Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-10-30
BAKER EXPECTS
BIG WAR MOVE
SECRETARY OF WAR PREOIIl .
EARLY DEVELOPMENTS OF
IMPORTANCE.

the great war, Secretary Ian -
Gates in his official review u iaS.
weeks operations on all tronts' "hlon
concludes with the brlef slaten.ns
that certain units of the American
forces in France have taken tneii
nlaces on the battle front to complete
their training. This is the war oe
nartment's first mention OF the lacl
that General Pershings men are vi
the firing line. .,a
II is the wave of activity during tne
week on nearly every front however
that caught the secretarys attenlion
Significant operations are IN progress
10 saws. both east and west, on the
italian fronts, in Macedonia, Rumanla'
Mesopotamia and even in East A!lc<>
PREDICTS GERMAN RETREAT.
on the western front, he said, ne"
strategic retreat of the German lolees
annears To be the next move expecteu
and thew must move back under CIV
lcoJ circumstances from between the
two wedges, those in Flanders anu the
Aisre. which have been driven Ieiens-
lessfv into their line by the brl1lsn
and the French. ,.a,+
Itaiy is passing through dlfhcult
moment. Mr.. Baker says. the AUS
tnoGerman drive is being pressed lot
-ard nv imposing forces. But once
hefore italy stemmed the tide or an
Austrian rush. under less favorable
CONDITIONS for the defenders, he points
out and hurled the enemy Dach s VIZ
only a taste of victory during me hIs.
DAYS of his terrific onslaught: Wln I4sI
Is now coming to the aid OF tne l'at-
fans.
The secretary's review says:
Renewed activity prevails IN all
theatres of war.
.Tmportant developments wouio ap'
pear to be impending.
aAlong the western and eastern ana
1falian fronts In Macedonia, Rumanla'
Mesopotamia and even in Eass Aiflca
significant operations are in progress.
seThe two outstanding features OF
me situation of the week are the re-
Ientless British offensive in the Ypres
salient, resulting in substantial gains
n terrain of important strategic value
and the sudden well aimed and sus.
tanned thrust Of the French north OF
the Aisne.
ut is evident that the allied drives
along the western front are broaden
ing in scope and intensity. The whole
front. from the Houtholst wood
through the Passchendaele ridge
sonthWard to Lens and on to the A1sne
Is becoming the scene of increasingly
heavy allied pressure when Inc enemy
Is withstanding with difficulty.
COUNTER ATTACKS FAIL.
"side BY side the French and Brit
-tsi, are pushing on through the Flem-
ksh lowlands towards Roulers.
s.The enemy, believing he might
md a rift in the otherwise 1mpreg-
nable allied line at the point OF juno
t;on between the Franco-British
forces, directed repeated heavy coun-
ter-attacks in this segment. These
were repulsed.
s@While the British attacks during
fhe past week have been carried out
with imposing effectiveness. it is ap-
parent that the British command is
maneuvering in order to gain impor-
tant tactical advantages at minimum
cost.
.~rhe casualties to the enemy are
rising steadily.
their gains in Flanders. driving into
the heart German resistance in the
west.
s.rhe German armies fight on STUB
bornly. If any further evidence OF al
Ned superiority be needed, it seems to
be supplied by the decisive successes
Won by the French during the week
ssThis offensive was launched on
six mile front near the west end OF
the Chemin- des-D Danes at dawn on Oc-
tpber %. :.
~The German lines were penetrated
b a depth of well over two miles at
one point.
s1n three days fighting, the French
have taken 10000 prisoners, 120 guns
Of large calibre and a great quantity
OF other booty not yet enumerated
The possession Of the captured Fort
OF Malmaison, the key to the entire
ridge and the villages beyond, now
makes it possible for the French to
enfilade the German positions along
the "Reminiscences as well as to
fire directly through the valley to-
wards the Fortress of Laon.
RAIN PROTECTS GERMANS.
.The time has apparently come for
another strategic retreat of the enc
my. 1t means that the Germans must
again retire to a new entrenched and
carefully prepared line if they intend
to resist further in the west.
"The bad weather continues to be
the enemy's best protection. He is
relying upon this factor to impede the
allied advance and by shrouding the
!, battle area in slush, rain and fog, to
give him respite until he can pre-
pare himself to meet fresh on
slaueA
"Ne%otrom the Italian front proves
that the Nustrians were able to bring
sufficient pleasure to bear in Berlin in
order to secdge German assistance.
"As the result of the concentration
OF an imposing array of artillery and
massed battalions, the Austro-German
forces have succeeded in penetrating
the recently won Italian positions in
the Tolmino sector.
ITALY FORCES CRISIS.
"The broken, steep, mountainous
character of the terrain makes it diff
7 l..