The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-17
German Laborers Are Reported
Working on New Line.
Position at ROye Is Rapidly
Becoming Critical.
ALLIED LINES TIGHTENING
With ROye Taken, Southern
Part of Line Must Go.
Americans on Vesle River
Undergo German Attacks.

Paris, Aug. 1.-THE Germans are
planning to evacuate the Roye-Las-
signy-Noyon salient says the Echo de
Paris. 1t is indicated. the paper adds
that German pioneers and laborers
are at work behind the German front
lines on a new Hindenburg line.
The German position in Roye Is Sc
rious. Not only are the allies a mile
and one-quarter west of the town, but
the roads leading out of it toward
Peronne. Nesle and Noyon are under
the fire of allied guns.
Advance Yard by Yard.
Paris, Aug. 17.-Almost yard by
yard the French and British are pry-
ing their way between five vital points
in the Germans Picardy line, render
ing the enemy's hold on certain places
more and more precarious
AT the extreme southern corner of
the battle front, the French already
have showed General Won Boehn over
the edge of the important Lassigny
heights dominating the country for
miles around. They are now pushing
slowly over the difficult country south
west of Lassigny which is cut up into
little hills and valleys that are ideal
for machine gun nests.
Tightens Lines.
Carefully and methodically Marshal
Foch is tightening the crescent-shaped
line around both Lassigny and Roye,
crescent between Chaulnes and Roye,
between Roye and Lassigny. and in
the center of both crescents.
Meanwhile he is aiming thrust dt-
ret ly between Lassigny and Noyon.
Further north the crescent is less pro-
nounced.
From their new positions the French
have under their guns Butte De PIE
mont, Bois De Reserve and Mont
RPnaux
They also cover Noyon from the
westward and southwestward, where
fore it seems but a matter of time be-
fore the Germans will be forced to
eta7i'ate Lassingy-the second of the
buIwarks of the present line to go.
Royc Menaced Seriously.
(I}y the Associated PressJ
Roye. the central bastion of the Ger
man defense line from Peronne 10
Noyon, which has withstood allied
thrusts for nearly a week, is menaced
seriously by advancing French, Brit
ish and Canadian troops, and its fall
would appear to be a probability OF
the next few hours.
With the town in -llied hands, the
southern end of the German line at
least undoubtedly would have to re-
tire. althO the northern end thru
Chaulnes to Peronne also would he
affected The allies are now but scant
one and one-quarter miles west of the
town. while they are pressing east
ward in the north and south.
Push Enemy Back.
Along a front of nearly nine miles
north and south of the Avre. which
flows thru Roye. the allies have
pushed back the enemy in stubborn
fighting. The most notable advance
was made on a front of three miles II
the center by French and Canadian
troops who now are fighting on line
thru Goyencourt. st. Mard-Les-TriC
and Laucourt st. Mardis is west Of
Roye and there are no villages in the
intervening mile and a quarter.
French troops on the south have
forced their way almost thru the
Loges Wood which borders the Roye-
Lassigny road on the west
Likely to Outflank Line
The wood is five miles directly
south of Roye and it would appear
that a farther advance might enable
the French to outflank both Roye anc
Lassigny and force the Germans tC
readjust their lines eastward toward
Noyon and probably beyond. NortH
of Goyencourt British forces. aftel
having repulsed an enemy attack or
Damery in which $50 prisoners were
captured, are pushing eastward will
French units toward Franzart and
Fresnoy-Les-R -Roye.
Artillery activity continues on the
remaining sectors of the main battle
front between the Ancre and the OlSe
The British on the northern end and
the French on the southern maintain
their newly gained positions and the
enemy has shown no disposition to at
tack.
Berlin reports officially that allied
attacks on both sides of the Avre OF
Friday failed.
Germans Attack on Vesle.
American and French troops alont
the Vesle have undergone an attack il
which the Germans used gas, artiller!
and bombing aviators- This attacl
followed an incursion by American
aviators who heavily bombed German
bridges over the Aise and discoveret
enemy artilleryf and machine gul
nests Three German airplanes wer
brought down by American airmel
Thursday British and French air
men on the same day put thirty-tw,
enemy machines out of action, Will
Berlin reports the destruction o
twenty-four allied airplanes. Italian
troops in the Tonale region northwes
of Lake Garda and along the south
ern Piave have withstood Austrian
attacks against their new positions Of
these sectors.