The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-03-30
FRENCH Dent
CERil.s.AA LINES
Battling Way Toward St. Qusn-
Tin and LaFare.
BRITISH CAPTURE VILLAGES
Entire Teuton Position In the West
menaesd by the Allied Advance
Turk Troops In Mesopotamia Now
Face AnnlhiIation.

London. March 2S.--With deliberate
tenacity the French are slowly ham
mering their way toward LaFere. the
strongly fortified point ON the linden
burg line, the fall of which would
menace the entire German position IN
the west.
All OF the lower forest OF Coucy has
fallen into General Niyelle's hands.
together with the villages OF Petit
Barlsis, Verueuil and Coucy-la.villo
This important territory lies to the
south OF LaFere and west OF Laon.
The French advance now has
reached the western outskirts OF the
forest OF ST Gobain and the upper
forest OF Coucy. General Niyelle
swung In huge circle around the
great forests. the natural barrier
which lies between the French and
Laon. In the center Of this curve the
French have forced deep wedge into
the forest and now only few miles
OF the upper forest range separate
them from their objective
Driving forward north and south Of
St Quentin. heart OF the Hindenburg
line. the allies have cut two OF the four
main railroads which feed the city,
while third is well within reach OF
the French guns
With LaFero inundated by the re
treating Germans and two OF its domi-
mating forts In French hands, the
chief interest in this tremendous bat
Quentin. The Germans are making
desperate and bloody attempts to
wrest from the French the Essigny-
BenRy plateau. from which General
Nivelle's guns command the southern
approaches TO the city and render its
position. in the opinion OF military
circles, one of grave peril.
The advance OF the French salient
three miles farther between st QUEEN
tin and Matere would give them pos
session OF tie last railroad entering
the town
The British In their advance toward
Cambria have occupied the villages of
Longavesnes, Lieramont and Eduan,
court.
While the issue OF the titanic strug
gle in France remains In doubt. the
stage is set for sensational possibili
ties in far.off Mesopotamia In the
plain OF the Tigris five armies are
converging on the Turkish forces in
the hope OF dealing a death blow 10
the Ottoman power in its eastern EN-.
pire,
The Russians are advancing from
Persia in three divisions, driving the
Turks before them, and have already
crossed the Turkish frontier at two
places. To the south General Maude,
conquerer OF Bagdad, is pressing for
ward up the Tigris and the Diala
rivers. Outside OF the possibility OF
decisive victory over their enoircling
foes, apparently the only road of re-
treat open to the Turks is to the west
Here they are confronted with tha
resolate wastes OF the great desert Of
FL Jezireh, according to military crit,
les an impossible barrier.
Attacks by the German troops on
the Russian line along the Shara, In
the Baranovichi region, southeast OF
wilma, were at first unsuccessful, the
Petrograd war ofiice announced. A dis
charge OF gas accompanying the soc
ond attack however. compelled tie
Russians to fall back.
Austrian attacks we're delivered on
the Julian front late in one OF which
some advanced Italian trenches were
occupied, In the sector of HAl 1876
the Rome war Office announced. The
other attack in this region was re-
pulsed