OCR Text |
Show Ion Fill STIFF BLOW FDICIIE Alliet Now Ready to Begin Encircling Move merit. By J. W. T. Mason United Press War En pert. KF.W YORkT Oct" 1 1 Thpture of Vouslers as the result of American and Krenoh pressure on the western flankof the Argonne mane If Is the i4y "important eucceea I general Per-7ng Per-7ng has gained since he began hla eratlonfl to close the German exit y from Prance by way of Luxemburg, t The allies are now In a position to begin an encirclement of the northern extension of the Argonne, which Is holding up the advance toward Stenay. where the main Luxemburg highway crosses the Meuae river, fttenay can now b npprourhffd from the southwest south-west by way of Vouslers. as well as from the south along ths Meuse. The Kmneo-American succens In this area la having a decisive Influence In-fluence upon Von Htndenburg'a movements move-ments In the Champagne from Vou r.tera westward to the U helms sector. The shortening of the German line In the Champagne In due to the necessity neces-sity facing Von Hlfldenburg of finding more troops to guard the road way to tttenay and at the same time of moving his front nearer to the Htenay line of communications In case he has to make a quirk rtaah to escape into Germany before the Luxemburg gate la closed. The alllea have now made the supply center of Junlvllle In the center of the Champagne, west of Vouslers, untenable for the Germane Ger-mane and Von HlnoVnburg is 00m-pelled 00m-pelled to rely on Rethel as his advance ad-vance base for the Cham panne opera,-tlons. opera,-tlons. Rethel Is only" eight miles In the rear of the greitt supply fortress of Mesleres near the Belglnn border. Rethel will be the next Gwrmnn enter to fall in the Champagne. Thereafter there will be no Important point of resistance on the Mez teres railway until Mexleres itself, twenty -three miles further north, Is reached. Nevertheless - Von 7llnd;nburg nmt try to hold hts front between Rethel and Mexleres or s ban don his outer tlefenwee guarding the Ardennes. |