The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-15
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUMMARY. or THE WAR
(By Associated Press.)

/
Iy has compelled the Germans to re.
align position between Albert and Ar.
ras. Enemy troops have begun a re-
tirement on a fiVe-niIe front but
complete details of the movement are
lacking.
Between the Ancre and the Disc the
fighting is still confined 70 local ae.
tions at various points. The British
and French have improved their posi-
tion slightly north Of the somn1e,
northwest of Roye, south Of Lassia.
ny and along the Disc.
Enemy troops have shown no die.
position to counter attack elsewhere
and have confined their retaliatory
efforts to artillery bombardments.
The extent of the German withdrawal
north of Albert is not yet clearly de-
fined, and it's effect upon the situa-
ton as whole is problematicaI.
Field Marshal Haig announces the
enemy has left his forward positions
at Beaumont HameI, Serre, Puisieux-
Au-Mont and Buequoy. These are in
the Hebuterne sector, where the Ger
mans were stopped in the offensive
Of March Fl. Many vain efforts were
heights around Hebuterne as their
positions in this sector were domino
ated by the British guns. Should the
German lines be moved back any
great depth, the line south to Albert
and thence to the Somme would be
affected. Likewise the line northWard
20 the Scarpe might have TO be read
justed. II 10 not unlikely that the
movement here 10 similar in purpose
to the recent Withdrawals in the Lys
salient and is a part of a German
plan to get into as strong position as
possible on the entire front from
Ypres to Rheims.
North of the Somme Australian
between Bray and Etineham, reach
ing the western outskirts of Bray, one
of the main bastions of the line south
from Albert. East Of ParviIlers,
northwest Of Roye, the British have
made progress toward the Chaulnes-
Roye railroad.
Lassieny still holds out. The
French, however, continue their pres
sure and are now a little more than
a mile south of the town. German |
10 strong, the enemy eoun-
ter attacking repeatedly on the hills |
and on the weeds of the plateau re-
gion there.
On the western bank Of the oise,
slightly more than six miles south of
Noyon, the French have occupied |
Ribeoourt. The town itself is on the |
lowIand, but the French also hold
the heights 70 che west and north |
west which were part of the defens-
i've system for 0urscan1p forest, east
Of the Disc and Thieseourt wood, Il
south of Lassigny.
While the French have not broken |
the Roye- Lassigny- Noyon line, it is |
still far from being saved TO the Gers |
mans and q French advance OF even |
less than a mile would throw it out of
balance
-Four weeks ago today Marshal
Foch took the initiative on the west
week ago the French and British hit |
the German lines east and south of
Amiens. In the four weeks the Allies
have reclaimed nearly 1900 square
miles of territory, improved their po-
sitions to the detriment of the enemy,
freed the important railways rum
ming east andlnorth from Paris and
have captured $4,000
prisoners and 1900 guns. These are
the physical gains, the future holds
the other.
Many army officers IN washington
expect that a new drive shortly wi ill
be made against the enemy. FIand.
srs, or the area between the Disc and
are believed 90 be the most
likely fields Of action.
Along the VesIe the French and
Americans are being subjected TO
Commandments from German airmen
as we'll as from enemy guns. There
has been no infantry action. In Lor-
-aine, American patrols have brought
prisoners from the enemy trenches.
Allied airn1en Tuesday put out Of ac-
.ion 43 German machines, II OF
which were destroyed. Attacks on
stations and airdromes, am
nunitfon dumps and other military
targets continue without a let up.
American aViators also have bombed
'aiIway stations between Verdun and
Metz.
Il is reported that the Soviet troops
are retiring from Moscow. The rea~
,on for the movement is not dis"
closed. Premier Lenine and Foreign
Minister TrotzISy were reported sew
sral days ago to have gone 70
<ronstadt because of unsettled con-
4itions i'm Moscow.