The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-14
HUNS FIGHTING HARDER.
ATTEMPT TO MAKE STAND IN
IMPORTANT LINES.

British Troops Gut in Southwest OF
Cambrai Capturing Important Po-
sitions on -Four Mile Front and
Regaining Old Trench Places.
The Germans have markedly stiff
fened their resistance against the al
lid armies from the region OF Arras
to Rheims, but their efforts to ward
off further encroachment into the
territory they are holding have fail
ed.
All along the front the German big
guns are violently in action while
the machine guns in vast numbers
are being used in front of strategic
positions which the Allies are en-
deavoring to gain. nevertheless the
British have dug more deeply into
the sectors southwest Of Cambria.
capturing important positions on the
four mile front between the Havrin-
court wood and Pieziere, ragaining
| the old trench positions dominating
Gouzaucourt and capturing Gouzau-
court wood.
To the south the French are only
a. short distance west Of st. Quentin
and are at the gates Of La Fere. On
| this last named sector the French
| daily are enlarging their turning
movement against the st. Gobain for
est, the conquest Of which would re-
| move the greater barrier to an AL
lied advance in force eastward to-
| ward Laon in an outf1anaing move
ment against both the Aisne and
Chemin- -des-Dames positions Of the
enemy.
The Germans here and northeast
of scissors also are offering most de-
termined resistance against the
French realizing that should General
Mangin's strategy prove successful
the entire German line eastward to
Rheims necessarily would be COM
| PEELED to undergo marked readjust-
! ment. Thousands of machine guns
and guns of larger caliber are roar
| ing away against the French both
from the st. Gobain forest and the
pltaeau above the Ailctte river
northeast Of scissors.
Along the Aisne the Germans are
still endeavoring to retard the ad-
vance of the French in further cross
ings of the stream, probably In order
to give their main army a chance to
make it's way unimpeded northwarc
/, in case Of q quick rush by the
| French toward Laon, maneuvei
which seems in the making by Mar
shall Foch's forces. Large numb
Of reinforcements have been rushed
up by the Germans here also along
the Aisne front where the Americans
are fighting alongside the French.
| Particular attention is being given
by the Germans to the three hinges
of their line-in Flanders, north
east of Scissors and around Rheims
A break through at either point by
the Allies would spell disaster to the
enemy. Therefore the German high
command is buttressing them fo;
4 eventualities. In Flanders the Ger
man strategy seems to he the obliter-
alton Of points vulnerable to SHARP
assaults. Particularly is this notice
able. along the Lys River south Of
1 Ypres. where the Germans are re-
/ ported tot have removed all their ar
i tillery to the east side Of the river
land little to the north around
! Wytschaete, where the British have
advanced their 1ine> nearly mile
and apparently with siigA. oppo-
sition.
The concentration Of artillery OF
! all caIibres including machine gun:
and large bodies of men in the region
of scissors, wnere every nook and cor
ner of the rolling country contains
hordes Of defenders, proves the i'm
portance the e:emy places in holding
1 this territory while nothing is being
left undone in the region around
Rheims to strengthen in gun and
man power the German line against
the assaults the Germans apparent
| ly realize are soon to come.
After virtually two months of hard
| fighting from Arras to the Marine
the Germans everywhere have been
worsted, General Foch has given no
outward indication that he is to per-
nit the Germans q breathing spell
The greater portion Of the German
defensive system in the battle zone
has been demoralized or is in the
process of demolition after being
made untenable. Less than 80 miles
Of the old Hindenburg line remain
intact. This is from the southwest
of Cambria to La Fere and the Brit
ish and French are virtually upon it
at distances ranging from a half mile
to six miles at the farthest where
the British and French are stand
ing west Of st. Quentin. When the
drive began st. Quentin was 38 miles
distant from the Allied front.
PROFITEERING TO BE STOPPED.