New Britain herald., 1917-10-29
WAVE 0F ACTIVITY
 0N ALL THE FRONTS
Secretary Of War Baker Gives Out
 His Weekly Resume on War
ITALY MAY STEM THE TIDE

ITALY MAY STEM THE TIDE On the Western Front, Statement
 Says the Casualties to the Enemy
 Are Rising, While the Germans Are
 Fighting Stubbornly.
 Washington, Oct. 29.-Important developments are impending in the great war, Secretary Baker indicates in his official review of last weeks operations on all fronts. which con- cludes with the brief statement that certain units of the American forces in France have taken their places on the battle front to complete their training. This is the war departs ment's first mention of the fact that General Pershing's men are on the firing line.
 It is the wave of activity during the week on nearly every front, however, that caught the secretary's attention Significant operations are in progress,
  Italian fronts. in Macedonia, Ru- mania. Mesopotamia and even in East Africa. On the western front, he said. new strategic retreat of the German forces appears to be the next move expected and they must move back under critical circumstances from between two wedges, those of Flanders and the Aisne which have 1~{x line by British and French.
 Italy is passing through a difficult moment, MT. Baker says. The Aus tro-German drive is being pressed for ward by imposing forces But. once before Italy stemmed the tide of an Austrian rush, under less favora ble conditions for the defenders, he points out, and hurled the enemy back with only taste of victory during the first days of his terrific onslaught. Winter IS now coming to the aid of the Italians.
 The secretary's review follows:
 Renewed activity prevails in all theaters of war. Important develop ments would appear to be impending.
 Along the western, eastern and Italian fronts, in Macedonia, Ru- mania, Mesopotamia and in even in East Africa, significant operations are in progress.
 "The two outstanding features of the situation of the week are the re- lentless British offensive in the Ypres salient, resulting in substantial gains of terrain of important strategic value and the sudden well-aimed and sustained thrust of the French north of the Aisne.
 Ut is evident that the Allies drives along the western front are broad ening in scope and in intensity The whole front from the Houtholst wood through the Passchendaele ridge southward to Lens and on to the Aisne is becoming the scene of increasingly heavy Allies pressure, which the en- emy is withstanding with difficulty.
 Side by side the French and Brit ish are pushing on through the Elem ish lowlands towards Roulers.
 ''The enemy, believing he might find a rift in the otherwise impreg- nable Allied line at the point of junction betweeh the F'ranco-British forces, directed repeated heavy coun- ter attacks in this segment. These were repulsed.
 While the British attacks during the past weeks have been carried out with imposing effectives, it is appar- ent that the British command is ma neuvering in order to gain important tactical advantages at minimum cost
 'The casualties to the enemy are rising steadily.
 Slowly the Allies are enlarging their gains in Flanders, driving into the heart of German resistance in the west.
 ''The German armies fight on stub bornly. If any further evidence of Allied superiority be needed, 1t seems to be supplied by the decisive suc- cess won by the French during the week.
 "This offensive was launched on a six-mile front near the west end of the Chemin- -des-Dames at dawn on October 23.
 General Petain so well masked his preparations that the enemy was taken by surprise as to the exact terrain chosen for the attack and was overwhelmed before being able to or ganize a concentrated resistance.
 "The German lines were penetrated to a depth well over two miles at one point.
 This first attack was followed by second assault in this same sector, crowned with full success.
 "In three days fighting the French have taken 12,000 prisoners, 120 guns of large calibre and a great quantity of other booty not yet enumerated. ''The possession of the captured fort of Mailmaison, the key to the entire ridge and the villages beyond, :. now makes it possible to the French to entilade the German positions alcng the Chemin- -des- Danes as well as to fire directly through the valley to- wards the fortress of Laon. "Geueral Petain showed himself a