The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-04-02
ALLIES KNOCKING
At ST. QUENTIN
BRITISH AND FRENCH BATTER
BACKBONE OF THE HIN
DENBURG LINE,
CITY IS NOW DOOMED
Apparently, Value of Medieval Town
AS German Base Is Gone-5ritlsh
and Russians About to Join in Meso'
potamia.

The British and French are knock
ing at the doors of st. Quentin, the
medieval town that marks the back
bone of the so-called Hendenburg line.
OF the four roads entering the city two
are in possession of the allies and the
remaining two are under the fire Of
their guns. This means that the gar
rison must depend on a precarious
supply line operated at night and that
the value of the city as base Is gone
Apparently its fall is certain and this
assumption is supported by unofficial
dispatches from the front, which says
that the town Las already been partly
razed by the Germans.
To the north of st. Quentin, the
British are surging forward along 30
mile front, their rapid advance in the
last few days. unaccompanied by any
major fighting proving that General
Haig is not yet in touch with the
main German forces.
With st. Quentin and La Fere prac
tically in the grip of the allies, the
Lille-Laon line appears doomed and
military critics express the opinion
that either Marshal Won Hindenburg
never contemplated stand here OF
that he was outgeneraled by the
amazingly rapid advance of the French
toward La Fere. At present the
French seem to have relinquished the
| initiative to the British, who are driv
! ing a wedge in the direction of the i'm
portant town of lie Catelet, ten mile
north of st. Quentin and now within
/ five miles of the British outposts. A
the same time, General Haig Is con
tinuing his raids in the Arras sector
the official reports indicating import
ant operations are on foot here, at tn
extreme north of the battle line.
French activity is mainly in ey
dence east of Scissors, where a shar
salient has been formed in the GeI
man lines, the breaking of which wi
lay bare the important Craonne pli
teau, the most formidable barrier
General Nivelle's further advance.
Severe Reverses for Turks.
In the other theatres or the war II
terest centers in Mesopotamia, whei
the Turks have suffered further r
verses and the union Of the Britis
and Russian armies appears to be G
u the eve of consummation. An attemI
4 by the reinforced Turks to take Il
offensive has been crushed, and,
q though the official reports are meagr
y the indications are that General MauC
a is within fifty or sixty miles of h
Russian ally.
d While the allied capitals are file
e with rumors of coming great countC
l. offensive by the Germans, nothing hi
r developed to show where such bio
a II one is contemplated, will fall. II
g thaw In the eastern sectors is believ,
y to have removed any danger of GC
man aggression in that direction al
/ neither Paris nor London pays mu
y attention to Rome's reports Of gre
v Austro.German drive in preparati
on the Italian front. There are p,
sistent rumors, however, Of nigh
efforts by Germany to mass reserv
back of the fighting lines and ALI
- observers still predict that Field Nj
- = shall Won Hindenburg will try to offs
=, the effect on public opinion of ]
~ withdrawal in Picardy by a trem,
IL dous blow in some other direction.