PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 11, 8 October 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Events are reported in the Champagne which promise to hasten a German retreat on the whole Western front .west of' Verdun. The French, as an America-n message puts it, have smashed the German front over a wide area in tho Champagne. It was shown yesterday that the French had made a rapid northward advance in tho country east of the river Suippe (which runs northwest, passing 15 miles east of Reims) and that they had crossed tho Suippe in order to attack tho eastern flank of the Moronvillers massif, one of a series of hill groups opposing an advance to the north in the country cast of Reims. To-day's reports show that the enterprise has developed at wonderful speed and with conspicuous success. The French havo not only capturod. the Moronvillers massif, But are masters also of other hill groups east and north of Heims which had an allimportant place in, the German defensive zone in this region. Something of the effect upon tho enemy's plans and dispositions is to be gathored from the fact that he is retiring on a front of nearly thirty miles' in the Champagne, particularly when it is remembered that this Champagne front covers tho flank and vital communications of tho whole of his salient front in France and Flanders.

The heights which the Fronch have gained in their sudden thrust—Brimonfc, Berru, Nogent I'Abbesse, and Moronvillers—are key positions in the true sense of the word. Their capture clears the way for a, turning movement around the eastern flank of the Chemin des Dames ridge, north of the Aisne, and removes formidable obstacles to a French advance over the plain which extends north from Reims. Brimont, the northernmost of the heights now captured by the Frenoh, stands five miles north of Reims. Between it and Craonne, at the eastern end of the Aisne heights, there is a.space of about ten miles of low country. The other heights captured rise at intervals from the plain south-east of Brimont. In their relation to the high ridge north of the Aisne, Brimont and tho other hill groups have been described as resembling the rocky sentinel islands that sometimes mark the end of a mountain ridge, but cut off from it by a narrow stretch of sea. In this case, however, the Aisne heights fall away at Craonne, and the hill groups from which the enemy has now been dislodged are distributed over a space of about thirty miles of low country south-east of that place. As observation points and as natural strongholds buttressing the defences of his vulnerable flank, these hills were invaluable to the enemy. Their loss is a correspondingly heavy blow] and opens highly important possibilities.

The French have already profited largely by their They are.at all points several .miles beyond the captured heignts, and as news stands are still advancing on a front of about thirty miles, extending east-south-east from a point ten miles north and slightly west of Keims. From every point of view wide prospects are opened. There is a serious threat to tho enemy front along the Aisne and around Laon, but the main point is that the enemy's defensive organisation has been disastrously laid open in the region of all others whore a sound defence is essential to the security of his armies as a whole. The problem of thrusting into the, German main communications is by no means completely solved, but in breaking into the low country north and north-east of Reims the French have taken a long step towards its solution. It will hardly be an easy matter for the enemy to ma?To head on his weakened and deeply invaded front between the Aisne heights and the Jleuso against the combined attack of a powerful French army and the main American army.

While his vital flank defences are falling under the Franco-American onset, the enemy is faring as badly as ever in the titanic struggle on the Cambrai-St. Quentin front, where tho British armies are bearing the main burdens of the attack. The gap in- the Hindenburg line in this region is being continuously widened and extended. Sir Douglas Haig's later reports show that the British, north-east of St. Qtientin, are now seven miles east of the line on which the Germans -withstood attacks after their retreat last year. Of the three great sectors in which the- Allied offensive has developed it is only in Flanders and on the- Franco-Belgian borcte'r that thore is at present lifctlo 6ign of movement, and the enemy certainly has no assurance of immunity even in these waterlogged northern areas. It seems doubtful at least whether he is capable of the orderly and rapid retreat which is necessary as a. way of escape from the worst of his prosent difficulties. The British frontal attack on the Camb"rai-St. (Quentin front is undoubtedly pinning down a greater part of his effective .strength, and of the attacks upon his flanks that in the ReimsVerdun area at least shows every promise of developing at speed and on the greatest scale. But for the fact that winter is so near thore would bo ovory apparent reason for regarding the position of the German Western armies as desperate.

TnE situation in the Balkans is not yot clearly defined. Some reports state that the Serbs as they advance are being opposed by- Aus-tro-Gennan units, but a German official message states that "Our troops hitherto fighting in the ranks of the Bulgarian Army have been withdrawn and are returning .to headquarters." This probably indicates tho actuM state of affairs, more especially as there is definite news that tho Bulgarian Government in making peace is supported by all parties,. Tho Ausfcrians arc now re-

ported to be making a disorderly retreat from Albania, and probably the movement was delayed only because no very hopeful line of retreat is open. General D'Esperey was credited yesterday with the statement that the Allies' next blow would be towards Constantinople. In one of to-day's messages a correspondent quotes him as declaring that operations against Austria will continue with the same energy as hitherto against Bulgaria, and that his reserves are practically intact, apart from the fact that the greater part of the French-and Greek armies have not yet been employed. Thia frankness is not usual with Entente commanders, but no doubt the departure from routine is made with due forethought. Turkey and Austria alike have poor prospects of countering Entente action _ in the Balkans, and in thft conditions that exist probably much more is to be gained than lost by_a_ frank announcement of what is in stove.