The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-11
FRENCH ADVANCE RAPIDLY.
AMERICANS ACTIVE ALONG
VESLE AND IN FLANDERS
WHERE S. G. TROOPS
ARE OPERATING.

IN LATEST E1&0tlI& EOcuS aEAuS uAtaS
Reclaimed Thirty Villages From
the Enemy-In the North Haig's
forces are Forcing Huns to Give
Ground at All Points.
The French and Americans are
fast driving the Germans out of their
positions in Southern Picardy and in
the center between the Vesle and
Aisne rivers. So rapid has been the
progress of the Allies-the French in
Picardy and the Americans and
French from scissors eastward to-
ward RheimsEthat the retirement OF
the. enemy has the appearance OF the
beginning almost of rout.
Meanwhile Field Marshal Ha1g,
in the north, from Peronne to Ypres
has been almost as busily engaged
with his troops in carrying out sue
cessful manoeuvers which are only IN
slightly less degree rapidly forcing
the Germans everywhere to give
ground. Haig's men again have
made the Germans taste bitter defeat
on numerous sectors and the end OF
the punishment for them seems not
yet, In sight.
in the latest fighting in the region
from the old Noyon sector to- Sols-
sons the French have reclaimed
thirty villages from the Germans;
have crossed the Somme canal at
several points and are standing only
short distance from the important
function OF Ham with its roads lead
iT,s. TO st. Quentin and La Fere. On
the south they have made further
crossings Of the Ailette river and are
fast skirting the great wooded region
which acts as barrier to direct at
tack at Laon, the Chemin- des Danes
and the western Aisne defense OF the
enemy. Seemingly at the present
rate Of progress this barrier shortly
vii, have been overcome, and, IN
deed, the entire salient northwest OF
Soissons obliterated. Already the
French south of Fresnes, on the
sr;lge of the high forest of Coucy,
lave penetrated the Cd Hinde1burg
line
All behind the lines northwest OF
Eoyon great confagrations are to be
seen, particularly around JLssy and
La Fere, which apparently indicates
taat the Germans intend to fall back
as far as they can TO the old German
line running southeastward from st.
Quentin.
The French. and Americans are
hard after the Germans between the
Vesle river and the Aisne, and for
more than eight miles, extending
from Conde to viel-Arcy, they have
t:river the enemy across the Asne
and are standing on the southern
tank OF the river.
Eastward toward Rheims. almost
up TO the gates Of the Cathedral City
the German lire is falling back. north
ward. AT the anchor point of the
Iine. in the vicinity Of Rheims, how
ever, the Germans seem to be hold
ing, evidently realizing that retro
there would neces,
sitafes q radghtening of their line,
perhapsas far eastward as Verdun.
In the initial naanoeuvre to the re-
treat along the Nesle front the Amer
leans and French captured both Ba-
zcches and. Fismette.
From Bazoches they moved SIX
riles northward to yiel-Arcy, while
from Fismette they have penetrated
more than three miles northward to
Earhonval, which IS only little
more than mile south oe the Aisne.
In Flanders the British have taken
the town of Ploesgsteert and posi-
TORS southwest of Messines, and
northeast OF Wulverghemr and re-
pulsed strong counter attacks launch
ea against them.
Snatheast Of Arras, all the way
down the line to the south Of the
Son,nae below Peronne, the British
have dug deeply into the enemy's
front on various sectors, especially
toward Cambria and Immediately
north and south of Peronne, in the
latter region having driven in the
eaemy's rear guard for considerable
distances
The Germans have been violently
bombing the Americans at Fra
pelle, on the eastern end Of the bat
&c front in Lorraine, but have at
tempted no infantry attacks. More
than 5000 shells, many of them gas
r-ojectiles, have been sent into the
American line by the enemy.
American troops. are engaged near
Doth ends of the active battle front,
which stretches from the neighbor-
hood Of Rheims practically to the
shore Of the North sea. About Sois-
sons and along the Vesle troops from
the United States are operating with
the French, and in Flanders Ameri-
can troops identified by Gen. March
as the Thirtieth division, composed of
National Guard troops from South
Carolina, North Carolina and Ten
nessee are operating with the British
in clearing the Lys salient. The
present commander of the Thirtieth
division, which went out under Major
Gen. George w. Read, has not been
announced. Il is apparently the first
American division to be engaged on
Belgian soil. The scene Of the first
encounter with the enemy was ap-
parently the vicinity of the historic
Mont KENNEL, and the division is
credited with having captured the