The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-10
Bad Weather Intcrferes With
Offensive Operations.
Fine Weather in France Sue
ceeded by Wet Spell.
BIG DEVELOPMENTS TO COME
Military Critics All Agree FOch
Win Strike Again.
Practically Everywhere Front
Is on the 1917 Line.

Paris, Sept. 10.-The allies now are
almost back to the lines they occupied
before the German offensive after
six weeks of unbroken victory and the
war has entered a period not of calm
but of precaution with promise of
just as wonderful things to follow.
The dry and on the whole fine weather
which helped Marshal Foch to turn
the tables or t!ie Germans SO fast. has
ended, and a wet stormy spell has set
in.
The fighting yesterday centered
south of Cambria, north of st. Quen-
tin and to the heights north of Sois-
sons, three vital spots for the Germans
who resisted desperately but unsuc-
cessfully, the allies forward thrust
The German heavy artillery is be-
coming active from Arras to Rheims.
indicating that General Ludendorff
fears no further removal will be
forced upon him.
Offensive Will Not End.
Military critics here are attempting
to guess what Marshal Foch .4vill do
next. Critics credited with having in
side information are displaying much
ingenuity and variety in their de-
scrIpuons of the coming moves on
the different parts of the front, but
the belief is fixed and confident thru
out France that there is little danger
of General Ludendorff being allowed
to buttress himself against the allied
line. The Germans are little out of
breath by the pace Marshal Foch set
for them, but they are unlikely to get
a respite during the coming autumn
and winter. 1t is assured that Mar
shaI Foch will not let them go to
earth as was done after the first bat
tie of the Marine.
French Tighten Lines.
(BV the Associated PressJ
With the French army. in France
Sept. 1O--French troops forced the
crossing of the Crozat canal today
overcoming strong opposition and oc-
cupying important positions in the
triangle formed by the two branches
of the canal and the road from Lafere
to st. Quentin. They also advanced
north of the Disc taking the Liez fort
and north of the Somme capturing
Etreviller and Roupy. Tho these were
operations 9, f detail they frightened the
lines around both st. Quentin and La
fere, greatly facilitating future opera
tions against both towns General
Bumbert's forces now command the
entire region west of the river and the
canal from Latere north beyond a
single track railroad that crosses the,
river at Mezieres. They command all
of the approaches to ST. Quentin from
the north. west and south and are
within five miles of the town. The &C.
CupatIOn OIL II OTI IIlGI gives the r renCn
command not only of the entire coun-
try around Lafere but of the valley of
the Disc to considerable distance
northward, the valley of the Serre,
eastward and the railroad line leading
to the Laon citadel which is visible
from the height.
Practically on 1917 Line.
General Mangins army south of the
Disc took Servais, closing in on Lafere
from the south, while they improved
their position north of Laffaux. Both
the Third and Tenth French armies
are now practically on the line where
the pursuit of the Germans stopped in
the spring of 1917. German prisoners
say that orders recently issued are to
fight to the last man to hold the pres
ent positions. There are indications,
howeve4e that the Germans have less
confidence than last year in the invio-
liability of this line. They made great
sacrifices to hold other positions in
front of it without avail and the burn
ing of Lafere betrays the fear that the
line is not entirely safe there.
Hindenburg Line Ten Miles Wide.
The Hindenburg line, however, COM
prises a wide system of defenses hav-
ing a total depth in some places OF
pillars does not meap breach in the
position. The ST. Gobian forest, sup
posed to be the strongest part of the
line, is now tightly pressed from the
north by the occupation of Servais
from the west by the capture of Bari
sis, while the French in the front OF
Fresnes are crowding it from the
south end
mann -aur~@u-r