The Sentinel=record., 1918-09-11
HEAVY RAINS HAVE
 INTERFERED WITH DRIVES
Maneavers of the French Have Added Materially to Their Progress oI Turning the St. Gobain From the Quentin.
lBy the Associated Press )


 The critical military position of the Germans from the region west of Cambrai, southward to the St Goban Massif, and around this strong bas- ton, eastward to the territory north and northeast Of Soissons. continues to hold the eyes of he world.
 For the moment the tactical maneu- lyers of the belligerents in Artois and Flanders, as well as eastward of Sois sons into Champagne although they still are Of the greatest import, nece-- sarily continue to take second place in interest to those sectors which are filled with momentous possibilities where a successful move by the alllcs may bring d quick change in the entire German battle front or, on the con- trary a determined stand by the enc my with the large endorsements in man and gun power he is known TO have assembled, may result for time at least in stalemate in the game which is being played by the allies 10 crack the already demOralized Ger man line
 The heavy rains of the last few days have turned lOWlands throughout the fighting zone into quagmires but on those sectors of the high ground Do- tween Cambrai and Scissons, the storms have not kept the British ard French armies from moving forward. Nor have they served to lessen the strensth of the enemys resistance
 Near GOuzcaucourt and Iiayrincourt the British have pressed on a little further toward Cambrai, III the former region after having put down counter attacks by the Germans who endear- oyed to reclaim the high ground won by tho British in Sundays fighting.
 TO the south the French from the district west of St. Quentin southward to the western side of the St. Gobain forest have pushed eastward toward the Disc river which they the virtually all up along this front with their Hanks now resting dangerously near St. Quentin and l-aFere s. QuentiI now stands only a little more than three miles away, while LeFere is SO closely encroached upon from the west and outflanked from the north that seemingly it soon must fall.
 The maneuvers of the French have added materially to their program of turning the St Gobain forest from the west and also the capture of St Quen- tin and the French and Americans who are fighting shoulder to shoulder northeast of Soissons continue to car ny out successfully a correlated move ment having the conquest of the St Gobain forest in view and also the outflanking of the German positions to the east
 In their latest endeavors the Franco American forces have made some slight progress in the face of the ex- tremaly stubborn resistance of the en- emy. Likewise in the sector east oi Soissons the French and Americans have gained additional ground between the Vesle and the Aisne rivers.
 Far to the north the British are sO nearly upon Armentieres that a few more strides forward seemingly will place them in position to make the place theirs for the asking
 LaBassee also daily is being brought nearer to this general movement which apparently has as its ultimate objective, tho capture of Lille and pos sibly the falling back of the German | line northward in Belgium. The Brit ish air forces continue to harass the f, Germans in the coastal region of Eel gium having again intensely bonn barded enemy military and submarines at Ostend, zeebrugge and Blankenburg