The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1918-09-13
British Smash the Wotan Line
and French and Yankees
Drive Huns North.
GERMANS QUIT VESLE RIVER
Continue Their Retreat From Lys Sec
tor, Where Americans Fieh. on
Belgian Soil-BoIsheviki Are
Defeated in Siberia and
Northern Russia.
BY EDWARD w. PICkARD.

The whole western front, from Ypres
throughout all the long stretch the Ger
mans continued their retreat. The ar
mics of the allies followed closely on
their heels, hammering ut them day
and night and giving them not mo-
ment's pause for reorganization of
their wearied forces. Ii was another
week OF uninterrupted allied success.
and the withdrawal of the Huns was
extended to include the Vesle river
sector. between scissors and Reims.
Until Wednesday there had been little
activity there. except continuous artil-
lery work and some sharp fighting be-
tween the Americans and the Germans
In the region of Fismes and Fismette.
But in the first days of the week air
plane observers reported evidences of
a coming retreat by the enemy, and
this developed on Wednesday, The
American and French patrols pursued
the Huns promptly and by Thursday
had reached the crest dominating the
Aisne. across which river the Germans
seemed likely TO take the main bodies
Of their troops.
This retrograde movement was made
necessary by the successful advance of
General Mangin's army north and
northwest of scissors between the ALL
cite and the Aisne, threatening the
Chemin des Danes and thanking the
enemy line toward Fismes. With the
aid of Americans, Mangin was moving
steadily down the Aisne plateau and
in the direction Of Laon. and il APP
peared doubtful that the Huns would
be able to remain long south of the
Ilindenburg line through AniZy and
Craonne. They were driven out Of
Clemency. Bray. Missysur-Aisne and
many other towns in this region. and
the French as early as Wednesday
night were in the outskirts of Coucy.
one of the important German bases on
the edge of the st. Gobain forest. Be
tween there and Chauny the enemy
| was forced from n series of dOmnat-
ing heights that he has relied on to
pi otect La Fere. To the northwest
of Chauny equally important victories
gave General Humbert possession of
Guiscard and Maucourt after he had
forced the retirement of the enemy
from Mont st. Simeon and the Canal
du Nord. This latter action was
desperate fight, for the German posi-
tons were protected by a Wilderness Of
wire entangleDents and by innuner-
oble machine-gun nests. Captured Off
ccrs said they had orders TO retreat 10
the region OF Bethancourt. northwest
OF Chauny. There were Indications
that the Huns planned to make a stand
on line through Ham, hut the French
advance was SO swift that their abil-
ity to do this was doubtful. The
French First army was moving ire
sistibly on Ham from Vesle and the
Canal du NOrd.
AT Fresnes the French and Ameri-
can advance reached the old linden
burg line. had Ham practically fianked
and was rapidly approaching LaoD.
The last named city has been one OF
the most important of the German
bases In Picardy and the heart of the
present Hun operations. II Is q great
center of railways and highways and
its capture by the allies. II was said.
must mean the further retirement Of.
the enemy.
~
The British in Picardy opened the
week by occupying Peronne after an
Australian force had captured Mont
ST. Quentin in n brilliant operation.
IA little to the north Haig's men then
took Combles. MorvaI. Courcelette and
J lie Transloy. and Strengthened out their