The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-11-03
TEUTONS TO MOVE
THEIR LINES BACK
Indications are That Retirement
is fastened by Petain's
Successful Drive.
BREAK THROUGH ITALIAN LINE
Austro-German Forces Succeed in TAX
ing Positions Along Isonzo River
French Continue Gains.

OOp6nHdSens OcI- Zo--1Qo Germans,
under pressure of the French victory
on the Aisne, may endeavor to effect
general retirement to a new Hin
denbuTg line" well in the rear of their
present positions. Various hints from
German sources of late have indicated
that the German experts, recognizing
the menace, particularly to the ex-
posed salient south west of Labn, were
preparing a new fortified line some
where between Laon and their former
front, to which they expected to effect
an orderly retirement. akin to their
spring withdrawal, as soon as the men
ace became pressing
The French attacks seem to have
anticipated this strategy and the Ger
man withdrawal, If made now Under
the hammering Of a victorious Cppo-
nent, is likely to be quite a different
operation from the one planned.
Italian Line Broken.
Rome, Oct 26.-Taking advantage
of their bridgehead of Santa Maria and
Santa Lucia, the Austro-German
forces, which yesterday began an Of
fensive on the Isonzo front brought
the battle on to the slopes of the right
(WesO bank of the Isonzo, says to-
days official statement.
The enemy broke through the Ital-
ian advanced lines on the east bank
man attacks were also made on the
Bainsizza plateau and on the west
slopes of Monte San Gabrielle, but
these were checked by the Italians,
who took few hundred prisoners.
The enemy attacked on the south
ern slopes of Monte Rombon and on
the northern edge of the Bainsizza pla-
teau In the former region he was re-
sisted in the narrows at Saga, but fur
Their south he broke through the Ital-
ian advanced lines, being favored by
a thick mist, which rendered useless
the Italian barrage.
French Continue Advance.
Paris, Oct. 26-The French forces
on the Aisne today continued their
successful advance, capturing several
important villages as well as two thou
sand additional prisoners. Since the
beginning of the present operations,
says the announcement made tonight
by the war office, more than twelve
thousand Germans have been cap
tured, as well as 12o big guns and
many guns of smaller caIiber.
Troops From Russia.
Where the Germans obtained large
numbers of requirements for the
Austrians in this region has not yet
become apparent, but it is not i'm
probable that some Of them were sent
post haste from the northern Russian
front, where between the Dvina River
and the Gulf of Riga there has been
withdrawal by the Germans over a
wide front. If these troops were not
removed from the campaign in the
Austrian-Italian theater they possibly
have been sent to the western front,
from which signals of distress by the
| army commanders necessarily have
been sent up as result of the terrific
poundings Field Marshal Haig and
General Petain have given Crown
Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria and the
| German crown prince in Flanders and
along the Aisne and before Verdun.
Emperor William has returned to
| Berlin from visits to Constantinople
and Sofia and is now engaged in an
attempt to straighten out the muddIed
| political situation in Germany.
French Make Big Gain.
Washington, Oct 24-While the al
lied troops were busfIy engaged in
consolidating positions won on Mon
day in Flanders, the French forces of
General Petain struck a mighty and
unexpected blow against the German
line northeast of scissors this morn
ing and made some of the most i'm
portant gains of terrain since they
threw back the army of the German
crown prince, which was besieging
Verdun.
The stroke was made over a front
of about six miles, from the east OF
VsG1ailIon to Pargny-Filain. Under
rainy and generally unfavorab1e
weather conditions, the French push
ed forward all along the line aided by
audacious aviators, who flew over the
German positions at an altitude Of
about $50 feet, using their machine
guns and penetrated the German line
at one point to a depth of two anC
1