Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-06
trunk RAILWAY
U.S. Boys COAL
IN GREAT DRIVE
Americans Threaten to Cut
Off Germans Supplies;
100000 Men Have
Sailed Overseas.
BY Associated Press.

| II uiN 1dHWdy SyStSHl HCdl tIlS bSi-
gian border which feeds the whole
central arch of the German lines
in France is the goal of the first
American army which General
March, chief of staff said today is
making rapid progress. Official
dispatches show the Americans to be
l8 miles from the nearest point
on the important railroad, General
March said. Reports today have in
Dictated that despite stiffening Ger
man resistance the American forces
are pushing onward and the distance
to the goal is being cut down rapid
ly.
To back up that American effort
General March showed that the
flow of American troops to France
continues at rate of more than
quarter of a million a month. A
total of l,8500O0 men have been
embarked, he said.
The chief of staff plainly made
evident his great pride in the deeds
of the American army in France
now a vital factor in the stirring
events which he described.
Moving on Widened Front.
The news during the last week
from all fronts has been excellent"
he said.
The three drives begun by the
allies on Thursday, Friday and Satu
urday, have moved our line forward
on front wider than ever affected
practically the entire line from the
sea to Verdun.
Between the Argonne forest and
the Meuse river, the American army
has not only held the enemy's re-
Inducements to that sector, but has
driven its way forward on its en-
tire front to the Kriemhiide posi-
ton, where the enemy is standing.
The American divisions at that point
threaten the main railroad line of
communications from Germany to
the west front, the railroad cutting
through from Germany and passing
through Sedan and other places of
historic military interest. 1t is the
most important single artery Of sup
ply of their army.
The Americans have reached a
poit l8 miles in a direct line from
that railroad and as soon as the d.
rection of the drive became evident
Germany threw in its path a great
many divisions, withdrawing them
from other points in the line, and
they have been held there by the
Americans when they are badly
needed elsewhere.
Just west of the Argonne forest,
General Gouraud's French army
with the second American division
has likewise fought its way north
ward eight to ten miles to the
enemy's line of defense west of
Challerange. Hills have been cap
tured which command the enemy's
supply lines south of Vouzieres.
Battling For Entire Line.
'The British drive on Cambria
and ST. Quentin developed into a
battle of the entire Hindenburg line
between those points and the enemy
has now been forced back to or be-
yond this line along its entire length
from Flanders to the Ailette. The
British, aided by the 9th and 3Oth
American divisions, directed their
assaults particularly agaist the hills
five to ten miles north of ST. Quen-
tin, where they have swept entirely
across the enemy's zone of defenses
and have opened gaps in bis lines
which he has closed with great diff
ficulty. In spite OF the opposition
of the enemy, Cambria is being en-
veloped by the advance of the Brit
ish, who have crossed the Escaut
canal on wide front south of the
city and have reached the hills be-
yond.
The drive in Flanders rapidly
spread the line into semicircular
salient 10 miles deep. By this ad-
pance the allies have taken back
more than Is square miles OF Bel
GUM and threaten the enemy's pos
session of Ostend and Zeebrugge
and of the coal fields behind Lens.
In consequence the enemy is report
ed to be evacuating the two ports,
and is withdrawing from the entire
sector from Lens to Armentieres.
"The enemy has come down off
the Vesles-Aisne plateau northwest
of Rheims and has been followed
by the French to the Aisne canal.
Serbians Advance Rapidly.
"In the Balkans, while the Bulgar-
ian army is retiring from Serbia, the
Serbian army has advanced rapidly
northward and is in contact with the
Austrians near Vranye, half way
between Uskub and Nish. In Al
bania, the Austrians are retiring and
the Italians have reoccupied Berat,
crossing the Semeni river and NOV
igg in the direction of Durazzo, the
naval base which we attacked the
other day."
Of the embarkation of American
troops General March said:
THE shipping of American troops
during the last month has continued
over 100000, in spite of the general
epidemic of influenza all over the
country, in military camps as we'll
as in civil life. In sending men
abroad we are selecting men who
have neither had the disease nor
been exposed to it. This has made
necessary some readjustment, but
the flow of troops is as have stated
it, over 100000 for the last month.
The entire number of troops EN-
barked from the United States is