The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-09-10
GERMAN DEFENSE
CROWS STIFFER
NEAR OLD LINE
Gains Made By Both British and
French.
HAIG'S MEN TAKE WOOD
Enemy Makes Strong Efforts 10 Check
Ententc's Threat Against Important
Strategic Centers.

London, Sept 9-The Germans
have markedly stffened their resist
ance against the allied armies from
the region of Arras to Rheims, but
their efforts to ward off further en-
croachments into the territory they
are holding have failed.
All along the front the German big
guns are violently in action. while ma
chine guns IN vast numbers are be-
ing used in front of strategic points
which the allies are endeayOrius to
gain. Nevertheless the British have
dug more deeply into the sector south
west of Cambria, capturing important
positions on the four-mile front ne
tween Havrincourt wood and pleziege
regaining their old trench positions
dominating GouZeaucourt and captur
ing Gouzeaucourt wood,
Meanwhile to the south the French
are only short distance wesi OF St
Quentin and at the gates Of La Fere
On this last named sector the French
daily are enlarging their turning
movement against The great ST. Go
balm forest, the conquest of which
would remove the great marrier to an
allied advance in force eastward tow
ard Laon in an outfanking moyemeR
against both The Aisne and Chemin
des-Dames positions of the enemy
The Germans her6 and northeast Oi
Sossons also are offering most deter
mined resistance against the French
realizing that should Gen Mangiu''
strategy prove successful, the entire
German line eastward to Rheims
would be compelled to undergo mark
ed reimbursement. Thousands of ma
chine guns and guns Of larger caliber
are roaring away against the French
both from the St Gobain forest and
the plateau above the Ailette river
northeast of SoissOns.
Along the Aisne the Germans are
still endeayoring to retard the a0
vance of the French in further cross
ings of the stream, probably in order
to give their man army a chance Il
make its way unimpeded northward
in case of quick rush by the French
toward Laon, msneuver which
seems in the making by Marshal
Fochs forces. Large numbers OF re
Inducements have been rushed up b
the Germans here and also along the
Aisne front, where the Americans arc
fighting alongside the French.
Particular attention Is being given
by the Germans to the three hinges Of
their line-in Flanders, northwest o.
Soissons and around Rheims 4 hreal
flrnn0h OF affhap fnf I.. .ff
would spell disaster to the enomy
Therefore the German high cOmmanf
is buttressing them for eventualities
In Flanders the German strategy
seems to be the obltcratlon Of point,
vulnerable to sharp assaults. Particu
larly is this noticeable along tho Lys
river south of Ypres. where the Ger
mans are reported to have remove
all their artillery TO the east side O.
the river, and a little to the nortl
around Wytschaete, where the British
have advanced their line nearly q
mile apparently with slight opposi
tion
The concentration of artillery Of al
caibcrs, including machine guns. and
large bodies of men in the region O
Soissons, whore every nook and Gran
NY of the rolling country contain
hordes of defenders. proves the i'm
portance the enemy placI in ho'dint
this territory. while nothing is beinc
left undonc in the region around
Rheims to strengthen in gun ana man
power the German line against the a,
saults the Germans apparently realize
are soon to come.
After virtually two months of hart
fighting in which front Arras TO tn,
Marine the Germans everywhere hav,
boon worsted. Gen Foch has given NJ
outward indication that he Is to per
NIT the Germans a breathing spell
Tho greater part of the German dc
fensiye system in the battle zone al
ready has been demolished or Is q
the process of demolition or of bcn,
made untenable Less than 80 mi'e
OF the old IIindenburg line remain
intact This is from the southwest o
Cambria to la Fere, and the Eritisl
and French are virtually upon II a
distances ranging from half mile Q
six miles at the farthest where th
British and French are standing wes
of St Quentin When the drive b,
gan St. Quentin was So miles distau
from the allied front