Gains in Local Battles, Pour Tons of Bombs on Enemy From Airplanes and Continue Con-tinue Preparations to Fight on Vast Scale With II Americans Pouring Into Line. WASHINGTON, April 3. An indication that heavy French reinforcements are being brought up rapidly to the point on the western front where tie Germans appear to have concentrated con-centrated their strongest efforts to break through, is carried in information received at the British war mission today from British headquarters in France. The F rench forces, it was said, have extended their line to Thermes, near the Luce river. This enables the British to shorten their own lines and to concentrate their forces. WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE. April 3, by the Associated Press. The re-capture of Ayette, south of Arras, by the British is the most important news from the-northern the-northern battlefront reported thus far today. The Ayette sector has been one of the most fiercely contested zones. The Germans have sacrificed great numbers of troops in an effort ef-fort to secure a firm hold here. The British last night stormed and captured a strong German point south of Hebuterne which menaced the defending de-fending positions. I ; PARIS, April 3 A German attack: ) last night outh of Moreuil was .repulsed .re-pulsed by the French fire and the en - j emy was unable to Rain a footing in J an part of the French position, the! war office announces, except at one j point. The French also broke up a German attack near Rollot and gained' ground north of Plemont. Th statement follows: "tn the lront between the Sommei and the Oise there was increasing ac-1 tivity on the part of the artillery onj both sides. South of Moreuil the enemy made a spirited attack against! the French positions between Morisell and Mailly Revail. It was repulsed by, the French fire and the enemy was not able to obtain a footing in the' French defenses except at a single 1 point. "A German effort north of Rollot; was broken up by the French fire. Last night the French carried out a local operation on the slopes north ofj Plemont in the course of which our troops enlarged their position appre-ciably appre-ciably and took sixty prisoners. There is nothing to report from ihe re - ' ruainder of the front. Aerial Squadrons Active. "On March 31 and April 1, French aerial squadrons threw down twelve' thousand kilograms (more than thir-teen thir-teen tons) of projectiles on railways! and cantonments at Ham. Chauny, ! Noyon, etc. A large fire was observed in the railway station at Chaulnes. "German cantonments in the region of Roye were bombarded with many projectiles and attacked with machine guns from a low elevation. French pursuit planes were engaged in many tights in the course of which eight German airplanes were brought down. Two others were put out of action." German Attacks Defeated. LONDON, April 3. "At dawn yes-terda. yes-terda. a determined Attack made by a strong party of the enemy against fiur positions in the neighborhood of Fampoux was repulsed after sharp fighting. A number of German dead and a few prisoners were left in our hands. "'A successful local operation was (Undertaken by us last nif,'ht In the neighborhood of Ayette, which la now in our possession. "Over one hundred prisoners and three machine Kins were captured by Us," the official statement says. "We secured a few prisoners yesterday yester-day through the enterprise in the neighborhood of Serre, already report re-port r-d 5 "There is nothing further to report from the battle from Successful Raids Made. "Lincolnshire troops raided the enemy's trenches northeast of Loos Festerday morning and captured thir-I thir-I ly-one prisoners and a machine sun. Another successful raid in which we captured a few men was carried out by u8 last night northeast of Poelcap-Pelle." Poelcap-Pelle." Review of War Situation. Military operations are almost .t a standstill on the more than 60-mile front from Arras to Chauny, but It is an ominous claim. At any hour the I jiitorm oi battle, quiescent for two days, '- mav again beat madly over the plain of Picardy. Their great attack stemmed and their countless efforts to find a weak point in the allied line repulsed with heavy losses, the German leaders probably are preparing for another plunge toward Amiens. Where the next stroke will come is uncertain, but the Albert -Montdidier section of the battle bat-tle line may be selected, unless the Germans are convinced that it is impossible im-possible to look for victory on el hei side of the Somme and may attempt to break through at some other poinl on the line where, until now, it has been comparatively quiet. Allies Busy Preparing. The cessation of the German on- i slaughls is welcomed by the British and French who are busy preparing for the next great effort after their victorious defense against the stupe.n dous enemy drive. Both armies are confident that the German efforts to separate the British and French will continue to prove fruitier. Allied Reserve Army Intact. There is much significance in the announcement that the allied reserve army is still intact. This is the army of maneuver of which General Foch assumed immediate command and which was thought might be used in a counter -offensive Meanwhile, more than 100,000 American soldiers, eager I for the fray, are marching forward to the front It is announced that Am-i eriran aviation mechanics have been assisting the British airmen on the battle front. Artillery Bombardment Heavy. Tuesday the Germans made no attack at-tack either north or south of the Som- me Near Serre, north of Albert, the British carried out a small operation and captured an enemy post In the south the artillery' bombardment was beavy between Montdidier and Noyon while further east German detach ' ments were driven back from the Olse Small attacks have been repulsed by the French in the Woevre and in upper up-per Alsace. In Flanders then Las bon ' only the usual artillery activity. German Ger-man guns have been bombarding the i American sector northwest of Toul heavily. Inclement weather is hin-! hin-! dennc operations en the Italian fropt land the artillery activity is sliht. -nn |