The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-08
GROUND TAKEN BY
AUSTRALIANS ON .
river VALUABLE.
Small Advance Rounds Out
Other Recent Gains.
COIoniaIs Launched Successful
Attack Last Night.
FRENCH HEAVILY B0MBARDED
Germans Shell Line on West OF
Marine Salient.
American Flyers Watch Move
ments Behind Lines.
FRENCH HEAVILY BOMBARDED
Germans Shell Line on West of
Marine Salient.
American Flyers Watch Move
mentS Behind Lines.
tBy the Associated Press.l


successful forward plunge in the
Somme sector northeast of Amiens,
where with some American help they
carried out their brilliant operation
of last week.
The latest drive by the rangy men
from the antIpodes- launched last
night, resulted in what is described
in the British official statement as
slight advance. The aggregate of the
ground gained recently in this area
mas been considerab le, however, and
the slow progress made has apparent
ly affected a considerable movement
in the British position along a front
OF we'll toward two miles on both
sides of the river Somme.
While the British are thus terrifying
themselves against the expected re-
newal of the German offensive in
one Of the sectors where it is con-
sidered quite likely to be launched,
the French are finding themselves
somewhat actively engaged in an ar
tillery duel on the westerly side of
the Marine SALIENT
With the help of the Americans
northwest of Chateau Thierry the
allied line as a whole on this front
has already been Strengthened and i'm
proved in anticipation of another
enemy offensive. The French are re-
plying spiritedly to the German bonn
bardment which is marked in the Sec
tor defending the Nillers-Cotterets
forest. This extensive wooded area
offers one of the most important OBJ
stacles to a renewed German advance
should it be attempted in this region.
Other artillery actions are reported
southwark along the front to the
Marine, but these seem not to have af-
fected the American sector notably,
as the news dispatches from the
American front report a comparative
n1liat 0iohf nd eli
ditions this morning. There is tension
all along the front, however, in ex-
pectation of the Germans breaking
loose at any moment with their new
drive. and the air scouts on the
American side are increasingly busy
in efforts to spot important enemy
movements.
LulI Forcbodes Storm.
Momentous happenings are in the
making on the western front. The lull
of the past few days will not continue
long and it is not improbable the
Germans>wilI break it by hurting their
masses against the allied line to crush
it, if possible.
Correspondents at the front, while
reporting that a new German blow is
impending obviously are unable to
give grounds for the belief. But the
Germans have had much time in
which to prepare for further great
'
thirty to forty divisions in shape to
throw into the fray.
Allies Have strengthened Positions.
Added to this is the facts the Ger
mans have not been very active fol
more than a week and their counter
attacks have not been carried out witt
the usual strength and determination
Meanwhile the allies are busy
strengthening the positions takeI
from the enemy in the past week
Raids are being carried out here aHft
there but not in great strength ex
cept' in the case of the Australian:
who have moved forward 400 yard
on a front of more than a mile in thu
Hamel region south Of the Somme
The American sectors have been quie
since the activity of Saturday, whe1
the French made a slight gain nea
Chateau Thierry on a sector adjoin
ing that held by the Americans. Der
lin reports this very local incident a
attacks in strong force which were re
pulsed. On the Italian front the Ita1
ians are c. ..solidating and strengthen
ing the positions retaken near tn
month of the Piave. Vienna admit
the loss of the ground east and south
east of Capo Sile, which was the near
est the enemy had got to Venice
There has been only slight activity il
the mountain zone.
Important Russian Developments.
There are many indications that tn
news from Russia in the next fey
days will be important and significan
as concerns the future of that trouble
country
In the north the residents of tn
Thurman region have thrown off tn
authority of the Bolsheviki govern
ment in Moscow and Joined the en-
tente allies. There is a great amour
of war supplies in this region an
American. French and British trOop
are guarding it, while German an
Finnish forces have been reported ad
vancing in force northward from Fin
land. The Thurman coast offers
starting point for allied operations i
Russia. Germany has not yet acte
on the murder of Count Won Mirbacl
the amba Sador in Moscow. The Bol
shevik government has made apologize
and has enforced strong measures i
Moscow in an endeavor to find tn
assassin. Opinion in France and Ems
land is agreed that far-reaching re