Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-06-30
RUSHUPM MILE
0NF0URMILE
LINE AT COAL
Haig Captures Big Defense
System-Germans Flood
Land to Stop Foe.

london. june 3d. series of
strongly organized defensive sys-
TENS on both banks of the Sou.
chez, covering Lens, has been cap
1ured by the British, ii Is ana
n0unced officially.
In their recent operations the
British have advanced to q depth
Of more than mile on q front OF
four miles about Lens.
Canadian Headquarters n France,
June % (via London) by Canadian
Press Limited Success, unexpect-
eddy great and complete at a cost in
casualties far less than In some re-
cent unimportant engagements has at
tended the drive of the Canadians
along the valley Of the Souchez to-
ward Lens, during the last week. The
gain of ground IS greater than In any
actions since the capture OF Vimy
ridge, and the land restored to France
includes some Of her most productive
coal mines. Couiotte, Rievette and
almost all Of Ayion are firmly held
and that part Of the plain east Of Vimy
where, a week ago. no one could
show himself above the top Of a
trench without drawing the fire Of
snIBerS and machine guns, may now
be traversed in the open
Three Attacks I'm "a Hours.
Lying out In the water-soaked
ground along the Souchez river this
afternoon still under fire are the
troops who attacked the enemy at 2:30
q. hi O'Clock on Thursday morning in
the outskirts Of Avion. The Germans
/ put up a resistance ssss@Eang that
some Of the advanced parties were
/ forced to retire. At z o'clock in the
Z
after hard hand 10 hand fighting the
result of which was seen in the num-
Der Of German dead remaining on the
. field they pressed forward toward the
western part of the village The same
men took part in a third attack within
"a hours.
This was launched at z O'Clock last
night. and after they had once again
reached the goal set for them they
surrendered to sleep, the sleep of
utter exhaustion, IN d0wnpour Of tor
rental rain.
Teutons Flood Land.
( The situation on Friday afternoon
/ is regarded as most satisfactory. The
+ enemy by damming the Souchez river,
/ by blowing up the highway and the
railway bridges crossing the canal,
and by ohstructing the connecting
/ channels through the marshes in the
region southwest of Lens. has placed
q belt OF inundated land between him
self and the Canadian corps along a
/ front Of more than q mile The mum
+ dasions are cover to a weakness the
enemy would not have betrayed even
q few months. because they reveal his
. intention TO wage q purely defensive
. warfare along this part of the line.
German Man Power Slipping.
Fhore are daily increasing signA
that the German man power is no
/ longer what il was. The number OF
enemy troops in the field appears little
less than before the opening of spring
operations, but the spirit Of the men
lis no longer that Of an assured vic
tory. A prisoner taken yesterday
spoke of the process of establishment
the German people are now going
( through. # the war does not end
soon, be said, here viii he 3 revolu.
ton i'm Germany This changed spirit
is not due to undertaking Most Of
the German prisoners arc well nour-
#ished. A big guardsfnan. at least six
feet four in height when cornered
fought like a wildcat till ne was badly
wounded. and was so heavy that four
bearers could make no Roadway car
rFlng him over the wet and slippery
chalk to dressing station The
change fin their idea as 10 how the war
VIII end is all the more significant
because it was not brought about by
+ hunger or priyation.
Attackers Nearly Annihilated.
Paris. June 20.-Tha Germans re-
sumad their violent attack on tina
Nerdun front west Of Dead Man hi;l
last night. the war Office declares.
picked German troops advanced on a
sector Of one and three-fourths miles
and were almost annihilated by the
French
The Germans penetrated the first
French line over the entire irons at
tackled but we're driven out except
on the western slope OF Dead Man
hill.
French Make Counter.
The French made counter attack
west of Hill goa and took back mosiE
81 the trenches lost Thursday On I'll
Aisaa front the Germans attack
northeast Of Cerny employing bu
ing liquid They occupied a sal
after the defeuses had been Lew
by shell are but were repulsed