The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-12


The line is an extremely un!
man defenses are described at M
Meanwhile the British sweep on the
more northerly front has resulted in
an extremely close approach to the
city Douai. Closing In on the south.
west and northwest, the British are
hardly more than a mile and half
from the center of the place through
their capture OF Quincy. and the an
nouncement of Douai fall at any hour
would not be surprising
Retire Behind Sensee.
German troops in this region al
ready are retiring behind the Sensee
canal.
Equally sweeping advances are be-
ing made by the French In the Cham
payne. The German front here seems
to have lost its power Of successful
resistance and General Petains troops
have made quick advance OF from
3 to miles. The important twon OF
Vouzieres has ben penetrated and the
French line in Champagne has been
brought up to level with 1t far to
the west along the Retourne river.
The advance in the Champagne now
has reached depth Of nearly Is miles
since the Franco-American offensive
was started on this front September 26
hardly more than two weeks ago.
U. S. Attack Aids.
Aiding markedly in the success of
this operation and striking at even
more vital German positions, is the
continued American attack in the Ar
gonne and eastward In the Meuse dis
trict. The American first army
fought its way northward yesterday to
the vicinity of Landries-et-St. Georges,
which apparently marks at least a
mile and a half progress beyond the
famous Kreimhild line.
Today the Americans were again at
tacking, against such determined re-
sistance as to indicate plainly the real
ization of the Germans that they are
facing here menace to the safety OF
their entire position in northern
France through the threat to their vi
tai communicating line in the Mont
medy area.
General Gouraud's troops have
crossed the Suippe river almost every
where along the twenty mile front be-
TWEEN Bertricourt and Betheniville.
The Germans still hold the bridge
head at Goult-sur Suippe.
The enemy is retiring to his next
zone OF resistance on the Retourne,
but there are unmistakable evidences
that h is preparing for still further
retreat.
Champagne Line ColIapses.
The German lines along the Suippe
river in the Champagne sector II,
France have collapsed Progress made
by the French during the past day in
this part Of the battlefront would seem
to indicate that the enemy's retreat
northward is more of flight than an
orderly retirement.
French forces are repoted to have
reached the Retoune river between
Houdiecourt and Soult-St. Remy.
Houildecourt is less than four miles
east OF Neufchatel, one of the prin-
cipal German bases back of the Cham
pagne front. This advance brings the
French up TO within two and one half
miles Of the Aisne river and threatens
the railroad line that parallels that
stream. Further east, the French
have not advanced so swiftly but have
made good progress.
Near the Argonne forest Gen. Gour-
aud's men have swept northward and
are officially reported to be less than
two miles from Vouziers, an important
railroad junction. They are near Sug-
ny and have almost reached Mach
ault
Oise Valley is Fired.
French and Italians have moved
rapidly along the Chemin des Danes
and northward from the Aisne. They
have reached the vicinity of ALLIES,
which Is on the crest of teh ridge be-
tween the Ailette and the Aisne,
southeast OF Laon.
Blazing villages in the valley of the
Disc are reported In the official state
ment 81 the French war office issued
last evening. This refers to the sec
tion In the vicinity Of LaFere, where
the first German retirement was re-
ported yesterday These fires are
looked upon as evidence that the en-
emy Is preparing to abandon that re-
gion. as well as the high. wooded mas.
sif OF St Gobain to the south.
East OF ST. Quentin and Cambria,