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Show CORNERSTONE OF THE ! WHOLE HINDENBURG j SYSTEM HAS FALLEN Crown Prince's Armies Outflanked and in Grave Danger Long Lines of Transport Moving Toward Belgian Frontier Whole German Line Expected to Crumble Submarine Bases Are Threatened. PARIS, Oct. 2 St. Quentln is taken tak-en and tho cornerstone of the Hlnden-burg Hlnden-burg system has fallen. Thanks to the prodigious and unrelenting un-relenting efforts of the armies of General Gen-eral Debeney and General Rawlinson, under the general direction of General Gen-eral Fayolle, it is a most resounding triumph. But it is not the only place where victory smiles upon tho Allied arms. SL Quentin's fall shakes the whole German system. Its effect will be widespread. This will be accentuated by the strong push that is being made in tho upper Oise valley. Tho Allies here are across the multiplo waterways water-ways upon which the enemy so largely large-ly based his defenses. Before them lies the open country which is ideal for tanks. Under the circumstances the holding hold-ing by the crown prince's armies of their positions on the Ailettc and the Aisne is out of tho question. Outflanked Out-flanked from the north and harried by j General Mangin who Is now along the Aisne as far south as Craonno, thc I crown prince's armies are in a much graver position than were those of Generals von uoenm anu von nuucr on the Marne and the Avre in' July. Thc same danger threatens thc armies ar-mies opposing Gouraud. A gneral German retreat becomes more and more Imperative. The problem prob-lem for General Ludendorff Is how to prevent it from being converted Into a disaster, which is the usual sequel of a retirement of masses closely engaged en-gaged in a formidable struggle. Enemy in Retreat Along the road running back from the St. Quentin-Cambrai line In France long trains of. transport arc moving toward the Belgian frontier. It is the first indication that the enemy has begun to retreat before the thrusts of the British, French and Americans along this line. I While the battle still rages fiercely along the front tho enemy evidently j realizes that tho Inroads made by the, 'Allies on thc HIndenburg line have made that famous position untenable. Whcfle Line Expected to ICrumble Military observers expect, now that a retirement is actually In progress, that the whole German line will crumble crum-ble as the Teutonic armies make their way back to their next defensive positions. posi-tions. St. Qucntin and Cambrai are in flames and the latter will probably mtian the abandonment of Douai by the enemy. La Fere, south of St. Quontin, seems in danger. If that city Is taken by the Allies the Germans probably will be forced to retire from the SL Gobaln forest and Laon. When this occurs thc back bone of tho German Ger-man line in France will be broken. Far to thc north thc Belgians are moving ahead with a steady sweep which seems to bo directed at Lille, but which at the same time threatens thc German submarine bases on the Belgian coast. If Lille is outflanked the Germans must retire far to tho south of that city. Continued . progress pro-gress will cut the submarine bases off from railroad communications. They arc so valuable to the enemy, however, how-ever, that he may put large forces Into the battle in a last effort to save them. Bcrthclot Cutting In General Bcrthclot is cutting rapidly into the German lines north and northwest north-west of Rheims. His success there seems to carry peril to the Germans further cast, for an advance toward the Aisne to the northward of Rhoims would compel a retirement as far east as the sector where General Gouraud Is smashing thc German lines. In this sector Challerange has been taken and tho French have reached Monthols. The French have outflanked outflank-ed the enemy and are apparently moving mov-ing northward toward Vouziers, an important railroad point from which radiate roads which supply large stretches of the front in the Cham- nn rmr Americans Are Held Up American forces between the Ar-gonnc Ar-gonnc forest and tho Meuse river are seemingly held up by thc Germans who hav been desperately counterattacking counter-attacking all along thc line. The advance ad-vance of the French further west, however, how-ever, will soon forco tho Germans to retreat before the Americans. In two other sectors offensives would not be unexpected by the Allied Al-lied world. The first is in the Lor-ralno Lor-ralno country where the Americans hold thc positions along the Moselle. An attack here would endanger Metz. The other front where fighting fight-ing may begin on a grand scale is in Italy where tho stage appears to be set for an offensive that will carry the Italians toward tho Austrian frontier. |