Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-11-01
French Drive the Germans Back
Toward Laon, Taking Many
Prisoners and Guns.
SPLENDID WORK BYAVIAToRS
AustrIans. Rs.snsercsd by German
Troops, Open Offensive Against
Itatlans-Tsuton Retreat In Riga
Rselon-Llberty Loan q suc-
osss-Burlesen Warns the
Traitor Press.
sy EDWARD plckARD.

ASS 4AVA$A &AAAy AAuAO AuSS VNSSka
one Of the most important advances Of
the fall campaign on the front north.
east Of Soissons. After furious bar
rage by the artillery, the troops rushed
forward for gain Of more than two
T 1zaiallssy-aad whea-they rested, they were
In position to enhlade the German
lines all along the valley of the Ailette.
Petain also now directly threatens
Laon, the big railroad center that
forms the southern extremity of the
Hindenburg line, and can entlade the
crown princes troops that still hold
the northern edge of the plateau that
parallels the Chemin des Danes. The
German line running north to the for
est of st. Gobain is In danger, and If
this gives way, the enemy would have
to give up his present front from
Chavignon to st. Quentin.
In this operation the French cap
tured Fort de la Malmaison and other
strong positions and routed some of
\the finest troops in the German army,
taking more than 5000 prisoners and
a great number Of guns. The French
aviators did especially good work dur
Ing the battle, flying at very low al
titude and breaking up with their ma
chine-gun fire several German attempts
TO counter-attack.
The first French smash was made
on Tuesday, and again on Thursday
Petatn's forces struck hard, driving
the Germans from Monkey mountain
and other strong positions and advanc-
ing to within eight miles of Laon. The
number of prisoners was increased to
~, 600.
Another Advance In Flanders.
The British. in Flanders, with the
French cooperating, pushed forward
about thousand yards on a front of
mile and half on Monday, taking
some important positions aud getting
astride the Ypres.Staden road. The
Germans made desperate attempts to
recover the ground, but succeeded in
regaining only one farm at the edge
OF the Houtholst forest.
All week the allied aviators made
destructive raids behind the German
lines, dropping many tons of explo-
sives on munitlon works, lines of COM
nlnicatiOn and other military estab-
lishments.
Austro.0 German Drive on italians.
Responding to Austria's call for help,
the kaiser sent large bodies of his
troops to the scene Of operations north
Of Trieste, and the combined forces of
the central powers began big often
sive there on Wednesday. The Italians
were expecting the move and declared
themselves ready. Berlin admitted
that the Teutons Qp the first day
gained Only some ptanced positions
at rhe Italians near Fitch and Tofmino
and on the northerp part of the Balm
sixza plateau, but claimed to have ta.
ken 5000 prisoners. In the matter OF
terrain General Qadorna has rather the
best OF 1t, though the Austrians hold
,some lofty mountain positions. A Brit.
isff correspondent at the Italian front
says the object Of the enemy in max.
ing this drive is as much political ~
military, the Germans having the mis-
taken idea that the Italian People are
Tired Of the war.
whence came tho German forces
that are aiding the Austrians has moi
been revealed, though 1t is likely they
are from the Riga sector Of the Rus
SIAN front. The Germans announced
1t the beginning Of the week that the,
had retired for considerable distance
there without telling why.
ksrsnsity Attacked In Russia.
In Other respects the weeks deveiep
peats- IN Russia were unsatisfactorz