The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-26
HAIG HAMMERTNG
ONE imp PORTANT
SALIENT; PETAIN
SMASHING OTHER
Princes Retreat From st.
Quentin To Champagne
Endangers Line
LAON NOW WITHIN
RANGE OF GUNS
English Attacks Menace
German Positions From
Ypres To Coast
NEW OFFENSIVE WAS
BEGUN THIS MORNING
Germans and Austrians
Claim Big Victory Over
Italians on Isonzo
NEW OFFENSIVE WAS
BEGUN THIS MORNING
(By Associntsd Presa.N

| From the heights Of the Aisne the
! German crown prince is being driven
I back relentlessly toward the fortress
Of Laon and perhaps to a general re-
| treat along a line from St. Quentin
TO the Champagne. His strOngholds
wrenched from him. $4,000 OF his
troops prisoners, many thousands
slain and wounded and 120 big guns
lost, the predicament OF the crown
prince is most serious.
General Petains great smash OF
Thursday opened the way for fur
ther advances and Thursday under
French pressure the Germans were
! forced back TO the Oise-Aisne canal.
eyacuating valuable positions in
their retirement. More than 1000
additional prisoners and many big
guns fell into French hands.
Laon. the fortress at the southern
end OF the HindenburG line. "a now
/ but eight niles from the French
smash II at win. East Of Chavignon,
the center Of the French advance
stretches the Atlette river, on the
southern bank where the Germans
have been fighting desperately TO
hold back the French for several
months. From the newly captured
positions the French can sweep the
German defenses with torrents of
artillery fire.
Whole Line Weakened.
Every foot gained by General
Petain in the Chavignon salient
weakens the line northward through
La Fere to st. Quentin. The French
already are on three sides of La
Fere, and st. Quentin has ali but
fallen into allied hands several times
since the German retreat Of last
spring. A retirement from ST. Quen-
tin and La Fere to a line running
north from Laon would endanger the
entire German position on the west
ern front as far north as Ypres.
Probably the two most important
salients on the western front from
the sea to Verdun are those east OF
Ypres and Bouth-southweBt of Laon.
Field Marshal Haig Is hammering al
the one and General Petain is smash
ing through the other. A German re-
tirement all along the line might
result in surprising eventualitiea
and there are reports from Germany
that such action is not without the
realm Of possibilities.
..-..-. Itaiy's Biz Test.
Italy's armies are lighting against
the massed attacks OF the Austro-
Germans along the 1sonzo north OF
Gorilla General Cadorna apparently
has checked the Teuton efforts on the
Bainsizza plateau at the southern end
Of the line. Near FGitsch at the
northern end. and south OF Tolmino.
in the center. the Austro- Germans
made gains. South OF Tolmino the
Italians were clinging to the east
ern bank OF the Isonzo and the
Teuton thrust forced them to cross
n lad
the capture Of 10000 prisoners and
much material.
The fighting on this front Is all
on Austrian territory and the terrain
is very difficult. which should be
helpful to General Cadorna. who has
proved himself a master of mountain
warfare. Behind the Italians are
many high mountains and the coun-
try here is more sparsely settled
than that further south around
Gorilla
Lack Of confidence has been voted
in the Italian cabinet by the chamber
Of deputies. The troubles Of the
Boselli ministry arise apparently
from its handling OF the food uues-
ton and not from any lack Of faith
in its ability to carry on the war on
the fighting fronts. Signor Orlando.
a member of the Boseli cabinet, rs
mentioned as the probable new lead
er Of the Italian government.
The Brazilian parliament votes to-
day on whether to declare that a
state Of war exists with Germany.
President Braz also has asked for
the passage of measures for carry
ing on hostiIities. The torpedoing Of
the Brazilian steamer Macau brought
matters to a head. Brazil revoked
her attitude OF neutrality several
months ago.
Repuise Germans.
Petrograd. Oct 26.--Russian forces
on the Werder coast Of Esfhonia
yesterday repulsed a German detach-
ment, the Russian war ofiice announce
ed today.
Part Of the German naval squad
ron, including some dreadnouEhts.
the statement adds. Is anchored 81
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