Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1918-09-05
Germany's Strongest Bases in
Picardy Are Occupied by
the Allied Armies.
N0y0N TAKEN BY French
British, Advancing Along the scarpe,
Gross Hindenburg LIne-Desperats
Resistance Of the Huns Is Un.
aVaillng-Ameriean Man.
Power Bill Passed.
BY EDWARD w. PicKARp.

Crolsilles, Bullecourt, Bray, Hebe-
court, Chaulnes, Gommlecourt, Nesle,
Roye. NOyon, Chavlgny-one after an
other the German strongholds In Pic
ardy. al down the line from Arras %
scissors, fell into the hands Of the az
lies last week. The redoubtable Hin
denburg line was broken through at
various points, and so menaced at
others that 1t was In fair way to be-
come untenable, even before the re-
treating Huns could reach 1t. East Of
Arras the British had turned It's right
flank. and the French. passing through
Nesle, threatened It farther south.
Astrlde the Scarpe and the SOmme,
Field Marshal Haig's armies moved
steadily II slowly toward the east, new
er giving the enemy an instant's rest,
relentlessly pushing him back In the
direction OF Cambria, Peronne and st.
Quentin. In the midst Of furious rain
storms the British fought unceaslng-
ly and tlrelessly to overcome the des-
perate resistance put up by the Ger
mans. The battle developed and
spread day by day until II became one
Of the greatest conflicts Of the war.
In these regions, as elsewhere, the
Germans sought to stem the advance
mainly by innumerable machine guns.
The crews Of these, left to fight while
the main bodies OF the troops contin-
ued their retirement, did fight, and to
the death. The Hun infantry in many
cases showed the greatest reluctance
to attack, sometimes fatty refusing to
obey the orders OF their commanders.
BY the end OF the week the British
had Peronne under their guns and the
Huns were falling back TO the river
crossings there and at Brle. Farther
north. Bapaume was taken on Thurs
day and Halg's forces had pushed far
beyond II on the north. Having crossed
the Hlndenburg line. they were threat
enlng the Queant Drocourt support
line. Perhaps the most important ef-
feet Of their advance along the Scarpe
wnS that II menaced the group Of con-
verglng railway lines that are vital to
the enemy In handling men from the
Belgian and northwestern French
fronts.
During the week the British took
something like 10000 prisoners and
more than 100 guns.
RI
The severest blow to the Germans
was the capture OF Noyon on Thurs
day by the French troops OF General
Humbert. The city, which had been
practically enveloped for II week or
more, was powerfully defended by the
Germans, who had counted on making
II the pivot OF their line to the north
Its southern and western outskirts
were full OF strongly entrenched ma
chIne-gun positions. The French were
not to be denied, however. NOyon II
great highway center and Its taking
opens the way for the French to drive
the Germans back to the st. GobaiI
forest, La. Fere and maybe ST. Quen
tin. The intervening terrain Is sucl
that the enemy could scarcely hope Il
make stand there,
The three French armies unde
Humbert, Debeney and Mangln gave
splendid display Of teamwork In thei
advances on both sides OF the Oise
Manglns men crossed the river an,
took Morllncourt while Humbert wa
outfnnking Noyon from the west an,
south. and the Huns hud the choice o
retreatlng or being captured. On tn
left the First army occupied Quesno
, wood, strongly fortified position
. which the enemy tried hard to hol
because It is n dominating point.
On Tuesday the French had car
tured Roye, one Of the important Gei