The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-11-07
ITALIANS STILL
PUSHING AHEAD
AustrO-Hungarian Forces Re-
treating Over a Front of
Nearly Forty Miles.
HOLD AMERICANS IN RESERVE
Allies Continue Attacks on Hun Posi-.
tions in France and Belgium
Yanks Heavily SheIIed.

Washington, Oct 30-In the Italian
theater, over a front of nearly forty
miles, from the Brenta to the middle
reaches of the Piave river, the British,
French and Italian armies are devel-
Oping with success an offensive
against the Austro-Hungarians and are
swiftly driving them from the noun
tain passes toward the Austrian from
tier and across the plains east of the
Piave in northern Italy.
Many prisoners and guns have been
captured and the battle has assumed
gigantic proportions.
American reserves are behind the
lines prepared to aid the Allies when
the OppOrtune moment arrives.
On all of the other battle fronts the
Allied arms continue to be served. In
Belgium there has been ittie fighting
except by the artillery wings of the
opposing armies, while in the region
around VaIenciennes the engagements
between the British and Germans
have savored more of outpost encoun-
ters than pitched battles.
British Hold Control.
In whatever fighting there has been,
however, NAdISudl I1dlS DSA
have retained the upper hand and
taken more prisoners and additional
guns and war stores.
Farther south the French are con-
tinuing successfully their process of
IeveIing the old salient between the
territory east of st. Quentin and
Rethel. Additional progress has been
made by General Debeney's troops,
Notwithstanding the violent resistance
Of the Germans, who all along the
front are using machine guns to re-
tard the advance of the French toward
the important lines of railway COM
munication to the east. On some sec
tors the Germans are slowly retreat
ing, but nowhere are the French pa
trolls permitting the enemy to get out
of contact with them.
Americans Heavily SheIIed.
Aside from artillery and machine
gun activity there has been little fight
ing on that part of the front held by
the Americans from the Mouse river
to the vicinity of Grand Pre-. The Ger
mans have been heavily bombing the
American positions with shells Of all
caliber, including gas projectiles, with
the Americans answering them shot
for shot. The new big guns of the
Americans are violently Smelling Ger
man positions far behind the lines,
taking under their fire towns of strate-
gic importance from the standpoint of
communications and troop formation,
preparing to be sent as reinforce
to salient points of the crumbling bat
tie line.
Another German Retreat.
Washington, Oct. 29.-The French
have gained signal victory, from the
Disc river south to Rethel, by forcing
a retreat of the enemy in the big sa-
lient north of Laon and are threaten
ing to cause the collapse of the en-
tire German line eastward through a
fast turning movement.
American troops have been thrown
into the line near Rethel and have
advanced nearly mile and taken nu-
merous prisoners.
In connection with this general
movement the Americans northwest
of Verdun have begun an operation
which possibly may have important
results.
Big Guns Shell Huns.
For the first time since the Ameri-
cans entered the war, they have open
ed fire against the back lines of the
enemy with their new long-range guns
and are heavily bombarding Lon
guyon, some fifteen miles distant from
the American first line positions.
1t is over the territory through
which the American guns are throw
ing their shells that the Germans have
been reinforcing their lines eastward
and should the blasting process prove
effective in blazing a trail along the
Mouse for a quick advance by the
Americans, it is not improbable that
German retreat from the region east
OF st. Quentin, northeastward to Lux
emburg, will be necessitated.
South OF Valenciennes, in France,
Field Marshal Haig's forces, notwith-
standing stiff opposition have ad-
vanced their line in the general opera
ton which has in view the capture Of
Valenciennes and pressing on toward
Mons and Maubeuge in the general
converging movement that is going on
between Belgium and the region north
| OF Verdun-
italians Take 5000.
On the northern Italian front hard
German Army Lacks Gasoline.