The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-09-24
RODEUIG 0. MArHESON, EDITOR
The Week In the War

throughout last week There were lever Of the
broad sweeping advances and there were more of
the nibbng tactics exhibited but the total OF gains
has been large and important and those gains have
left the position of the enemy more than ever dit
ficut OF tenure and more clearly is il INDICATED
that vide retirementS mnst foGloW Gmrther Import
ant Allied success.
1t is no longer a case Of the enemy holding the
Tlindenburg line for at many points he has been
swept back of it. Such is the case from the la
Bassec River north to Noure ChapPclle on the
front to the southwest Of Lille Again the Allied
line is well inside Of the old Hindenburg line a
six-mile sector that extends both north and south
OF Lens Before Douai from Nreux to lresCaut
south Of 1avrincourt the Hindenburg line is ObII-
teratcd SO close to the north of st. Quentin and
again from the Sorre River north OF Fere t" F"rct
de Pinon To the north and east OF Rheims it is
the same and so also to the south Of Metz.
Farthest reaching in importance has been the
CnveOping movement about St Quentin and II IS
apparent that the German tenure OF that strong
hold is drawing to an end. The British are on its
north and the French on its south Here the Ger
mans rcdoubled their efforts to check the advance
and did succeed in slowing it down to some extent
Yet the gains have been such to warrant the
belief that another week, perhaps few days from
now will see St Quentin within the Allied line
Before Cambria the British have also advanced
and have done it in such a manner to warrant
the belief that Foch can take that stronghold when
he is ready strike with greater force or not so
soon through nbbling tactics and an enveIoping
movement.
South of the British front the French have Fere
practically at their mercy with their line drawn
around it on three sides On the east flank Of the
Aisne sector the French have practically hanked
the foe. Thus Chemin des Danes ridge no longer
offers the strong defense it formerly did and Laon
does appear safe to the Germans.
With the Hindenburg line crossed at SO many
times those parts of it which still held by the
Germans in danger of being hanked and com
paratively short advances few sectors all
that is required to precpitate new retirementS.
In the fighting of last Monday the French ad
vahCed against strong resistance north and north
cast Of Saucy in the sector to the south OF the
Disc and the British made a short gain in the
Ypres sector, longer advances before Douai and
good progress before Cambria
On Tuesday the British made further short
gains in Flanders along the Ypres-C Confines cana
and the French had some hard fighting the
skirts of St Gobain wood.
More sensational were the gains OF "Wednesday
when the British and French together before st
Quentin swept forward a front Of twenty-five
miles from mile and half to three miles, retak
ing many French towns in this advance and put
ting st. Quentin in the balance
Thursday saw the French attack continue anC
adNauc to the southwest of St. Quentin and wit
messed more British gains between st. Quentir
and ambrai
More bitter resistance met bV the Allies OF
Friday, the Germans repeatedly countering hare
VariOu' points through most especially to tn
northwest of st. Quetin. These attacks were beat
back and the Australians progressed to pom
four miles northwest of ST. Quentin. TO the sOut
e st Quentin the French achieved further shOr
gains
On Saturday the fighting still centered about ST
Quentin. Heavy resistance and strong counter
were again met but overcome and the result {
the days fighting was a material strengthening {
the Allied positions along ten-mile front
Startling indeed have been the gains OF terrai
made by the Allies since the offensive take
from the Germans little more than nine week
ago All that the Germans had gained in thrice
weeks had been regained and new territory adde
to It but it must be remembered that regainin
terrain is not the sole purpose Of attack, not eve
the main purpose The real object is to destro
to break down the German man power.
this respect the results have been important i'
the enemy losses in prisoners alone have bee
enormous and to those losses must be added II
greater losses in killed and wounded. Meantim
the Allied forces are being steadily Increased /
the advent of more American forces The Gle
mans, in desperation even drawing their garr
sons out Of Poland.
Breaking down Of the enemys resistance ma
come from breaking the morale well destrn
ing man power by killing, woundnB and captur
Thus far it must be admitted the German moral
though evidently weakened has held remarkab
well The retirement from the Marnc III the :
Mihiel salient and from the Marine north has be,
bnd IN ord II h, h,,