Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, August 27, 1918, Image 1

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Atlanta semi-weekly journal., August 27, 1918, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text®oe JMlantu Soutual VOLUME XX. BRITISH CAPTURE VILLAGES ON OLD HINDENBURG LINE HUNS CLING TO BAPAUME AND NOYON AMERICANS EXPEL ' FOE FROM POSITION EAST FROM FISMES General Pershing's Men Gain a Third of a Mile on a Front of 1 a Mile and a Third on the Vesle River ■ WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE. Auk lA—tAmerican troops advanced their line 500 meters (a third of a mile) on a front of t** <a mile and a quarter), im mediately east of Fismes. today, driv ing .the Oeonan* frowrthe railroad and capturing what had been an advanta genous enemy positions. As this is cabled, sharp infantry fight ing is keeping the whole Vesle front stirred up, iut the Borhe counters are fruitless. The Americans in the last few days have begun a systematic clean-up of objectionable positions. The tannery was first taken. Then an attack on a more pretentious scale was launched this morning The Boche had dug in along the rail road, skirt.ng the south bank of thv Vesle. and had established numerous machine gun nests. The Americans were in a dip south of the main Sois sons-Rheims highway. They had to ad vance across the high ground on which the road ran, then across open country t ward the railway. A stiff barrage was put down on the railway at 5 a. m.. the infantry starting thetv advance simultaneously. Quickly tatj topped the highway and charged Airc tc: the open space in the faec of a rrtachtne gun fire.. The attack so impetuous it sent the Boche »-running. A heavy enemy barrage was put down on the railway, but the Amer icans held on. Only seven prisoners were taken. One of them, a banker and restaurant owner of the highei class, was forced to serve. He had oeen in the army a year. He said that all able-bodied men are now compelled to work in war factories or go to the front. He said that soldiers everywhere now realise their efforts are merely sacrifice. One deserter who entered the American . lines reveals the straits to which the German higk command had been reduced regarding man power. The deserter had previously been wounded, but was taken from the hospital and returned to the front before he was fully recovered. The Americans now hold the railway on both sides of Fismes. The Boches are extremely nervous and are con stantly sending up rockets at night. American patrols are maintaining con stant contact with the German lines, harassing the enemy positions day and night. NAVAL ATTACK BY GERMANY IS AGAIN BEING DISCUSSED Germans May Be Once More Contemplating Naval Action as Offset for Failure of Land Fighting WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.—V ill Ger many make the great gamble of sending out h;r fleet this fall or by next spring? This question is again causing specu lation here today, following London press reports that bets on such a con tingency are being laid there. T-ius far there has been strongly di vided opinion in naval quarters as to the ehance that the Teutons will risk so daring a stroke Some authorities Mid only desperation would force such a step; others, that Germany would not | attempt it in any circumstances as it would mean suicide for her. However, the military situation is such now that the German war lords may be agitating the naval venture idea again. Some months back, antharitita tive reports received here said that the army leaders were striving to force naval action, knowing thut as leng as the English fleet was intact, land suc cesses were rather empty. ;<ow. with no Teuton successes chalk dr. up. aud with the balance certainly swinging against the Boche. it is re garded as quite possible that the same war ,otu» ar? trying to compel the ad miralty to act as an offset to the re verses on the west line. Navy oflicials will say nothing for publication as to their views of the lik?l«hood of a German off msive effort on the seas. It may be sa‘d. however, that the allied fleets will be fully ready for ui y blow the Teuton makes. And, burring the tricks o* fate that some times operate for success or disaster, the mathematical chances of over whelming allied victory are enormous. Meantime, America and her allies are keeping aggressively at their tasks on the seas. Anti-submarine work is in creasingly effective. Airmen are harry ing the U-boat basas and th-ft- ,s a gen eral tendency on the seas to keep the Boche on the jump, just as there is a deflnite policy of no let-up on the Una. Rumors of propcsed changes in the German admiralty leaders . arc taken here as significant. Awtnorities belleze that i shake-up there is imminent in view cf the German peoples' disillusion ment and disappointment over the U-boats faiure to thwart United States troop shipments. Full Associated Press Service BRITISH ADVANCE ON WHOLE EXTENT OF SOMME LINE Bapaume Is Now Near the Middle of Almost Straight Line—Advance North of the Town WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE. Aug. 26—(1 a. m.) —Moving swiftly in some places and crushing stillborn opposition In others, the Brit- Jsh are advancing along the whole ex tent- of their new Somme line—from the region of Arras to southward of the river from which it takes its name. A heavy rainstorm which ended ■'per- * fecx, fighting day yesterday fell upon the flat British helmets only 700 yards from the Hindenburg line, where'Henin hill (south of the Cojeul river) slopes eastward to the formidable barrier. The day's end also saw Bapaume near the middle of an almost straight line, instead of at the apex. The New Zealanders are there, fully supported on both flanks. From Sapignies and Behagnies (north of Bapaume) English troops went on to the high ground eastward. Beyond Mory (four miles north of Bapaume) a guards division—Scots. Irish. Welsh and grenadiers—met heavy fighting in a counter-attack. Favreuil (two miles south of Mory) also was strongly held. Here, as at Thllloy (a mile southwest of "Bapaume). the Ger mans seem blessed with a supply of machine guns. Cross Below Bapannn Below Bapaume. the British have crossed the road from Albert at all points. Advanced patrols are reported east of Mametx wood (five miles west of Combles). South of the Somme, advanced de tachments carried on to just west of Cappy and Mericourt (southeast of Bray >. The concentration of German troops probably is continuing in the rear. The past week's fighting apparently has revealed that the Germans dislike night fighting. Otherwise, it is hard to account for the remarkable rush of the Yorkshires, Lincolnshires and other Eng lish troops through the Ancre riVer Fri day night. Thence, across Thiepval ridge, making a gain of 3,000 yards (nearly two miles) over Indescribably difficult ground in twenty-four hours. It can be recalled that German mili tary writers were not partial to night fighting, even in theory, before the war. Another thing, barbed wire defenses have ceased to be the obstacle they once were. This may ‘add to the ex planation of why the British are now gaining kilometers with practically the same effort they devoted to gaining yards. New Shells Effective Even more than the tanks, whose part in the present battle is worth a special story, is the development of “instanta neous shells” responsible for undoing the laborious work of the wire layers. ' Unlike other ’shells which bury them j selves in the ground and explode up ward. these explode at the slightest contact and scatter with great force, literally ripping the entanglements to pieces. Concentrated shelling for even a brief period leaves the ground free for an advance. There are no shell craters and the wires are gone. Os course the old craters remain. These furnish won derful defensive positions, as at Boi selles. where the Boche hid in a series of them yesterday morning and poured out a murderous machine gun fire until they were smothered. Out of their scanty reserves, badly needed elsewhere. Hindenburg and Lu dendorff are throwing in Prussians, Sax ons. Bavarians and German marines in an effort to check the British. These are being chucked in as regiments, not divisions. Some elements of the same divisions have been found as far apart as Biefvillers and Mamets (nine miles). More Desperate Defense | Notwithstanding attempts to repair : holes in the line as fast as they develop, the Germans continue receding, holding desperately only to certain points in the line in order to prevent a complete • breakdown of their defense with the resultant change of the present forced withdrawal into a disorderly retreat. A*s it is. the disorganization is so great in places that British tanks have been able to harass enemy transport units with machine guns, leaving wreckage and confusion in their wake. A tour of prisoners’ cages yesterday developed some interesting information. It was learned that the Fortieth and Twenty-third Saxon divisions and the Thirty-fifth Prussian divisions have been added to the forces in the northern part of the battlefield, the Saxons being brought from Belgium. They are a cleanly lot. many of them converting their helmets into wash basins. A Prussian officer in another cage drew attention on his arrival by first asking that his orderly be confined in the same cage and then asking for a steak with onions. The prisoners included large numbers of the third marines caught east of Mi raumont. where they were reinforcing the Bavarians when Miraumont wan pinched off at noon Saturday. One of the happiest* of the prisoners, judging from the expression on his face, was . a German messenger dog who was con ' fined in one of the cages, although he apparently only reflected the feelings of the young Germans about him. and responded to advances no more willingly than did the men. Alsatians ticattened Alsatian prisoners said the Germans are scattering them in groups of ten throughout the army. They said pun- REINFORCEMENTS TO ASSIST RETREAT ARE RUSHED TO PICARDY Ludendorff Pulls a Paradoxi cal Maneuver That Has Not Occurred Previously During the War BY J. W. T. MASON. NEW YORK, Aug. 26.—Ludendorff is now engaged in the extraordinary tac tics'Tit rushing reinforcements to the Picardy front for the purpose of as sisting his own retreat This paradoxical maneuver has not occurred previously during the war and is conclusive evidence of the perma nence of the German retirement in the west. It has been forced on -Ludendorff by the fact that Marshal Foch contin.ies to hold the initiative and is ready to spring through any breach in the Ger man line and inflict a major catastrophe upon the kaiser's retreating armies. Lud?ndorff, therefore, cannot conduct his retirement from ‘h? Picardy front with any rapidity, nor can he make It conform to a schedule prepared in ad vance. He must seize whatever occa sions offer for a jump backward by one unit at a time. While the retirement is occurring in any sector- the rest of the line must be strongly held, to pre vent a break through. For this reason, he has been, compelled to use his re serves to facilitate his own retreat. The German west front is now too unwieldly for Ludendorff to retain the mastery of its entire length during ar. extended retrograde movement. Mar sha! Foch has seen to that by belabor ing blows on the Germans' the instant they turn their backs and start shuffling homeward. General Byng’s hammering in the gen eral direction of Cambrai is now th i most serious obstacle interfering with Hindenburg plans for an orderly retire ment. GermJh reserves have had to be thrown into tne sector which Byng is attacking to prevent the retreat from becoming a ro.it. Byng’s immediate ob jective following upon the fall of Ba paume will become Queant, which marks the juncture of the two sections of the Hindenburg line —the Wotan line, run ning directly north, and the Siegfried line, running southeast. The Hinderburg line has its minimum strength at Queant, for it there forms a pocket. If the Queant salient falls to Byng the whole Hindenburg line will be seriously weakened Thereafter a retreat toward the Belgium border will become increas ingly menacing for the kaiser's armies. Expect General Retreat Os German Forces LONDON. Aug. 26.—While continuing a necessary attitude of reserve regard ing the ultimate possibilites of the al lies maintaining their present rate of progress, military writers anticipate the Germans very soon will abandon the whole territory east of their line as now constituted, as far as the line of Soissons, La Fere, St. Quentin and Cam brai. in order to prevent an irreparable disaster on the present battleground. The Anglo-French pincers are now gripping the Boche from slightly south of Noyon to just north of Bapaume, while the allies’ artillery is effectively dominating the Boche road and rail com munications. The north jaw of the pincers just noifl is the more active, but the French prob ably will soo renew their crushing pres sure to the south. Portraits of Kaiser Hurled Into Streets AMSTERDAM, Aug. 26.—Following reports that older men would be called to the colors, mobs in the poorer dis tricts of Berlin pitched portraits of the kaiser and leading military officials from case sinto the streets and trampled them under foot. It took an hour for street sweepers to clean up the tatters. ishnient for desertion was visited on their families. In some cases their sis ters had been sent to work in the front lines, they said. This probably is re sponsible for stories that the Germans are using women to fight in the battle lines. Among the sulking Prussian officers was one who was still aggrieved be cause a tank to which he sought to surrender lacked room to take him aboard and he had to walk clear back to the British concentration camp. The total of prisoners taken by the British alone r'nre Wednesday is ..ow believed to be n.ore than 400,000. Makes Punctureless Tires A practical air substitute which not only makes punctures and blow-outs im possible, but actually doubles the mile age of tires, is now being offered car owners by J. A. Jonson, Sales Mgr., 32-220 W. Superior St., Chicago. This new substance rides over the roughest roads like air, and is not affected by heat or cold, water, sand, mud or pres sure. In fact, it gives such universal satisfaction that Mr. Jonson is sending it on free trial to anyone who owns an automobile. He wants one car owner in each locality to whom he can refer new customers. Take advantage of his free offer. Write him today.— (Advt.) ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1918. BREWERTON’S BILLBOARD Keep ” f?) I F) <3ER | ' AfxN Dow g park w ugp M ■ ’ ll I 1 I ‘ The Help him raise MAN-POWER MEASURE REPORTED BT COMMITTEE • Senate Members Would Retain Work or Fight Order, Striking Amendment WASHINGTON, Auk. 26.—The senate military committee today again declar ed it believed a "work or fight” amend ment to the man-power bill necessary to a successful prosecution of war, when it reported the house bill with this amendment attached. The house, Saturday, voted down t’nq amendment. Should it pass the senate, it is lik.ily to prove the stumbling block in confsience that may delay enactment of the law. The militry committee also cut out the Treadway amendment, providing that Provost Marshal General Crowder appoint a special staff of examiners to re-classify the men in the deferred classes. Members of the committee said General Crowder already had power to reclassify the lists. Prohibitionists stepped aside and gave the man-power bill right of way when the senate convened today. Sen ator Sheppard, in charge of the bill, v.hich is the unfinished business, ob tained unanimous consent that the mil itary bill be given precedence. After attempts to modify it had failed, the senate accepted without a record vote the committee amendment provid ing that the wife of a soldier or sailor shall not be disqualified for any govern ment position under the government be cause she is married. Efforts of Senator Shields, of Tennes see. to substitute for the amendment one in effect waiving the civil service laws in so far as they would affect such women, was rejected by a vote of 40 to 10. Under its provisions no examina tion under the act would be required of the wives of soldiers or sailors seeking employment with the government. The Shields agendment was vigorous ly denounced by Senators Thomas, Cum mins, Smith, of Michigan, and Smoot, the first named charging that it was “unwise and unnecessary legislation of the most pronounced character.” Oppo ants of the proposal asserted it would practically set aside the civil service regulations and permit any woman who was the wife of a man in the military or naval service to obtain a government position without regard to her qualifi cations. 126 AMERICANS ARE DECORATED IN LORRAINE French Lieutenant Is Also Honored for His Gallantry in Action WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES IN FRANCE ,Aug. 25.—(Night.)—One hun dred and twenty-six officers and men of a certain American unit which dis tinguished itself in the Marne fight ing were decorated this morning in an impressive ceremony, staged in a wood behind the Lorraine lines. Sixty-six of the heroes were not pres ent. Their’s was the supreme sacrifice. American, British and French officers accompanied an American general, pin ning the medals on the living while a band played the national airs of their countries. Infantry, artillery and machine gun contingents passed in review, the sun glinting on their helmets and rifles. American planes scurried about, driv , ing off inquisitive German aviators 1 prowling overhead. The citations Included eight of the ' Legion ot Honor. 16 of the French mll | itary medal, 29 of the French wa~ cross and 74 of the distinguished ser | vice cross. A French lieutenant. Louis Viaud, re | ceived the distinguished service cross. I He is the first foreigner to receive an American decoration. He led an Amer- | ican and French detachment in a very i gallant manner. STOMACH TROUBLE OR TAPEWORM BANISHED Many persons who suffer from stom- i I ach trouble really have a tapeworm and] don’t know it. A guaranteed remedy which has proven to be remarkably ef fective in expelling tapeworms and giv ing quick relief in all forms of stom ach trouble, is being sent on free trial by the Schoenherr Co., Dept. 30, Mil- ; waukee, Wis. They guarantee it to re- j move,- in less than one hour, any .tape worm with its head. No pain, no diet ing. no danger: also, to relieve any form of stomach trouble or it costs nothing. Take advantage of their free trial offe;. Write tliem today.— (Advt.) 20,000 MEN TAKEN BY HAIG SINCE AUGUST 21 NEW YORK, Aug. 26. — (Summary of European War Cables.) —The British, striking eastward from Arras, in a new attack this morning, are reported to have reached the Wotan section of the old Hindenburg line, between the Scarpe and Cojeul rivers. Two villages on the line and one just west of it were captured.* A penetration of at least two miles haal heen made. The battle is now raging on a front of nearly 30 miles between the Scarpe and Somme. Additional progress has been made on both wings of this front. On the remainder of the active front between the Somme and the Aisne, only violent artillery fighting was reported, except slight advances* by the French north of Roye and between the Ailette and the Aisne. Fighting is reported proceeding at Heninel. The line of battle, starting with on the Scarpe Aver, follows?] Monchy-le-Preux, Guemappe, Wffncourt, Heninel, Croiselles, east of Mory,] Favreuil, Avesnes, Eaucourt-l-Abbaye, Matinpuich, west of Basentine-le- Petit, Mametz and Carnoy and then proceeds to the Somme, just to the west’ of Maricourt. There is little change south of the Somme except that the British line has been improved to the east of Chuignes. The total casualties of the British third and fourth armies from Wednesday to Sunday is estimated at about 23,502, it was learned today. In the same period about 20,000 prisoners have been taken. The British in yesterday’s fighting north of the Somme advanced as far as Longueval (less than three miles northeast of Combles), according to Reuter’s dispatch from the front today. • * * * LONDON, Aug. 26. —(2:15 p. m.) —The British, in their new attack along the Scarpe, have reached the old Hindenburg line, it was learned thia afternoon. They arrived at the Wotan section of the line at Monchy-le-Preux and Guemappe (five miles southeast of Arras, on the Cojeul river), capturing- • both of those villages. ♦ * * LONDON, Aug. 2 6.—(1 p. m.) —This morning's attack was launched between the Scarpe river and Fampoux and the heights northeast of Neu ville-Vitasse. In a few hours the British made an advance of two miles on a front of four miles, according to advices received here from the battle front. (An advance of two miles due east of Arras would put the British on the old< Hindenburg line.) < Monchy-le-Preux, Guemappe and Wancourt, a little less than five milea southeast of Arras, have been taken in today’s attack. Farther south th® British have taken Mory and made progress to the southeast of the village. In the battle area south of the Somme, General Debeney's French army has captured Fresnoy-les-Roye, about three miles north of Roye, according! to today’s dispatches. General Mangin’s army also has made a slight ad* vance between the Ailette and the Aisne. Four hundred prisoners wer® taken by this army yesterday. : The towns of Monchy-le-Preux, Guemappe and Wancourt were on th® Hindenburg line as it stood prior to the German drive on March 21. In thi® sector the Germans drove ahead slightly, but were held up after the day of the fighting and after that time could not get nearer Arras. j This morning’s attack apparently was between the Cojeul river and thQ( Scarpe and adds about four miles to the length of the battle front. * * * PARIS, Aug. 26.—(1 p. m.) —The Germans today attempted a counter* offensive on a large scale against the right wing of General Mangin's armyj in the region between Vailly and Soissons, nprth of the Aisne. The attack! failed utterly. General Mangin’s army repulsed the German onslaughts everywhere! and in some instances gained ground. The French flung back the attack-J ing troops even beyond their starting points. Coucy Outflanked: Mangin Reviews Great Offensive PARIS. August 26.—(4 p. m ) —The battle was resumed on a large scale be tween the Oise and the Aisne today. The French are pressing northward and east ward in the Ailette salient to force the defenses east of Noyon and west of j Coucy-le-Ihateau. preparatory to open ing the way for a decisive drive toward < the Somme in the Ham-St. Simon re- j gion. , .. | Strong forces have pushed across the - Ailette and Coucy-le-Cnateau is already > outflanked from the north. The Ger mans are resisting energetically along . the ridge and forest ncrth of Coucy. East of Bagneux, French troops there have passed eastward beyond the Sois- | sons-Chauny railway. » Huns Retreating Before Australian Forces in France- LONDON, Aug. 26. —The official cor respondent wtih the Australian forces tn France telegraphs:' ; "The Germans are retreating, fight ing rear guard actions. On Saturday, night ammunition dumps could be seen j burning everywhere. "About 12.000 Germans have been cap tured by the Australians alone sfnce Au- ; gust 8, a much greater number than all the Australian casualties.” 20.000 Huns Captured by British Since August 21 i PARIS. Aug. 26. —(Havas Agency.)— The number of prisoners taken by the I British since August 21 has reached 20,- j 000, the Petit Journal declares. According to La Journal, three new German divisions have been identified opposite the British. Since August S nearly fifty German divisions have been in the fighting against the British? Huns Driven Further Back North of Bapaume WITH THE BRITISH FORCES IN FRANCE. Aug. 26. —(By the Associated Press.) —British troops in their new drive on the Arras front this morning are reported to have entered the town j NUMBER 96. of Monchy-le-Preux and to have tured Orange hill. 1 North of Bapaume the Germans havai been driven farther back. According to) a report from the front lines the British.} have reached the • Bapaume-Beaugratraj road and have established) themselves! there. I The Germans are making great ef*4 I forts to hold aßpaume, but the town is} ; gradually being surrounded. j The British success this morning ini i pushing back the German line south-1 { east of Arras considerably relieves the) 1 position of that city. The battle this morning again ed the active front to the 1 fresh British forces launching a new at-i i tack from the river Scarpe to what here-- j tofore had been the left flank of the bat-)' I tie line. Everywhere the German lint* i is reported to have been beaten in as. ’ the British troops push forward. With) the customary "crash” bombardment ttio ' British went over at 3 o’clock this morning and seem to have made good progress. • There also has been considerable ac- ■ tivity north of the river Scarpe, where the British yesterday took some ground In the course of the night the Germans j counter attacked and got back a slight . portion of their losses. In the south there was new actjvity. : BAow the Scarpe the British continued I to push forward last night and . A vicious German counter-attack a« ! Eaucourt-l’Abbaye was repulsed with ■ heavy losses for the enemy while addi tional prisoners were captured by the ! British. South of Bapaume the Germans this , morning launched another heavy coun- I ter attack. The British permitted them ; to come up to the British trenches and i (Continued on Page 3, Column 3' See our warning on Page 2 and renew your subscription now. i' ’