The sun., 1917-03-22
ALLIES MENACE
Line OF FORTS
FrancO-British Troops in
Touch With Germans
at st. Quentin.
MAY GO ON TO FRONTIER
Patrol Activity in Arras Re-
giOn Taken .as Forecast
Of Withdrawal.
MAY GO ON TO FRONTIER

VI NIlHuTuNU NUIs
LONDON. March 2I.-Another tYenty-
four hours should tell whether the Ger
mans Will make their expected stand on
the "Hlndenburg line" or will fall back
practically to the border. freeing all
France from>thcir presence French and
British troops pushed to-day close TO
St Quentin and La Fere. southern
bas;ions of the line where the Germans
are expected to stand
An intimation that the Germans In
tend to give up St. Quentin Is contained
in the French official report tonight,
which says: Most of the villages before
our lines In the neighborhood Of St
Quentin are in flames"
A possibility that the German retire
ment will spread north of Arras into
Belgian territory Is forecast in an Am
sterdam despatch quoting n correspond
ent at the front as saying that heavy
explosions are continually heard toward
Lens and Douai. THE same patrol ac-
tivity which preceded the retreat on the
southern 'front.' he adds. "is now OBJ
marked the northern limit of the Ger
man retirement
Military experts comment that, having
abandoned the st. Quentin Canal, the
Germans may retreat TO the line Liele
Nalenc!ennes. Ilirson. Mcziercs. the
Meuse. Nerdun, evacuatinS almost all
the conquered French territory except
the iron fields Of Briey In Lorraine.
French Near In Fere.
The French in dashing attacks and
the British In slower hut no less sure
advances have placed themselves In po-
sitions less than five miles from St
Quentin. The French are as near la
F'ere and are almost midway between
the two cities.
In to-day's advance the allied armies
occupied tifty-one villages and small
towns British troops marched into forty
Of these, French into eleven. Every one
OF them was in flames or in ruins. The
same ruthless destruction previously re-
ported had been carried out by the Ger
mans.
Near St Quentin the allied lines are
steadily drawing toward the city. The
British made very rapid progress in that
direction. the southern end Of their front
advancing to-day as much as ten miles
east Of Somme. where its course runs
north below Peronne They are now
some five miles from st. Quentin.
The French encountered more resist
ance and engaged in some brisk and en-
erge,c fighting At two places they
forced passage OF the SomTe canal.
though the ground had been flooded by
the Germans and drove back the invad
ers two miles from the canal TO the out
skirts of the villages Of Clastres and
Montescourt, seven miles southwest Of
st. Quentin and the same distance north
west Of La Fere.
In Contact With Germans.
Between Roupy and 81. Quentin
| French advanced troops are in contact
with the Germans. Roupy is five miles
from st. Quentin.
! The French are still closer TO La Fere
and within only couple of miles OF
/ Forts I.ez and Nendoul. Advancins
north Of Tergnier. five miles southwest
: of La Fere. and to the west bank of the
, River Ailette and the Crozat Canal, they
| have come in touch with strong German
| forces and are under lively lombard
| ment.
/ At the northern end of the front, from
! Tapaume to Arras the British report
stronger German resistance. indicating
! that the line on which they intend tc
stand has nearly been reached. The
British are driving in the rear guards
! however. and pushing ahead.
semi-ofncial communication issued
! in Paris to-day absolutely denies tn,
German affirmation that the retrea tins
troops on the Somme front left five dayt
. provisions for the civilian population.
Relief stores Seized.
( "On the contrary" the communicat ior
| adds "thc Germans not only took every.
thing eatable produced IN the region bu
seized "A part OF the stores In localities
which had been provided by the Amer
lean and Spanish relief committees
Fruit trees were cut down without belnt
used for military purposes, poplars alonl
the roads were sawed three-quarter,
| through. vines were torn from wall,
and trellises. agricultural tools wer,
smashed wantonly. numerous grenade.
were placed around the edges OF villages
and wells and streams were chemical,
poisoned or dehled."
/ Reuters correspondent with the Brit.
ish army says the Germans took the last
| loaf of bread from the Inhabitants of the
, aha ndoned towns Apart from the large
proportion OF the original population left
nj Nesle the greatest number Of civilians
found at ono place thus far was 400 II
Bouvencourt he says. Many places tn.
British have taken in the last two days
contain civilian inhabitants, and II 1,
reported that the Germans are send
ing many toward the advancing British
SO that they will not have SO many tc
feed.
stormy weather. cold winds and snow
squalls continue. the correspondent
says but the SURFACE of the ground /,
still hard Notwithstanding the Ger
man destruction. the British are able I,
find shelter in the villages they occupy
AZ the walls remain standing eve,
though the houses are Quilted.
The OMciaI Reports.
The German official statements rtpor
the repulse of some British and Frencl
advance guard detachments, and men
tlon the bad weather. The official state
ments follow:
French Night Statement North of
Ham the situation Is without change
Our light forces remain in contact with
the enemy between Roupy and ST.
Quentin.
East Of Ham we forced this morning
at two places q passage Of the Somme
Canal despite lively resistance by the
Germans. The operation, conducted