The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-14
CAMPAIGN NElRs CRISIS.
ONLY A SUCCESSFUL STAND ON
PRESENT LINE CAN SAVE
HUNS.
French, British and Americans Con-
TRUE Advance Despite Most De-
ter7nined Resistance of Germans
and Umavorablc Weather Condi-
tiOnS.

London, Sept. 10.-The critical
military position of the Germans
from the region west of Cambria
southwark to the st. Gobian r,assif
and around this strong la at
ward to the territory mo ano
northeast of Scissors continues to
hold the eyes of the world.
For, the moment the tactical ma
neuvers of the belligerents in Artois
and Flanders as well as eastward Of
scissors into Champagne, although
they are still of the greatest import,
necessarily continue to take second
;place in interest to those sectors
which are filed with nomentous pos
sibilities, where successful move
by the Allies may bring quick
change in the entire German battle
front, or, on the contrary, deter
mined stand by the enemy with the
large reinforcements in man and gun
power he is knownlto have assembled
may result, for time at least. in a
stalenaate in the game which is being
played by the Allies to crack the al
ready demoralized German line.
The heavy rains of the past few
days have turned 1owlands through
out the fighting zones into quagnires,
but on. those sectors of the. high
ground between Cambria and Sois-
sons the storms have not kept the
British and French armies from NOV
ing forward zsyyorgarave sttihey served
TO lessen the strength Of the senemy's
resistance.
Near Gauzaucourt and Havrincourt
the British have pressed on a little
farther toward Cambria, in the form
err region after having put down
counterattacks by the Germans who
endeayored to reclaim the high
ground won by the British in Sun
days fighting To the south the
French from the district west Of ST.
Quentin southwark to the western
side of the st. Gobian forest have
pushed eastward toward the Disc,
which they are virtually upon all
along this front, with their fanhs
now resting dangerously near both ST.
Quentin and La Fere. st. Quentin
now stands only little more than
three miles away, while La Fere is
so closely encroached upon from the
west and outdanksd from the north
that seemingly it soon must fall.
The maneuvers Of the French have
added materially to their program Of
turning the St. Gobian forest from
the west and also the capture of ST.
Quentin, and the French and Amer
leans who are fighting shoulder to
shoulder. northeast of scissors con-
tinue to carry out successfully core
lated movement having the conquest
Of the st. Gobian forest in view and
also the outfanking of the German
positions to the east. In their latest
endeavors the Franco-American
forces have made some slight pro-
gress in the face of the extremely
stubborn resistance of the enemy
Likewise, in the sector east of Sois-
sons, the French and Americans
have gained additional ground be-
tween the Vesle and Aisne Rivers
Far to the north the British now
are so nearly upon Armentieres thai
a few more strides forward SEEM
ingly will place them in position to
make the one time cotton spinning
center theirs for the asking. La
Basse also daily is being brought
nearer in this general movement.
which apparently has as it's ultimate
objective the recapture Of Lille, and
possibly the eventual falling back Of
the German line northward in Bel