resisting desperately and with some meas ure of success the smashing drive the germans are pressing on the southern side of the oise fifteen miles southeast of noyon meanwhile far to the north the germans to-day extended the battle line into flanders twenty miles above arras brit ish positions were raked with ; gas shells before lens la bassee and armentieres the last named town is on the franco-belgian border at the same time the ger mans apparently gave up their direct drive at amiens the great allied base in the center of the long battle line it is believed that their en tire plan has been changed overnight their artillery was pound ing the entire battle front to-night from armentieres around the montdidier salient to coucy belowhas centered north of coucy the paris night official state ment said the french are hin dering the german advance japan asked to quit siberia red army organized to resist further invasion but an early agreement is forecast united states and great britain are represented at important conference of russ officials petrograd april b germany has wirelessed an ultimatum demand ing removal cr disarmament of rus sian warships in finnish waters by noon april 12 its ultimatum is in accordance with article v of th breat-utovsk treaty and replies to a protest from smolny institute against the landing of ger man troops in finland moscow april b the people's commissioners have called the envoys from america france and england to a conference to con sider the japanese landing