, 1917-11-29
General Byng Smashes Through
Hlndenburg Line Toward
City of Cambria.
BOOBIES TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Tanks Play a Big Part In the sensa-
tlonal Victory-ItaIians 6raveIy Re-
slstIng Powerful Attacks Of Austro-
oermans-Enemy Aliens In Amer
lea Under Surveillance.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARp.

Lieut.. Gen. Sir Julian Byng smashed
a great hole In the Hindenburg line
between st. Quentin and the Scarpe.
General Diaz and his heroic Italians
put a stop for the time being to the
Teuton attacks on most of the Piave
river line. General Allenby and the
British army in Palestine moved
steadily on to the development Of Je-
rusalem. The French struck the
crown princes forces a hard blow in
the Aisne sector. President Wilson
placed the severest restrictions on n
envy aliens in the United States.
Altogether 1t vas not a pleasant
week for Kaiser Wilhelm.
General Byng's sensational advance,
which was begun Tuesday and con-
tinued through the week, was hailed
as the greatest British victory since
the Somme. Its success was due large
ly TO the element of surprise, for the
British had been delivering their pre-
paratory artillery fire much farther
north and then suddenly attacked In
the Cambria sector, taking the Ger
mans quite W General Byng,
who devised the plan and whose army
carried it out, first sent out a great
number of tanks, and as these cleared
away the b~arbed-wire entanglements
and broke through two of the strong
est lines in the German defense sys-
ten in the west, the infantry and cav
airy followed with a rush that car
ried all before 1t. The Germans were
demOraliZed, and for many hours Of
fered little resistance, surrendertng
by the thousand, and the British
moved rapidly forward, taking village
after village, and quickly consolidat-
ing the enemy positions, which had not
been badly demolished by shell fire.
Almost to Cambria.
On Wednesday the resistance of the
enemy stiffened considerably, but to
no avail, for the British pushed on I'M
til they had put behind them the towns
Of Mosnieres, Marcoing, Ribecourt,
hayrincourt, Graincourt and Flies
quleres. The tanks still were leading
N" way, and cooperating with them
were the mounted forces, which have
had so little opportunity for real ac-
ZION. By Thursday noon Byng's troops
were but little more than two miles
from Cambria, and his big guns had
oegun to shell that most important
"crman base and railway center.
me British swiftly built roads and
nEht railways across the captured sec
u"h up to their new lines and also be-
Enh 10 widen out their salient, which
d hrst was dangerously sharp. Crown
rrlhce Rupprecht rushed up masses
o' troops and took up a strong position
~ honrlon wood just north of the
n''t'sh salient, dominating the imme-
'.'le region. He also pushed the ad-
'uhce posts of the British out of Fon-
,aIhe Notre Dame, but they held and
consolidated all the rest of the terri
tory they had gained.
Inc secrecy which enveloped the
preparations for this great movement
.us astounding and speaks volumes
io' the skill of the British command
orS and the efficiency of the aviation
corps which prevented the enemy air
ss'uts from discovering the massing
" troops and tanks. The Cambria
oeItor mad been quiet for a long time,
'"u me considered that part
~ uneir defense lines impregnable.
my also thought m attack In force
VII such defenses could not be made
surcessfully without artillery prepa-
,'loh' AT tremendous cost they have
'e'rned they were mistaken in both in
Stances.
Attack Has Several objects.
aside from the capture of Cambria
anu me possible forcing of a general
sslreat of the Germans on the west
ught' the immediate object of this
crush offensive probably was to re-
"e'e the pressure on the Italians and