Republican farmer., 1918-10-11
RHEIMS IS FREE FROM HUN GUNS Stronghold of Laon Appar- ently Has Been Set on
 Fire By Enemy. SALLAUMINES IS
 ALSO IN FLAMES Peace Proposals In No Way Interfere With Hun
 Policy of Ruin.

stronghold to which the enemy has been clinging as the key note of his line on the south west, apparently has been set on fire by the Germans. The town was reported ablaze yes terday and fires were still today.
 Rheims has been finally and definitely cleared from the menace of German cannon. The Germans are in retreat on tho whole front from the Suippe to the Arnes, as well as in the region south of Cambrai.
 In the first named sector the Allies. have reached the Arnes river on which the enemy hoped to make a stand. In the second region the British Fourth army has crushed counter at tacks which the enemy delivered in an effort to prevent it's progress toward Bohain and cover their retreat to the south.
 These two movements of retreat form a part of a plan which was to have brought the German armies to new lines of resistance much nearer the frontier, it appears, but the con- stant pressure of the Allied troops is making the execution of the plan most difficult and hazardous.
 The peace proposals of the Central Powers are in no way interfering with the policy of destruction the German staff seems to have decided upon
 Sallaumines, near Lens, is burning and fires have been seen west and southwest of Lille and between Douai and Somain.
 The troops advancing in the Cham paigne found L'Abbesse, Beine and all the villages in the valley of the Suippe in flames. Laon has been ablaze since yesterday indicating the enemy may be about to leave that re- zion, as the Chemin des Danes, all ready turned by Mangin on the west now has been turned on the east by the troops who have crossed the Aisne at several points in the vicinity of Berry -au-Bac, making it appear that Loan now is tenable.
 French troops have crossed the Suippe river eastward of Oranvain- vile and have reached the outskirts of Bazancourt and Booul-sur- -Suippe after severe fighting, it is officially announced. At Clement-a-Arnes heavy losses have been inflicted upon the Germans, who retired in disorder. Sundays fighting completed the deliv- erance of Rheims.
 The battle north of St. Quentin con tinued all day and Remaucourt, Tilloy Farm and several fortified woods were captured.
 | Announcement of these successes was contained in the official statement issued at the War Office last night. The statement reads:
 | North of St. Quentin the battle continued throughout the day. Be- tween Morcourt and Sequehart, our troops have taken Remaucourt, Tilloy Farm and many fortified woods and places where the enemy resisted with furious energy. They failed to check | IHo duNdnS0 Ol ONI lIOODS "IIO SOA- quered positions foot by foot and took many hundreds of prisoners.
 North of Rheims we have reached the Supiie at a number of points German rear guards along the river to the south made vigorous resist ance and launched many costly at tacks but our forces repulsed and in flicted many losses. We hold the southern outskirts of Aguilcourt anG
 the village of Bertricourt, on the north side of the Suippe. Farther tc
 the right, we have forced the pass age of the river to the east of Drain.
 vile and have taken Pont Givart. "Combats no less violent have talk
 en place in the region of Bazencour
 and Boult- Sur -Suippe. These have
 permitted us to reach the outskirts O.
 these villages.
 We have debouched from the vii
 lage of Bethenfville. in spite of vio.
 lent machine gun and artillery fire
 and also have taken ground north O
 St. Clement-a-Arnes. In this regior our troops in the course of their ad
 vance had to meet very strong coun
 ter attacks. Our artillery fire caugh
 enemy battalions and inflicted heav,
 losses upon them. They were forced | to retreat in disorder.
 ''Today's events have completed
 the delivery of Rheims.
 Thirty tons Of bombs were drop ped on asserblages of troops, con
 voys and enemy batteries, and 1,7Oi
 kilograms of projectiles were dropped on military objectives at Chatelot-sur Retourne, where a fire was observed
 During the day eighty-one machine were shot down or put out of tn 6pCtinr"