The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-08-26

Eaucourt.
 North of Bapaume we have taken Sapignies and Behagnies.
 "The number of prisoners taken by the Third and Fourth Armies on the battlefront since the morning of Aug. 21 and passed through collecting stations now exceeds 1000.
 "A counter-attackt attempted by the enemy early last night against our po sition recently gained north of Bail leul (Flanders) broke down under our fire'
 Interesting reports are being circu- lated in service circles concerning the German fleet. Bets have been made that it will come out before long.
 Immediately south of the flank of the British Fourth Army the enemy evinces great nervousness. An enemy raid was attempted north of Rove, but 1t was so unskilfully conducted as to leave prisoners in the hands of the French. Austrians have been found among the prisoners and it is known they have been moved to the western | front in response to the German Kais- CTS call upon Charles of Austria for | help.
 Today's War Office statement makes no mention of the progress of the New | Zealand troops who last night were | reported to have reached Avesnes, the western section of Bapaume. A sup | elementary statement says the New Zealand forces captured Le Coupe l Gueule a tactically important ravine l two miles southwest of Bapaume. American troops on the Vesle front have reached the soissons- Rheims road, it is officially announced. The | attack was delivered on a front of 800 yards.
 The French official statement indi- cates that the Americans were com | pletely successful in this operation and fresh fires behind the Vesle indi- | cate that the enemy is preparing to treat to the Aisne, because of press ure being exerted against him in this region and the French victories to the west.
 What Marshal Foch's objective is, geographically, is something still locked in the Marshars breast, but it is obvious that if the plateau and wood of St. Gobain, which the French | are nearing from the southwest, is taken, not only the present line, but the old "Hindenburg line," will col lapse and the Germans will have to l retreat at least to the line ofs the River Mouse, which they are reported to be fortifying with the aid of drafted civilians and war prisoners.
 Renewed activity on the Vesle in- that will have a part in the general German retire ment, for the French advance west of Soissons imperils this German posi- tion, there are many signs that the enemy Is ready to retire from the Vesle behind the Disc. The Disc, des- Apite the French advance west of Sois- sons, is still tenable, and behind that is the Chemin- -des-Dames line.
 Although fires have been burning for three days between the Vesle and the Aisne, American patrols Saturday night captured seven "contacted' German patrols, proving that the enemy has not withdrawn his line despite the menace to his Aisne-Vesle front from the north of Soissons and the American inf1ltration toward the Soissons- Rheims high road, which continues in spite of the many Ger man machine gun nests.
 II British airplanes yesterday success fully attacked a German aerodrome and the railway stations at Bettem- bourg and Luxembourg. Excellent results were obtained on the railway stations" says the War Office state ment telling of the raids.
 of nnnt defensive in the West has become a fixed subject of discussion in the Ger man press Some of the foremost German military critics have begun to talk about a fortified German camp equipped to beat off any Allied onslaughts." The war correspondent of the Koelnische Zeitung, for in stance, after a trip through Belgium and France, says that it Is immaterial "how far west we stand" provided the avant terrain of the fortress of Germany extends far into the enemy's country and our homeland is protect ed from attack and invasion" | British Army headquarters, Aug. 26-The demeanor of hundreds of German officers taken prisoner recent ly is in striking contrast with the at- titude of officers captured during the British retreat last spring. Then German officer prisoners were arro- Ngant and meant to crush the British to earth, but now they are depressed and very anxious. They appear very willing to talk and the tenor of their conversation may be summed up as as follows:
 They say Germany entered the war with enthusiasm, but this has long since disappeared and the struggle has now become an economic one with Great Britain.
 l They admit that Germaax- ts tp