The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1918-08-31
GERMANS FACE DIRE PER-
IL ON MANY SECTORS
Caught in Two Traps, Escape without
Great Losses Is Unlikely-Scores
Of Towns and Villages Taken
Front Literally Smashed.

AOHt LAtCINHy SWdSueue
Paris, Aug. 29.-The Germans facing
the allied forces from Arras to Sois-
sons everywhere are in dire peril.
On almost every sector of the bat
tie front the enemy line continues to
crumble before the allied attack, de-
spite the violence, born Of despera-
ton, Of their counter-offensive.
Near Arras, the old Hindenburg line
now is we'll outflanked: from the
Scarpe to the Somme the German line
gradually is falling back, while from
the south Of the Somme to scissors
the enemy front literally has been
smashed and the German hosts ap-
parently are caught in two distinct
traps, escape from which without
heavy losses in men made prisoner and
guns and material captured, seems al
most impossible.
Scores of additional towns have
been captured by the British, French
and American troops. The americans
have entered the fray with the French
northwest of scissors, While all of the
old German salients in the allied lines
now have been flattened out.
Trap No. 1.
The first trap in which the enemy
finds himself is the triangle formed by
the sharp curve of the Somme river,
with Peronne it's apex, and with Cur
:. fu on the Somme and Br:e respective
ly its northern and southern bases
, This triangle is a, little more tnan
three miles deep and six miles wide
and in it the Germans are fighting
with their backs toward the Somme
on both the north and east.
Desperate resistance is being Offer
ed by the enamy in order that his
men may have time to cross the
stream, but the British are hard after
their quarry and with the French a
little to the south, almost up to the
river, to aid them by an outfl-nking
movement, it would seem that the
odds are heavily against the Ger
mans.
French Spring Trap No. 2.
1t was the French troops who sprung
the other trap. With the fall of
Chaulnes, the French forces routed the
aramv Ovor n front of ohous 10 ,vo;lo
and penetrated the region to depth
at some points of nearly seven miles.
From the north of Chaulnes to Nesle
the penetration OF the French reached
the heights on the left bank of the
SOmme; southwark the advance left
the French along the Canal du Nord,
at various points between Nesle and
the outskirts of Noynn; south and
southeast of Noyon gains also were
made and Noyon and the entire re-
g,on between Nesle and scissors now
are il. great pock'' and with the
i1n.h h pincers worklrs har :o close
IT,
The Americans Gre fighting with the
French northwest of scissors, in the
operation which has in view the blot
ting out of the Noyon sector and the
Outflanking of the Aisne and the old
Chemin des Daes positions.
Official reports have the Americans
and French fighting violently with the
enemy around Juvigny and Chavigny,
where they have gained some ground.
The Americans have successfully sus-
tanned several heavy enemy counter
attacks in this region.
The Americans and the Germans al
so are engaged in bitter battle around
Baroches and Fismette on the Vesle.
The Germans endeavored to ford
the Vesle south of Bazoches, but were
held by the Americans. Likewise an
enemy assault against Fismette was
stopped. The German official commu-
nication asserts that the Americans
have suffered severe losses and lost
more than $50 prisoners in the battle
along the Vesle.