Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1918-08-22
NEWS Review OF
The Great WAR
Allies Continue Their Advance in
PiCardy Steadily but
More Slowly.
R0YE AND N0Y0N IN DANGER
First American Field Army Is Formed
Situation in Austria and Russia
lmproved-Man-Pow Bill In
troduced In the Senate.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

bJ GCWAnb W. ElSNNnDs
Moving more slowly but steadily and
with determination. the allies last
week pushed the Germans further
back In Picardy. General Won Boehm,
the Hun retreat specialist" having
been placed in command on the Somme
front, put up an increasingly strong
resistance TO proteci his withdrawal
and the Fighting became rather local
lied. The tiercest struggle was toward
the south end Of the battle line, where
the French were forcing lheir Elly 70.
wafd -N0yoI Overcoming tremeneg@
resistance, they drove the Germnns
from most of the masslf or heights of
Lassigny early In the week. and also
moved forward In the 0ise valley.
Then they gained secure footing on
the Thiescourt plateau and thus dom
mated most Of the country northeast
Of them for miles. This movement and
the unceasing pressure Of the British
from the northward imperiled the en-
emy's position in Roye, although lie
clung with desperation to that city
and to Chaunes further north. Along
much of the line he/was holding he
had the advantage Of the old treDches
and wire entanglements built by him
prior to July, 1916.
Whether Won Boehm would elect TO
try to make prolonged stand there,
or fall back on the much stronger
Peronne- NOyon line was not revealed,
but observers believed he would choose
the latter course, and the fact that
he was withdrawing his troops north
of Albert strengthened this view. He
evacuated the towns OF Beaumont,
Hnmel, Serre, PuisieuX au Mont and
BucQuoy, taking up positions on
heights more easily defended. Along
the Somme, on both banks, the British,
with the able assistance Of some
American troops have been advancing
slowly, taking Bray and Etlnehem.
IA
In the advance on Roye and Noyon
from the southwest the French have
been fighting over extremely difficult
ground with numerous ravines that
furnish cover for the innumcrahle ma
chine guns the Germans have been us
Ing. But the French kept bringing NJ
their artillery and cleaning out these
nests. and long before the end Of the
week they had taken Rlbecourt, OT
the Olse, and had Noyon under con
tinual fire, rendering Il almost unten
able.
on the Solssons- Relms front tht
fighting was mostly confined TO repeat
ed hut futile attacks on the Americans
at Flsmes Flsmctte and the neighbor
Ing region, Artillery of both sides wa
very active along the Nesle river.
Ia
Although the Picardy offensive wa
slowed up somewhat, army officers SCI
no indication of II letting down on tn
part of Marshal Foch. On the con
trary, they predict that another grea
drive will come soon, either In Elan
ders or between the Disc and SoisSons
and expect movements Of far create
scope In the near future. The Gel
man high command seems to have nc
cepted defeat and to he trying to &c
out of Its difficulties us best Il may
The effect Of this on the morale Of III
soldiery Is quite evident In the prl,
oncrs taken. und IT'S effect In German
Is reflected in the press, which admit
failure on the west front, us els,
whore.
Early In the week II was announce
that the First American field army, q
five corps, hnd been constituted wit
General pershlng us commander
Is understood that this army will h
itself hold the eastern part of the lin,
TO Alsace, and some officers believe Il
. all.Amerlcan drive east Of Verlun ma
come soon.