PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 300, 7 September 1918, Page 6

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Late news yesterday showed that the French and Americans : were pushing forward on a long front south of'Peronne, bctwc.cn the Oisc and ■ the": Aisno and north of the Vesle, from which' river the Germans aro now. falling back upon the Aisnc. The advance along .a great part of this line has continued steadily, but in the areas in which .he is. mast ■ dangerously ■ threatened, notably north-east of Soissons, the enrmiv is "maintaining a stubborn resistance. The Franco-American troops have thus far gained their principal success north of the Vesle. Here, on part of the front between the Veslc and the Aisne, they have reached the crest commanding the valley of the- latter river. The enemy Y retirement-north of Hie Aisne is thus a foregone conclusion. On the eastern part of the Vesle front, according to the la-test" reports in band at time of writing, he is still dinging to the north bank of the river, but this state of affairs is probably idue rather to the vigour of the Allied pursuit further west than to deliberate intention on his part. '...•'.' *»' « • A rapid forward movement by General-. Manoin's army from the positions it has reached' east and north-east of Soissons might still throw the enemy's retreat on the Aisne into disastrous Confusion. The retreat '.in ■ any case is likely to bo costly,-for the German bridges spanning the Aisne arc no doubt the targets of a tremendous land and air bombardment, but thus far the enemy has apparently contrived' to stave off a serious invasion of the right flank of his retreating line. Even should he withdraw in fairlygood order to the heights of the Aisne, however, he will still be awkwardly.''placed, with the French astride'the- ridge on the west and looking directly into the flank of !u.a line. An advance of,about six miles from the positions they now hold east and north of Soissons would' carry the Allies to the line from which the French last year looked down the wide valley debouching on the Laon plain. It is meantimo an open question -whether such an. advance is practicable at the present stage or is likely to be attempted in the'near future, but the. threat to Laon as well as to the heights of the Aisne is sufficiently developed to put the enemy under m ■ obvious necessity of drawing freely upon his' resources for the defence of this area. '■ *,•■» * South of Pcronne, where they aro an the move towards St. Quentin and La Fere, the French have already advanced in places four miles pr more. As the movement develops it is enclosing the German positions along the high ridge north of \the 3ise' (east of Noyon) in a salient which is likely to become untenable. Though they are still, about a dozen niles distant, from St.- Quentin and La Fere; the Frenciii.seem to have jood prospects of soon getting into -lose touch with these places', and thus, throwing the enemy back upon ihe line on. which he halted his retirement last year: In this region, lowever, the Germans have a strong defensive line to fall back upon. Much- of the avea between Laon and La Fere is occupied by rough wood;d country (the. Laon-La Fere masnf), constituting a formidable military.: obstacle. For about ten miles north of ,La Fere the Oisc is available as.a defensive line, and it will lie remembered that ,the Germans last year inundated.the Oiso valley and so created an. obstacle the French-wero unable to pass. Bcivveen Mthc. river and St. Quentin Acre is a space of half-a-dozen mles, but it is crossed by successive .'ldges which afford good defensive positions. It is obvious that in dei'oloping an attack on this part of :he- fronf the. Allies, will have seriJiis difficulties to overcome, but ifter. the defeats he has suffered iince. the Allies opened their offensive the enemy is hardly jn a posiuonto regard even the strongest de:ensiye line as a safe barrier against lltack. • .

No new development, is reported at time of writing on the northern front on which the British armies lately attacked with such brilliant success. The Kains made, however have been fully maintained. The tnomy is still retreating in Flanders, and in places his retreat has been expedited. The British have recovered P.lpegsteert and Hill 63 lurther north. They are little more than two miles distant from Armen■icres, due north of that place. TheV had already approached to within about a mile of Armentieres in the north-west. \