The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-15
Is Record of Allied Drives
Since July Is.
Germans Withdraw Their Lines
North of Albert.
is PART OF A GENERAL PLAN?
Germans Seem to Be Seeking
Stronger Defensive Positions.
Observers Expect New Drive
Soon at Some Other Point.

Paris, Aug. 15.-Including 10000
Germans taken by General Humbert
in the operations which are still de-
veloping, prisoners captured on the
7S. 900 and 100 guns have been
estimated today.
Retire North of Albert.
(By the Associated PressJ
Allied success in Picardy apparently
has compelled the Germans to realign
their positions between Albert and
Arras.- Enemy troops have begun a
retirement on a five-mile front, but
complete details of the movements are
lacking.
Between the Ancre and the Disc the
fighting is still confined to local ac-
tions at various points. The British
and French have improved their posi-
-tions slightly north of the Somme,
northwest of Roye, south of Lassigny
have shown no disposition - counter
attack elsewhere Ind have confined
their retaliatory efforts to artillery
bombardr tents.
Retire to Stronger Positions.
The extent of the German with
drawal north of Albert is not vet clear
ly defined and its effect upon the
situation as a whole is problematical.
Field Marshal Haig announces the
enemy has left his forward positions
at Beaumont Hamel, Serre, Puisieux-
Au-Mont and Bucquoy. These are in
the Hebuterne sector where the. Ger
mans were stopped in their offensive
made by the Germans to reach the
heights around Hebuterne, as their
positions in this sector were dominated
by the British guns. Should the Ger
man lines be moved back any great
depth. the line south to Albert and
thence to the Somme would be af-
fected. Likewise the line northward
to the Scarpe might hav> to be read
justeds 1t is not unlikely the move
ment here is similar in purpose to the
recent Withdrawals in the Lys salient
and is part of a German plan to get
| the entire front, Ypres to Rheims.
j British Make Some Progress.
| North of Somme. Australian troops
T, tween Bray and Etienhm, reaching
| the western outskirts of Bray, one of
| the main Lastions of the line south
from Albert. East Of Parvil1ers, north
west of Roye. the British have made
progress toward the Chauines-Roye
| railroad.
Lassigny still holds out. The French,
however, continue their pressure and
are now a little more than mile
south of the town. German resist
| tacking repeatedly on the hills and on
the woods of the plateau region there.
French Take Ribecourt.
On the western bank of the Disc
slightly more than six miles south of
Noyon, the French have occupied
/ Ribecourt. The town itself is on the
| lowland but the French also hold the
| heights to the west and northwest
which were part of the defensive sys-
| tenn for Curscamp forest east of the
/ Disc and Thiescourt wood, south of
| Lassigny. While the French have not
! broken the Roye-Lassigny-Noy lines
] it is still FAR from being saved to the
! Germans and a 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 western side
| of the Marine salient and a week ago
| the French and British hit the Ger
| Amiens. In the four weeks the allies
| have reclaimed nearly 1900 square
miles of territory, improved their
| positions to the detriment of the
enemy. freed the important railways
| running east and north sfrom Paris,
and unoff1cially have captured $4,000
prisoners and 100 guns. These are
| the physical gains; the future holds
the others
Many army officers in Washington
expect that a new drive shortly will
! be made against the enemy. Flanders
| or the area between the Disc and Sois-
sons are believed to be the most likely
| fields of action
| Along the Vesle the French and
Americans are being subjected to
Dom Ddrdmp pnfS from CxarTaan a n
as well as from. enemy guns. There
has been no infantry action. In Lor-
ralne American patrols have brought
back prisoners from the enemy
trenches Allied airmen Tuesday put
/ out of action 43 German machines, p
I of which