The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-09-05
British Forces Have
Cleared Way For
Big Advance
Canal Du Nord Crossed
and Ecourt St. Quentin
Occupied. inchy-Em-
Artois and Croix-
An-Bac Taken.
tBy William Philip simms)

10Y Niilldm fnlllp SlmmSD
With the British Armies in France,
Sept. 4.-Cambrai and Douai today
are directly menaced by the advance
of the British forces.
AS this dispatch is cabled the Ca
madam, English and the Scottish
forces are within nine miles of Cam
brai and Douai while the Drocourt-
Queant switch lines and the linden
burg lines have been smashed in the
region far behind.
Few Fortifieations Remain.
Between the Haig advance guard
and the important cities of Cambria
and Douai little in the way of forti-
fication remains and if General Won
Belo checks the allied forces before
they reach the gates of the two towns
he must sacrifice a considerable num-
Der of his fast dwindling reserves.
Hard Won Ground Is Lost.
BY. Lowell Mellett. With the British
Armies in France 1915 a. m, Sept. 4.
Evidences are piling up that the
German forces are retiring from the
Wytschaete, and Messines ridges.
These ridges are in Flanders be-
tween Ypres and Armentiers and were
the scenes OF the most desperate fight.
ing in the German drive of last April.
Canal Du Nord is Crossed
London, Sept. 4.-The British fore
es have crossed the canal Du Nord at
Haut-Allaines, more than two miles
to the north of Peronne, it was learn
ed authoratively today.
A British armored car is reported
to have entered Marquoin. The town
is on the main highway running from
Arras to Cambria, slightly more than
half way between the two cities.
Romaneourt is Captured
The British forces hold Romancourt
just south of Ecourt-St. Quentin.
eight and one-half miles north and
west of Cambria, it was learned to-
day.
Inchy-Em-Artois has been captured
and the British also hold Dremicourt
and Hermies.
Huns Have Used 81 Divisions.
The British forces have captured
Croix-Au-Bac.
1t was also learned today that the
Germans have used ninety-seven di.
visions since August s.
Line Totally Shattered.
The much boosted Drocurt-Q ueant
line, or, as the Germans call it, the
Wotan line, is totally shattered. The
British are driving far through it
and the Germans are hurrying east
ward, leaving behind only pockets OF
machine gunners and even resistance
from these is gradually melting
away.
| Strong British forces are now fight.
! ing their way down the Hindenburg
line itself and are cleaning it up as
they go. Meanwhile a little south
from here, another force is driving
on the Hindenburg line frontally.
Hun Now oisorsanized.
The Hun has tasted disaster in
the Drocourt line battle and now his
,iisorganized and badly depleted
forces are working fast to prevent an
even greater catastrophe overtaking
them.
The British are rapidly crossing
the Canal Du Nord, the territory be-
hind which is under heavy FIRE from
many British cannon.
The foe knows this movement con-
tains menace to some of his forces
and orders apparently have been Civ
en- to get them out with all haste.
Hard Fighting Expected.
The Canal Du Nord is simply a ca
nal under construction and contains
no water. II Is like a railroad tun.
mel with the top of. II is eighty
feet across and sixty feet deep. with
} its sides for the most part granite
j walled. sloping slightly inward To-
, ward the bottom. There may be 81
y