The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-29
|Germany's Bulwark May Become Untenable Before Retreating Huns Are
 Able to Reach Defense
ENEMY RETREAT ON SIXTY-MILE FRONT
 FOR PAST 10 DAYS
More Than 112,0O0 Prison CTS and 1900 Guns Have Been Captured by the
 Allies Since July l
By Associated Pres.

WaSh1ngtOn, August 28. Developments on the western battle front during the next 48 hours should determine the fate of the much vaunted "Hindenburg line,'' in the opinion of some military off cials here. With the strength of the line already materially impaired by the British wedge, driven around it's left flank, and even more telling blows threatened by the steady ad- vance of. the French through Nesle towards the Somme, and by the British east of Arras, observers here believed that scheme of defense, popularly held in Germany to be the bull wark of the western front, is in, "a fair way to become untenable before the main Teuton forces have been driven back to it.
 The impression prevailing in military circles here is that General Foch's tac- tics have forced upon the enemy tho necessity of making every effort along fha t1,~ olI II vance without the option of withdraw ing "unnoticed" to . previously selected line For more than six weeks, they point out, the main German armies have been under ceaseless pressure, which, during the last 10 days. has been so great as to necesstate practically un- checked retreat on a 60-mile front
 RETREAT SWIFT
 This withdrawal on the part of tho Germans. while not precipitate, has been swift enough to bring their main cony centrations within the zone of allied arr tillery fire with a consequent effect on the morale of the enemy's men and on his every attempt to organize effective resistance. The longer the tactics of the past week are kept up, army officera declare. the more difficult will be tho attempts of the German general stan to stop them
 In view of these facts, the prevailing opinion here is that German resistance will stiffen within the next few hourH and hard fought engagements will ensuS upon the results of which will rest mfa mentous possibilities.
 l12,ooo PRISONERS
 Prisoners tnken by the allied E
 armies since July 1, General
 March, chief of staff, said today
 total more than i12,OOO, while 1900
 gums of heavy cnlibrc, field pieces z
 and larger, were captured i'm the
 snmc period. It was understood
 that General Mnrch's figures Afn-
 cIuded only prisoners DaasinE
 through detention camps up to the
 beginning of the present week.
 Captures reported by the British
 nnd French since then have avep-
 aged more than 5000 day, which
 would bring the total t0 dnte t0SN &
 more than 30O0O. This would rep-
 resent loss to the enemy of four
 complete divisions and, If the nod,s
 crate estimate of one to two beS
 estimated for other casualties, IN #8
 total of f2 German divi~ions has
 been put out 0f the fighting. NJ
 Latest official dispatches reaching war department did not cover the fig1i ing today. apparently the most successf since the allied advance began. Gener March said however, that the Frens activities reported in the Paris cpn4 munique this morning had made nr sS deep salien. which was being put eG tween the lincers." Capture by thf* troops of the railroad Junction at Ro# : and the high ground to the east, was38 great importance to the allied plafN General March said