The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-08-26
Fall of City, Which Seems Ger
tain, Would Be Disaster to
The Enemy.
PERONNE IS THREATENED
Menace to Foe Increases Hourly as
Allies Take Thousands of Prison
ers-Speedy Advance of French
Endaneers Chauny.

London, Aug. 26-Overcoming en-.
emy resistance with smashing blows
the Allied force between Arras and
scissors are moving steadily forward.
The menace to the German position
on the 50-mile front increases hourly
as the Allies take thousands of prison
ers and intiict heavy losses The Brit
ish have taken $4,000 prisoners in the
last three days fighting
On the north, having hurled the
Germans from more or less impor-
tant positions on a 30-mile front, the
British are nearing Bapaume and
threatening the outlying defenses of
Peronne. The fall of Bapaume, 1t is
said, would be disaster to the en-
emy. Field Marshal Haig's men now
are but a little more than two miles
away on the northwest, having taken
Achiet lie Grand and Bihucourt in de-
termined fighting,
Force Crossing Of Divette.
West OF Noyon the French have
forced crossing of the Divette at
Evricourt, three miles from Noyon,
and they maintain their strong pres
sure from the south and east. Be
tween the Aisne and the Ailette, north
OF SoissoIis, General Mangins troops
are pressing close to the heights dom
mating the Chemin des Danes from
the west, increasing the menace to
the German positions along the Vesle.
AIbert-Arras Road Crossed.
The British Third and Fourth armies
are fighting over the old battlefield of
the Somme and are making marked
progress in fighting which resembles
in intensity the first days of the drive
OF July, 1916. They have crossed the
Albert-Arras road over most of it's
length. They have seized the high
ground north, west and southwest of
Bapaume and have surrounded the i'm
portant positions of Thiepval on
three sides.
North and south of the Somme the
British are closing in on Bray. They
hold the heights to the northwest.
South of the river they have taken
two villages east of Bray, which lies
on the north bank In the area of
Lihons the British are east of Herle-
VILE.
Noyon Still In Foes Hands.
From Chaulnes to south of Roye the
battle line remains unchanged
French and British guns are pouring
heavy fire into and behind the front
here. the stability of which is seri-
ously shaken by the Allied progress
north and south. Noyon is still In
the hands of the enemy but it's use-
fulness wanes as the French artillery
bombards it and the armies of Gen.
erals Humbert and Mangin move to-
ward II.
On the front north of Scissors Gen.
eral Mangin apparently is giving most
attention to sharpening of the salient
which has its apex Immediately north
of scissors. He has gained further
ground east Of Baxneux and west Of
Crecy au Mont toward the Soissons-
Chauny road Any advance here adds
to the vulnerability of the German
line eastward from Scissors.
Enemy Preparing to Retire.
Fires are reported burning behind
the German position north of the
Vesle and it Is believed the enemy
may be preparing to retire. Infantry
and transports have been observed
moving northward from the Vesle in
the last few days. American and
French pressure continues along the
river and the Americans have gained
some more ground in the area about
Fismes in q local >ction.