OCR Text |
Show HASTE MARKS GERHANFUGHT Armies Are Moving Back All Along the Battle Line in France. REACH CRITICAL STAGE French and Americans Facing Still Fight for Possession of Chemin Des Dames. (By the Associated Press.) Haste marks the tlight of the Germans Ger-mans all along the battle front in France from the river Aisne to the old enemy defenses before Cambrai. The allies are now within striking distance dis-tance of Cambrai and St. Quentin, while La Fere is in. more immediate danger and Laon is within range of French guns. On the Aisne front the French and Americans have reached a critical stage in their advanco and indications point to a stiffening of the Germon defense in an effort to stave off the evacuation of their strong positions on the Chemin des Dames. The Americans Amer-icans occupy positions in the woods and hills south of the river Aisne on an extended front. On the Americans' left the French have taken Coucy-le-Cha-teau and are in possession of their old trenches dominating the Chemin-des-Dames. At this point the French are approaching positions of vital importance impor-tance to the Germans if they plan to further resist the allied pressure towards to-wards Laon. French Hold Important Junction, In the Noyon sector the French now hold the important junction point at Ham and the further retreat of the Germans on the old Hindonburg line between La Fere and St Quentin is anticipated. To the north the British have advanced ad-vanced to i depth of seven miles southeast of Peronno on a line from Monchy-Lagache, Pincourt and Vraig-nes. Vraig-nes. In this advanco the British met a stiff resistance only around Nurlu and Equancourt where they took advantage advan-tage of the natural defenses of the high ground. Slight gains were also made by the British in Flanders wheie Wulverghem. Neuve Chapelle and Bussu were captured Noyon Salient About Cleared. The recent advances by the British, and French have almost cleared tho Noyon salient and with St. Quentin menaced and La Fere in immediate danger of capture, the Germans face the necessity of preparing a new defensive de-fensive line to tho rear of the old Hin-denburg Hin-denburg lino. To the south and east, where the terrain is more Qffcotivc, the Germans apparently nra taking advantage 'or this handicap to the French and Am-; encans in delaying their further ro-treat ro-treat back lo the Chemin des Dames. , Their success in such a maneuver depends de-pends largely upon the power of the French in the vicinity of Rheilns. In fact a hammer blow by the French north and west of the city of tire cathedral cath-edral may not be an unexpected maneuver man-euver on the part of. Marshal Foch lo start another retrograde movement by the Germans. ; oo |