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Show I NEW OFPENSIVE STARTS Americans and French Open Furious Attack in the Lorraine Sector 1 if Near to the German Border AMERICAN FORCES ON THE LORRAINE FRONT, Sept. 12, (Reuter). French and American forces this morning morn-ing launched an attack against the German positions on both sides of the St. Mihiel salient.' There has been a great concentration of Franco-American artillery and Entente airplanes are operating in large numbers. num-bers. The weather is fine. The attack made by the French and " the Americans was a most daring one and so far has been , successful. I The attack was preceded by a barrage lasting four hours, f The attack on the southern side of the St. Mihiel salient as made along a distance of twelve miles. The attack on the western side was on a front of eight miles. AMERICAN FORCES ON THE LORRAINE FRONT, Sept. 1 2, by The Associated Press, 9 a. m. American forces this morning launched an attack on German positions. At nine o'clock they had progressed generally along the line. Some ; prisoners were taken at different parts of the sector. ; The first wave of American troops met with little re sistance and at 8 o'clock the second American wave was in possession of several points of the German first line. The Germans now are falling back on the fronts on each side of the St. Mihiel salient. Though undoubtedly suspicious of the intentions of the Americans in this region, the Germans were unaware at the time of the direction of the attack. The American troops all are intensely eager and are fighting magnificently. LONDON, Sept. 1 2. British forces have effected a r crossing of the Canal du Nord to the southwest of the town of Havrincourt, Field Marshal Haig announced in his official report today. The canal here forms the main defense of Cambrai on the southwest. A short distance to the north the British have pushed to the westerly banks of the canal, east and north of Moeuvres, and established themselves there. In their advance toward St. Quentin the British have progressed pro-gressed as far as the western outskirts of Holnen wood, southeast south-east of Attilly. The Germans offered stiff opposition in the Havrincourt and Moeuvres sectors, which the British overcame. AMERICAN FORCES ON THE LORRAINE FRONT, Sept. 1 2, by The Associated Press. Frencn and Americans today concentrated a terrific barrage fire on the German positions po-sitions on this front, e reply of the German big guns was vigorous at some places although as a whole it was weak. There are some indications that the Germans are withdrawing with-drawing their artillery, although it is more probable that they , are going to fight hard after enduring a stiffling barrage of I more than eight hours. The Germans at some points are increasing the volume of their big gun firc-.but ineffectually, i t Ofccnslve In Lorraine (By the Associated Press) American and French troops today began nn offensive on a 20-mile front In Lorraine near the German border. The movement evidently Is aimed primarily jt the elimination of the famous fa-mous St. Mihiel salient -which for more than four years has projected into the Allied line southeast of Verdun. The nttxicks were Taunchcd on botli Bides of the salient on a 12-miIo front on the south and an eight mllo front on the westerly side. The assaults were progressing favorably fav-orably at the latest reports, j There have been many predictions I that an American offensivo movement was likely this fall, and Lorraine has been mentioned as one of the more probable fields for the attack. The I German citadel of Metz lies only some i fifteen miles northoast of Pont-a-I Mousson, at tho easterly edge or the n Bullent under attack and l aceiT; jfy Sr T probable' that this may be a further objective of tho offensive. Tho removal of this salient -would seem to be a necessity before any drive In any great force into German territory on this front is attempted, as otherwise the German forces to the west would be left in a threatening position po-sition on the left flank of the attacking attack-ing armies. Pershing Has Huge Army General Pershing has a huge American Amer-ican army under his command and there seems little doubt that adequate forces would be at the disposal of Marshal Mar-shal Foch for an important push in this sector. The SL Mihiel salient Is nearly twenty miles wide at its mouth, from Frosnea 12 miles southeast of Verdun, to Ponl-a-Mousson and somewhat some-what more than 15 miles in depth, with Its apex just to tho southwest of St. Mihiel. The positions taken up by the Germans wore strong ones and 1 tiiorc is on record no previous organ ized attempt to reduce this menacing bulge betdeen the fortresses of Verdun and Nancy. Marshal Foch has caused the launching of this attack almost coin-Hdentally coin-Hdentally with the virtually complete elimination of the various salients the Germans drove into the Allied lines in ' their offensives during the present fighting year. The Hindenburg line had again become the German defensive defen-sive position along almost its entire length, and the. German defense was stiffening materially at ' all points where tho French. British and Americans Ameri-cans were pressing in upon them. The German command now will have, it appears, another problem to 'meet in dealing with the outbreak of its foe in another and comparatively (distant quarter from that in which the ; bulk of the fighting has been done In ( this year's campaign. The question (will be. it seems, whether the reduced j German manpower has loft General Ludendorff with forces sufficient to maintain his front from Rheims to , Ypres. and at the same lime back a powerful thrust by the Allies far to the southeast of the battle front ! Tho Hindenburg line itself, howover j already has not proved too strong for either the French or the British at some points in the recent fighting. The British breached it on the Queant-Drocourt Queant-Drocourt line, and today there came I the official announcement from London Lon-don that the British had made further progress behind this line in the direction direc-tion of Cambrai, one of the principal Germanb ases in the north. A strong defensive line had been taken by the enemy here along the .Canal du Nord, but this line now seenis turned" on its left flank as the British have forced a crossing of the canal to the northwest of Havrincourt and are In a position to push up the east bank providing Field Marshal Haig decides to employ his driving force in this direction. Additional progress also was made ; by the British yesterday and last night in closing in upon St. Quentin, another , of the Hindenburg line strong points. I They captured the towns of Vermand, j Attilly and Vendelles and advanced beyond Attilly directly west of St. Quentin as far as the outskirts of , Holnon wood, where Ihoy are not more i than i 1-2 miles from St. Quentin. British Forces Repulsed BERLIN, Sept 12 Via London-British London-British forces attacking tho German lines on the Flanders' front near Ar-mentieres Ar-mentieres and tho canal of La Bassce yesterday were repulsed, according to today's announcement from army headquarters. British attacks along the Canal du Nord line between Mar-qulon Mar-qulon and Havrincourt likewise failed, the statement says Supreme Line of Defense i'AKit, &opt rz a supreme line or ! defense, to be called the Parsifal line, , is being constructed by the Germans I from Nieuport to Metn, says Marcel Hulin in the Echo de Paris. He says that the Germans are putting the Antwerp Ant-werp forts in a defensive condition. Six Districts Against Soviets STOCKHOLM, Sept. 12 Russian White guards have found an unexpected unexpect-ed front in the Arzamas district of tho Russian province of Nizhni -Novgorod, according to a dispatch from Moscow. Six districts in that province have united against the Russian soviet govornmenL Peasants in the province of Kazan are arming against the Bolshevik! and the dispatch adds soviet forces are being formed to suppress the revolt ' Raiding and Artillery Operations. PARIS, Sept. 12. Only raiding op- erations and artillery ' activity along the French front are reported In lo- 1 day's war office statement. The text of the statement reads: "North of tho Ailelte a raid uy French troops resulted in the taking of prisoners. There was artillery activity activ-ity in the Rheims. and the Prosnes re- .gions. Two enemy raids In the Chani-pagno Chani-pagno and in the Vosges were repuls- ed" VIENNA. Sept. 12.-Via London. "A successful attack on Tomorrorlca ridge, in Albania, gave possession of the enemy's position at a few points," says the official statement today by the Austrian war office. |