The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-10-03

Oh seven miles anu CdpluIou IWOi'O
towns and more than 5000 prisoners.
General Pershing cable the War De-
partment.
General Pershing's communique fol-
lows:
Northwest OF Verdun the first army
attacked the enemy on front of 20
miles and penetrated his line to an
average depth of seven miles.
Pennsylvania, Kansas and Missouri
troops serving in Major General Lig-
gets corps stormed Varennes, Mont
blainville, Vauquois and Cheppy after
stubborn resistance. Troops OF other
corps, crossing the FORCES brook cap
tured the Bots de FORCES and wrested
from the enemy the towns of Malan-
court, Bethincourt, Montfaucon, Cuisy,
Nantillos, Septsarges, Dannevoux and
Gercourt-et Drillancourt. The prison
ers thus far reported number more
than 5000"
Dannevoux, about 10 miles north
east of Verdun, is the point of the new
wedge. Montbainville is 10 miles di-
rectly west of Melancourt, to the west
of the River Aire and on the eastern
edge of Argonne forest.
Twelve towns and more than 5000
Germans have been taken by Ameri-
can troops. fighting in conjunction
with the French in new offensive
begun in the region extending from
the northwest of Verdun to within 10
miles of the cathedral city of Rheims.
The Americans advanced seven
miles over a 20-mile front, overcom-
ing stubborn resistance of the enemy.
Pennsylvania, Kansas and Missouri
troops were among the fighting forces
which, in less than day, won terri
tory of great importance TO the enemy
and further depleted his army
through men captured or killed or
wounded.
Under terrific bombardment proceed
ing commencement OF the battle, Ger
mans hurriedly quit numerous post
tions. and into these the Americans
and French went unimpeded. At last
accounts the Allied attack was pro-
crossing favorably.
British troops have invaded Bulgaria
from the north of Lake Dorian in
Macedonia, making another epoch in
the history of the war. Aside from the
moral effect of the penetration of the
mountainous country of King Ferdi-
nand, the maneuver is likely to prove
of great strategic value once the Is
trumitza river valley leading toward
the Sofia-Seres railway is reached
Harassed on All Sides.
Meantime days of adversely continue
with the Teutonic allies in southern
Serbia and Palestine, and the British
and French are keeping up their man
euvers which gradually are bringing
the important town OF st. Quentin into
their hands. In Serbia the Serbs, Ital-
ians. Greeks and British are threaten
ing the enemy forces with disaster by
reason of their rapid advance and the
state OF confusion into which the Bull
garians and Germans have been
thrown by the shock OF the offensive.
Likewise the Turks in Palestine are
being sadly harassed by forces of the
British general. Allenby. and the
tribesmen of the king Of the Hedjas.
Almost surrounded east Of the Jor-
dan. the Turks are endeavoring fran
tically to extricate themselves from
converging Allied forces. From the
east and south the British are driving
the Ottomans northward, and coming
south to meet the enemy and to crush
him between the two Allied lines are
the Arabs. Seemingly with all cross
'ings of the Jordan now in Allied hands,
the Turkish fourth army has little
chance to escape.
Taken in conjunction with the Al
lied offensive, which has materially
bent back the Germans front in Elan
ders, Artois and Picardy and along
the Aisne. the new drive OF Marshal
Foch in the south will bear important
fruit II it meets with success Driv-
ing northward the entire western bat
tlefront would be shaken and of neces-
sity be compelled to readjust itself.
Lateral railway lines OF great i'm
lportant railway junction. on the main
line from Laon TO Metz, is only IL
miles north of Servon, which already
is in hands Of the French.
The Americans through the capture
OF Gerocourt, northwest OF Verdun,
are in the Mouse valley. which leads
northward TO Sedan, and little far.
Their west at Varennes. have won the
Ayre valley, which winds in a north
westerly direction to vouziers. A
lsnccessful advantage along these two
valleys for any appreciable distance
would be disastrous to the German
lines from the North sea TO the Swiss
frontier.
Northwest Of verdun Montfaucon. a
German strong point OF great resist
ing power. Is in American hands. M
likewise are several other villages b
tween the Mezss and the Avrs.