Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-12
ATTACKS BEGUN
On BOTH SIDES
OF ST. M|H|El
Yankees. in Conjunction
With French, Start
New Offensive.
GERMANS FALLING
BACK HURRIEDLY
Offensive Launched on Twenty Mile
Front in Effort to Eliminate 81.
Mihisi Salient, Held by Germans for
-Four Years-earrass Of Four Hours
and Terrific Artillery eomba1dment
preesdes Forward Movement.
rBy the Associated Pr.ss.1

tBy the Associated PrssSJ
American and french troops to.
day began an offensive on = twenty
mile front in Lorraine, near the Ger.
nsan border.
The movement evidently 10 aimed
primarily at the elimination OF the
famous, ST. Mihiei salient, which
fsr moro than four years has pro.
jsctsd II ~ allied line southeast Of
vsrdvn.
The attacks I~srs launched on
heth sides q the salient on twelve
n,jls front on the sssth and on IN
!. ai0hk mils fsrnt An. the S,ssstesay
sidD. Thos assaults Wovo progrsss-
IL sayerabiy at latest rsports.
4 baera1s lasting several hours
6pScoosd ths thrsssA. Heavy sen-
esntrations Of Frsneh and American
artillery and airplsnss had been
effected.
The FIRE poured in on the Germans
frem allied guns was terrific one,
while the German reply was weak.
There has bssn many predictions
In unofficial quarters recently that
an American offensive movement
was likely 70 be witnessed this fall,
and Lorraine has been mentioned
as one Of the moro probable fields
for the attack. The German eita-
del Of Metz lies only fifteen miles
TO the northeast Of Pont- "a Nous
sen. At the sasteriy edge Of the SAL
ient under attack, and Il seems not
beyond probability that this may
be further objective Of the often
tsivs should il develop favorabIy in
the crushing out or material re-
duetion Of the salient.
THE removal Of this salient, in
fact, would seem 10 be . necessity
before any drive in force into Ger
man territory on this front were
attempted, 40 otherwise the Ger
man forces to the west would be
I left in . threatening position on
the left flank Of the attacking
armies.
The German command now will
have. II appears, another problem
10 meet in dealing with tho out
break Of its forces in another and
comparatively distant quarter from
J. that in which the bulk Of the fight
ing has been done in this years
campaign. The question will be, il
seems, whether the reduced Ger
man man power has left General
LudendorH with forces spffieisnt to
maintain his front from Rheims to
Yprss and at the same time beat
back . powerful thrust by the al
lies far 70 the southeast on the
battle front.
The Hindsnburs line itself, how.
evor already has not proved too
strong for either the French or
the British 1t some Of tho points
il the recent fighting. The Brit
ish reached Il on ths' Queant-
Droeourt line and today there
came the official announcement
from London that the British had
made further progress behind
this line in the direction Of Cam
brai. one Of the principal German
bases in the north.
A strong defensive line has h>sr
taken BY the enemy here along The
canal 0u> Nord, but this line now
sesrs turned on 10 left Aaak, a.
The, British have forced crossing
Of the canal TO The northwest Of
Havrincourt and are in q posi-
tion TO push up che easteriy bank
providing field Marshal Haio de.
cides 20 employ his driving force
il this direction.