The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-08-08
PAUSE IN Big BATTLE
CONTENDING ARMIES
Apparently Preparing for Renew
al of Struggle
STRONG POSITIONS GAINED
BY Allied Troops Along the
French Rivers.-Crow n
Princes Shattered Divisions
Slowly Retiring.

Slowly Retiring.
On the Rheims-Soissons front
the situation has been stabilized
for the moment, while the oppos-
ing forces prepare for further
movements.
Uneasiness along the northern
front continues and Crown Prince
Rupprecht, of Bavaria, has car
ried out another withdrawal. To
the British he has now given up
territory along the La Bassee ca
nal in the apex Of the Lys salient.
Meanwhile, the French and Brit
ish are organizing the territory
evacuated north and south of the
Somme in Picardy.
Heavy artillery duels and pa
troll actions are in progress along
the Vesle. French and American
troops in small units have crossed
to the north of the river at va
rious points, mostly on reconno1-
tering expeditions. The enemy
has failed in attempts to prevent
these incursiohs. Fismes, in the
center of the line and which is
held by the Americans, apparent
ly is the especial mark of the Ger
man gunners and they are bonn
harding it violently, The Ameri-
cans, however, maintain their po-
sition and even have sent patrols
across the river at this point.
In allied capitals it is not be-
|lieved that the crown prince will
stand long on this line, but will re-
tire to newly prepared positions
further north. The Vesle line
can be outfanked without much
trouble and it would seem the part
of wisdom for the enemy to with
draw to behind the Aisne.
Gen Foch has given no indica-
ton of his plans. The activity a
long the Vesle lends color to the
opinion that he is not yet through
with the crown prince and thai
the Germans between Soissons
and Rheims will have to give more
ground. Around the ends of this
section of the battlefront there
has been little activity, although
it is from the regions of Rheims
and scissors that flanking move
ments will have to be launched.
1t is not improbable the allied
leader is waiting until his troops
and guns in strong force reach the
southern bank of the Vesle, be-
fore continuing operations against
the crown prince.
Except for occupying the
ground given up by the Germans
along the Ancre and west of Avre,
the allies have made no move a.
gainst the enemy on these sectors.
That the retirement from west of
the Ancre was not an isolated
move, is shown by the withdraw
ais along the Avre and from the
La Bassee canal in Flanders. In
the north the Germans withdrew
from the canal in the region of
Pecaut wood west of Bethune.
This marks the furtherest with
drawal in that salient.
Elsewhere on the western front
there has been no activity Of i'm
portance.
Resumption of long range bonn
bardment of Paris was followed
by an attempted raid on London
Monday night. The German air
craft ':1 not push far inland,
however.
Allied troops were landed at
Archangel last week. The people
greeted them with cheers, having
risen against the bolsheviki when
it became known the allies were
coming. The bolsheviki made on
ly weak resistance.
One hundred and twenty per-
(Continued on last page, col.3.)