The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-28
DRAG BIG AMERICAN
GUNS THROUGH MUD
fConttnued from page -

advanced field guns were iAr
the points reached by the lnran'ry:
The roads and fields swarmed WIZ
british contingents coming up 10 .ho
front. There was practlcaly no ~
to disturb them as they repaired .ne
canal bridges destroyed py tne Gel
mans or built new roads around slane
craters in the main road wnere the gu
envy exploded mines as he retreateo;
Not until the end OF two hours oiu
the German guns show Signs Oh 70
newed activity. dropping high velocity
shells here and there In the open
Acids seeking out the British field
euns which were methodically pouring
out a barassine fire on the line beyond
! Cambrai
To the right on the horizon. villages
could be seen burning douptless tne
work of the Germans since no britisi
guns had been turned on them
The canal itself and its SURROUNDINGS
made clear why II wa re~arHed as q
central point in yesterdays operatl nus
vet made it harder to understand
how the british swept across it as fast
as they did. It's steep, smooth SIDES
! offered little hold for the Canadians
and others who had the job Of CLAMP
ering In and out. Yet, somehow, they
managed to do 1t, under fire from ma
chine guns planted all along the ridges
! overIookine it Notwithstanding that
the element OF surprise had been elm
mated by the time they reached the
+, canal.
| It was first necessary to rush down
300 Yards of slope and smother tne
| fire of German outposts on TINS sloe
of the canal Just beside the man
road. a scattered brick yard with
kilns forming natural dugouts, aholu.
ed the Germans strongholu. pu'
they were only utilized Until IL became
q nparent that the British rush could
not he checked. Then the Boches
cleared out. taking many mach1ne
guns with them.
Examination OF the kilns, as we'll as
the surrounding enplarements show
ed the Germans had carried away prS
tically all the material.
The same was true OF the other slde
of the canal where remarkable Jun
nels were found in the rides along
the bank. Ridges on the other SIDE
of the road enabled machine gunners
to sweep the approaching British az
most at will. but when they saw tney
could not stop the onrush the machine
gunners wilted. and fled, taking their
guns with them.
EARLY reports announced the cap
ture Of a thousand prisoners IN con-
nection with the taking of Flesquiers
and Ribecourt. while another wave,
passing through and relieving the first
took another 26O and battery. No
Britisher ever thinks of Cantaing and
Cambrai without remembering last
November, when Bourbon wood chang
ed hands daily. Yesterday the can
adams after taking Marquon, enVeiop
ed the wood and village OF the same
name, with comparatively little oppo-
sition. do not intend to give the I'M
preston that the fight was a complete
walkover One divi ion was compete
to fight des perately to convince the
Germans that they mAst give up An
neux. while another found some rae
tory building, 3 900 yards beyond the
canal, the toughest kind OF PROD
lem Stern defense was met at Beau
camp.
The fact remains that the British,
by putting sufficient power into tne
blow-there Is no need to disguise the
fact that the British put tremendous
power in men, guns and tanks In 10
this blow-were able to shatter the
finest land defense the Germans nave
been able to conceive.
The explanation unquestionably can
be found in the human equation. In
a line OF prisoners five Hocks long,
physical nondescripts predominated.
saw two who looked no more IMAM
fifteen years old and the whole bunch
looked far from first class fighting ma
terial.
1t is difficult to Judge an army by
single batch Of prisoners, but there
may be some significance in the fact
that men whom the rapidly advancing
British were sending back under escort
Yesterday afternoon were not of the
same quality as the trench system
they were chosen to defend
All Day Attack.
LONDON, Sept. 2s.-The British at
! tackled west OF Cambria all day yes
terday and further progress was made
| in the evening, Field Marshal Hang
reported today. Additional prisoners
and guns were captured.
| Yesterday the attack on the Cam
brai front was pressed without re
taxation until late and further prog
ress was made in the evening, espec
I tally in the northern portion OF tn.
battle field the statement said.
! Additional prisoners and guns were
captured"
! Americans Break Through.
! LONDON. Sept. 2S.-The Americans
have broken through the subsidiary
idefenses behind the Hindensurg line
On the ten mile front between Dame
voux and Eclisfontaine northwest Of
!Verdun. according to battle front dis
patches received here today.
Between Nantillois and Montblain-
vile "a front of about ten miles, the
Americans are within mile of the
heads Of the enemy's three standard
prape RAILWAYS They have cantured