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Show (GERMANS FACING A I NEW RETREAT SOUTH OF VALENCIENNES 1 .British and American Inroads on the Enemy Lines Continue i W and Threaten to Turn Them Out of Positions Shat- 9 ters Hope of Holding Defensive Line for X j Any Protracted Period. M ! (Bv The Associated Press') I Inroads 'by tho British and Ameri-i Ameri-i oans against the German line south of j Valenciennes continue and it seems probable that the enemy will be forced to begin a new retreat. The allies have reached the Mormal woods and the progress made just to the north of this extensive wooded section threatens to turn the enemy out of his positions there before he has an opportunity to meet frontal attacks. at-tacks. It would seem that the advance between Mormal forest and Valenciennes Valen-ciennes has shattered the Germans' hope to stand on the defensive along i this section of the line for any pro-; pro-; traded period. French forces, fighting eastward through the German trenches along the Oise-Serre front have moved forward for-ward at three points. Opposite Long-champs Long-champs thoy have crossed the Oise canal, a barrier which has held them up for several days, and further south havo advanced near Origny SL Ben-oite. Ben-oite. Just around tho bend in the, line thov have cut a deep notch In the German lines north of Villers-le-Sec. Successes on Important Front. These successes are on a front which is quite important to the enemy and will lend to hasten the German re-1 tlrement from tho bend in the line , which remained after the evacuation of Laon. The American divisions which aro engaged in the tremendous 'task of tearing away the Kiiemhild line between be-tween tho Argonne forest and the Meuso have onco moro advanced thoir front, especially near tho western end of the sector. There, in spite of des-perule des-perule German resistance and repeated repeat-ed counter-attacks, Ihoy have moved ahead during the past day and appear lo threaten the rest of the German defensive system -to the east Near if Bantheville the Americans have gain- III ed important tactical advantages. East of the Meuse the Germans have been forced back more than half a mllo on j I a front of nearly a mile and a half. I Activity on Italian Front. ( I There are indications that activity I along the Italian front has revived. j Vienna reports violent artillery fire between the Brenta and Piavo rivers and in the Montcllo sectors. This is the part of the lino from which an Italian attack in force might be expected and interesting events may develop at any 'time there. In Belgium there is a lull, but it is improbable that the allies will be content con-tent to stand on I he western bank of the Scheldt river and tho Eecloo-Zee- J bruggo canal after they have been able to bring up their heavy guns. In a country intersected with canals and small stroams.Vith bridges gone and. roads mined at frequent intervals the work of moving artillery is very difficult diffi-cult and this may be the reason for tho temporary check in the sweeping ad-vance ad-vance which drove the enemy back from Nieuport to within soven miles of Ghent. Holding Dvina Front. i Allied detachments which are holding hold-ing the Dvina front in northern Russia Rus-sia have been forced to beat off heavy attacks by Botshovik troops but have succeeded in holding their ground and even moving their lines forward. French and Serbian forces in Serbia continue to advance toward the Austrian Aus-trian frontier. Vienna admits that Austrian Aus-trian troops have retired to Jagodina, a village southeast of Belgrade and about forty miles from tho boundary between Austria and Serbia. |