Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-10-14
LA FERE STRONGHOLD taken
FRENCH FORCES ENTER LA0N
BRITISH AT GATES OF D0UAI
U.S,ATTA|N MEUSE 0BJECT|VES
HUN RETREAT ORDERLY
(By the Associated Press

(By the Associated Press)
The German battle line in France
continues to bend under the attacks
of the entente allies. But nowhere
has it been broken. The enemy al
most everywhere is in retreat toward
new positions. But this retreat is or
derby and the British, French and
Americans are being compelled to
fight their way forward slowly in the
face Of enemy machine gun detach-
ments acting as rear guards.
Highly important strategic posi-
lions have been wrested from the
enemy by the British and French,
while on their sector of the front the
Americans have further advanced
their line on both sides of the Mouse,
obtaining the detectives.
The British advanced after days of
hard fighting has brought them at
last to the gates of Douai. which
| long has held back the British from
closing upon the great bend in the
| line which has Lille as it's center and
which has been considered by the
military experts as the keystone to
Pshe German defence system through
northern Belgium to the sea. To the
south the French have blotted out
both La Fere and Laon and the great
er portion of the st. Gobain massif
standing in the elbow where the
line runs eastward toward the Swiss
ho
weeks had stood fighting desperately
realizing that q successful advance
by their foes would shatter all their
military plans in the south and prob
ably compel a swifter retirement than
now is being carried out and possibly
make untenable the entire Mouse
line, to which it is believed they are
gradually making their way.
BY the successes of the British and
the French the e,lrire German line
from Rheims to the Belgian frontier
is made decidedly more unstable. and
with the new advances of the French
and the Americans in Champagne and
along bith sides of the Mouse north
ward. seemingly the enemy for
few days at least will have to has
ward to prevent the great convcrginS
maneuver from capturing large num-
i bers Of prisoners. especially IN the
pocket from the region northwest
of Rheims to La Fere. Here, however.
the enemy, seeing the ultimate fall
| of I.aon may have used the great net
work of railways and successfully
withdrawn a majority of his forces
| toward Mezieres.
Along the Aisne in Champagne the
| French have forced their way across
the Aisne at various places ana are
almost upon the important railway
town OF Rethel, whence it is only i
step to Mezieres while north OF
Eouzires they are continuing to bat
tie their way forward toward Sedan
In the bend of the Aisne more than
So localities have been liberated BY
the French and several thousand ci-
villains freed from bondage. Since the
offensive began 21.567 Germans have
| been made prisoner and 500 OF their
guns captured.
With the situation in France and
Belgium highly satisfactory to the
| allies, the operations in Serbia ana
| ALBANIA likewise daily arc pelns
carried forward successfully. Nish,
| the capital Of the little kingdom after
| the invasion by the Austro- Hungari-
ans has been re-captured and the
| enemy driven to the hills north OF IT..
The Austro- Hungarians are slowly
but surely being driven northward
in Albania and now are being engag-
ed in the region of HEX. 80 miles
southwest Of NOyihaZer.