The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-23
Most Desperate Battling OF
Weeks Taking Place in Region
of st. Quentin and Cambria.
ENEMY IS DESPERATE
German and Austrian Crown Princes
Throw Troops Into Melee With
Orders to Do or Die, Retake or
Be Killed.

Paf1S, sept. 23.-Ihe most ubb0r
fighting seen in weeks is taking place
in the regions of Cambria, st. Quentin
and Scissors, where the armies of
Generals Byng, Rawlinson, Debeney
and Mangin are battering against the
very gates of Germany.
With a desperation bordering on
panic, Crown Prince Rupprecht, Cen
eral o Boehm and the German crown
price are throwing troops into the me-
lee with orders to hold or die, re-
take or be killed.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg real
ICES the menace to his far-1ung for
tress, behind which lies the German
frontier, and is thus attacking. The
Allies are meeting the attacking Prus-
SLAMS in midfield in some of the Wild
est, ~fiercest grapples of the war.
Boches Not Yet Whipped.
One big fact stands out in this
Nightingale Boches are not yet whip
ped. For weeks the general tone of
war stories has been that the Germans
haven't any more fight in them, but if
you want to make any regular fight
ing man mad, he be American, British
or French, just intimate that his job
is easy and the war is now over.
He knows Germany can be whipped
finally, but he readily admits that
much hard scrapping is certain before
the knockout. He insists that the
mushy stories to the contrary are help
ing the Boche.
He points out hat the Germans have
shortened their line 20 miles by their
retreat, as a result of which only
ia German divisions are holding the
line now as compared with the 140
needed before Marshal Foch's counter
offensive.
S~eventy-one Divisions Resting.
Then the Germans had only 50 d.
visions in reserve and 33 resting or
refitting. Now they have 13 i'm re-
serve and II resting or refitting, and
three weeks is considered ample time
to reft, unless something happens to
prevent it. Won H~indenburg thus
shortly will have "a divisions i'm re-
serve ready for operations.
In the meantime the Allies are now
up against a line of the enemy's own
choosing, giving the latter a big adj
vantage. Unless the Germans are
thrown out of these positions they
will be able to hold them with fewer
troops still, thus increasing the mum.
Der of reserve divisions out of the line
resting and training.
Fighting Is Resumed.
London, Sept. 22.-Fighting has
been resumed east Of Epehy, between
Cambria and st. Quentin, Field Mar.
shall Haig reported. Fresh German at.
lacks north of Moeuvres (seven miles
directly west of Cambrai) were re-
pulsed, in the neighborhood of Gauche
wood, further to the south, German In.
fantry succeeded in slightly pressing
the British back from one advanced
post.
Further steps forward have been
taken by the British on the Flanders
front. West of Messines to the south
Of Ypres a strong point was captured
French Capture Benay.
Paris. Sept. 23.-In their drive for
the outfianking of st. Quentin on the
south, the French captured the town
Of Benay and made progress north OF
that place, says today's war Office an
~nouncement.
Nine Mile Advance.
London, Sept. 23.-The Serbian
troops east of Monastir have advanced
more than nine miles in one day and
now are less than eight miles from
the main highway connecting PrileT
with the Vardar river.