Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-10-27
FRENCH DENT HUN DEfENSES ON THE
 SOUTHERN LINES
British Hammer At Pivotal Points Around Valen-
 ciennes Defenses.
GERMANS HAVE LOST
 15,0OO TO ALLIES
Enemy Losses In Effectives For the Past Week Now
 Totals 50,000.


 (Early Associated Press Sunlmary.)
 French troops facing the southern bulwark of the German defenses in France continued to make important dents in the enemy positions along the Serre and eastward, while the British hammer at the rivotal point around Valceniennes.
 Southwest of Marie the French have captured Mortiers on the Serre, while further east in the region southeast of Montcornet General Petain's men have smashed through the German lines on front of four and one half miles to depth of two miles at cer- tain points. The German defenses here were formidable, having been prepared in 1917 and continuously re- inforced.
 In the last four days the Germans have lost nearly 15,000 prisoners and 200 guns, according to unofficial es- inmates in Paris. The enemy losses in effectives are declared to have been not les than 5O,0OO.
 In the encircling of Valenciennes, the British have gained new success es north and south of the town. On the edge of the Normal forest on the south, Field Marshal Haig's men have taken Englefontaine and Mont Carmel Hill in the bend of the Scheldt river, northwest of Valenciennes the British have moved eastward and cap tured the villages of Odomez and Maulde.
 The American troops on the sectors east and west of the Mouse are being subjected to strong German reactions especially with artillery. but main- tain their hold on the new ground won Friday. North of Grand Pre- the Am ericans have strengthened their posi- tions in the southern part of the Bourgogne wood
 While the British, French and Am ericans are slowly breaking their way through the stubborn German defense along the line south of Valenciennes, the attention of the allied world is directed, for the moment at least, to the Italian front where General Diaz seems to have started major offen- sive.
 Fighting on large scale appears to have begun on Thursday, when the Austrian officials statement reported heavy artillery fire from the Brenta river to the Montello plateau. It was reported yesterday Italian, British and French forces attacked between the Brenta and Piave rivers and ad- vanced over rough country for con- siderable distance. At the same time the allies moved ahead and captured islands in the Piave about the Montel- To plateau. This stroke was aimed at the angle in the Austrian line which runs from the Adriatic alon gthe Piave until it reaches the mountains and then turns to the west. If the allied attack makes l material progress, the Austrian arm ies on the lowlands near the sea and those holding the front in the noun tainous sector may be divided. The number of prisoners taken, three thou sand, would seem to indicate fighting of a serious nature. British troops continue their blows against the Germans line south of the Scheldt above Valenciennes Pro. gress there has been comparatively slow but it would appear that the rail road between Quesnoy and Valencien- 1 nes. has been crossed and theBritish are at the outskirts of Quesnoy. There is an apparent effort on the part of the Field Marshal Haig to avoid a direct assault against the Normal for est just to the south, where the Ger mans are solidly intrenched and have counties machine guns and light guns l positio. Northwest of Valeciennes the British and French are advancing toward the Scheldt.
 The French on the Serre-Oise front have continued their attack on the northern side of the angle lie. They have gained at important points but the Germans are holding their front very strongly.
 Southwest of Damvillers on the Mouse sector. American forces have captured Hill 360, a height which is important for observation purposes, and which was stubbornly defended by the Germans. Near Grand Pre( the Americans have forged still further ahead and appear to be forming quite a large pocket in the German lines on the eastern side of the Argonne for est. America heavy artillery has been pounding German concentration points durig the past couple of days.
 British divisions in Mesopotamia have resumed their offensive against the Turks. Fighting in that region is next to impossible during the heat of the summer. Now that autumn has come. it may be expected that there will be an effort to form a junction between the forces along the Tigria and those operating north and east of Damascue.