The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-09-10
GREATEST BATTLE OF WAR,
NOW RAGING ON 125-MILE
FRONT FROM YPRES TO
RHEIMS, MAY RESULT IN A
COMPLETE DEFEAT OF EN-
TIRE GERMAN ARMY.

The allied armies of Field Marshal
Foch-British, French and Ameri-
cans-are winning in northern
France the greatest battle of the war.
How great will be the victory it is
vet too early to state. But in its
scope it will transcend anything so
far recorded in the history of the
struggle, even the successes of the
German army in Russia two years
ago.
The German armies, mauled into a
state of disorganization by the Brit
ish and French fighters, are in re-
treat, retreat which any time may
take the form of a general withdraw
al from the whole of northern France.
Seven German armies have been de-
feated in the field; many of the
vaunted German lines of defense
have crumbled like so much paste
board before the ferocity of the al
lied attack. The famous Wotan
switch line was captured in its en-
tirety by the British in two days of
fighting last week, and the Wanted
Hindenburg line has been outfanked
in the north, is being turned in the
south and is yielding before French
and British attacks in the center.
The Germans, while fighting vail
antly, appear unable to malt the allied
attacks, and they are being driven
back from two to eight miles a day
in places. Lens, occupied by the Ger
mans since August, 1914, and the
center of a great coal district, was
captured by the British during the
week. Douai and Cambria, two i'm
pOrtant bastions in the German west
ern line, are seriously menaced, while
the Germans are reported as already
preparing for the evacuation of Lille.
Bapaume, Peronne, Nesle and Ham
have been captured by the British
and French, while hundreds of vii
lagos and towns of lesser Importance
have been wrested from the invaders.
German Losses Very Heavy.
Since July 18, when Gen. Foch un-
lcashed the French and Americans in
the great counter attack from Sois-
sons southwark to Chateau-Thiery,
the allied cOmmander-in-chief has
given the enemy no rest. Three Brit
ish and four French armies, to say
nothing Of a scattering of Americans
here and there in the line, have driv-
en- into the German lines from Ypres
southwark to Rheims, a distance of
125 miles, and at no place has Lu-
dendortf been able to stay the allied
progress.
In these seven weeks the allies
have captured 100000 prisoners, q
$50 field guns, 1000 mine throwers,
and more than $4,000 machine guns,
to say nothing of immense stores of
ammunition and army supplies of all
kinds.
Immense Gains Made by Allies.
This third battle of the Somme is
the greatest of the war. There are
100000 men engaged on both sides,
and its front extends for a distance
of 125 miles. 1t began early in Aug
ust with the attack of one British
and two French armies on the Mont
didier salient, less than ten miles dis
tant from Amiens, and it now has
been raging for five weeks, during
which time the British and French
have advanced to depth of 40 miles
at the deepest point of penetration.
Nearly $500 square miles of French
territory has been freed from the
German yoke, and 700 cities and
towns in northern France again fly
the tri-colors of the republic And the
end is not yet.
The star of German militarism has
set, and the greatest fighting ma
chine in the world" is falling back
upc~ IL Rhine The Rhine will not
be AIDED this month, or next month
Or this year, for the Germans have
many lines Of defense in devastated
Belgium, but the allied military ma
chine is slowly but surely rolling the
defeated Teutons back on their own
frontier.
Collapse of Hindenburg Line.
Fhe collapse of the famous Hin
denburg line now is but matter of
days. Where the Germans will make
their next stand is a matter of doubt,
but it will hardly be this side of the
Neause river, which would take the
enemy out of virtually all of nothern
France, Belgium or at least part of
It, also NAV be liberated if the tickle
weather holds good long enough and
ranks does not soon show signs of i'm
provement.