Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-11-21
Big Stroke
of War in
Haig Move
Complete Surprise and Utter
Decentralization of Enemy
Main Line of Communi-
cation Menaced.
BY PERRY ARNOLD.

NEW YORK, NOV. 21- TIL Z
GREATEST STROKE OF THE WAR,
ONE OF THE GREATEST SINGLE
STRATEGIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF
THE STRUGGLE AND POSSIBLY
THE START OF A VICTORY EQUAL
IN IMPORTANCE TO THE MARINE,
is FIELD MARSHAL HAIG'S
BREAKING OF THE HINDENBURG
LINE REPORTED TODAY.
Between the two north and south
points mentioned in today's official
report, there is distance Of Is miles.
over this whole section the British
had made an advance of four miles.
Haigs troops are now literally on
the threshold of Cambria. the vital
spot in the German communications
line.
TOWNS CAPTURED.
The biggest town captured in the
drive was Marcoing, five miles south
west of Cambrai. With Anneux and
| Graincourt also in British hands, the
British already have a segment ap-
proximately four miles wide in it's arc.
showed around the depot city of the
| German communications artery.
Lavecquerc lies a little farther to
the south of Cambria at the junction
of two roads from Lecatellet and Fins
to Cambrai.
Flesquires is bare five miles dis
tant from Cambria. lying just beyond
Havrincourt, which was also stormed
and captured.
GREAT SURPRISE.
The British drive must have been
an overwhelming surprise to the Ger
mans. Ever since Sept. 81. the British
have been concentrating all their eff
forts on the lines far to the north
! in the Flanders sector. Haig made
some localized attacks there not more
than three days ago.
The Germans evidently figured the
British strategy was to press this
Flanders drive increasingly. Their
lines must have been greatly depleted
along the whole of the Wotan and
Siegfried fronts between Arras and
st. Quentin.
The second line-more than a mile
behind the preliminary defenses-was
almost stormed by the victorious
Tommies
cRUMBLED BEFORE TANKS.
Tanks battered down the German
defenses, crumbled away some of the
artfully contrived German cement en-
placements and ponderously drove for
ward in advance Of the artillery.
Cambria is now almost in the hands
of the British.
The Importance Of the victory can
not as yet be fully estimated.
Not only has the Hindenburg line
its lines utterly destroyed, BUT THE
BRITISH NOW DIRECTLY MENACE
THE MAIN GERMAN LINE OF
COMMUNICATIONS-Douai. Cambria
and st. Quentin.
WONDERFUL FEAT.
That Haig should have been able tc
mass sufficient troops and material
before this German front to break the
Hindenburg line at various points
EVEN TO SWEEP OVER PORTIONS
OF THE SECOND LINE DEFENSEs
without the enemy being aware Of 1t
is almost new achievement in the
great war.
LINE ESTABLISHED LAST SPRING
The Hindenburg line was established
labC Spring. IL Ndn tio uSAChoo PooA
/. ton to which the Germans retired ir
their strategic retreat" on the Somm'
front. The Germans had worked fol
more than year constructing the de-
fenses Of this line, utilizing Belgian
!; civilian labor in many sections.
Todays blow comes at time wher
England not only still pressing thu
Germans hard on the Flanders front
hut has sent great numbers OF hel
troops to aid italy in driving back thu
Teutonic invaders. The fact that thu
British can send forces to Italy keep {
great army hammering in Flanders ant
still spare plenty Of men for the blow
reported today, Is a splendid and sig
nificant indication Of England's mill
tary strength.
Conversely, the tremendous gain
achieved would seem to indicate tina
CONTINUED on Page Two.)