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FACE HUNS CONFIDENTLY. I IIA It HI KB* OF ALLIKS WILL STOP IN V AD El IS. French Putt lie ami l*rvss Firmly < on rlneoxl Tliat (.Ignntlc Fffort of Central 1 Empires Will Imj Broken? Horrible Losses Suffered by Ger? mans Attacking In Muss Formation. Washington, March 26.?Frame confidence that the great German of? fensive is w*etlna Its strength again *t the allied line Is voiced In an otlieial dispatch today from Paris. The mes? sage quotes at length from todays Petit Jourm.l to show that the Ger? mans, thoufh suffering tremendous losses In mawied advances, have failed to attain their objectives and that the present situation Is satisfactory to the allies. Following Is the dispatch: "The French press continues to view with calm confidence the develop? ments of the gigantic battle which hue be-en going on for five days. This eonfldence is based upon all the ex? periences of this war. Each time that the Germans have attempted a move? ment against the troops in the West the effort, after attaining an amount of success, always has ended In be? ing broken against the barriers of the allied armies. "The great example before all minds Is that of the Maine, where Germany had every advantage on her aide. Today she is fighting against the powerful Franco.British armies ac? customed to war and well supplied; her effort will again be stopped. Such Is the Arm and calm conviction ot* French opinion. "The Petit Journal says: 'It up pears now that while attacking from the beginning on the whole of tho front, the Germans have brought the:, principal efforts to the west of St. Qeentln. In thus acting they wished to upset the English, reach the lam IP i and to secure for themselves in thi direction a route to Amiens, which they want at all coats to posses in or der to separate the F.ngllsh from th? French armies. It Is for this object that the German center has isjude for three days such gigantic efforts. Un? der the furious blow* of the assailants the English have been obliged to withdraw, but the obstinacy with wHloh they have fought has permitted them to take the necessary measures to oppose the plans of the enemy. " 'Finally the left wing operating South of St. Quentin appears to hav kad t?>r ?te miesion the object of ef? fecting a diversion in order to favor the march toward Amiens. Prince Ruprecht expected undoubtedly tha* his troops marching in tho direction of Paris would absorb the attention of the adversary*. But the Interven tlon of the French troops has dis? turbed this calculation. " 'As for our pollus, from the mo? ment of their entry Into the line, In spite of their numerical inferiority, they have set the enemy a bay. indict? ing upon him terrific losses and only yielding ground inch by inch. The defensive struggle Is continuing in the region north of Noyon while wulting for the right moment to give a coun? ter-thrust. " The Germans have not done any? thing further than apply th*? formula from whleh they cuti not depart, but which they plan on a colossal scale? charges In close formation, more com? pact than In 1914. I Anywhere th Germans have attaeked In sueh close waves that tin- individuals could hard ly be distinguished from each other The remit of this prat tie<- is that the) have suffered horntde losses. All the prisoners relate that they are ad? vancing over heaps of head. A terri? fied Oerman said that more than half of his regiment had bOOg killed.' " The military eritio of The Journal makes the observation that th.- tJoi man command Is far IfOffl having a tained his objectives. He writes: ' "The enemy Is adopting, at hast to all appearances, the plan of limit. ! objectives. He announces the HU?-ee ; of the first phase oi the battle with a haste which does not precisely indi? cate an owiwl elmmg confidence In the futur. " If We must take the Germans g1 their word we have then the right to affirm that at the end of four da s they have not reached the objective which, according to their own plain, had been assigned for the lust day. " 'i'ntll now the result attained does not exceed tb.t wimh is practically Inevitable In an action where such cn ergetlc methods have been brought to hear. We have always attained the same and It is not to be supposed that the enemy employing enormous forces would not have th?? game fortune.' "The Petit Journal also gave ? re? sume of the military situation as fol? lows. "The Germans ha\e In front of them an adversary whose tenacity is well known and who has at his dis posal every means and every resource to continue the struggle victoriously On the other hund one must not for? get that the Germans will find It nee essary to pause and bring up theli heavy wrtlllery to th* 0JOW hue of com i, g. The i Sngll ii o in th< ii i riuni up TUESDAY'S GREAT BATTLE. HUUUf 01 tum: or WSVKSTH on BATTLE FRONT, Sector Taken by 1 ncmy Valueless for Military PWI'POOOI?Seventy Divis? ions 1 mployctl in Drive?London ( <>nlii mis Statement of American Troops in Action. After mix days of terrific lighting the Oerman offensive in Franco is be? ginning to show signs of losing Its momentum. The plan of the enemy !ias materially slackened and the form of the dent made in the allied line west of Ca inbrai has begun to resem? ble the familiar wedge-like salient, in stead of the broad straight forward movement of an offensive which car? ries all before it. At its apex this wedge has gone beyond AJbOTt and is to the westward of the old allied line as it stood a year ago when von Hindenburg bo Kan his "strategic retreat." From this point the line runs off to the northe.ist at a gentle angle, with the line to the south running back un? til it reaches the Oise River. In spite of the tremendous exer? tions and terrible losses, the German efforts to widen the tip of this salient ?TON deflated on Tuesday. The Brit? ish lines have stood firm to the north and have forced the Oermans to turn southward towards the point of least 11: istance. otllciul statements issued at Lon? don confirm the report from Bsrttn that American forces are engaged in the struggle. There has been no of fclal report to Washington as to the identity of these troops who are taking part in this great battle in history. With the slackening of the (Jerman pace there come indications that the allies are ready to strike back some? where a on g the front. Just where this blow will be launched will not be known until it is struck, but it may be expected that its impact will be ter? rific. Each succeeding day reveals the I Ian of the Germans absolutely to crush the allies* lines west of Cam bral, terrain which could not be de? fended by von Hindenburg a year ago. Each official report shows that Ulli sector is valueless from a military standpoint and that the Germans have paid a terrible price for their advance to the lines established by the allies iluring the first two years of the war. It is officially reported that 70 Ger? man divisions, or 840,000 men, have taken part in the 1 ghtlng. Observers at the fronl say thai tie German losses have been fright? ful, and that the enemy has lost iron Hi to 20 per cent, of his men by the most conservative estimate. The situation as it stands siems to t l a reptition of the dash of General von Kluck on Paris on 1914, when the German artillery and transports could not keep up with the infantry and tho Frc neb were able to turn back the Invaders at the Maine. Reports from various sectors in the last two da>s have indie ited thai the German infantry, relying on Itl mass attacks, has fought without the cus? tomary assitance of artillery. To bring up heavy guns requires time and the German advance will steadily be? come more painful and costly. While the Gorman line of commu? nications h is bosg growing longer, the lirltish have constantly moved near? er their b..so of supplies. There has bOOgj continued activity on the Italian front but no attacks of im port a m-e has been made by either side in tins theater. The American lines in tie Lunevillo and Toul sectors have been bombarded once more, but no infantry lighting is reported there. North of tho Bommi battlelield thor have boon no sngagomsnts of signlllcame. The British troops in Palestine have captured the village of Es-Salt. The lUltSbtfl BOlshSVtkl are report? ed to have recaptured the city of Kherson front Ins Oormano, JI.USIA CITY FIRE. Workman confesses That He started I ire With Cigarette. Neil Ymk, March 27. The police announeed today that Jacob K. Alt man bau confessed tnat he was re sponsftblc for the tire whloh caused the SSplOSton and the destruction of tin s shouse of th ? Jarvli Com] Jersey City yesterday, SOOOrdlng to the statement of the police Altmaii siid the lire started aceidenta1l.\ when he dropped a olgsrette on Inflammalde materials. He was employed at lb plant. The losses are estimai? d ul D million and I half dollars. Some people BSOfn to think th it patriotl-m consists in urging othoi people t. do their bit. Vndei on 1 Pally Mail. on a ceit tin delav to prepare for tin new attack Whloh they will have tu meet. To support lh? in the French are on their right Thus the situation 1' Is not of a nature to disturb In an\ way our confidence In the issue of ib< battle." GREAT DRIVE SLACKENS. WAR'S GREATEST BATTLE EN? TERN SECOND STAGE, Washington Experts Think Defense Against Drive of Germans Stiffens Daily?Allied Rcaervcc still Avail? able for Wow When Huns Near Exha ust ion. Washington, .March 25.?The Ger? man drive at the British linos ap? peared to be slowing under the policy Of elastic defense pursued by Field Marshal Hatg, according to the opin? ion of allied and American army otli OCrs hero, based on the Official state? ments from London, Paris and Berlin? The greatest battle of the war. thus far, they believe is entering its second stage with the German forces facing an increasing stubborn resistance The outcome of this stage may not be discernible for several days. The attitude of American military authorities was stated by Maj. Gen. Peyton <\ March, acting chief Ol Staff, lb' said: "The war department sees no cause for alarm on the part of the people of the United States. Sir Doug? las Haig has announced that the Brit? ish withdrawal was in accordance with a dellnito plan. This announce? ment is to he accepted." ? Similar confidence of the ultimate defeat of the German effort was ox pressed by Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood before the senate military commit? tee and Maj. Gen. MacLaohlin, Brit? ish military attache, voiced the feel? ing of British ollicers hero as to the work of their comrades in France in a statement that nothing resembling a break in the British linos yet has boon accomplishd by the German rush. Repeated report! of the participa? tion of American troops in the Berlin reports presumably with the French on the British Hank caused General March to say that neither General Pershing nor General Bliss had re? ported on the point. There was much speculation here too" ay as to the purpose of the Gor? man leader! in pressing the main at? tack in the direction of Amiens. The capture of Nesle, admitted in London indicates this to bo the apex of the great wedge that is being forced into tho British linos near the point where the British and French forces con? nect. The Question raised was whether the Aerman plan contemplated swing? ing to their right toward the coast, designed to hem up all British force-! in a restricted field Of operations with the channel behind them; or a sweep j toward Paris to their left front. As jot the developments reported do not indicate the ultimate objective. One view expressed was that a blow; elsewhere might follow tho chock? ing of the present drive or even ac? company it. Advices from Baly have Indicated enemy concentrations on that front for some time past. At? tacks along the French lines do not appear to be more than fcintl at pres? ent calculated to keep the French from weakening their lines too far in sending supporting divisions to their left tlank. Ollicers here think the enormous forces concentrated in the drive at the British front precludes tho possibil? ity of a major offensive by the Ger mans elsewhere in France, in Italy. however, masses of Austrian troops taken from Russia are available to strengthen 'be Austro-German fori. for a big movement. Captured Rus? sian guns might be used to good ef? fect, it was said. The only Austrian forces noted on tin- Westorn front are artillery units. Mention today of the allied strate? gic reserves, not as yd engaged caus? ed some doubt as to the probable de? velopments if the British as is ex? pected, bring the German drive to a hah within a few days, a temporary lull while the German.-; bring up artil-j lery li to be expected at any time. if the front of the British proves too firm i<> be broken, however, and ollicers here have no doubt that it Will, the Germans eventually Will reach a point of exhaustion both of men and supplies Which Will bring them to a standstill. That would be the psychological moment for a coun tor drive ami the strategic reserves id' the allies would be kept "l order to have them ready for such a move? ment . The German wedge la narrowing and Unless they are aide to widen it they can not expect to retain its apex against a three sided attack. 11' it is not widened almost Immediately many 'ollicers believe that the dotlnite check? ing of tho drive will come soon and they expect tomorrow4! reports to show the efforts of the enemy to force bach the British and French lims on his Hanks, rather than to press ahead at the point of his great ' est penetration. i Continuation of the bombardment i of Purls with medium calibre shelb failed to Convince ordnance BKpertl ! thai a gun with a range of tr? mile or more had been evolved bj tin- Ger I DRESS UP FOR EASTER WONDERFUL STOCK OF EASTER APPAREL AT APPEALING PRICES. We offer you an opportunity to purchase a Eashioaable new.; Spring Coat, Suit or Dress at attractive prices. Every garment is of this season's newest style and coloring.. The Coat s Come in this season's The Suits. We have them in such most favored fabrics j variety that you will and a wide range of col- j have no trouble in ilnd ors and styles to choose from. ing just the suit you want. SILK DRESSES These are dresses for every purpose and they will losten ly appeal to women who want individuality of style. ?.- ?-? i--- n ii irt ii Iii i ill . ii i ii i .n mi ? i.i.in if i i ? MM?????^?? MW?-??????????? Ladies* New Spring Slippers and Oxfords At all prices, it makes no difference whether yea want a $3 shoe or a $10 shoe, we have them. THIS STORE ALWAYS STANDS FOR THE VERY BEST SHOE VALUES AT ANY STATED PRiCE. Shaw & McColm Mercantile Co mans. Those who would discuss the report! ?tili did not believe that Shell? are hurled that distance, Official state? ments from Berlin and Paris notwith? standing. They pointed out that the Merman official statement merely ?aid that Paris had boon bombarded with long distance buna Without any claim that all previous records for gun range had been exceeded by from 200 to 300 per cent., and contended that eventually it would be discov? ered that the shells dropped Into Paria had not traveled any such distance as 75 miles. This belief was based on mathematical calculations drawn from ordnance experience in all ooun trieSi however, and not on informa? tion from France. 11 AY Y FIGHTING GOES OX ALL J>A\ . London, M uch 25.?"Fighting of the most severo description, has been taking place all day on wide fronts south of Poronne and south and north of Bapaume," says field Ma.sha! ilalg's report from British headquar? ters In Fiance tdnlght. "In both sectors the enemy has at? tached our positions in great strength WltH fresh forces, and. In spite of tin gallant resistance of our troops, has forced ns to give ground. "Herman troops are in Xesle and Dapaume. Heavy fighting continues." The text of the evening statement reads: "During the morning of March 2'>. our troops on the front from tin Somme as far north as Wancourt had beaten off continuous and heavy at? tacks v.iih complete success. Heav> losses have been inflicted on the ene? my by our artillery and machine guns whilst OUr low Hying airplanes re peatedly attacked the enemy's ad? vancing columns father to the rear." "A heavy attack delivered by fn h enemy troops in the afternoon en 1 them to make progress west southwest of Bapaume, In lh< dirce tion of Courcollette. Bouih of IVron ne our troops have been pressed Intel in several places, "Our troops, although tired, are in good heart and are fighting splendid ; . and the enemy Is onlj progressing a' the cosl of heavy casualties. i on losses in material have been heavy and include o certain number 1 of tanks." Washington, March 26. A i aplam accldi nt at Pensacoln rcsulling i'1 the death of Knolgn .Michael J Deomanty of the naval resorvsy i whose home is in Boston, was report * ed to ihe navy department today. FOOL OK TltAlTOR: Italian Description of Man Who Re? fuses to Subscribe to War Loan. Rome, March 18 (Correspondence Of The Associated Press)?"A man must be either a fool or a traitor to ! refuse to subscribe to a war loan," declared Prime Minister Orlando In connection with Italy's niti, [oan which has brought in about 1600,000,? P00, "The nation needs the money to carry on the war and if there are enough fools and traitors among u not to subscribe, then the government Will simply take what it needs by high taxes." The result of the new loan, howev? er, proved satisfactory and the ex? treme measures of unusual taxes will not have to* be applied. War loans have come to be QUitC a custom; a; proceeding and the Italian public has each year made bcw subscriptions reeaponse to the advertising campaigns of the secrotary of the treasury and the banks. One of the features of the nmr loan lyis been the Craejcnesn of the news? papers and particularly of Becreta . of the Treasury Nittl regardii g flnnn eial facts. 'There's no use Lying to fool the public regarding national finances," he said. "We need tht money. We are paying nearly sis per cent Interest to get it. it's n good in? vestment The Italian govcrnmen will always pay Its debts. U'i ; n In? ternational fact that It does ? As far back --s UM, when It had to offer i Ight and ten per ? ,!' Interest, ii ; dopted the im.bey of sf m ling by its pledges, and II will always do so." Confidence In the Italian loans have for soveral yearn I een shown by the i Americans living In Italy. rpQ tn,. present time the war has ci si [ta y a) out $4.000,000,000, two i, ,,, which money has been spen! ,!,, nrm.\ or land forces and the oti . ? third on the navy, t H this $ I, ,., , ,,. : . . I 1,500,0.00,000 ha\ e been ,'. |>y war loans, $(?00,000,000 bj I . . ,,;. and about $2 000,000,000 by k'cial ti ? ?. surj bonds placed prim I i i|y it ICngland and the ; 'nltc ' Siatei for vie- purpose of paying foi war purchases. >P?M A FOL V. ' It. Committee Igrces to Issue of Light Billions nf Cert Hlcnlc*. Washington, March 80,?-The wa>*s and mean-! c< nruittee has tentatively agreed ap?the bill to give secretary efcAdoo power to Issue eight billion: >'n certllieuh s of indebtedness, dou i is the ?"?'< unl now authorised. ,: .ilT\ HOXDS IN DEMAND, Ortci; 'v. of Stac k Exchange Featured i>> ( all tor Honda, Xov York. March 20.?An extra ... Mir. ry demand for Liberty bonds, riy th< second issue 4's, d the opening of the stock .; The inquiry probably re ? ! .i'i.ii the publication overnight details of the forthcoming third I >am i ALTY ?.1ST STATEMENT. ... i cpartmcnt Gives Reason for Publishing Names Only. , Washington. .March 26.?-3?fn1^fflciar r.t ??i the war department's lasom for announcing only the mos ?>i Americans killed and in nice, was submitted to today by Major General 11 said the old system gave ?my and brought nts to harass the relative* of the men. , 11 IDE IN AUSTRIA. \ Hspatcli Says Iii? Gun Was lade at skoda Factory. ?:ene? March 26.?The long j i th t is bombarding Paris, to a Yienna dispatch is of manufacture, being built at the Sko factory. The nun itself is not in v but its novelty comes from i pe sin i! and explosiv? gasSS . in In gun. There is said to be [j L\v< or three of the weapons. HK.JIEK FHE1GHT HATES. pmiatmn i oinpati> Asks for Advance to Sou thorn Points. on, March 26.?The Mer Miners t; ansport&tto i ed with tlte interstate Hi commission an application ii rail and water class from three to ten cents, Philadelphia and - ie to points in Hastern Geor . a ami Western Florida. IVILL COST niUTV MILLION. ; rt Opinion of the t ost of Hog Island Sl ip Yard. Washington, March 27.?The total cost to the government of the eon struetion of the Ho? Island ship yards tween thlrtj fiv< and forty; millions, the senate commerce com, toi|d tod.tv by .lohn Pro ? man, an expert n.;v.:t architect!