Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-10
hard fight before he evacuates tina
Keystone position.

hSSSLoue pOSlIlOn.
IA
Stubbornly hanging on to the west
end of the Chemin-des-Dames and i'm
| proving their positions there, the
French repulsed many fierce attacks
last week and advanced toward Laon
along the southern edge of the st.
Cobaln forest The entire plateau
southwest of LaOn is under the fire
of their artillery, and though they were
moving forward with due caution, they
showed no intentions of stopping.
-E-
On the new American front I'm
French Lorraine the infancry activity
during the week was confined mostly
to operations for the solldifying of DO
sitions, though the Yankee did push
forward along the Meuse for con-
siderable gain. This brought Metz un-
der the fire of their artillery and the
commandment of that great fortress
city began mt once and vigorously. II
seems that the allies are now in a DO
sitiOn to keep up the shelling Of Metz
during the fall and winter, If neces-
sary, and thus its reduction, virtually
impossible by direct attack, may be
accomplished. The Germans now nd
nit the Importance of the American
drive on the st. Mihiel salient, but the
deception of their people through the
official reports continues, as eXempli-
fled by the statement, one day last
week, that American attacks on Hau+
mont had been repulsed and the YAM
kees also had been beaten at Thiau-
mont. At that time Haumont had been
safely held by the Americans for three
days and Thiaumont was already live
miles behind Pershings lines. Fresnes,
an important city, also was taken by
the Yankees last week, ans the line
built by them now runs parallel with
the Hindenburg line at aR average dis
tance Of mile and ha.f. Every day
the German artillery has been deluging
the old salient with explosive and gas
shells, and the American gunners have
replied most effectively, battering the
towns held by the Huns and several
times breaking up attempted infantry
attacks, with severe loss TO the enemy,
The airmen on both sides we're extra
ordinarily active and the Americans
carried out number of highly sue
cessful bombing expeditions over en-
emy territory. In one of these, how
ever, superior force was encountered
and five of our planes were lost. Incl
dontally, the British reported that in
the st. Quentin sector the Germans
we're using new type of plane that
carries eight men and bombs 13 feet
long and weighing 1000 pounds.
ID
All along the west front the air
fighting was most intense. In one
day the British brought down 66 enemy
planes and lost 16, which indicates the
fierceness of the struggle for the mas
terry of the air The independent Brit
ish air squadrons kept up their fine
work in the bombing of German cities,
notably Mannheim, Metz-SablOns,
Treves and Frankfort. This brings
howls from the Huns which are music
to the allied ear.
"a
The bOlshevik forces In Russia, for
which some victories were claimed
early in the week, later were reported
TO be retreating ON both the northern
and southern fronts. The Czecho-
SlOyaks along the Volga continued
their advance. and the fact that they
captured Perm, capital Of the govern
ment Of that name, indicated they were
In fair way to effect the junction of
the forces which are fighting in west
ern Siberia with those which have been
engaged in southeastern Russia. AS
was predicted. the japanese censors do
not permit much news to come from
the allied expedition In Siberia, but
what does come Is satisfactory.
In Russia the reign Of terror instI-
tuted by the bolsheyiki TO suppress the
counter revolution continues and un-
known numbers OF the opponents of
Lenine and Trotzky have been mas
sacred. The American government last
week issued a series of articles expos
ing those two precious rascals as the
paid agents of Germany. giving the
text of many secret documents OBJ.
tained by an agent of the committee
on public information. All this made
intensely Interesting reading, but no
one 10 America except a few hlghbrow
"intelleetuals' is surprised by the facts
revealed. and there doesn't seem any
way to get those facts before the Rus
sian pClple whom Lenine and Trotzky
and their crew have tricked and be-
trayed.