The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-09-19
Extend Battle Line.

Extend Battle Line.
How serious was the menace to the
security of the Hindenburg line by the
British thrust north of st. Quentin is
shown by the strong counter-attacks
the Germans have thrown against the
British lines from Gouceaucourt to
the Arras Cambria road. thus extend
ing the battle line nearly IL miles to
the northward On the front attacked
Wednesday the British are pushing
ahead against bitter resistance toward
the ST. Quentin Cambria road. railway
and canal-three important enemy de-
tense lines
From Lempire to Pontruet which
the British now hold, the Germans
have been hurled from the forward
line OF the Hindenburg positions. The
British at Lempire are four miles from
lie Catelet, an important town while
on a front of nearly six miles they are
within one mile OF the high road and
the canal On a short front west Of
st. Quentin the French are working
steadily toward the town and are on
the outskirts OF Dallon, two miles from
St Quentin.
German counter-attacks at Trescault
and Moeuvres, southwest and west Of
Cambrai were preceded by an intense
artillery bombardment which served
the British communication lines. At
both points the Germans were hurled
back with heavy losses. The enemy
entered the British trenches at some
points but was Immediately over
whelmed.
Forty guns were captured by the
British yesterday. In the 5000 pris-
oners taken 23 German regiments in
IL divisions were represented.
BuIearians In Flight.
The Bulgarian retreat from the Ser
bo-Greek border is reported to be in
the nature of flight and the enemy is
burning stores and villages in his
path. The allies have captured addi-
tional prisoners and war materials,
which have not been counted, so fast
has been their advance. A score or
more OF Serbian villages have been re-
conquered and the Bulgarians have
been driven beyond Rasimbey, on the
Cerna river. Is miles southwest Of
Prilet. the immediate objective.
1t is not likely the Bulgarians will
continue their retirement at least to
the improved road running east and
west through Prilet. Already their
loss OF the important Sokol ridge en-
dangers the line west toward Mona
stir and east to the Vardar. Should
the allies succeed In pressing the Bull
garians back to north OF Prilep com
plete readjustment of the Teuton lines
In Macedonia and Albania from the
Adriatic to Saloniki virtually would be
inevitable
Unwilling to Attack Yankees.
Intrenched in the second l,ne of the
Hindenburg sytem the Germans along
the front southwest of Metz appeared
TO have accepted the new situation
The tactics they are employing against
the Americans are wholely defensive
ones.
The Germans are carrying out a
half-hearted and seemingly perfunct-
cry bombardmert of the American
lines. Even challenges by American
and French atrols are refused by the
enemy except where conflict is in
evitable.
Positions Strengthened.
On this front. the best maps fail TO
show the difficulties attending even a
minor advance. For Is months. the
Germans have been strengthening
their positions which they consider
dlIuoSI ne IacL
therefore, that British and French
succeeded in storming intrenched
heights and strongly defended towns
indicates that the blow was one in
which large numbers of men were en-
gagged and may have been designed as |
at least the preliminary step to
move of more than ordinary import
ance.
French, Serbian and Greek forces
have continued their advance on the !
Macedonian front and have taken a |
number Of strongly defended points !
in the mountainous region east of I
Monastir. The front is now nearly 30 |
miles In length and the advance has |
reached depth Of over six miles.
Americans Consolidate Lines.
II Is said that the defense of the /
Teutonic allied troops was very strong
at first. but that. as the entente arm !,
les have smashed their way forward.
the enemy has appeared to lose his
IL