PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 286, 22 August 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

The French army operating in the area between the Oise and the Aisne has followed. up one successful attack with another. The results are certainly important, but are not in all respects clearly defined at time of writing. An official report states that an average advance of two miles and a half was made on a front of 15 miles, and that several thousand prisoners were taken, -but a measure of doubt obtains meantime in regard to the precise locality of the forward movement. Generally speaking, tho French advance between the Oise and the Aisne is a step towards enveloping Noyon and at tho same time threatens the flank of the high ground held by the enemy north of the Aisne. The capture of the village of Vassons, midway betweenNoyon and Soissons. is particularly important in this connection, bocause in order to reach it the French had to cross a considerable ravine.' They have new materially extended their front on a wide section of plateau north of the Aisne.

How far the operation has gone, however, is not at the moment clear. One message speaks of a front extending to "Gailly," on the Aisne. No "Gailly" appears on available maps. The reference may bo to Vailly, about eight miles east of Soissons. The Allies had established a bridgehead on tho north bank of the Vclsc, about two miles south of Vailly, and it is possible that part of the ground gained in tho latest attack is that lying between the two rivers. There is no mention, however, of fighting between Soissonu and Vailly, and it is unlikely that if the passage of tho Aisne had been forced between theso places the fact would have been ignored in evcnHhe briefest report. If the French attacking front has been extended to east of Soissons the threat to the on?my line is intensified. It was in the region north of Vailly that tho French last year made an advance beyond Fort Malmaison, which definitely threatened tho enemy's hold on Laon, an essential bastion not only of the enemy's front as it is at present located, but of tho front on which he stood before ho opened his offensive this year.

A message from New York stating that the British have advanced four miles in the Lys salient lacks con-' firmation at time of writing. It is possible that the report does not relate to a new advance, but sums up the British gains in the series of .advances made during the last week or two. A retirement of four.miles from the position.} he was yesterday shown lo he occupying would very seriously' imperil the enemy's hold on the dominating positions he has gained in Southern" Flanders, and he lis not likely to relinquish theso positions without a struggle.