The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-11-05
GUNS Still ROAR;
ALLIES PUSH ONWARD
ARF PAYING NO ATTENTION TO
PEACE TALK-NO REST FOR
RETREATING FOE.

Despite the rapidly increasing talk
Of peace the allied armies continue
to exert the maximum amount of
pressure on the hard-pressed German
and Austrian defense lines. The
Italian front assumed the leading role
the past week, Gen. Diaz's men
launching major offensive that has
become a debacle for the Austrian
armies, now so badly shaken in NOR
ale by talk of peace negotiations.
The drive against the Austrians is
being carried on mainly by Italian
troops, but two British and one
French division, with several Ameri-
can units, have been identified in the
fighting.
Eighty thousand prisoners and L.
600 guns have been captured.
French Nip Another Salient.
On the main battle front the
French armies have succeeded in
eliminating the salient formed by the
junction of the Disc and Aisne riv-
ers, just northeast of Laon and La
Fere. After two weeks fighting
Gen. Petain's men nipped this sa-
lent on both sides, and the Germans
were compelled to fall back over a
SO-mile front to depth of twelve
miles in places.
To the north of the French the
British armies have reached the
Scheldt river defenses, behind which
the Germans are standing in force.
The British advance has been halted
temporarily by this waterway, while
the big guns are being brought out
and the supply system of Haig's
forces placed in shape for another
major attack.
The Americans and Germans con-
tnue their stubborn combat between
the Argonne forest and the Mouse
river, and also east of the stream.
This battle has been a ding-dong af-
fair for a month now, the Ameri-
cans always on the offensive, but
gaining ground very steadily. The
Germans are in retreat beyond the
treya positions, and have retired so
rapidly at some points that the
Americans have experienced difficulty
IN maintaining contact with the en-
envy. Since the American troops
entered the battle in this area they
have inflicted more than $4,000 cas-
ualties on the Germans, including the
capture of $4,000 prisoners. They
have freed 40 villages from enemy
domination and reclaimed 500 square
miles Of territory for France.
Field Marshal Foch. since he as
sumed the offensive in the Soisons-
Chateau Thierry counter-attack on
July Is has wrested 1900 square
miles Of French and Belgium terri
tory from the invaders. In that time
also the allied armies have occupied
$500 cities, towns and villages, have
freed 100000 of the civilian popu-
latlon of Belgium and France from
German rule, and have inflicted near
Iy a million casualties on the German
armies, Of which number nearly $780,
OOO are prisoners.
Another Severe Blow to Turks.
In Asia Minor Gen. Allenby COM
pleted during the week the first phase
Of his drive against the Turks by the
capture Of Aleppo, the railroad juno
ton where the rail line running
southwark from Constantinople splits,
one branch running toward Bagdad
and the other down the seacoast to
Jerusalem. With Aleppo in the
hands of the British. the entire Ii
grs and Euphrates river valleys fall
automatically into the hands Of the
Allies, as the only supply line for
these valleys is lost to the Turks.
The fall of Aleppo also virtually
clears Syria of the enemy and opens
the way to the invasion of Armenia,
10 the north, and of Turkey proper,
On tho y-o7torn tip of the Asia Minor
peninsula.