The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-24

Running almost directly south from
Eieuport, on the North Sea- the
battle lines in Belgium and France
extend for about $50 miles, to Laon,
where there is a sharp turn to the
east. The line sweeps back toward
the German border near Verdun and
then turns south again to the Swiss
border.
The German line of defense ex-
tending north from Laon, was be-
lieved to be virtually impregnable.
1t had for its chief bases, Laon, st.
Quentin, Cambria, Douai and Lille.
These cities are all railroad centers.
They are also the supply centers for
the German lines. Supplies are
brought UP from the interior, and
then distributed along the front from
these five points.
General Byng's sudden and sem
sational attack this week, which
overshadowed all other war news,
and was perhaps the most important
allied victory of the year, was a
direct drive at the center OF this
line.
Tanks For Artillery.
The surprise features Of the at
tack have been dwelt upon in the
dispatches. The British simply sub
stituted tanks for artillery. Instead
of waiting for the artillery to cut
away the wire defenses and level
trenches, they massed between 200
and 800 tanks on a thirty mile front.
and sent them forward without
warning Of any kind from the artil-
lery. The tanks plowed through the
wire entanglements, and the British
infantry and even cavalry went
through the gaps and kept going for
a maximum distance of six miles.
The usual barrage preceded the in
fantry but after they got going it
was bayonet work chiefly, with the
cavalry using sabres.
Reports received Friday afternoon
indicated that the British were
within three miles Of Cambria and
still pushing forward. Cambria is
the very heart Of the line, and even
if the British advance no further,
they have rendered it useless as a
supply base, for it is within easy
range of their guns, when the guns
are moved forward to new positions.
The railroad line from Cambria
south to st. Quentin has long been
dominated by British guns, but it
now has been actually cut by the
British.
Results To Date.
The net results Of the drive to date
are the capture of more than fifty
square miles OF French territory in
Guiding a dozen or more villages; the
taking OF more than 5000 prisoners
and the killing and wounding of
many times that number Of Ger
mans; dhe probable relieving of the
pressure on Italy; and last, but not
least, blow to the morale Of the
German army that will offset the
Italian victories, for the Lille-Douai-
Cambria line was heralded through
out Germany as impregnable.
The possibilities which the situa-
ton presents, are even more i'm
portant. There is just chance that
the long hoped for battle in the open
will take place, and that general
retirement from the present German
line will be forced. If the British
can follow up their attack closely
enough, bring up their artillery rap
idly enough, and overcome the OPP
position OF the reserves which are be-
ing, rushed to the scene, the gap in
the German line may, be widened un-
til the armies to both the north and
south are threatened. The British
may risk such an operation and pour
men into this gap to widen and