Middletown transcript., 1917-11-03
French Drive the Germans Back
Toward Laon, Taking Many
Prisoners and Guns.
SPLENDID WORK BY AVIAT0RS
Austrians, Reinforced by German
Troops, Open Offensive Against
ItaliAns-Teuton Retreat in Riga
Reqion-Liberty Loan a Sue
cess-Burlescn Warns the
Traitor Press.
By EDWARD PicKARD.

The French army made last week
one Of the most important advances OF
the fall campaign on the front north
east of Scissors After furious bar
rage by the artillery. the troops rushed
forward for gain of more than two
miles, and when they rested. they were
in a position to enfilade the German
lines all along the valley Of the Ailette.
Petain also now directly threatens
Laon. the big railroad center that
forms the southern extremity of the
Hindenburg line, and can enfilade the
rrowL princes troops that still hold
the northern edge Of the plateau that
parallels the Chemin des Danes. The
German line running north to the for
est of St. GObain is in danger. and If
this gives way. the enemy would have
to give up his present front from
Chavignon to st. Quentin.
in this operation the French cap
tured Fort de la Malmaison and other
strong positions and routed some of
the finest troops in the German army,
taking more than 5000 prisoners and
q great number of guns. The French
aviators did especially good work dur
Ing the battle, flying at a very low al
titude and breaking up with their ma
chine-gun fire several German attempts
to cOunter-attack.
The first French smash was made
on Tuesday, and again on Thursday
~, OF. I,,r II, ,it-ir, q
the Germans from Monkey mountain
and other strong positions and advanc-
ing to within eight miles of LaOn. The
number of prisoners was increased to
1900.
Another Advance in Flanders.
The British. in Flanders. with the
French cooperating, pushed forward
about q thousand yards on front Of
mile and half on Monday, taking
some important positions and getting
astrde the Ypres-Staden road. The
Germans made desperate attempts to
recover the ground. but succeeded in
regaining only one farm at the edge
Of the HoutholSt forest.
All week the allied aviators made
destructive raids behind the German
lines, dropping many tons of explo-
sives on munitiOn works, lines of COM
munication and other military estab-
ishments.
Austro-German Drive on Italians.
Responding to AuStria's call for help
the kaiser sent large bodies of his
troops to the scene of operations north
Of Trieste. and the combined forces OF
the central powers began big often
sive there on Wednesday. The Italians
were expecting the move and declared
themselves ready. Berlin admitted
that the Teutons on the first day
gained only some advanced position,
of the Italians near Fitch and TOlmint
and on the northern part of the Balm
siZZa plateau, but claimed to have ta
ken 5000 prisoners. In the matter o
best of it, though the AustrianS hole
some lofty mountain positions. Brit
lsh correspondent at the italian from
says the object of the enemy in max
Ing This drive is as much political a.
military. the Germans having the mis-
taken idea that the Italian pehple ar
tired of the war
Whence came the German force
that are aiding the AuStrianS has no
been revealed. though it is likely The
are from the Riga sector of the Rus
sian front The Germans announce,
at the beginning Of the week that the
there without telling why.
kerensky Attacked in Russia.
In other respects the weeks develop
ments in Russia were unsatisfactory