The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-22

/ the south, Is similarly, threatened
as In Laon.
London. Nov. 21.-With the biggest
''binH" of surprise that this war has
seen, the British have ripped thirty
column in northern France
Undr the eyes OF General Pers hing
they leaped over the top" at dawn
yesterday smashed steadily ahead
until dusk, rested UP little bit dur
irg the night, surged forward again
at dawn. and were still going strong
when darkness fell tonight.
Result: A dozen towns. villages and
hamlets, three formidably fortified
woods. a ridge fortress and a mass of
trenches and dugouts captured; also,
more than 5000 prisoners The Hin
denhurg line. that had become taunt
and "a challenge, Is no morei Within
q few days, when ii has been consoli-
dated and reconstructed by it's captors.
it viii he known as the "Byng" line"
for the big smash was executed by the
third army under General the Hon
orable Sir Julian Byng. English.
Scottish, Irish and Welsh troops COM
pose IT,
If Mata Hari, the dancer sry exc
cuted in France the other dan. had
lived short while longer and had
heard of this battle today, she might
not have gone to her death without
tears, as she did, For this battle was
won. first of ALL by the tanks. And
Mata Harris chief Prime had been CIV
Ing the Germans 1.-THE secret of these
monsters while the first OF them was
sti1i under construction. The Ger
mans had laughed and virtually ignor-
ed her warning
Tanks Tear Tbronrh lime
The tanks won this two days battle:
the tanks tore the Hindenburg line
to tatrers: the tanks led the way OF
the British 70 within three miles of
Cambria, whose fall, now believed
near. will mean the ultimate fall OF
Lille and st. Quentin and the subse-
auent clearing of northern France OF
the invaders.
Not cannon shot was fired pre-
paratory to Byng's big push. That
was the biggest surprise factor In the
battle. There were three others:
i. The tanks, advancing in solid
line ahead of the infantry, did all
the destructive work the artillery
could have done--ano more.
.. No one. except, probably. the
British high command, had dreamed
Of the possibility of a drive on such
4 wide front IL the west at this time
ol the year IN the three previous
war winters ali large scale fighting
had STONED before or about the mid
ile of this month
3. II any kind of offensive was to
wind up the years fighting. the Ger
certainly the British pub
ic--had looked for il in Flanders.
Berlin Makes Admissions
The Berlin war Office was forced
@ make some grave admissions.
hough it minimized the British SUE
'ess on the center. on the six-niie
ront between the high roads from
Peronne and Bapaume to Cambrai
7ut the news from the front tonight
'how that there. as everywhere else
~ the thirty-ntle line Of attack. the
British are pie ching ahead relent-
essfv and that the fate OF cambraf
tseif hangs in the balance.
Indirectly. the German bulletin gives
,redit 10 the tanks:
"On the main field OF attack the
nemy succeeded, under protection Of
numerous armored cars In gaining
,round"
II then states that Teutor reserves
arrested the thrust in the rear po-
itions.'
But the loss of viiiages--amour
hem Graincaurt and Mareoing--aud .
portions of the permanently estab-
lshed materials" Is conceded by thu
serlin account. The statement. rec
riding violent artillery firing on both
ides OF the present line Of Brif1nk