The sun., 1918-09-09
British and French Advance
Three Miles on Both Sides
of the SOmme.
AMERICANS ALSO GAIN
Enemy Battles Desperately,
on Plateau North of Sois-
sons, but in Vain.
ARMENTIERES NEAR FALL
Haig Repulses Strong Counter
Attack There and Virtually
Clears HavrincOurt Wood. /,
Special Gable Despatch 10 THE SuS
Copyright. 1918; all rights reserved.

Copyright. 1918: all rights reserued
LONDON, Sept. S.-There is feeling
in the air that great events are i'm
pending on the battle front In France.
to which more substance was added
today by the arrival of Secretary
Baker in France. For some time 1t
has been believed here that the Ameri-
can First army, under Gen. Pershing.
now completely organized, is destined
to strike the great blow of the war.
and perhaps soon. Meantime, all the
operations are leading up to grand
consummation, the first step in which
appears to be the complete elimination
Of the Hindenburg line, which already
has ceased to be the terrible menace
that 1t was to the Allies armies.
The British to-day are only six
miles from st. Quentin. after an nd
vance since yesterday Of about three
miles on front Of nearly fifteen,
extending from north of Epehy to
Nermand, while the French are clos
ing in from the southwest and today
were only eight miles away. The
, flanking of the city, in the manner
that has now become familiar as the
Foch tactics, Is proceeding rapidly
and its~fhll is believed to be matter
of only few days.
British Capture 10000 in Week.
Although the German resistance in
, this region is stiffening somewhat
hint Of the conditions within the Ger.
man army Is afforded by Field Mar
shall Haig's report tonight; he SAYS
that the British alone in the first
week Of September took 10000 pris.
oners.
In the southern part Of the battle
front the French, in their advance on
St Quentin, captured the villages OF
NauX. Fluquieres and Happencourt.
all north of the Somme, as well as
Hamel, and also made additional prog
ress on both sides of the Oise.
They took last night Nemesis. four
miles north OF Tergnier. where the,
/. were yesterday, only few miles from
La Fere. and in their thanking move
| ment against the St. Gobain massif
/ they have entered the northern side
or the st. Gobain forest and reached
the outskirts Of the village of Servais
AT the northern end of their battle
front the British have practically com
| picted the capture and occupation OF
HaVrincourt Wood, despite the handi-
| cap or very stormy day, and sti!
lurther north. in the Lys sector, they
are now threatening the recapture OF
! NfnentereS. one of tho Strongesl
! counter ATTACKS that the Germans
! have been able to deliver recently took
| place to-day in this area. but it failed
completely to affect the British.
| Importance OF Cambrsi
The Importance of the British capture
! OF HavriuCourt Wood lies in the fact
that in front Of II IS an open vulnerable
| sector OF the German defence of Cam
brai: there is nothing confronting the
| British here but the old field defences
| Of the llindenburg line. If this sector
should be smashed Cambrai must fall
with the resultant fatal shaking of the
ST. Gobaln-Laon pivot OF the entire
| structure.
The German defence is based upon the
| ST Gohain massif Laon and the Chemiu
dcs ltlmes ridge, They might hold thai
| line definitely against direct pressure
| but II should he broken east Of Hay
| r!ncd or 10 the south in Champagne a
| genet retreat, in the opinion Of mill
| tary ;perts Will be inevitable The
! proba. .lity Of this contingency is in
creased by The steady enveloping move
| meIt about the forest Of 81. GOhain b."
! Gen. Humhert ON the north side in hi,
| approach to La tere and by Gen. Man
gin in the south, who is nearing LaffauA
Military commentators see the mo
! ment approaching. when Marshal FoclL
! having by constant attacks for nearly
eight weeks forced the enemy into a
general retirement from Npres fu
Rheims, having Inflicted trcmcudou .
losses IN men ana material and diSor-
ganiEed all the German plans, Is about
to strike his master blow.
Mnnwuyring for Position.
TUthnrto Marshal FocA has attempted
no more than forcing the enemy back
says a writer in the PGH MdH Gazette
"rhc effect OF breaking through the
Hindenburg and DroCourt-Qucant line,
mas Dcen 10 threaten lNV important ran
road triangle OF pouai, Cambria am
Valenc.erncs; the front OF Lens IL,
and the industrial districts in the nor'0
and the Laon-La Ferc masslf the grear
central pillar OF the German defensive
system In the south. To use n metaphor
from the bull ring, the matador is
mannuvrIng the bull into position and
presently we shah see him take swift
steps aside to attempt 20 administer the
/ coup de grace.
The Germans have three main lines