The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1918-08-21

| ll"h Hl aSSHHIt .nauc northwest OF
SoiSSonS Sunday Night.
tBy The Associated Press, Aug. 2O)
| Allied forces are again making prO-
grcss on important sectors. Further
successful development Of the pres It
operations doubtless will force the
enemy to readjust his line at least To-
cally if not over the entire front from
Ypres to Rheims
French successes on a 2O-mile front
east and west OF the Disc, are becom-
ing serious menace to the German
line from the Sommc to Rheims, west
Of the Disc, Roye and Lassingny ap-
pear to be doomed. The British are at
the gates OF Roye. while the French
have reached the western outskirts Of
lIassingny. The fall Of these towns
will impcril the enemy position at
Noyon which also is being threatened
increasingly by the French advance
over the high ground between the
Asne and the Disc southeast Of Noy-
| on.
In Flanders the British have made
additional apprcciable gains in the
l.ys salient and the German situation
within the salient appears more diff
cult daily. Driving against the head
| OF the salient the British have won
ground on front of nearly six miles
and entered the important town Of
Mctrviilc, where the Clarence river
enters the Lys. ',
Noyon fast is becoming the central
| point OF salient such as that which
Centcred around Montdidier at the
! beginning of the Picardy offensive.
The stability Of the present German
line from the Sommc to Rheims de-
ponds greatly upon the holding Of the
Noyon salient, whose western out
posts are Royc and I.assgny. British
troops are reported to have reached
the railroad station in the western
suburbs Of Roye The French have
driven the wedge between Roye and
lIasSisny to FrcsniercS, cutting the
main highway between the towns. In
addition to being threatened from
the west Lassigny is being approach
ed from the south by General Hum
| bcrt's toropS who have finally de-
houched from Thicscourt wood
! Along the western bank Of the Disc
and south Of Noyon the French have
taken PimpcrZ and reached Dreslin-
court to the northwest. East of the
gin has captured more high ground
and has taken Morsain and has
brought his total Of prisoners to o
200 In this operation the French not
only menace the security of Noyon
but relieve the pressure against Sois-
sons. From the heights around
man battery positions north of Sois-
Morsain they can lombard the Ger
soins which have been harassing the
allied occupants of that city.
If Marshal Foch can succeed in
pinching off Noyon and advancing
northward he virtually viii compel
the Germans to retire from the pres
ent line north Of Roye toward Arras
and will hasten if not force a German
ra' cat to the north Of the Aisna be.
tween scissors and Rheims Success
around Noyon might be far reaching
! but the territory is difficult because
Of the woods and hills and German
resistance may continue stubborn.
There has been only slight activity
along the Veslc, the French and
Americans having enlarged their
holdings north Of the river by slight
advances at several points.
There has been no change in the
German tactics between the Ancre
and the Disc which might have been
expected from the appointment Of
General Won Bohen, who conducted
the retreat from the Marnc, to the su-
preme command in that area. Berlin
says that Monday allied thrusts west
of Chauines and north Of Roye failed
while the French were repulsed in a
vigorous battle between the Disc and
the Aisne. London reports the check
ing Of German efforts between Herle-
vile and Linons, west Of Chaulnes.