The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-08-31

London, Aug. 31.---The Germans have begun a retreat in Flanders. Authoritative word reached here late yesterday from Haig's northern front that General von Arnim's troops have abandoned the important town of Bailleul. The British are following the enemy closely and have taken ND)odboom, a village three miles south of Bailleul.
 The British have entered Reincourt- les-Bapaume, two miles southeast of Bapaume, and Bancourt, a mile and three quarters east of Bapaume. They have captured Fremicourt, two miles and a quarter east of Bapaume, and Vraucourt, nearly four miles east of Bapaume. A number of prisoners were taken.
 Along their whole line of attack in the center of the western front, which lis now an almost straight line from northeast of Arras to the north of Soissons, 75 miles, the Allies made further important headway.
 Below Arras the British took Bulle- court and Hendecourt, and crossed the old Hindenburg line. Late yes~ terday they had advanced to within 12 miles of Cambrai.
 At the southern end of the huge at- tacking line the French, pushing for ward north of Soissons, completed the capture of all the dominating posi- tfons between Soissons and Leury, adding greatly to the menace of the German Aisne-Vesle armies.
 In Picardy, the British have crossed l the Somme west and south of Pe- rome.
 Southeast of Arras a bitter battle is raging astride the Arras-Cambrai road.
 The Germans are still clinging to the suburbs of Noyon. French forces, advancing on Ham, have taken halt a dozen villages in yesterdays fight ing.
 | The French in their advance north of Soissons captured Hill 159, a mile and a half beyond Chavtgny. Man gins men also crossed the Canal-du- Nord at two points on the three-mile front between Catigny and Beau rains, last nights War Office com- munique states. They have captured Chevilly, on the east bank of the canal and Hill S9, and have penetrat- ed Genvry, half a mile east of the Canal.
 In stiff combats to the northeast o1 Noyon, the French took hundreds ot prisoners, the statement says.
 The American "heavies" blew Ja. vigny Ca mile and a half northeast ot Chavigny) off the map Thursday night.
 German Iong-range guns are active Night bombing planes also are devel oping much zeal. There has been nt infantry fighting, though the FrencI have advanced on both Hanks toward iCrecy-a Mont and Pasly.
 Eleven German machines were sho down and two others driven out O control by the British on Thursday according to last night War Offict statement on aviation. A German balloon was set on fire. Nine Britisl machines are missing. :, Fifteen and a half tons of bomb were dropped on various German tar
 gets, including the docks at Bruge
 and many railway connections beyont
 the battle zone.
 In the north the British have driver further into the Hindenburg line.
 The large number of tanks at tn disposal of the Allies will enable tn : Hindenburg line defenses to be at tackled with considerable hopes of sue cess. The Neu Freie Presse lament the fact that Germany cannot riva
 the Entente powers in this branch O warfare. The material for construct ing tanks on a large scale is insuf
 ficient, labor is scarce, and the En = tente is too far ahead for successful r rivalry. The Vienna Zeit admits tha t it is impossible to accustom the Ger | man soldier to fighting tanks. , The German counter attacks hay
 been launched hurriedly and withou
 proper preparation in manner whic
 shows how badly the German stat
 has been shaken, and which cause l particularly heavy losses to the dis s rupted German troops, One incider
 significant of the morale of the Ger g man troops was the capture of a Ger
 man officer of the 21 4th Division, wh