Republican farmer., 1918-09-13

west of Rheims, the Germans were still retreating last night, except at some sectors in the center, where the Allies have almost reached the fore field of the main Htndenburg defence line. There Hun resistance has stiff fened materially, and counter attacks are launched through 50 far without success.
 The Americans between the Vesle and the Asne have advanced from four to seven miles since tho German retreat across the Aisne began. In tho river angle east of sIoissons the Americans already have reached the Aisne along a wide stretch.
 In the north the French have reached Chauny, seven miles south west of La Fere. while still further northward they have driven within three miles of Ham, the most impor- tant town still in German hands west of the St. Quentin-La Fere line.
 Toward St. Quentin the British right and the French left are advancing steadily, while the British are at the same time driving toward Douaf.
 In Flanders British and American troops continue to follow the retreat ing Germans and have taken Neuve Chapelle, the famous battle-ground where the Australians and Canadians won immortal fame in the early part of the war.
 La Fere and Laon, the southern pivots of the last Hindenburg line before the Germans must begin a Te- treat to the Belgian fortress zone and the Mouse, will be under French she'll fire as soon as the heavy guns are emplaced on the dominating positions won in the last 24 hours.
 The British in their advance on St. Quentin, astride the Amiens-St. Quen- i. tin highroad, have progressed three miles on a Emile front since Thurs ' day according to late front dis patches.
 All information in the hands of the Allies military authorities regarding | German manpower indicates that there Is no possibility of German attack launched in a desperate at tempt to retrieve the situation. The defensive seems the only prospect for Hindenburg, who has only 20 divis- ions left that have npt been engaged during the last fortnight
 f The Canal-du- -Nord can no longer s be regarded as an effective defence position. It appears evident that the Germans will not be able to make a definite stand until they are back on ?, the Chemin- des-Dames, on the St. Gobain Massif, the Crpzat Canal fur / ther north along the old Hindenburg
 line, and on the Canal De La Sensee
 Germany's dwindling manpower is ' further illustrated by the growing = frequency of German army orders for resting up instead of training divis- 5 ions taken temporarily out of the line. As they fall hack the Teutons are destroying everything they can
 not take along.
 Lens is regarded as No Mans ] Land, though 1t Is no longer a par of the German defence line. t South of Peronne the British last s night stand seven miles east of the Somme, Field Marshal Haig announc = ed in his official night report = Monchy-Lagache (seven miles g southeast of Peronne, Tincourt-Bouc. s ly (four and a half miles east o1 y Peronne). are in British hands.
 Further north, in their advance to.
 ward Le Catelet, the strong point ir
 the main Hindenburg defence lines ~ halfway between St. Quentin anc Cambrai the British smashed east.
 ward to a depth of between one anG f three miles, capturing Nurlu (1O mile! n due west of Le Catelet), Lieramon
 (nine miles west of Le Catelet), Lon V gavesnes (eight and a half mile. southwest of Le Catelet, and Equan
 court (nine miles southeast of Ba h paume).
 Still further north, driving north eastward toward Cambrai the British v are approaching Metx-en-Couture. twC
 and a half miles east of the Canal-du
 Nord, the statement says. They ar'
 also nearing the southern edge O < Havrincour: Wood, one of the las ) natural obstacles separating then
 from Cambrai in that area. 1T In Flanders the British line wa n pushed forward between Erquinghan Ie and the region southeast of Ypres. h Amsterdam dispa tches tell of a de Il cree signed by General von Iinsinger h commandant of the Brandenbur
 Province, according to the Cologn
 volks Zeitung, placing tue city o
 Berlin and the Province of Branden
 burg under "the law relating to
 
 fine or Imprisonment for persons in A venting or circulating untrue rumor N calculated to disquiet the populace s A notice accompanying the deere
 calls attention to the circulation c
 gossip, exaggerating the transitor
 successes of the enemy, and castin 1- doubt upon GerInany's power for 8
 economic resistance, and depreciatin
 the German troops. who, it declares
 are victoriously withstanding tEe CT
 emy.
 General won Linsingen expresse ne the hope that this admcnition will sui od fee and that it will not be necessar . to enforce the decree. The Volk I- Zeitung adds that similar decrees hay , been issued in Breslau and other citie a. all operative immediately.
 The French zee. Madon, shot dow re tSrce Gerraar- Thursday. ys. With the Americans fon the Aisn ra Sept 7.-The same American divisio lin that some weeks ago reached h c- Vesle first was also the first tc pus A its advanced mounted patrols to tn rs. Aispe Canal in the present pursuit ( ye the Germans
 On the left the Americans ercour ,f- tered the stiffest German resistanc d. in the quarries northwest of Bazcehe n- around Ferles. German groups, CT on off fought to the end.
 Corporal L. A. Heckrlan and Pr