The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-11-26
VOL. XLVIII
WAR NEWS SUMMARY

Haig's Forces Win Commanding
Position Over Cambrai-Itali-
ans Holding Own Russians
Holding Positions Against Ger
mans.
After hard fighting after which the
troops came to hand-to-hand contact
with varying results, Field Marshal
Haig's forces now are in possession
of the town of Bourbon and the great
er part of the Bourbon wood west of
Cambria, giving them dominating
position over the much-sought for
railroad center and the surrounding
country.
English, Welsh and Scottish battal-
Ions. aided by the cavalry. now dis
mounted, encompassed the defeat OF
the Germans who had concentrated
fresh reseves-men of extreme valor
to face the British in their door
die efforts to win the positions which
mean so much toward the ultimate
capture of Cambria, with its tentacles
of railroads and highways leading in
all directions and on which Field Mar
shall Won Hindenburg is so dependent
for support.
Little except the gaining of this
town and of the wood had had a place
in the strategy of the British COM
mander-in-chief since his dash last
week placed his forces west and
southwest of Cambria virtually upon
the threshold of the town. Ever since
the initial attack the Germans had
tenaciously disputed every inch OF
ground, realizing that with the fall
of Bourbon and the wooded heights
seriously menaced. Several times pre-
viously the British had gained foot
holds in both the town and the wood
but each time under vicious counter
attacks We're compelled to relinquisf
them.
The northeasterly portion of the
wood apparently now is the sole re
manning part of it that is still in Ger
man hands and, being only about l.:
miles distant from Cambria, the Ger
mans are doing their utmost to holC
it, and even to drive back the British
who have gained a footing there.
Since the beginning of the battl'
of Cambria, the British war office re
ports have been extremely meagre o
details of the fight and the last com
munication gives no hint of the pro
posed intentions of General Byng af
ter the conquest of Bourbon and Bour
lon wood has been made secure. Ap
parently, however, with these strate
gic points safely in his hands it l
not unreasonable to surmise that, hav
ing had several days in which to draT
UP his guns and realign his forces
Byng will almost Immediately strlk
again in an endeavor to capture Cam
brai.
The army of the German Crow
Prince has not given up its effort
to overcome the success of the Frenc
last week northwest of Rhemis, wher
the gradual incursions into the Gel
man line are threatening Laon. Her
the Germans again have made tw
violent attacks, but their effort
brought them, as has been the rul
recently, nothing more than repuls
and the additional loss of numerou
men. Similarly in the region of Ve1
dun the Germans have been worste
in attacks against General Petalr
front
In the Italian theatre, the troops {
General Diaz are more than holdin
their own against the savage attacl
of the Austro-Germans from the r.
gion of Lake Garda eastward to tl
upper reaches of the Piave river. A
ter last weeks severe repulses wit
heavy casualties the invaders hay
switched their main offensive to tt
Asiago plateau sector, but here al!
they have been held by the Italian
without the gain of yard OF groul
Attack has been met with counte
attack and in addition to inflictir
heavy losses the Italians also ha'
captured two machine gun batteries
The fighting along the Piave riv
from the hilly region to the Adriat
has been sporadic, but the one pla
where the enemy attempted to Gro
the river on pontoons he was wip'
out by the fire Of the defending a
tillery.
For the first time in several swee
there has been activity on the mort
ern Russian front and notwithstan
ing the uncertain political conditio
in Petrograd and other parts of t
country, the Russians are holdll
their positions against the German
Near Jacobstadt the German artille
opened a strong artillery actl
against the Russians who replied
turn. To the south and also on t
Rumanian front there has been I
vival of activity, both from t
trenches and in the nature of scol
ing reconnaissances.