PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 308, 17 September 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

To-day's reports show that the Americans have already considerably extended their initial success in wiping out the St. Mihiel salient. There is no lat© official news at the moment of writing, but a circumstantial message from London sets out the position in clear detail. Yesterday the Americans were shown to have reached a line extending from south-east of Verdun to the region of Pont-a-Mousson, on the Moselle. ,A report that they had advanced as far as Pagny, six miles north of Pont-a-Mousson, still lacks confirmation. To-day's news indicates that the Americans arc operating as far north as north-east of Verdun, and is to the cffect that on I,ho whole front from this point to the Moselle (a distance as the line runs of more than thirty miles) they have advanced from two to three 'miles. This advance is additional to that made in flattening out the St. Mihiel salient. The southern flank of the American line, as it is described, is within about two miles of tho German frontier south and slightly, west of Metz, but the distance from tho frontior increases as

'the line (rends north and west. At Rembercoui't, the Americans arc fourteen miles distant from Metz and eight miles from the nearest forts, Tho German withdrawal, however, is still in progress. It is stated that American patrols have penetrated two miles beyond the line just indicated. The guns 'of Metz arc in action, and the fortress is already under long-rango bombardment. No doubt this promptitude is made possible by the enemy's failure to destroy the railways behind him as he retreated from the St. Miliiel salient. The total of prisoners in the hands of the Americans now stands at 15,000, and they have taken also over two Hundred guns of all calibres, besides hundreds of machine-guns and trench mortars. Apart from what is to follow, these Tacts will add immensely to'the difficulties of the Gorman oracles who have already been at much pains to explain that the American Army does not matter. * rr * # As matters stand, the American achievement has developed into something distinctly greater than a big local success, and the rapid progress made across the V/oevre plain, an area which might have been expected to'bo somewhat seriously affected from the point of view of military movement by the recent bad iveather, is'striking. With a fresh find vigorous army employed it seems by no means unlikely that the advance may be carried well beyond its present point, and at least a,limited invasion of German territory in the area ahead of tho American advancc is reasonably in prospect. Possibilities are.not limited, however, to an invasion of German Lorraine, and it is by no means to be taken for granted that the Allies will simply attempt to press forward on the present battlefront in this region. The American advance may appreciably affect the position further west. One of the most important of the operations thus far is to give tho Allies increased elbow room at Verdun. The enemy has lost his last foothold on the heights of the Meuse east of that place, and further north, where the Americans hold Abaucourt, he has retired about two miles from tho positions which he held until recently cast of Fort A r aux. i # * * A French communique confirms the news conveyed in an unofficial message yesterday of an important advance between tho Ailette and tho Aisne, on the western flank of the Chomin des Dames ridge. Besides capturing the plateau cast of Vauxaillon,' that is to say, important high ground just south of tho Ailette, General Margin's troops in their, latest stroke havo gathered in 2500 prisoners. An advance has been I made also further south, towards the Aisne. In the northern part of the area between the rivers the French are now within three miles of Fort Malmaison, which stands just behind the line they reached kfit year closely threatening the wide valley which runs north-cast to Laon. The immediate cffccfc of the advance, however, is to notably intensify the pressure oil tho flank of the enomy's line along the Aisne. it * * * An interesting development of the peace offensivo upon which the enemy is now industriously engaged is the report that Germany has offered peace to Belgium. The. offer, of course, is on terms, of which the most noteworthy at the moment is that Belgium should take up a neutral attitude', and therefore'exclude the Allied armies from her territory. Apart from the fact that such an arrangement would enable Gormany to maintain political and economic domination over Belgium while prctcnding_ to relax her grip, the enormous military advantages she would gain by such an arrangement are obvious. She would in 'brief be enabled to take up a short and advantageous front while excluding the Allies from a convenient base and route- of approach. It, therefore, Seems as likely that Germany has proposed peacc to Belgium as it is certain that her offer wil] be contemptuously rejected.