New-York tribune. [volume], August 31, 1918, Image 1

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IS GUARANTEED
f?Unme
First to Last ? the Truth: News ? Editorials ? Advertisements
WEATHER
Tartly cloudy to-day; to-morrow proV
ably showers; gentle sooth
winds.
Foil B*p?rt on Fa#e 10
Vol. LXXVIIT No. 26,221
(Copyright 1018?
The Tribune Asa'n]
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1918
* * ?
___. ?_ 5 In Greater ?w York and 1 THREE CENTS
TWO *L?nm j within commtitbiK distance | Klsevrhere
British Widen Gap in Hindenhurg Line;
Franco-Americans Advance Two Miles;
Hylan Fails to
Explain War
On Newsboys
Mayor Dodges Request for
Explanation of Order
Against Loyalists
Insinuates Tribune
Is Cause of Fight
Editor Renews Effort to
Make Executive Show
Where He Stands
Mayor John F. Hylan's answer to The
Tribune's request that he explain his
order that newsdealers who refuse to
buy Hearst papers they cannot sell be
deprived of their licenses has been re?
ceived by The Tribune.
In his letter Mr. Hylan dodges the
questions which he asked be submitted
I? him in writing, seeks to insinuate
that the newsdealers" opposition to
Hearst [-? due to Tribune employes, and
concludes with the intimation that the
thousands of dealers who seek to end
the Hearst, reign of terror are dis?
honest.
Mr, Hylan's letter is as follows:
City of New York,
office of the Mayor,
August 27, 1918.
?gden Re?d, Kgq..'
N'eiv York Tribune,
15J Nassau Street. City.
P'P" Sir: Your letter of August
22 with reference to newsdealers is
received. There is a rumor that
several of the so-called leaders of
the newsdealers, who have been more
or less instrumental in causing
troubi" among the dea'.ers, are direct?
ly o- indirectly on the payroll of The
Tribune. I have been informed that,
refor" your paper took up the matter
'o seriously, these men made propo?
sitions to another newspaper in this
city.
If the honest people who operate
newsstands were not annoyed by
these so-called leaders and agitators,
there would be little trouble with the
newsdealer'-. Very truly yours,
JOHN F. HYLAN, Mayor.
Tribune's Fosition Revealed
To this letter. Mr. Re?d, editor of
Tee Tribune, replied yesterday as fol?
low? : *
August 30, 1 913.
Hon. John F. Hylan.
Mayor of The City of New York,
City Hall, New York City.
Dear Sir: Your letter of August
27 has been received. The Tribune
asked you four questions touching
;ne city administration's attitude in
a public matter. It a3ked them first
verbally, through one of its report?
er?, and ihir,. at ;. our request, re?
duced them to writing. After a week
ha? elapsed you reply by telling us
what you have heard about our
relations with the newsdealers.
Your litter is so ambiguous that
it is difficult to answer, but I take
it that you wish to ask us if we
nave any newsdealers on our payroll,
and ?f the newsdealers did not come
to us with a proposition which led us
to cut the price of The Tribune to
them.
? Our answer to the first question is
"Y?--." and to the second question it
is ?4No.M
ihat you may thoroughly compre
ner.d the matter, and in order to keep
the record clear, I wish to make the
following statement:
At the time that all iho newspapers
**nr to the 2 cent price the news?
dealer? were given a temporary re?
turn privilege icr unsold copies. Due
to your own efforts and apparent
?ympathies for the newsdealers, this
Ptriod was extended to a sixty-dav
t*rm by the publishers. At the end
of that time the publishers took no
action to bring about the abolition
?* this wast?.
The Tribune, feeling that it was
unpatriotic to waste, paper in this
*?v, established a limit of 5 Der cent
ta its returns, in effect making the
BaP*r non -returnable with 70 per
**?t of the dealer? in the city.
Letter to Publishers
A? evidence of this feeling on the
?*n of The Tribune, the following
jgUr va* addressed to Bradford Mer?
rill, of "The New York American,"
?"??rman of '.he Publishers' Commit
*ft having in hand the requests from
?Re newsdealers for a concession in
Price af,,j a!l the other matters of
?h'ch the newsdealers were corn
P-aifi.ng, including the tyranny of
y>? Hear?? publications and the
African New? Company.
-, July 1. 1017.
Bradford Merrill. Esq.,
*M New York American.
New York.
D*?r Mr. Merrill:
in regard to the matter of return
*?l? ?fid non-returnable paper?, oar
'*ner? and directors feel that even
??' limited return of 6 per cent is
JWftnaibI? under the present eon
'-?t.or.t They feel that to transport
***-? lumber and other material?
? u*e labor to make these materials
??to p?j>er and then to waste this
H?>*r by means of the return pnvi
**Z* to the newadealers is unpatri
?*'*? and we cannot, therefore, con
_,."*? cannot cut out all return?
" _ otl"r P*P?r" remain fully
^^('Wit?nmd on l/ist paye
Riddling Haig
AMSTERDAM, Aug. 00.?In n
Berlin official statement given
out last night occurred the follow?
ing:
"As the result of the r>e< uliar
nature of the fighting the Hri..ish
never know whether the Germans
intend to accept their attack?! or !
abandon practically worthless ter- !
rain without fighting."
20 Years for
Haywood and
14 I. W. W's
Federal Judge Sentences
95 Organization Direc?
tors for Sedition
CHICAGO, Aup. SO- YV:iliam D.
! Haywood, "uncrowned king" of the In?
dustrial Workers of the World, and
iourieen of his chief aids in the con?
spiracy to overturn the American war ?
programme, were sentenced to twenty
vears in the Federal penitentiary at
' I.eavenworth, Kan., by Federal Judgr
K. M. Landis here late to-day.
Ten-year sentences were imposed on
thirty-three of the organisation's lead?
ers, five-year sentences on thirty-three,
, one year and one day on twelve deiend- \
ants and ten-day sen'encea on two
; cthers. Cases against Benjamin Schrae
ger, Chicago writer, and Piotro Nigra,
Soring Valley, 111., -Vj? continued.
AU sentences on th-- "our counts in
tiie indictment will rur concurrently;
I''::ic-; ranging from $20,000, on Hay?
wood and his chief aids, down to
i?.000 were imposed.
The combined concurren; Ptrtences
of the ninety-five I. W. W rrrtenced
to-day for anti-war conspiracy are 807
? years and twenty day?. .,,--,. the tota!
of fines is $P>,130,000.
"These fines appear tc h? necessary."
said Judge Landis, in sentencing the
defendants.
"If they are not. I will cut them off,
but I will put them on to avoid any
question."
"It is the closing chapter in Amer?
ica's biggest criminal case," said Frank
; K. Nebcker, chief prosecutor.
Confident of New Trial
"We are confident a new trial will
be granted," said George. F. Vander
veer, chief council for the defpnee.
Before pronouncing sentence on the
i defendants Judge Landis reviewed at
i some length the salient points in the
?government's case, laying especial
stress on the I, W. W. preamble de
'; ciaring eternal war en the employing
j class and denouncing war with other
?nations; the meeting of the executive
! board after America hi entered the
i war, at which It was decided to expel
j members entering military service, and
! later the concerted plan by strikes and
! rebellion to block war measures.
"In times of peace you have a legal
| right to oppose, by free speech, prep
', aratioris for war. But when war has
'been declared, that right ce< ~cs forth
' with," was the court's closh ? remarks.
There was a deep silence in the court
room as Haywood and his fourteen
! chief assistants were caiied before the
; bar. As "Big Bill" aro3e f r jm his scat,
a group of women, who hud ^-;cn weep
nig, started a mild ovation, which
i quickly was silenced.
' Ceorge Andreytchine. the young Rus
? sian poet whose stormy career since
: his exile from Russia for plotting a
revolution is an outstanding phase of
i the I. W. W., wag next called. As he
stepped forward he smiled and blew a
1 kiss to his pretty bride, who waved hoi
i handkerchief.
Then followed Ralph Chaplin, an
, other poet, smiling and confident, and
f'arl Ahlteen, Minneapolis, editor oi
; "The Alarm," pale and nervously twist'
ing his cravat.
Vincent St. John, who formerly hele!
I Haywood's office of general secretary
treasurer, was sentenced to ten year!
, at Leavenworth. J. A. '.?acDonald
' Seattle publisher of a radical paper
wai sentenced to ten years, while J. T
'"Third Rail Red") Dorar, a Westcrr
Coast leader, and Herrines George, ol
Pittsburgh, whose printed vision o1
President Wilson and '.is Cubinet ?r
night before an army c< I. W VV.'s whi
an important factor in '.he trial, re
ce I ved sentences of five ye^rs each.
Ninety-live Lender* Sentenced
Those sentenced to twenty year?, be
?ides Haywood, were:
' firl Ahlteen, Minneapolis; (h?org
Andreytchine, Chicago; Forrest Kd
ward?, Minneapolis; Ralph Chaplin
Chicago; Leo Laukki, Duluth; Aurelh
i _.__?.__
' Continued on U?m? pay?.
Congress to
Get Revenue
Bill Monday
Ways and Means Commit?
tee Makes Six important
Changes
Measure $350,000,000
Shy of $8,000,000,000
Discrimination Between i
Earned and Unearned
Incomes Eliminated
By Theodore M. Knappen
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30.- After mak?
ing s?-; important charges in the draft
the Ways and Means Committee an?
nounced to-day that excepf for the in?
corpor?t ion of the changes agreed
upon, the addition of some minor pro-'
visions and some textual changes 'ho
$S,OHO,000.000 revenue bill was com?
plete and would he given to the public
Monday or Tuesday morning, according
to whether the Hcuse is in session
Monday 'Labor Day) 'ir not.
The six charges ar?:
First? Eliminating nil discrimination j
between earned and unearned income I
and ''Xing the normal income tax rate'
at G per cent for portion* of i:icornes
?between exemption , mits and $1.000 :
and i '..' per cent foi portions above
$4,000 (instead of 10 p'?r cent, as first
decided, and then at 10 and 13 per cent;
"ii earned and unearned income, re- :
? poctivcly I.
Second---Providing that th- addi?
tional tax or 6 per cent on undis?
tributed profits and surplus si-.;,11 not
apply to Mich portions of profits and
surplus as are devoted to debt paying.
Third?Decreasing the surtax rntc.t
in the higher grades of income corre?
spondingly to the increase in the nor- :
mal rate.
Not lo Tax State Bonds
Fourth?Abandonment of the tenta?
tive decision lo r.ax id? securities of
states and other political subdivisions.
Fifth?Enlargement, o/ the Treasury
Department's discretionary powers in
dealing with the determination of tax?
able income in eases where the appli- i
cation of the ordinary definition of in?
vested capita] would work a manifest
hardship.
Sixth?Excision of the 10 per cent;
"catch" clause intended for nil corpora- :
fions having a capital of $1,000,000 or
more that might not be reached prop?
erly by the excess profits or war profits j
method.
Chairman Kitchin announced a vir- i
tuul conclusion of the committee's es- |
sential work following a conference be- |
tween a sub-committee headed by him- ;
self with Secretary McAdoo and other!
Treasury officials at the Secretary's of- I
flees.
Two Chief Topics
The two chief topics considered at
this conference were the proposed dif?
ferential between earned and unearned
income and the additional <i per cent;
tax en surplus and undivided profit.
As to the forr er it was decided that
with the complications caused by a
split normal tax, that is R per cent
under $4.000 and 12 per cent above
and the abandonment of a differential
above $20,000 or $25,000 the problem
of allocating and determining the dif?
ferences between earned and unearned
income would be too difficult.
So a flat normal rate of 12 (6 per
cent under 54,000) was determined
upon. This flat rate, however, removes
the discrimination against earned in?
come in the present law, where it is
taxed 12 per cent abovi $0,000?of
which 4 per cent is inconi; tux and 8
! per cent excess profits. On the 18 per
j cent tax on undistributed profits and
surplus of corporations, Secretary Mc?
Adoo held that there should be no such
I tax. The committee, however, was not
; able to agree with hirn in full on this
point.
The conference wa?. represented on
! both sides as being harmonious, and
? no mention was made of the heavy
| excess profils rates to which the Sec
? retary remains opposed. He present?
ed very clearly and conclusively the
I need of wide discre' ionary powers in
applying the war profits and excess
; prolits taxes, but did not insist on
greater latitude than the last draft of
the bill gives, which :s very consid?
erable.
It is understood that the Treasury
will make no effort to change the bill
while it is before the House, but the
? Senate will be relied upon to pare it
; to Treasury pattern.
Present Draft of Bill
, As the bill now stands in its final
! state its salient features, as compared
1 with the present laws, which it re?
places with n single statute, are:
Personal incomes: Normal tax 12
per cent on income over $4,000, and ?
I por cent on income below that figure
i down to the exemptions, which remain
' the same a* at preoent, as against I
and 2 per cent under the present law.
Personal incomos, surtaxes Greatly
increased, doubled and trebled in lower
and middle grades, but not yet pre
cinely determined. .
Corporation Incomes Normal 12 per
Continued on last poye
,__?___-'
Germany Puts Ban
On Papers From
Allied Countries!
LONDON'. Aug. 30. ?The sale of !
newspapers published in Allied coun?
tries has been prohibited in Germany !
for some time. Previously English,
French and American newspapers j
could easily be bought at shops and j
bookstalls and were allowed to circu- ;
late freely, but now they are obtain?
able oily by special permits, which
are issied to privileged persons, such
a? members of the Reichstag.
The prohibition apparently is in- ?
tended to counteract, the growing
pessimism of the German pecple, and
is attributed to fear on the part of i
the German military authorities lest :
the truth about the American effort
should become known.
Tom Hitchcock:
Escapes Enemy j
Prison Camp:
*
Safe in Switzerland, After
Jump From Train and
80-Mile Tramp
?.- I
(B\t The Associated Press)
BERNE, Switzerland, Aug. 30.?Lieu?
tenant Thomas Hitchcock, jr.. of West- !
bury, Long Island, who, while a mem- j
her of the Lafayette Flying Squadr/^J
last Ma,,,,, was capturra Try the tic
mans, has escaped from a German '?
prison camp and has arrived her?.
Hitchcock, who is tho eighteen-year- I
old son of Major Thomas Hitchcock,
jumped from a train near Ulm, i:i
W?rttemberg, >.ru\ walked eighty miles j
to the Swiss border near Schaffhausen. i
The aviator is returning to the United j
States immediately.
HEMPSTEAD, L. L. Aug. 30 Word
of the escape of Lieutenant Hitchcock,
or "Tommy." as he is best known
throughout this section of Long Island,
aroused tremendous interest, not only I
among residents, hut at the Mine?la
Aviation Field, which is under com?
mand of his father. His parents, who i
were in Red Bank. N. J., to-day, were
informed over the telephone of the es?
cape of their son.
Major Hitchcock was overjoyed at
the news that his son had escaped. "I
always thought my boy would take a
chance if it presented itself and I am
extremely glad to know he has been
successful," he said.
"I'm not surprised a bit,'' Mrs. Hitch?
cock declared. "Although there has
never been even the faintest hint in
any letters we have had from our son
while he was confined in German
prisons that he had give? thought to
the question of escaping, I was certain
from the start that sooner or later
he would manage to get away."
Much the same sentiment as Mrs.
Hitchcock expressed was held by the
scores of friends of the young lieu?
tenant who were told of the news.
Plans have already been set under way
for a welcome when he comes back,
which promises to be the most re?
markable event of its kind ever held
on Long Island.
Prisoner Nearly Six Months
Lieutenant Hitchcock was captured
en March 6, after a fight with three
enemy 'planes. He fell behind the Ger?
man lines.
After being confined at the prison
camp at Saarbr?cken. Lieutenant Hitch?
cock was transferred, first to Gicsen
and later to a camp in Bavaria. His
letters have indicated that he was being
well taken care of and a slight wound
J he received in the light, which ended
I in his capture, healed without causing
| him any difficulty.
! Before the united Stales entered the
war Lieutenant Hitchcock was known
throughout Long Island as a horseman
! and polo player. He left St. Paul's
; School, at Concord, N. IL, whero he was
? a student, last year and tried to enlist
| in the American Aviation Corps. He
j was rejected because of his vouth. He
: then went to France where he was ad
' milted to the Lafayette Escadrille.
The young flyer received tho Croix
i de Guerre, following a fight he had
I last February in which he succeeded
' in downing two enemy 'planes. His
' promotion was rapid and he had risen
j to the rank of sergeant when captured.
He was made n lieutenant, while still
I a prisoner, by order of General P?
tain, as a reward for his valor in the
lighting which immediately preceded
his capture.
No announcement has been made as
In when he may be expected to reach
this country.
British Gains
ThreatenRout
Of Ludendorf f
Turning of the Hindenburg
Line by Haig Is Now
a Possibility
Home's Army Breaks
Powerful Defences
Drocourt-Queant Continua?
tion Almost Reached in
Smashing Drive
By Arthur S. Draper
{Special Cable In The Tribune)
C'o?v;rlglit, inn. hj Thn Tribune AasociaUon -
N'ew Vor:, Tribune)
LONDON, Aug. 30. The British
have made, magnificent gain.-; in the last
twenty-four hours. General Home's'
army has almost reached tho Drocourt
Queant switch line, having driven '
through powerful defences to the west.
From a military point of view and
as a factor with tremendous possibili?
ties there has been no more notable
advance in the last week than the Hril
ish made cast and southeast of Arras I
yesterday and to-day. It is within the I
realm of possibility that Haig may
turn the Hindenburg line and force aj
withdrawal, and even ??. ror
v i u
As he is attacking t-'.e ??merry's north- '
ern flank on a twelve mile front if
wou.d he possible for his forces to
crash through the German defenses in
great numbers. The capture of Hau
court, Riencourt and Bul'ecourt came
after desperate fighting, I ut the Scot?
tish, English and Canadians have been
able to continue toward Mamblain-les
Pres and Eterpigny, both of which are
in the Drocourt-Queant defensive line.
Progress Astride the Scarpe
Astride the Scarpe the progress has
been equally good, the fiercest fightincr
extending along the Arras Cambrai road.
From Baupaume to the Somme the
progress has been exceedingly rapid.
The Australians have crossed the river
west and south of Pcronne, having
quickly brought up the necessary pon-,
toons.
Though the retreat in the centre and
the fall of Bapaume. P?ronne and
Noyon in rapid sequence have been
much more spectacular than the ad?
vance east of Arras, the progress on
the north is infinitely more important.
The enemy can fall back from seven
to ten miles further in the centre and
still have the Hindenburg line for de?
fence, but in tho north he is decidedly
in a bad way.
Behind the Droucourt-Qu?ant line he
has another defence at Douai, but his
chief reliance is placed on his present
line, which now is threatened so seri?
ously by Homo's army.
Ludendorff Saving Men
In every way Ludendorff ?s trying to
conserve his strength, and when he
counter attacks so often anil so vigor?
ously in the north it is perfectly plain
that he is extremely nnxious. As
Haig's reserves are far from exhausted,
developments on the front before
Arras can he watched with the great?
est confidence.
The Canal du Nord is furnishing a
resting placo so much desired by the
! sorely tried German troops. That their
rest w'ill be short is certain, for Haig
has lost no time in crowing the river
to the north.
This is the most critical stage of the
? whole battle, but fortunately the odds
i this time are all with Foch.
i Tug Escapes U-Boat
After Being Attacked
10 Miles Off Maine
AN ATLANTIC PORT, Aug. 30. The
j crew of the tug Triton, which reached
I here to-day, reported having been fired
; upon by an enemy submarine off Boons
j Island during the day. It was very
i foggy at the lime. The tug changod its
? course and raced for safety.
| Boone Island is within about ten
I miles of the southern extremity of the
I Maine coast, off York. Only a com
: parattvely short distance further south
I is the naval station of Portsmouth,
1 N. H.
"Ding" Is On Vacation
Auto Trip Lands U. S.
Surgeons as Prisoners
By Wilbur Forrest
'Special Cable-to The Tribune)
(CopJTiffbt, 181S, by TTin Tribun? Association?
New York Tribune)
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
IN THE FIELD. Aug. 30.?A
major and a captain, both of the,
American Medical Corps, are pris?
oners of Germany as the result of
accidentally running into the enemy |
lines in an automobile, it was learned i
to-day.
The auto was found between the
lines, destroyed, bu^ best possible in?
formation now received is that both
doctors and their chauffeur are safe
in German hands. They aided the
German wounded in an advanced
dressing station near the front for :
several days.
They wen* to the first line trenches
near Fismes to establish an advanced
American dressing station, but as
the result of the captu-e they were
forced to establish i- German sta?
tion. Both sneak German fluently.
Earth Shivers
As Americans
mash Enemy;
Yankees Used by Foch as
Shock Troops in Attack
North of Soissons
By Wilbur Forrest
l Special Cable to The Tribune)
Copyright, 101? by Mm Tribuno Association?
New York Tribune.
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
NORTH OF SOISSONS, Aug. 29
(N'oon) (delayed). -Acting as shock
troops, the Americans advanced to?
day, taking part in Foch's great at?
tack. I have been on the ground
over which our troops went for?
ward. The advance began at sun?
rise and before long they had dis-!
appeared over the undulating bat- [
tlefield, with the enemy fighting his
usual rearguard and machine gun
actions.
At this particular,part of the line,
which is the most important strategic
sector of al!, Cue enemy is being out?
fought and beaten. France's fast
little Renault tanks preceded the in?
fantry, and the stories of both are
epic.
At daybreak to-day the Franco
American guns of all calibres, which
have been massed in the sector since
Tuesday, let loose with an inferno
which made the skies tremble and
the earth shiver. The miles of fiery
stabs along the ridges and in the
beautiful valley of the Aisne re?
sembled a thousand fireflies on a
summer night. These were the Al?
lied guns firing. Westward I could
see their thousands of shells explod?
ing in the German positions.
News of Success Arrives
Then the guns ranged the entire
line and a wall of flame crept ahead
of the Franco-American manrwavea
and tanks as they left for the attack.
Two hours later, at a great dugout
where both French and American
generals were assembled, reports of
success began to filter back from the
first line oy means of aeroplanes,
telephone wires and pigeons.
Three hours after the attack be?
gan American officers were talking
by telephone to comrades in a vil?
lage held by the Boche during the
night. Wounded and prisoners were
coming back at 10 o'clock, though
more prisoners than wounded.
A wounded lieutenant who left
Berlin, Wis., a few months ago for
Berlin. Germany, told me in an ad?
vanced dress-ng station:
"I won't get there, perhaps, but
from the way our men were going
when I got mine, it locks like they'll
arrive."
Before noon thousands of men
were crossing. They were silhou?
etted atop the ridges. They were
; the reserves moving into position.
I It was the most remarkable scene I
have witnessed in this war. The re?
serves follow close behind the first
: line of advance. When the first line
i fags the reserves pass through. A
, famous division formed the reserve
; behind the Americans. It is the high
! est honor General Foch could pay
i American troops. At this hour they
have entirely upheld his confidence.
'Plane? and Guns Massed
The Tribune correspondent spent
the night in a stone quarry, which is
one of many in this region, and
a short distance from the enemy
lines. It was dark Tuesday when the
American troops began to arrive in
Continued on page three
aig Overruns
erman Defences
ast of Croisilles
Enemy Fights Desperately and Makes Many
Sharp Counter Attacks, but Fails to Halt
Triumphant Onward March of
Allies Alors Entire Front
Teutons Driven From Bailleul
And Noote Boom, in Lys Salient
Many Villages on the Somme Are Captured by
English Troops; French, to the South, Push
Prussians Across the Canal du Nord;
Enemy's Ves?e Line Threatened
August SI, 2:30 A. M,
The Americans and French, attacking: the German Hank
positions north of Soissons yesterday, drove forward on a front
of three miles to a depth of two miles. They took the villages
of Cbavigny and Curries, and stormed Hill 159 and the heights
between Leury and Sois?ons, which dominate the enemy's posi?
tions behind the Aisne-Vesle line.
The British between the Somme and the Scarpe hammered
ihe German dofences with renewed violence along the whole
front, pushing forward for new gains of three miles at some
points, driving across the old Hindenburg line beyond Croisilles
?nd forcing their way close to the enemy's third defensive posi?
tion, the Drocourt-Queant switch line.
Germans Quit Two Towns in Flanders
On the Flanders front the enemy seems to have begun a new
retreat. Yesterday he gave up Bailleul and Noote Boom, in the
Lys Valley. The Germans are burning their stores in this
district.
The Germans fought desperately to block the onmarch of
the Allied armies, making sharp counter attacks, but failing to
halt Haig's men. The enemy is making a determined effort to
keep intact his Drocourt-Queant line, where a gap would
ntenace his whole army to the south.
In their advance before Arras the British captured the
villages of Bullecourt, Hendecourt-le-Gagnicourt. Cagnicourt,
Longatte. Ecoust-St. Mein, Reincourt, Vaulx-Vraucourt. Fremi
court and Bancourt.
Fighting Intense in P?ronne Region
Around P?ronne the fighting grew more intense with
stiffening enemy resistance. The British cleared the bend of
the Somme west of the city, capturing several villages and
throwing new forces across the river at La Chapellette.
Further south the French before Noyon struck heavily at
the German salient. Advancing from the west, Debeney's army
hurled the Germans back from the Canal du Nord and captured
the villages of Chevilly and Genvry, on the east bank. Hum?
bert's army, striking from the south, stormed Mount St. Simeon
and the adjoining heights.
Franco-American Attack Takes
Two More Towns Close to Soissons
i By The .A.**neia'*d Freuet
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY IN'
! FRANCE, Aug. 30 (Night)?-The
i French rnd Americans, under orders by
? Genera! Mangin, advanced to-day on
the plptoau north of Soissons to the
' western edge of Crouy, taking Cuffies
and Chnvigny after v? y hard fighting.
; Fnrth r nortli, between the Aiiette
; and the road from Couy to Chauny, tht?
1 struggle was equally severe. Tho
French occupied Chamns, 'he Daast
Wood, Praast and Villette.
Genera! .Margin now has gained *
strong foothold on the north bank of
the Ailette and the plateau north of
Sois^or.R, occupying positions of great
interest with a view to future oper
at i on?.
PARIS, Aug. 30. -North of Soissor.e,
?where the Americana are fighting "with
' the French, the village? of Chavlgny
! and Cu??es hav? been captured and the
! Allied line advanced to the ves: of
I Crouy, according to the official com
munication issued to-night. North?
west of Noyon the Canal du Nord has
been crossed by the French at Catijrny
and Bcaurains.
l/?V The Associated Press)
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Aus:. 80 (ti p. m.).~While
thx French troops on the right ?Jid left
of the Americans on the front north of
Soisson* struggled forward to-day, th?
Americans sent thousands of rounds of
high explosive shells and shrapnel into
the German positions. They made lit?
tle effort to advance their line.
Late this afternoon some progr?s
was made by the Americans in the
region of Juvigny.
German Force Weakens
Since the Americans appeared on
Wednesday the Germans have displayed
stubbornness and skill. They have good
positions and are defending them in a
manner which would suggest that they
might even attempt a serious counter
a'tack. The positions of the Americans
are perhaps not so good and the con?
test seems to have narrowed down to
i one of comparative merits of officers
i and men of the two organizations.
Before the day was over the Germans
had begun to show signs of weakening
: and observer.? reported troon move?
ments which appeared to indicate a
regrouping and perhaps retirement.
The orders to the Americans were to
maintain a harrassing fire through the
day, and even the minor attack of one
' flank was decided upon only afteir the
1 r.dvanee mads by the French indicated
I its advisability.
Over the field the Amanean tnfatttarj