Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-21

mES0P0TAm|A drive
OPENED BY BRITISH
Staggering blows are now being struck the
Germans and their allies in three theatres of war,
French and Balkan and Turkish and today these

Turkish and today these
were followed by bril-
liantly executed strokes
on the western front,
which won more ground for both the
British and French troops.
Another big battle has bIazed up
north of St. Quentin where the Ger.
mans are making terrific but futile
resistance in an effort to break down
the allied flanking movement.
British and French troops agined
northwest and south of St. Quentin,
the French capturing Benay only
slightly more than four miles from
their chief objective.
In addition to the fresh progress In
! Picardy the British improved their
position in Flanders especially In the
vital sector at Messines ridge, near
the FrancO-Belgian frontier.
The Americans continue to pound
the German positions around Metz
with their big guns while patrol
clashes between Americans and Ger.
man detachments are booming more
frequent.
The week closing today saw the
| beginning of an offensive in the Bal
kan which Is having magnificent re.
sules. A long lull In that region was
broken by the drive which was
launched east of Monastir.
The Serbians have been given the
place of honor in the new Balkan
drive, for it is their country that is
being redeemed
Already the allied forces have ad.
vanced thirty miles over a twenty.
I've mile front, capturing many pris.
oners and villages. The allies are ad.
yancing on the important town Of
Prilep, while another column is ad-
vancing up the acknowledgement rail.
way not far from the Bulgarian Dor.
der
Inc Bulgarian rout was complete
and the wild flight of the Bulgar sol.
diers continues.
The new attack in Palestine was
Incomplete success and force OF Is. 900
Turks is believed to have been cut
OFT and are faced with capture.
The British and French in Palestine
advanced twelve miles.
Smash Hun Attack.
With the American army on the
Lorraine Front, Sept. q (noon)--
American gun fire broke up another
German attack on Friday which was
lannched against our troops over a
front two miles wide.
The American batteries quickly
smashed it, Germans in force we're
observed emplacing numerous ma.
chine gun nests in the Haumont re-.
gion.
q Die on British Monitor
London, Sept. 21--British monitor
was sunk in a harbor Sept. 16 by an
internal explosion which killed twenty
persons, the admiralty announced to.
day Fifty-seven person are missing.
The Hun Aibi
Amsterdam, Sept. q An official
communication relative to the bonn.
bardment OF Metz by the Americans
is published in the newspapers Of
that city, according TO the Berlin dis.
= patch. It follows
The enemy for several days has
i been bombardins Metz with long
range gun. Such bombardment has
been always possible throughout the
war and has long been expected
Modern guns have longer range
: than for example, from south of Pont,
: a'Mousson TO Metz
= The present bombardment, there
fore is in no wise connected with the
y fact that the enemy. after our eva.
cation Of St Mihiel salient, drew
h. nearer to the town
1T is only a concomtant phenome.
/. non Of the present battles west and
;. southwest OF Metz and will cease
! when these battles come to a stand
. still Regulations regarding entry
: and departure from the fortress zone
,f therefore. are unaltered.'
n Serbs Gain 80 Niles
Ie London. Sept ~ -- The Serylans
on the Balkan front have reached the
Tcherna river at the foot OF the
Dronska mountain. which defends
{ the important town of prilep, II Il
re learned this afternoon. The Serviar
3 left wing captured ten villages ant
e many prisoners from the retreatins
. Bugarians The total advance u
Continued on page 3, col. IL