The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-27


 Rome. october 26.-Under the Austro- German pressure on the Isonzo front. the Italians have withdrawn their lines to the border in one sector, and are pre- pairing for the evacuation of the Bain- sizza plateau the war office announced today.
 ASSOCIATED PRESS SUMMARY Kew York, October 2c.-Fron all cables received, the Associated Press makes the following compilation of the war news from all the fronts:
 Fresh gains of terrain by the British and French forces on the Ypres sector, by the French north of the Aisne river and by the combined German and Aus tro- Hungarian armies in the Austro- Italian theatre are recorded in the latest official communications from London, Paris and Berlin The new gains of the British and French in Flanders were made in another swift and decisive of fensive launched in the early hours of the morning over the front between the southern edge of the Houtholst wood and the region of Gheluvelt. Bad weather and soggy ground hampered the opera tions to some extent. and all the objec- tives set out for could not be taken, A majority of them. however, rested in the hands of the allies at the end of the days fighting. More than 800 prisoners fell into the hands of Field Marshal Haig's men.
 LAON MAY FALL
 With the important railroad junction @lA rl, troops are continuing their pressure against the forces of the German crown prince north of the Aisne river. In an- ether attack on the right the village of Filain has been captured, a footing has been forced to give ground north of La Epne De Chevregny and the enemy has been ofrced to give ground north of La Chapelle Saint Berthe. These successes, while not so great in importance as those of previous days on the center and west flank of the attacking line, serve materially to bring the right wing into alignment with the remainder of the front and place the entire line in a bet ter position for another smash north ward toward Laon
 GERMANS MAY RETIRE
 That the attack may not be necessary, however, is forecast by the military ex- pert of the Berlin Tagebatt, who. while belittling the chances of the ultimate success of the French operations, asserts that it is not outside the German rules of warfare voluntarily to abandon ter ritory not essential to Germany's great tactical plan, in order that losses may be reduced.
 ITALIAN FRONT
 The Austro- German armies on the Isonzo front are fast developing their of fensive against General Cardona's s forces. Already the Italians on the northern wing of the 25-mile front have been forced to give ground and at sev- eral places are back across the Jsonzo north and south of Tolmino, where the battle Is waging on Italian territory.
 SITUATION PRECARIOUS
 To the south the situation of the Ital- ians admittedly Is precarious. Even the Italian war office announces that the evacuation of the Bainsizza-Heligen- geist plateau is necessary-a retirement which will render null in q great meas ure the brilliant advance of the Italians in the summer campaign.
 MANY PRISONERS TAKEN
 The combined German and Austro- Hungarian forces up to the present are declared by the Berljn war offices to have captured in excess of SO,0o0 prison- CTS and more than 300 guns, and 1t IS stated that these figures hourly are be- ing augmented.
 The German retreat along the north ern Russian front still continues. Rus sians endeavoring to take up the pursuit have reached the Rigo-Ore railway, but have not come within sight of the en- enay. On the Esthonian coast the Ger- mans again have endeavored to make a landing on the Werder peninsula to re- inforce the troops successfully pit ashore there last week. The Russians, ! however, drove them off
 .HAIGsS FORCES ATTACK