The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-05


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The canal. The crossing was made on
q front of three miles. Further south
they took Inchy -Artois and Hermies,
, miles northeast OF Bertincour1 From
Hermies to the souht the Brvish line
rms about a mne and a half east OF
Bertincourt.
There was no indication Just how
strongly the enemy intended to resist on
this line and the front northward along
the Sensee. II In believed he will make
an effort at a stand, however, as the
canal offers a good line OF defence. the
huge dry ditch precluding tank work i'm
mediately to the west of Cambria. The
canal is uncompleted further south.
however. and the tanks could penetrate
the line there, In the opinion OF the ex-
perts. .-...
II has been definitely established that
In trying to stem the drive begun by the
Allies on August the Germans have
used twenty-five OF their divisions twice
Eight other divisions have been recre-
ated and sent back into the lighting.
with three companies instead OF the
normal four to battalion.
At least two divisions OF Austrian
troops have been In action.
The British losses are still reported
lighter than might be expected in oper-
atoms Of this magnitude.
|. Seeks New Line In Flanders.
The tactics Of the Germans In Elan
ders, where the British line moved
slightly forward again to-day. leads to
the belief that the enemy intends ulti-
mately to retire to the line held in 1917.
This Is east of the Passchaendaele pidge,
where II is reasonable to assume the
enemy will at least fight a strong rear
guard action.
The Allies have reduced the length of
the battle front in France by nearly
sixty miles since July Is by pressing
back the Germans from the territory
which they conquered in their offensves
of March, April and July. This places
at the disposal of the allied commander
in-chief considerable number Of d.
visions which heretofore had been en-
gagged in holding the line.
French commentators point out that in
the present offensive continuity has been
maintained lasting forty-six days with
out break. and that not since the be-
ginning of the war has such an extended
series OF hammer blows been directed,
throwing the adversary into complete
dismay. The enemy is unable to reor-
ganize his forces to make stand arrest
sng the onward march of the Allies.
ManEin Gets Upper Hand.
Gen. Mangin's army has been busily
engaged in the last three days overcom-
ing bitter resistance by the Germans to
its advance In the southern area Of the
battlefront. His forces have marked time
In some instances and at points retreated
slightly. but they have now succeeded in
getting the better OF the enemy's de-
fence.
Their forward push is threatening the
fall Of the important town Of Coucy-le-
Chateau and its fall Is hourly expected
here. The Germans, however, are resist
Ing the forward movement to the best
of their ability as the fail of the Forest
of st. Gobain, which the advance is
Threatening, would entail a retreat Of
Gen. Won Boehn's armies TO Laon. A
rupture Of the Hindenburg line in the
south would thus be effected and as the
line already has been smashed in the
north by British troops a withdrawal
OF the whole German front from the
North Sea 20 Rheims would then be
forced.
The Paris military critics to-day treat
mainly Of the threatening breach In the
Hindenburg line in the north, pointing
out that the enemy is now forced to
AOscBO THO uSc VI ptSpoicu 81 eASAoi W.
fences and to fall back on the natural
obstacles, which the writer's argue are
the only hope Of the German command
IN the present state OF DISCRIMINATION
among it's divisions.
The enemy, the critics show. will have
before Cambria a series Of natural de-
fences which may help him stay the
march Of the British armies momen-
tarily. The general assumption Is that
the German stand will be made along
the line of the Canal du Nord. passing
west of Marquion. east Of Inchy-en-Ar-
tots, and from Moeuvres TO Hermies.
There Is every sign Of extreme disor-
ganiaztion among the enemy's forces at
vulnerable points In his line. To the
north of Peronne. along a front extend
ing many kilometres. troops of all kinds
have been promiscuously collected and
thirty battalions of this heterogeneous
fighting material have been thrown
elovenly into the breach. In front of
Cambrai. Col. Fabry points out In the
Qui, eleven divisions were piled up on a
narrow front. and he further deals with
the situation at Cambria thus:
THE arrival of British army at the
gates of Cambria, when everything was
quiet in the trenches from Nieucourt TO
Belfort, was unwelcome enough for the
enemy, but now the British are smash
ing the Hindenburg line and advancing
on Cambria with the enemy's armies
H.