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Show French and Americans I Pressing Hard on the Enemy Rear Guards as They Fall Back to Mouth of Pocket. RIGHT BANK OF MARNE CLEARED Army of the Crown Prince in Danger 'of Annihilation; Heavy Guns Removed Far to Rear to Avoid Captuisi WITH THE AMERICAN AEMY ON THE AISNE-MARNE FRONT, Judy '27. (By tlie Associated Press.) The French and Americana have continued their rapid advance ad-vance to the northeast and tho for est of Fere was cleared of tha enemy this afternoon. The allied forces are losing contact with the Germans. WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN FRANCE, July 27 (By the Associated As-sociated Press). Undoubted signs are apparent that the Germans aro withdrawing from the entire region re-gion between tho Marno and the Ourcq, where - the enemy has found it virtually impossible to maintain himself because of the allies' al-lies' steady advance and bombardment. bombard-ment. By Universal Service. PARIS, July :17. Tho. entire Genua Marne front has caved in. The Franco American forces throughout today advanced ad-vanced along the whole line north of the Marne, and tonight their left wing stands only a little more than two miles southwest of Fcrc-en-Tardenois and less than three miles southeast of Ville-cn-Tarderiuis, tonight's war office communique shows. From Bruyercs to Villenmivo-sur-Fcrc, two miles southwest of Fere-en-Tardeuois, through Courmout, northeast north-east of the Dormans Fcre-en-Tarcleuois high road, through La Neuvillc-aux-Larris, whence it widens northeastward to the approaches of Villi; en-Tardcnois, at Chaumuzy, two and a half miles southeast of that rail base. SUDDEN ADVANCE A GREAT SURPRISE. This .sudden Franco-American nd-vanco nd-vanco cofnes as a great surprise. It implies im-plies an unexpected German retirement from the north bank of the Marno at a moment when the crown prince's -on thorn army was apparently determined deter-mined to make a desperate stand to maintain its hold on Uormans and Cha-lillon-riur-Marno. Both these important impor-tant citief, where the Germans retaiued a liold on the Paris-Nancy railway, mist have been hurriedly abandoned. The left wing of Foch 's Franco-American M.'irnc army tonight stands nearly ten miles northeast of Chateau Thierry, a hence their advance started. Today's ::axininm advance, in the center, from I'ormans, appears to have been at least Ire miles. The line reached by the French and Vmericans opens a new phase in the reat battle, presenting the possibility (Continued on Page Three.) ited with at least one-half. The number of raptured sruns approaches the 500 mark. But if tile battle Lhat is about to crash is won, these totals wiil look like the spoils of a. skirmish. The henrt of France heats jubilantly in contemplation of what tile next few days may bring forth. Yet, seasoned by four years of combat, with a foe whose skill in tile art of war only fools will underrate, the French people look forward to this supreme "clash not with the certainty of German debacle, but with calm confidence in continued German defeat. A German Sedan may not bo written in the stars just now. Some critics warn against looking for it, though admitting that the situation has all the possibilities of such an issue. A great, an Immediate victory already has been won. On North Front As this is cabled, the British night report re-port brings news of German artillery activity ac-tivity on the north of Haig's front. The possibility of a drive by the Bavarian crown prince has not been lost sight of i for a single moment in these days when the world's chief interest was focused on the river-bound battlefield northeast of Paris. The German reserves in the north are known to be intact. However, Haig's report does not Indicate large scale artillery ar-tillery bombardments. It speaks only of "some activity." Nevertheless, critics agree a Teuton coup against the British may come any moment. -""They will find us ready," is the consensus con-sensus of the reports from Haig's lines. In the Champagne, General Gouraud's army, which yesterday completed the recapture re-capture of tlie whole original front line as it stood before the German drive was opened July In, registered a local advance ad-vance on a front of a mile and three-quarters three-quarters to a depth of five-eighths of, a mile, taking 200 prisoners, including seven officers. DRIVE OF ALLIES IS COMPLETE SUCCESS (Continued from Page One.) of frontal attack against the German Fere-en - Tardenois - Ville-en-Tardenois Line. PRESSED BACK ON NORTH MARNE FRONT. "Under continued allied pressure,''' says a summary of tonight's war office communique, "the Germans have been forced back along the whole front north of the Marne. 77 Tho hard-pressed enemy's rear guard has reached the ine Bruyeres-Ville-neuve-sur-Fero - Courmont-La Neuville-aux-Larris-ChaumiLzy. "The allies continue to progress. They have advanced more than fifteen kilometers (nearly nine and a half miles) northeast of Chateau. "Ia the Champagne more than 300 prisoners were taken. 7 7 The remarkable new turn in the battle bat-tle makes both Ferc-en-Tardenois an i Ville-en-Tardenois untenable, criticl hero believe. Before the Sunday sun rises above the Aisne-Marne battlefield, the German crown prince must decide whether his army of half a million, bottled up between be-tween those two rivers, is to stand and fiffht or get out. Tomorrow will see either the inception of the bloodiest battle bat-tle of the war or the greatest and most precarious German retreat since their flight across the same area in September, 1914. Then only their flank was imperiled imper-iled and rolled up. Tonight the whole huge army commanded by their future emperor, comprising the cream of the kaiser's armed forces, are inclosed in a vise of steel, steadily contracting on three sides and their sole avenue of escape, as the whole interior of the "funnel of fate-' is bathed in allied fire. Steady Progress. So steady and menacing has been the last forty-eight hours' progress of the allies that the crown prince's choice between be-tween a life and death stand cannot be delayed another hour. Thirty thousand prisoners have been taken by the allies since July 15, it is authoritatively estimated today. Of this total the Americans are unofficially cred- REAR GUARDS ARE HAliD PRESSED BY ALLIED FORCES PARIS, July 27. The Germans today retreated along the whole front north of the Marne, the war office announces tonight. to-night. French and allied troops, pressing hard on the enemy rear guards, have reached the line "of Bruyeres-Villeneuve-sur-Fere, Courmont, Passy-Grigny, Cu isles, La Neuville and Chaumuzy. The allies have advanced more than fifteen kilometers (approximately ten miles) northeast of Chateau Thierry. The right bank of the Marne has been widely cleared of the enemy. The text of the statement reads: Under the continued pressure of the French and allied troops for several sev-eral days past, the Germans today retreated re-treated along the whole front north of the Marne. Our troops, pursuing closely the enemy rear guards, have reached the general line of Bruyeres, Villeneuve-sur-Fere, Courmont, Pas-sy-Grigny, Cmsles, La Neuville aux Lauris, Chaumuzy. The right bank of the Marne has been widely cleared. We have continued con-tinued our advance for more than , lifteen kilometers northeast of Chateau Cha-teau Thierry. On the Champagne front the number num-ber of prisoners taken in the region south of Mont Sans Nome exceeds . 300. including nine officers. Eastern theater, July 27: In Albania Al-bania the day was marked by vigorous vigor-ous reactions. Enemy attacks with strong forces north of the Devoll, on the lower Ilolta, and south of that river near Izgyuba, were broken, the enemy leaving numerous dead on the ground. In the course of aerial fighting during dur-ing the day, two enemy airplanes were brought down. .cautiously, until a group of bouses in 'the center of the area had been occupied. This incident of the advance was characteristic char-acteristic of the greater part of the German Ger-man resistance along the fronts paralleling parallel-ing the river. ROMANS INFLICT SEVERE DEFEAT ON THE AUSTRIANS ROMK, July 27. The official communication, communi-cation, issued by the war office today, says : In Albania the fighting near Mucl bridge continued yesterday. Reinforced, Rein-forced, tho enemy repeatedly at- I tacked, trying to drive ns from tho I river. He was beaten fT and suf-I suf-I fered heavy losses. We captured a ! hundred prisoners and some machine guns. An enemy a tempt to cross tho Pe-mlnf Pe-mlnf west of Jagowdina failed. In the bend of tho IJevoli, on the western slopes of Mall Siloves. an cnemv column col-umn advancing to attack hill 700 was repulsed. Italian front:" Thursday nicht enemy detachments attempted local attacks at-tacks at iseveral points on the mountain moun-tain front. This morning a party Bticvended in penetrat Ing one of our trenches on Munte Corno, but was Immediately driven out. t At Mount Knberlaba, British patrols (Continued on Pago Seven.) PROGRESS MADE IS SATISFACTORY TO ALLIED COMMAND By The Associated Press. WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY ON THE AISNE-MARNE FRONT, July 27. The progress made by the Franco-American Franco-American troops on the Aisne-Marne front is considered eminently satisfactory by the .commanders, and the failure of the Germans to employ artillery extensively exten-sively has tended to confirm the belief that their heavy guns on the greater part of the field have been moved far back, perhaps to a position which may mark a new line. While steady pressure is being maintained main-tained on the arc forming the bottom of the sack, the allies are determinedly hammering the flanks whore von Boehm and von Eben have concentrated their armies, returning blow for blow in the hope that they can hold out until the main body of the Germans can be withdrawn with-drawn with a minimum loss. Aerial operations again were oT less importance today on account of the weather. It was cloudy all day and there were numerous showers, making it im- nracticable to keep up the observation l)alloons which usually mark both lines. Occasionally both the allies and the enemy attempted to use planes, but these in most cases were forced to descend on account of the rain. There is a growing belief that the enemy will make no efort to stand on the Ardro river. Fere-en-Tardenois and even Ville-en-Tardenois, directly east, are already under heavy fire from the flanks and the south line, making the roads as well as the temporary railroads virtually useless for transport purposes. Those positions must be almost untenable. The Germans arc doing their utmost to hold the high ground southeast of Soissons for a continuation of their line either along tho Ardre or further north along the Vesle. The flanks of the French, British and other armies are withstanding every effort of the Germans, who appear to be making mak-ing a most determined effort south of Soissons- The line remains much the same as it has been for the past two or three days, the only changes being slight advances. The battle line now totals approximately ap-proximately fifty miles, although there is no actual fighting along every side of it, and is a more broken one, made so by tho character of the enemy's withdrawal, especially on the south side. The effect has been the presentation of a highly dangerous, spongy front into which any part of the advancing allied line might fail. Were tt not for the hunting hunt-ing down of the enemy and cleaning out of points of observation, some parts of the line could be far in advance of where thev are. The Germans have left officers who know how to maneuver skillfully partially (inserted units, so that at times it appears ap-pears almost ironical to refer to their defense as a rearguard action. It is just that, however, although by any standard ex -ept those established in this war, the almost hal V'ail' a nr' really minor encounters en-counters woyld be styled lug battles. Prisonersbrought to one of the American Ameri-can division hr-:ukiiarters toda y wore men of the Iandwchr, who confirmed former for-mer statements of prisoners thnt the armies engatced in the retirement are leaving only enough men to resist efforts 'to hurry them. Iike other prisoners, I they professed wenriness of the war and said this fe-ling was general, but sup- posed they mur.t go on. since tiie men ! in high command eo willed. I The advance was not threat, but it wr;s accompiiFhf'd in the face of hue numbers num-bers of machine gnn. ' The Americans advanced slightly their positions almost in the ci nter of the arc, v,hiie on their I riuht the French advanced to and through j I'nrt-a- Binson. one of the few phic-s where the r; en-nan a w.?re kt ill clinging r.err the north K-init of the Mnme. Another forward movement uas that I of the A :n e r ? c a 1 1 s in V c r e f o re t . vb e re 1 they were checked yesf-rda y. Th a--i tion occurred in a hie ovn pi ace in the for.:ft, the Germans chiming to tho in nor eige of the woods. Iifhin-1 the Americans Ameri-cans was their heavy arulb-rv. which sent shells far over the shortened field of opera tior.s into the m;::n bo'H'-s of the Grrmrm troops and aso hara-ed their transport. The IlRliu-r artillery w:t. rsed as a barrage bar-rage into and noro. the fi.-;HS( the (;t:r-mans (;t:r-mans not repU-ing to any grat oxtnt. When the AmcM'-ans advanced into the open, lino o; rr ;i"i)ine nis, concealed con-cealed in the woods, shell holes every po.-ible point of cover. bw,i t'.e,n with a murd'Tous f.ie. It wi. in.uf 'ii-ient, however, to do more than s'nw up the a dvar.ee, which continued steadily a rai DRIVE OF ALLIES 15 COMPLETE SUCCESS (Continued from Page Three.) hindered the enemy from approaching approach-ing and forced him to retire. On Aso-lone Aso-lone the enemy counter-attacked on the flanks, withdrew, leaving prisoners. pris-oners. FRENCH TROOPS ADVANCE NORTH OF MARNE RIVER PARIS, July 17. Further advances were scored by the French last night in the region immediately to the north of the Marne in the district where the Germans Ger-mans have been clinging to the river. The war office announced today that' the French lines were advanced to the north of Port-a-Binson. On the Champagne front the French carried out a local operation in the region re-gion south of the Mountain Without a Name, as a result of which their lines were advanced nearly two-thirds of a mile on a front of approximately two miles. The French took 200 prisoners in this operation. The statement follows: On the right bank"" of the Marne French troops have advanced their lines north of Port-a-Binson. On the Champagne front the French carried out a local operation in the region south of the Mountain Without a Name, and advanced one kilometer over a 'front of three kilometers. Two hundred prisoners, of whom seven were officers, have fallen into the hands of the French. |