Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-24
EVENTS OF WEEK

EVENTS OF A WEEK
The week closes with a battle in progress on .ne
french front which the dispatches say may easily de-
velop into one Of the greatest of the war. Making a
thrust some distance north of Albert, or rather, continu-
Ing the series of thrusts which had been in progress for
some time. the British in that section suddenly extended
The sphere Of their operations until they were moving
forward on a line 25 miles in length, and reaching both
to the north and to the south of the somme, In the
earlier stages of this attack good progress was maze,
Notwithstanding the fact that the Germans defended
'tubbornly, and that they had the advantage of the re-
mains of trenches along what had been at one time a
permanently defensive position.
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AS the Allied offensive proceeds it becomes more
md more apparent even to the casual observer that how
ever the developments may have modified the plans,
there is a unity of purpose in the Allied movements,
corresponding to the unity of control of the Allied armies,
Considered merely as a local engagement, the Marine
offensive had attained its object and spent it's principal
force when the vesle river was reached. But the south
en field was by no means abandoned, for there remain
within the old Marine salient powerful bodies of British,
French and Americans who continue to harass the enemy
20 the north and to make it impossible for him to weaken
his lines without exposing himself to grave danger. .
Then followed in rapid succession the great offensive
farther north, which pinched out the Montdidier salient
and forced the Germans back from their inconveniently
close neighborhood to Amiens. Alternating with these
were the blows struck, now in northern Picardy and now
III Flanders, and the retirement of the enemy on each Of
these sectors gave evidence that the pressure was sufacis
emily strong to convince him of the presence on each
sector of a force which called in each case for his utmost
strength in defense. = Everywhere there was the same
story to tell. Z The Allies advanced and the Germans re-
tired, usually leaving prisoners often LEAVING LARGO ounc
and always leaving large quantities of. miscellaneous
material.
1t has often been said that the campaign has reached
the stage in which Marshal Foch is able to choose the
time and place of the fighting. Apparently he has chosen
as the time the immediate present, and for the place the
whole line from the Swiss border to the sea. On this
great line there are sectors where comparative quiet has
reigned, but everywhere there has been enough activity
to keep the Huns on the alert, and the withdrawal by
the Germans of troops from one sector to stop a gap
elsewhere has become a very hazardous performance.
. -.
The section in which most of the fighting Of the
week has taken place is. in general. gently rolling coun-
try with a few hilly districts which are excellent for
purposes Of observation and defense. Roads which are
indispensable for purposes of supply and troop move
lment center at a number of towns which are scattered
through the area These town. Noyon, Roye, Chaulnes,
Ham, Bapaune, are SO linked together that with such
pressure as exists. the loss of any one of these makes
practically certain the loss Of the entire chain. The
French have taken Lassigny and almost encircled Noyon.
Roye is all but taken. Albert is in the hands of the Al
lies, The British are but a stones throw from Bapaume.
And the present drive is so disorganizing the enemy's
forces that a general retirement in the very near future
appears to be inevitable y
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While the main battles have been , acme a n +ho weat
front, there has been activity in Russia concerning which
only meager reports have been forwarded. In the Vladi-
vostok district the composite Allied force has been COM
PEELED to retire before a more numerous force Of
Bo,sheviki. The dispatches say that there was some
hghting, but give no details. Farther west the Czecho-
slovaks have been successful in Wrestling control Of an
other important section OF the trans-Siberian road from
the Bo1sheviki The dispatches have been silent con-
cerning the Allied force which is, presumably, making
progress 5outhward from Arcnangel.
So % =
~ + appears to be definitely established that Lenine
and aTrotzky have abandoned Moscow for some northern
port whence II is supposed that they viii undertake to
make their way to Germany, II matters in Russia become
oHwarnf for Them In, the meantime the soviet gov
ernrient appears to be running itself, with counter revo-
Irtionary sentiment constantly on the increase. German
expectatioa that the Bolsheyiki reign is nearly over is
iudicated III the report that the German government has
naads oyertlarss to representatives q one OF the new
anevoiuttonaTy sroups promising recognition III case 81
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