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WEATHER. Cloudy tonight and tomorrow, prob ably rain; cooler. Temperature for twenty-four hours ending: at noon today: Hijrhest. 87. at 5 r- vesterday; lowest, 65, at 7 a.m. today. u?i report on page 9. Member of the Associated Press Ike Aaasrtatafl Fnw la ?xeioslreir otitM te tk* at for repoMleattoa of all mri dlapetebee credited te it or sot otherwise credited is this ptptr ssd alee tka local new* published herds. All rights of pahUeatioa of epeelal dlspetehee hereia sro also riwrwl Yesterday's Net Circulation, 100,255 No. 27.150. WASHINGTON, D. C., SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1918?FOURTEEN PAGES. TWO CENTS. Closing New York Stocks, Pure 9. MILLION AND HALF U. S. TROOPS NOW IN OVERSEAS DUTY Effectiveness in War and 0 Service to Allies Praised by Gen. March. NO SPREAD-EAGLE TALK IN MILITARY PROGRAM Task for America Between Now and June, 1919. Ba^ed on Cold-Blood ed View of Department. That the number of troops embark ed for service abroad has now passed the 1.500,000 mark was the announce ment made- by (Jen. March, chief of staff, in his talk with the newspaper men today. He took occasion to pay *igh tribute to the effectiveness of ihe service of the men on the battle front and its value to the allies. He said that all reports coming to Washington speak of the splendid ? work of these men and of their en thusiastic confidence in the cause for which they are fighting and the suc cessful outcome of the war. People Here Ought to Be Proud. The American people, Gen. March said, have every reason to teel proud of the American soldiers and to have unbounded confidence in them. In every case, he said, they "have de livered the goods. * Gen. March said that the recent opinion he expressed before ihe mlt> tary committees of the House and ttenate as to the military program of this country between now and June. 1919, was the cold-blooded military view of the War Department, based upon knowledge of conditions and to be accepted by the country not as ?spread eagle talk" but as the firm conviction of the military authorities. . Officers' Confidence in Men. in discussing the confidence Ameri- j tan officers have in their men. Gen. March referred to reports made to ' him personally by American officers ?returning from France to take highqr j .lank in new divisions. One of these: described an action in which an American division captured sixty eight German guns and brought them back at the rear of Army trucks. Commenting upon the militry situa tion the chief of staff pointed out ?'that since last Wednesday the French j advance has "continued from the . 'plateau overlooking Noyon down to j the Oise river, making a maximum ; advance for these troop* of nine | miles since August 18. This has , forced the enemy back^ across the j oise. This division at the same time cap- , lured 3,500 prisoners. Another Ameri can division in a single action took ! ten cmplete German batteries and presented them to Gen. Pershng. British Duplicate French Success. The French success, he said, has ? been duplicated by the British who , inaugurated an attack Wednesday south of Arras. Rapidly advancing ? the British reached a depth of three ; miles, but their progress has been j held up by German counter attacks. ? The railroad to Arras still is in Ger man hands, according to latest offi- \ cial advices, and the Germans are util ising largely in their defense the j railway embankments. I The British thrust Thursday in the Albert section resulted in an impor- j tant advance between the Ancre and the Somme rivers, which. Gen. March j said. has developed a new salient. The rest of the line since Wednes- j day has been reasonably quiet, he ; cwiid, the allied activities being con fined to "nibbling" tactics and artil- I lery fire. Ho Becent Word on Field Army. No recent reports have come to the ! "department from Gen. Pershing re- i carding progress in the organization j r of the first field army. Gen. March was unable to say whether theh j t American divisions forming this army have been concentrated in the Ameri - ? can sector. The 79th division. District of Co lumbia. Maryland and Pennsylvania. men. who trained at Camp Meade, has reached France and is in training in j the rear of the lines. In answer to questions he said, that j the 83d division (Pennsylvania and * Ohio troops), was serving as a re placement division; the 37th (Ohhio) 1 Is in the 4th army corps. No Casualties Withheld From Public Knowledge, Gen. March Assures The Senate military affairs commit tee was assured by Gen. March at its weekly conference today that stories of great unpublished American casu alties overseas are wholly false. All J casualties among the expeditionary forces are given to the public as promptly as the cables can transmit them, he declared. The chief of stafT, without discuss ing iit detail the great allied forward movement now under way. said the situation on the western front now Aras decidedly favorable to the allies. Further improvement in the ship ping situation was noted. Gen. March taid the program of transporting troops to France was going ahead without change. The subject of casualties was brought up by the senators, who said they had received letters from many! ?sections of the country from persons j claiming that complete information | was withheld. Gen. March explained the system un- j der which the families of men men tioned on the lbrts are notified as i quickly as the cables can be checked | and the complete lists tra%mitted to ? the newspapers for publication. To avoid giving the enemy information as to casualties on a given date or as to the identity of units the names are divided among the daily lists for the papers, but no name is withheld. Paid as Fast as Possible. Gen. March told the committee that because wounded Americans had been > taken to widely scattered hospitals, many of them being brigaded with al lied troops, considerable difficulty is experienced in compiling the lists. Complaints received by senators from soldiers invalided because of wounds of delays in receiving their pay while detached from their com mands. were brought to Gen. March's attention. Some senators declared they had received thousands of com plaints. not only from the men them selves, but from their families. Gen. March assured the senators that everything was being done to expe dite the payment of these men. t Workers for Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., Government and Other Involved Organizations. RELIEF MAY BE FOUND BY DAVID LAWRENCE. (Copyright. 191*. by the N'",Tork?E,f?i?l root Company.)' i Extension of the draft ages to em brace men between eighteen and forty-five years of age wilt include so many workers for the Red Cross. liberty loan, war savings stamps. Y. M. C. A.. Knights of Columbus, th district and local boards of the selec tive draft machinery Itself, as well as income tax workers, that some policy must soon be evolved to pre vent the disruption of these necessary activities which after a year's ex perience have finally created smooth ' working organisations. The provost marshal's office admits that this is one of the toughest nuts it has to crack. The question already ; has been ra,sed by '^widespread desire of so many men hitherto elfc. eaeed in these activities to enlist or try tor commissions In the training : C^-!enry P. Davison, chairman of the Red Cross war council, drew Presi dent Wilson's attention to this per olexlnir rrn'ilepi in a recent letter. Mr. Wilson's reply gives some of what Jihe government would like to do, but it does not reveal the gen 1 erul rule which probably will be fol : lowed. President Extends Hope. i But. first, it Is worth while to ex amine- the text of the President's let ter to Mr. Davison, in which he said. "1 hope that the action we have tak en in the matter of voluntary enlist ments will help a little in the solution of the difficulties created for the American Red Cross by the pr^ab,J? extension of the draft ages. If tne government does the "electing It can with a due regard to the in ierests of all services, government or w thout whereas we nermitved men liable to be draltea To rush in and supply l?r *? ? ? commissions, there would be chaos, In de"As the American Red Cross is-uch an important auxiliary to our armed forces and is already extending re lief not only to our people at home but' to the peoples of the ""J'??*j sociated with us who are Huffering a a result of the war. I hope that every i man connected with the work either at precfattorT of?fts and wlll other and clearly more important duty." ** Draft Boards Affected. The draft boards themselves have b?.en working hard during the past year. Many clerks and assistants, men whose familiarity with the thousand and one different cases that come up ,s absolutely essential to the efficient and just administration of the new law. will themselves become eligible '"strfcU^speaking they are not a part of the Army machinery for it ? _ vp(>n the governments plan to them a part of the civilian ma chinery of the government through S ce^ oVourwar^prosram as the many pundei the'origTnal selective service ??C,mdene??nt!:r?rin0du.rr" Now the law Will embrace those engaged in cupations nowadays. Exemption for Select Men. Therefore it will devolve upon the heads of these civilian war organisa tions to comb their personnel care fully and select the men they abso lutely need to carry forward their work. Deferred classifications-can be asked for these men by the execu tives without involving the individual ,nBauty.tC'wm have^tcTbV proved that h rran for whom deferred classi iirto^^Uo7to%e;ia?creBMrtl0n Undoubtedly the services of women will com? more into demand. In Siiiand It is estimated that nearly 80 per cent of the war work at home heins done by women. There are many^ar activities which are now being handled by men between the aees of thirty-one and forty nvc wSh,ch can be taken care of by women as well as bx men over forty-five who have not yet bestirred themselves to the importance of giving some of their time to the government. Deferred classifications there will un doubtedly have to be for many em ployes of the draft boards, else there would be serious interruption and embarassment in the machinery when the eatn in man-power by an abso lute rule would be negligible. Bat It would not be surprising to see the government appeal soon to men over forty-five to come forward together with the women of all ages to do war work and release the able-bodied men for the all important task of winning the victory next year. PERUVIAN ARMY REVOLT Colonel of Engineer* Lead* Men in March on Hnacho?Loyal Troop* is Pursuit. By the-Associated Press. LIMA. Peru, August 24.?Col. Patlno Zanjudlo of the engineer corps of the Peruvian army has begun a revolt at the head of his regiment. The engi neers are said to be marching north ward from Ancon. a suburb of Lima, to Huacho. Loyal troops have been dispatched to give battle to the revolu tionists. There Is much uneasiness In Lima and the president has visited all the barracks. Reports are that there IS quiet elsewhere In the republic. AT WDM l/lan-Power Bill Amendment Would Draw Them Into War Service. HOUSE GALL*tlES FILLED The man-power bill commandeer ing the men of the nation between eighteen and forty-five years 6f age for military service Is before the Hcuse today, with the prospect tha it will be passed before night. As reported to the House from the com mittee of the whole, this bill fulfills all reoommendatlons made by t e Secretary of War and the general stair. The first amendment considered In the committee of the whole when the House met today wan the Madden amendment Including federal em ployes In the draft. This amendment caused a free-for-all discussion when presented late yesterday afternoon. It was argued with heat again o day. The Madden jmendment pro vides: What Amendment Provides. ?That no Krsdrt employed In any of the executive departments *he government, government estabUsn mcnts boards 5r commissions, now or hereafter, shall be exempt by reason Of such employment from military duty under the provisions of this act. i The ealleries were crowded when the House met today and thousands of government employes who would be drawn into the military orK*ni" tion under this amendment took ad vantage of their half holiday In the government establishment to bepres ent during the debate in the House. Age Limits Fixed. Draft age limits were fixed at elght ..n to forty-five years by an over whelming vote by the House in the committee of the wholelast Mght ! Every amendment offered to iavor the boys of eighteen and nineteen was d WUheiywbhoaopnand cheers the mem bers voted to Include themselves in the draft, adopting an amendment offered by Representative Gregg of Texas to make every legislative and executive official of the United States government and of the state govern ments liable for military service. This win affect 115 members of Congress. Aliens who are subjects of any coun try allied with the United States in the war are also made subject to the 4 In'the midst of confusion and uproar over a proposed amendment by Kep resentatlve Madden of 'lUnols. to make government employes liable ?o draft, the House hurriedly adjourned at 7 o'clock, deferring the Anal vote on the man-power bill until today, i A*rfe?itori la recognised as a. In dustry essential to- the JHSffLiS j amendment by Representative Camp- 1 bell of Kan fas. approved by the House, providing persons engaged ln that work shall be exempted from the dia.fT.. ( ' | Dramatic Touches in Debate. Dramatic 'touches were given the debate in the House by Representative Tilson of Connecticut, who called. amid cheers, upon four marines In the irallerles to stand in evldenoe that youths of eighteen "lake excellent soldiers. This was after Representa tive Olney of Massachusetts aroused Hented a small eighteen-year-old page in soldier coat and trench helmet to support his claim that eighteen-year olds are mere children. Representa tive Olney of Massachusetts accused the patriotism of the House members during the debate by declaring Brlt it;h and Pernch officers conceded that It was the American marines who at Chateau Thierry stopped the German rush In July and saved pa"8' Representative Olney said a cabinet member told him Thursday the Presi dent was much Interested in seeing the original War Department program carried out and was opposed to any amendment that would interfere He declared that as a result of the all ed retreat before the last German drive on the Marne two allied generals were court-martialed and another commit ted suicide. British and fr?nch??~ oers concede, he saJd. that 10.000 American marines, flanked by fou regiments of American regulars, saved Paris by refusing to retire at Belleu wood before a dosen or fif teen Prussian regiments. Boy vs. Slacker. Representative Hardy of Texas said it seemed to him a question as be tween the elghteen-yeax-old boy and the slacker and he was for the eight e Representat^re Meeker of Missouri said the Marine Corps advised him that the average age of marines in the service is twenty-six. "Is It not a shame,' asked Repre sentative Chandler. New York, that a nation of 110.000,000 population can Sot raise an army of 4.500.000 men without calling o-ut the elghteen-year ? Representative Reavis of Nebraska said France lost 33 per cent or her soldiers and has not yet found it nec essary to call out the eighteen-year-^ " Representative Fess of Ohio Mid he declined to vote to interfere in the slightest with the efficiency of the or zanization and action of the Army and that the only point to consider Is how to end the war In the least possible time with the least possible '"Representative Longworth of Ohio championed the War Departments Dian unchanged, and remarked that the President had been compelled to turn from the chairman of the mili tary committee to Representative Kahn of California, republican, for support for the vital war necessity as outlined In the bill. The Senate resumed considerat.on of the bill, with the probability that a final vote on the measure could not be obtained until next week. So many amendments have been offered which, it Is believed, will lead to consider able debate and prevent passage of the bill today. However, the Senate has made considerable progress with the consideration of the bill and an early vote 1s expected. The amendment' pending when the Senate met today was one offered by senator Shields of Tennessee, which provides that the civil service law. rules and regulations shall not apply to the wives of soldiers and sailors while their husbands are In active service during the present war. ?The tourpose of the amendment Is to permit the employment by the gov ernment of wives of men in the serv ice without compelling them to take Mvll service examinations and to Uke their places on the civil serlvce commission s lists. Amendments to Be Fought. Amendments which are expected to i??d to further debate are those ol i . (Continued on Second Page.) OPPOSES ALL EXPENDITURES NOT ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL Government's Capital Issues Committee Recommends Postponement of Public Utilities Extensions "Until Peace Comes.v Every extension of a street car line. | electric lighting system, water main, j street paving or other public utility enterprise not absolutely essential to ' the war should be postponed until peace times, said the government's capital issues committee in a letter sent today to all state public j utility commissions. These state bodies were urged not only to : frown upon additions and better i ments requiring capital expenditures, but also to remove from public serv ice corporations, if possible, the necessity of carrying.oat contract oj^ ^franchise obligations which might be dispensed with in the war emergency. The letter was the first of several measures planned by the capitul issues committee in co-operation with the Treasury and other financial agencies to draw tighter the nation's purse strings and prevent by a voluntary, though effective, method of supervi i sion the dissipating of capital in less | essential enterprises. Seasons for the Suggestion. "If the men, money and material which the government needs are to be made available for essential war pur poses," wrote the "committee to the state commissions, "there must neces sarily be a considerable degree of sac rifice on the part of individuals, com munities and corporations in adjust ing themselves to the substitutions and changed standards which the sit uation compels. Existing facilities must be made to serve in the place of new ones, regardless of temporary inconveniences and discomfort, un less the public health or paramount local economic necessity is involved. "May we suggest to you that these considerations apply with marked force to the public utility situation. The extensions and betterments which public service corporations are ac customed to make in normal times, either on the initiative of their own or by direction of the regulating commissions under which they oper ate, should in our opinion be post poned until after the war, unless an immediate war purpose is served, and may we ask of you considera tion of the propriety of deferring even the performance of contractual FEATURES. ? FACTS. FICTION IK THE NEW MAGAZINE SECTION 1 OF 1 TOMORROWS | STAR ; i ? "MERCY CAUSED OUR FIRST IN- J l " VA8I0N OF SERVANT." By Ctrl W. Ackennan. The German* the American Army wu storing tup. plies at Beumplix, near Bent, Switzer land. Propagandists spread the nunor; the pro-German press was mobilised and the Swiss were told that intended an invasion of Germany through neutral Switzerland. Bead of this great storehouse for supplies,.why it wss placed there and for +hom intended, in this unusual article of the . war fey a famous correspondent. * "HUH PRISONERS MARVEL AT STRENGTH OF AMERICANS." An 4 illustrated war feature from the front line trenches. ?TRAINING THE HEAVY ARTIL LERY AT CAMP ETJSTTS." "CZECHO-SLAV AND JUG0-8LAV NATIONS IN THE WAR." ?y Charles M. Pepper. "HUN PROPAGANDA CAUSES MERRIMENT AMONG . OUR SOL DIERS." v J ??THE OBSERVER WRITES OF THE SERVANT PBOBLEM." ??THE RAMBLER WRITES OF STERLING, VA." 0 IN THE " NEW MAGAZINE SECTION f ir TOMORROWS STAR otbhSat,i?cI,from franchise or military or 1 oca? e" V*' when no is served by^Ve^^"^3''*' Power of the Committee. which coifslsfs'o? of the committee. CharW Hamun e?.meKrnbers w,th federal reserve h^,H mber of 'he carries special weffin" chairman, committees oower n vlew of the Plications for issuanc?UP<7Vlse ap" bonds or other ?* stocks, tal purposes, and to withhoMri?Capi" proval if j* dfom. .h old its aP essential to the war R^nV?1 a,on' menu have j?hn^n .u .cent develop Tina orgaii Ilea filestore "dSSi bank*1 -.rssw?r tii Boad Building Under v. S. Control. mema?hrbou"h0"ft tSe K,reet ""Prove 'y Pass under fedwSICc?U",try, J,r??a' ?ar under reeulatit^, control for the the federal hiti! Is?ued today bv fective September To MCouffi are forbidden to furnish^S?^ ^c^urers -y project not .??*& lnclud?n|Sb1rfdge'an<iPo0?0se<l ProJccts. tion. the council Siv?. ^erf construc *111 Rive first coiSideratlonCe. that " tenance of hirhwavf . n J? main Pleted. and that reconKtrnJ.'n* y com approved only wh?e f, <Uet'?n wi" be maintenance no lo^er is p^Ucable' New- Construction Considered unfinished contracts vaiuc ?v sst^sn SiVnu5!r,.?rvs'rut.tr "?r! Ways of great in?Ti ? and high construction of which '{"portance the to such a point th,?. ?s ,pr?Kressed ship would result fr?i serlous hard The councn whieK^ Postponement, representatives of th? iv 00mposed of cultural department, W,tr and A?n"i- | and food administrations an* r?"road Industries boards ?1.1 ,he war that, in co-operation with ttf?n??unces ment of Arricultn^.-. i the Depart Hc roads and sute ???au <" Pub missions, it soon win befi^ay com" tlon of a 1919 street onj Prepara structlon and malnten.^g mmrnrn < smsmsml Berlin Say* Teutonic Craft Should Wot Replace Victims of TT-Boats. By the Associated Press AMSTERDAM. August ' -4 against"'the .nTT*'"'* P"*??ted~ against the intention of Spain to re ?e?nedSGiS?nanSp^'ssh tonna?f? by in-< officialstatement ufteS^nBwlfn.'0 "" Negotiations Pail. fi.^RIS'vAUKUSt 24 (Havas)._N'eKO tiations between rd,ji_ * over Spain's decision ti ?55 Madrid ish ships with German **ePlace Span sels have failed acrv^Ti *n*erned ves Parisien. Imperial rn?F to *he Petit i Hertllng does not dMlw"? ?.r von any guarantees ? to furnish warfare. It is said ilSi submarine ?ministry of Spain i's-m^i ? ? Maura position, it is said ?!T ? ainin?r 'ts |ng of the ministers it r.? meet" last night com DiemSebastian ?were reported in the' co?f? dectsions Germany. controversy with thlt^'Ipl'nW^-gust 21, stated lit. had been instriTteS ^d.?r,at Bei" German government ft,.? 'nfo"ft the utilise German "fill,*hat, Spain will Ish ports in place of . ? Span sunk by German ?iih~. PMlsh ships said that th?J?,'Vb?arJ"*a- It wa? in an official statem?2^ announced! meeting of the s?a "?L,88Ued after a San Sebastian. Panish ministry at joins ur on. tax protest. I protest torl?brlli^' *feilconfl?Ca,?ry I have^r^V.^ 3"<"' REPUBLICANS NAME LODGE AS LEADER Conference Demands' Early Vote on Woman Suffrage Resolution. SENATOR LODGE. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Mas sachusetts today was elected chair man of the republican conference of th^ Senate without opposition. This means that Senator Lodge is the re publican leader of the Senate, suc j ceeding the late Senator Gallinger of New Hampshire in that office. I The republican conference adopted a resolution demanding an early vote on the woman suffrage constitutional amendment resolution. The resolu tion follows: Text of Resolution. "That the republican members of the United'States Senate in conference urge that the consideration of House joint resolution 200 (the woman .'suf frage resolution) proposing an amend ment to the Constitution of the United States extending the right of suffrage to women, shall be proceeded with at the earliest possible moment; and be it further resolved, that we shall in sist upon such consideration imme diately after the disposidtion of the pending unfinished business, H. R. 11905, the emergency agricultural ap propriation bill with the war-time pro hibition amendment, and all amend ments thereto, and also that we shall insist upon a .final vote on the wom an suffrage amendment and all amendments pending or to be proposed at the earliest possible motpent; pro vided that this resolution shall not be considered in any way as binding the action or vote of any member of the Senate upon the merits of the suf frage amendment." Is Not Opposed. The resolution, which was adopted without opposition, was offered by Senator Fall of New Mexico. Senators who are opposed to woman suffrage have no objection to the resolution coming to a vote, because they believe it will be defeated. Senator Lodge, the new republican leader, acted as republican leader during the present session while Senator Gallinger was absent on ac count of illness. Hfs selection as leader was expected. He is the rank ing republican member of the Senate foreign relations committee, and is expected to play an important part when the deliberations over a peace treaty afe begun. Senator Lodge entered the Senate March 4, 1893, and has the longest continuous service record of any of th~e senators, now that Senator Gal linger is dead. POLICE BUKAK VP PARADE. Alleged Anarchists and I. W. W. Workers Distribute Literature. NEW YORK, August 24.?Police re serves last night broke up a parade said to be composed of socialists, anarchists and Industrial Workers of ttye World, who, thwarted in two efforts to hold, a meeting, marched through the upper east side, singing songs- and distributing literature which was said by the police to be seditious. Five arrests were made after a fight in which a policeman was hurt. Pamphlets headed: VThe Hypocrisy of the United States and Her Allies," similar to those thrown Thursday night from housetops in New York's cosmopolitan quarter, made their ap mraiw among "The crowd. i ifc.; BRITISH SMASH ON; 14,000 PRISONERS ALREADY BAGGED Haig's Men Less Than 2 Miles From Bapaume?Bray Reported Captured. ADVANCE IS VERY RAPID; 4 MILES ON 12-MILE FRONT By th* Associated Press. LONDON', August 24?British attacks in the Albert sector were resumed this 'morning, according to an official statement issued by the war office today, which says that the British ha\e made progress. In the fighting during the last three days the British have captured 14,000 prisoners. The British third army is advancing very rapidly. It ha? ! gone forward .in some places to the depth of four miles on a front j of twelve miles. FALL OF NOYON EXPECTED ANY MOMENT. The town of Noyon is expected to fall at any moment, according to information received here this afternoon from the battle front in France. WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE. August 24.? Bray is reported to have been captured by the British. WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE, August 24.?Several thousand German prisoners have passed through the cages behind Gen. Byng's third army today. No effort to count the guns captured has been made up to this time. The British were smashing through the German po sitions this morning all along the battle front. The British are reported to have captured Becordel and to have reached the high ground southwest of Fri court. The British have passed well beyond Happy Valley. MIRAUMONT SURROUNDED BY BRITISH. The situation at Thiepval was uncertain this morning. La Boisselle and Ovillers were reported to have been wrested from the enemy. The town of Miraumont appears to have been surrounded by the British. The British are reported to have reached Biefvillers, one and a quarter miles from Bapaume. Fighting is going o$ there and in the vicinity of Mory, some distance to the east of the Arras-Bapaume road. A batle is raging furiously in the vicinity of Bihucourt and Sapignies. The Germans are trying desperately to save Bapaume. Many Guns Seized. A large number of cannon, includ , lng complete batteries of howitzers i and trench mortars, have been cap tured by the British north of the Somme. Immediately south of the i river the British have taken twelve ? cannon. British forces are reported ? to have reached points east of Henin. on the Cojeul river, Ave miles south east of Arras. They are in the out skirts of St. Leger further south, and : have captured Ervillers. two miles I east of Courcelles. They are still ad j vancing. Behagnies Is Beached. The village of Behagnies. two miles antf a half north of Bapaume. on the Bapaume-Arras highway. has been reached by the British. British forces nr. operating east of Bihucourt. with in two miles and a half of Bapaume. OIThee battle continued successfully for the allied arms last night. The British advanced everywhere, and the enemy suffered heavy defeats. Achiet-le-Grand was reported taken late yesterday after heavy fiRht'ng. The British advanced beyond B'bu court. At the same time the British were reported to be still driving the confused Germans before them east of Henin and further south at St Leger and Ervillers. Sharp fighting has taken place along the Irles-Grevillers road. The Ger mans are reported clinging to Mirau mont, on the Ancre. northeast of Al bert. and to be fighting desperately. German Forces Confused. ? German prisoners say that it was expected by them that the British would stop at the Arras-Albert rail road. and the unexpected success against them had confused the German forces. Tired and depleted German divisions that had been withdrawn from th* battle since August 8 are being rushed back into the fight. Troops from the enemy's strategic reserve divisions, which had been held for later counter attacks, also have appeared along the front. British advance troops were report ed at one time last night to have reached Sapignies. just north of Ba paume. but they were pushed0 back slightly by an enemy counter attack. They are reported to be ^e-attacking this village. The town of Behagnies. just to the north, has been wrested from the Germans. The third and fourth British armies have since August 8 captured more than 30.000 men. The prisoners count ed since August 8 total 20,146 men and 598 officers. South of the Somme 1.000 Germans were killed in one combat. They were closely huddled in front of the British instead of being in their customary open order. The allied casualties are very small. French Take Breathing Spell On Southern Section of Line Bt the Associated Press. PARIS, August 24.?Artillery action in the region of Lassigny and be tween the Oise and the Aisne rivers is reported in /the official statement issued at the war office today. Raid ing operations in Lorraine also are "?Phe^French troops on the south-' ern part of the battle line apparently Ire taking a brief breathing ? spell afterdSys*of continuous] fightingrun der a broiling sun, leaving the Brit ish to go ahead with the offensive This is in accordance with the Foch system of striking first on one?section and then on an other section of the line. The Germans on the part of the front along the Divette between Las signy and the Oise stem to be putting up stout resistance. Gen. Humbert will neC time to perfect arrangements for overcoming the German artillery in this section. The German guns thundered all day Friday, but failed to prevent Hum bert's men from crossing the Divette in force at Evricourt. Between the Oise and the Aisne Gen. Mangin has made more secure his hold on the left bank of the Ailettc from its confluence with the Oise to Point St. Mard. west of Coucy-le Chateau. His right wing continues to work eastward, its object being to clear the region north of Soissons. The troops here already have seised the heights east of Bagneux and far ther north have reached the outskirts of Crecy-au-Mont. This advance brings them within reach of the main highway from Sois sons to Chauny and enables them to threaten with encirclements the strong German force occupying the high ground at Chavigny and Juvig ny. It is believed here that the Ger mans at Chavigny and Juvigny will be forced to retire eastward, aban doning all the ground west of the Soissons-Chauny high road. Allies Are Superior in Air; British Destroy 62 Machines By the Associated Press. LONDON, Friday, August 23.?Brit ish air fighting on the western front during the last week provides a strik ing indication of the difficulty now confronting Germany in the air, which must increase in the near fu ture as the growing air superiority of the allies makes itself felt In the battle area, probably owing to the recent heavy German air losses over the Somme battlefield, enemy scouts are compelled to operate in large formations at a much greater height than formerly. Notwithstand ing this, the British airmen continue to take a heavy toll of them. Severe air fighting has occurred on the front between Albert and the Amiens-Roye road, resulting, accord ing to latest reports, in the destruction of sixty-two enemy machines and the driving down of twenty-one airplanes out of control. Twenty-six British machines have been reported missing. This superiority has been attained without any diminution of the aerial t