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Show I TAKING OF TOWN IS IMPORTANT L I Behind the Allies' Center, Jan. 11. An exceptionally hard months' work has just been triumphantly crowned by the capture of Perthes les-HurliiB The history of the taking of this village, situated about half way between be-tween Rheims and Verdun, illustrates admirably the determined effort the French are making throughout this district and the dofficultles by which they arc being confronted. Now that the village of Perthes has been captured and the French positions posi-tions made good around the place. It is reasonable to expect that a further fur-ther advance will be made and that the line at this point will be pushed forward until it is more level with those of the other advances which have been proceeding around and to the north of Me-snll-les-Hurlu and Beausejour. The Importance of all this progress Is surely, if indirectly, attested to by the vigor of the German defense and the unfailing counter attacks they deliver upon any positions they have lost Great stores of guns, ammunition and other provisions fell into the hands of the French at Perthes The French have established themselves them-selves upon a piece of comparatively dominating ground only five miles from the Bazancourt-Apremont railway rail-way line at its nearest point. Their advance here and in the neighborhood of Mesnil-les-Hurlus and Beausejour, if maintained, must mean that before long a considerable section sec-tion of this zone will be completely under the fire of the French guns and thus will be rendered useless for the purpose of supplies No Serious Setback. Undoubtedly it is because of its geographical situation near the railway rail-way and its consequent importance that the French communiques have given Perthes-les-Hurlus such importance. import-ance. This success and all that it may bring eoes far to compensate for the less profitable operations elsewhere. Not. indeed, that the French any-1 any-1 where hae hari n qrH In the Rheims district to the northwest north-west of that city they have had the better of the exchanges in intermittent intermit-tent artillery duels, and the fact that they were announced recently to have advanced to the north of La Signeui. near Rerry au Bac. may be taken as indicating that they have now crossed the Aisne river and the Mame canal. One report widely quoted stated that a train had succeeded in getting along the line from Rheims to Mez teres as far as the station of La Ghatelet. This rumor subsequently was proved to be unfounded. |
