Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-02
BIG DAY FOR FRENCH
ON WEST WAR FRONT
Capture Of Noyon Massif Vastly
Important; Huns Stubbornly
Resist Haig.

Washington. Aug 81 1be following
summary ~ tho war situation - by
noted Military critic
The British arc experiencing tae
same difficulty IN breaking through thc
German dcfcuses about Buliscourt thst
they found - 1917 Yesterday u Was
reported in the morning tha, - town
had been captured By Dighilall however,
tho Gormane. realizing ihe danger 70
their entire lunc i hia hinge should ~
broken. concentrated and Trtook The
position. driving the British back - ihe
western sidc pf he town This bu' en-
phasizrs the importance ~ Tho SUCCESSES
whlrh have thus far been attained by
the Canadian attack m this sector.
MOST IMPORTANT eECToF
Tho German line between Qpanie
and Bullccourt a ss important p reich
Of frrri'org ag EXISTS ~ This moment on
ihc western front T. comprise ground
which the briirh struggled for IN 1917
iu tremendous effort ~ break tho
junction ~ this point and turn The Ger
ruaus ont nf M" country 20 The north.
bat the defense works which hs' he,la
perfected long before This linz bad bern
taken ~ proved TOO strong and forced
tbc Britjsh 70 give NJ he fight
Tho British this ycar have progressed
further. however than hoy did IN 1917,
huf fhr fie fruars havr made e~rry sf-
fort ~ prevent those gains from aF-~.'n-
thcir rnfirc vvr'ern and ~ far hsv, rrsns>'
ged 70 preserve lhe greater part oftr,
llur lutRct
RErPraTrNtG O- Frup rr~y-
Further south thr German r~tr---t ~
still r. progress at tho way frur1 Hrr,se-
rour4 ~ ha Sornrnr Thor, hpr-prr IN
-
to tho advnncc fvrn along tho Eornroa
about Pcrounr. hr Germans h~-- ap-
parrntv failed q try 70 hold 'hp,Ersish
bach
Almost Immediately Sftrr r-~>hirr
ttc ~omm~ River sbopt Peronv-- th~
british reported having res~h~d ih~
cast hank On 10th sides n The rify. THIS
~prld not have bcen done ro quickly
II ~ all without great cost nnl~es ths
C,rruaus had decided n continue tho
rotreqf
This you'd no' have held Eo~',
~ course. II the British advBnce north
~ be -rmme had carried their lines
east of he bend 70 pIch > csse the
German lines along the river might
have been turned and lanked ont IT
r,nsitipn But this Il mot the case
RRTr7sH srIr.I apfHg AHFaD.
lre -iil going ahead perslstnntlv and
making consistent progress But tne
rne -'l! agglng behind bat Jo NE
south ~ he river, 80 hat he nast
bank pf b. bond has not been hlnNed
NOR was there anv immediate danger 9p-
parrnfjy hat vas apt to NJ. pn-
.crpieutlt ne conclusion IS reached tIat
thc Germans are .alEng back coward
the llndonbIrg ine. plvoung ~ before
IN THAR section ~ nc tDe about bg.r-
cour' and gucant his act hove me
munriancr II these towns aBd the .Ee
between hern.
tRENcH HAD aiG btY
Thus point ~ new ! cmphaslzrd hy
h. results ot hc fighting on hc rrcnnc
front ln nc hghting north q Huvon
nc French had q most successful day
Mount * simeon, he southern end of
u Noyon massIi, has teen taken. his
- probably he most important part q
this entlrc unDle "a bills here are
buf two points ia he cntirc plateau BE-
tween \ovon and he extreme northern
Doint of hc nassli which arc higher
than Mount - simeon, and they arc
only very slightly 20.
AS PLANK GERMAN LINE.
But the Importance Of tins DO INT has -
DO not alone with thus massii he Canal
dn Nord + naturally ow ground run
nlng due north from NOyUn. from the
position which the French took yesterday
the entire Canaia du Nurd for many mues
- clearly visible, permitting he French
artillery. 10 reach a considerable stretch
Of he German line by a haRAIng ilre.
This has already had Its eject. BY he
assistance ot tins position the French have
already forced "a rrOs.sing On 'front.' ot
several miles IN the bend ~ the canal
Ia he centre of which IS ChevIly. This
town. about hree-g uarters * mile
from the ranal, has Deen akea and the
Germans squeezed out Of the eutire bend.
rANAL IMPuErANT TO FOE.
The \uyou uassif aud the Canal GA
\ord sre equally Important aad are IN
terdependeut T he passage u one az
poses he other and VICE versa. 70 bold
one he ,crmans have 10 nOlu both. As
d 4. now It doubtful be Germans
hold aither The probabilities are, how
eger. Rheu we rake has q conaeclon
uitd what has happened about Peronne
tnat the Germans are -eurlng toward
their old Ine about he -. Quentin
Canal aud and cheaper 20 get bacA
here quichiy rather than 20 ,ry 70 stem
BE- xdyaHc, 10 'hc pen.
About Sessions be- french have forced
the Ger mans 3bandon the saarp angle
which heir l'ue made with rhe Somme
and rs round out their p0siuons, but
the adjustment IS purely -ocA