The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-03
.PETA|N DRIVE
FORCES ENEMY
TO withdraw
Crown Prince Assemblies Forces on
Heights of Aillette to Defend
CENTRAL POWERS HALT
IN ITALIAN CONQUEST
Plans of Continuing Offensive not
Disclosed-Hold Tagliamento
Bank
BY Associated Press.


Blowing up bridges as they retreat.
ed, the Germans on the Aisne front in
northern France, have given up their
precarious hold on the Chemin des
Danes plateau and retired to the
north bank of the Aillette river, along
a front OF approximately IL miles,
closely followed by the French. This
retirement by the German crown
prince has been in prospect since the
recent successful drive by General Pc.
tain southwest of Laon, which carried
the French to the bank of the Disc.
Aisne canal at the westerly end of the
Chemin des Danes and gave them
domination Of a large section of the
German lines to the east.
AS appears from today's Paris ON.
cial statement, the Germans are now
on the north bank of the Aillette, q .
maximum distance of mile back of
their previous position, while the
French have moved up to the south
Dank OF the river.
To Defend Laon.
There is no hint in the official re.
port from either side, as to whether
any further retirement by the German
crown prince is in prospect. He was
compelled by the superiority Of the
new French positions to fall back It
least as far as he has, Probabilities
seem he will take up positions on the
heights just north of the Athletic,
which command the approaches To
Laon, keynote of the Germans west
ern front at its southwesterly bank: -
British destroyers have put an end
to the career of a German commerce
raider in an arm Of the North sea-
East Bank. Cleared.
General Cadorna has halted >On the
western bank of the Tagliamento, mo-
mentarily at least, to face the oncOm.
ing AustrO-Germans. The eastern
bank of the river, Berlin reports, has
been cleared of Italians from where
the TagliamentO turns from TalminO
to the Adriatic. ~ .r
Italian guns are bombarding the in
vaders along the new line, but appar-
emily no attempt has been made by
the Austro-Germans to force the cross
ing of the river. There are no indi.
cations as to the whereabouts of the
reported to be driving
through the Carnic Alps early In the
week, in an attempt to turn the flank
of the troops and guns into the Tren.
Th{c v,1iuft 0jfhor tn
strengthen the Austrians there, or to
start drive south from Trent, In an
attempt to cut off the Italians now
on the Venetian plains.
Count Won Hertling, 1t is announced
officially from Berlin, has been ap-
pointed imperial chancellor in success
sion to Dr. George Michaelis, who re-
tires to another, but unnamed, OIL
cial position. The new chancellor ap.
parently has the support of the reich
stag element, except the socialists and
the conservatives. The socialists.
however, will give no active Opp0si'
ton untfl the counts policies are
known more clearly
ENGAGE LARGE NUMBERS.
Washington, Nov. 3.-The British.
and French forces in Flanders have
kept engaged about half the total Ger
man forces on the western front. with
out any success being reported for the
Germans, according to review of the
situation made public today by the
French high command.
There is clear proof the statement
SAYS, that the Germans were forced to
employ successfully 70 divisions to
hold the allies in check in the battle
of Flanders, or about one-half their
total forces on the western front, and
that they suffered enormous losses.
ENGAGED IN cATTEGAT.
The admiralty announces that Ger.
tain British forces have been engaged
in the Cattegat, an arm of the North
CO, hotween Sweden and Denmark,