Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-09-12
British Smash the Wotan Line
and French and Yankees
Drive Huns North.
GERMANS QUIT vEsLE RIVER
Continue Their Retreat From Lys Sec
tor, Where Americans Fight OH
Belgian soiI-Bolsheviki Are
Defeated in Siberia and
Northern Russia.
BY EDWARD W. P,ckARD.

he WhOIe western 'front.' from YpreS
to Reims, was ablaze all the week, and
throughout all the long stretch the Ger
mans continued their retreat. The ar
mics of the allies followed closely on
their heels, hamnering at them day
and night and giving them not mo-
ments pause for reorganization of
their wearIed forces. 1t was another
week of uninterrupted allied success,
and the withdrawal of the Huns was
extended to include tho Vesle river
sector between Suissohs and fteff1s..
Until Wednesday there had been little
activity there, except continuous nrtil-
lefy work and some sharp fighting be-
tween the Americans and the Germans
iii the region of Fismes and Fismette.
But in the first days of the week air.
plane observers reported evidences of
Il coming retreat by the enemy, and
This developed on Wednesday. The
American and French patrols pursued
the Huns promptly and by Thursday
had reached the crest dominating the
Aisnc, across which river the Germans
seemed likely to take the main bodies
of their troops.
This retrograde movement was made
necessary by the successful advance of
General A1angin's army north and
northwest of Soissons between the ALL
cite and the Aisne, threatening the
Chemin des Danes and tianking the
enemy line toward F'ismes. With the
aid of Americans. Iungin was moving
steadily down the Aisne plateau and
in the direction of Laon, and it ap-
peared doubtful that the Huns would
be able to remain long south of the
Hindenburg line through Anizy and
Craonne. They were driven out of
Clemency, Bray. Missy-sur-Aisne and
many other towns in This region, and
tho French as early as Wednesday
night were in the outskirts of COucy,
one of the important German bases on
The edge Of the ST Gobain forest Be
tween there and Chauny the enemy
wGs forced from Il series OF dolninat-
ing heights that he has relied ON to
project La Fere. To the northwest
of Chauny equally important victories
| gave General Humbert possession Of
Guscard and Maucourt after he had
| forced the retirement of the enemy
from Mont ST. Simeon and the Canal
| dn Nord. This latter action was a
| desperate fight. for the German posi-
| tions were protected by a wilderness of
Wire entanglemenis and by innumer-
! able machinegnn nests. Captured Off
| Il Ella,
the region of Betl.ancourt. northwest
OF Cllauny There were indications
/ that the Huns planned to make stand
/ on line through Ham. but the French
/ ndv3nce was so swift that their abil.
/ ity to do thls was doubtful. The
| French First army was moving ire
/ sistibly on Ham from vesle and the
/ Canal dn Nord.
At Fresnes the French and Ameri-
| can advance reached the old IIinden-
/ burg line, had Ham practically flanked
and was rapidly approaching Laon.
| The last named city has been one of
/ the most important of the German
bases In Picardy and the heart of the
| present Hun operations. 1t is great
center of railways and highways and
It's capture by tlle allies. it was said,
must mean the further retirement Of
the enemy.
| Ina
The British in Picardy opened the
4 week by occupying PerOnne after an
Australian force had captured Mont
1 ST. Quentin in brilliant operation.