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Show GERMAN DEFENSE IS STIFFENING Forward Push of Allies SloSv-ed SloSv-ed Down, But Important Progress Being Made. The Germans have materially' stiffened stif-fened their defense against the British, Bri-tish, American and French troops on tho Pfcardy battlefront, but they have been unable to stem the tide. Although the forward push of the allies has been slowed down, they have made important progress from the north of. the Somme, where the Americans and British are fighting together, to-gether, to the northern bank of the Oise held by the French. Americans and British are pressing closely upon Bray-Sur-Somme, aided by tanks and armored cars. Across the river the Germans heavily heav-ily engaged the British at Lihons and its vicinity. "ind at one point pierced the British line and gained the outskirts out-skirts of Lihons. A countcr-atttack restored the British line and the eno-my eno-my retired to positions east and north. Unofficial reports credit the British with entering Chaulnes and the British Brit-ish cavalry with a penetration of the enemy's territory almost to Nesle. French Advance 8 1-2 Miles The greater progress has been made by the French from the region Immediately Im-mediately southwest and south of Roye to the OJse river. Hore they have driven their line well across the Roye Compeignc and at Cambronne have reached the road leading from Com-poigne Com-poigne to Noyon. Since the capture of Montdidier the French have penetrated pene-trated eastward to Tllloloy, a distance of about seven miles, and to Canny-Sur-Matz, more than S 1-2 miles, and through the hilly region southward to the Oise have averaged gains exceeding exceed-ing six miles, over a front of twelve miles. The stiffening of the German defense de-fense does not, in the minds of observers ob-servers on the battle front, indicate that the retreat of the enemy has ended. end-ed. Rather it is assumed that these maneuvers are similar to those carried car-ried out over tho Marne front, when strong rear guards covered the retirement re-tirement of the crown prince's army northward. Aviators Destroy Bridges The smokes of largo fires continues contin-ues to be seen far behind the enemy's lines and the movement of long transport trans-port columns eastward is considered evidence that it is the intention of the enemy ultimately to retreat to the new lines of defense. Aviators have destroyed all the bridges across the Somme from the region of Peronne southward and with the enemy's communicating com-municating lines either in the hands of the allies or dominated by their guns the retrograde movement necessarily neces-sarily must be slow. The allied troops are encircling Roye and its capture, which seems imminent immin-ent will greatly heighten the difficulties difficul-ties of the Germans. Intensive air fighting is proceeding over the battle line. In Friday's battles bat-tles thirty-nine German machines were destroyed and twenty-two driven driv-en down out of control. The British war office acknowledges that twenty-three British machines are missing. Unofficial estimatos bring the number of prisoners taken by the allies up to 36,000 and the number of guns captured cap-tured to more than 500. On the Vesle front the Germans on the northern side of the stream are reported to be entrenching and stringing string-ing barbed wires over tho territory where they arc facing the French and Americans. |