THRILLING STORY OF FRENCH HEROISM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 302, 10 September 1918, Page 5

THRILLING STORY OF FRENCH HEROISM

HOW MANGIN'S ENGINEERS CROSSED THE CANAL

BRIDGE-BUILDING UNDER A TERRIFIC FIE

CZECH VICTORY IN SIBERIA ,

GRAVE PERIL OF BRITISH IN PET.ROGRAD

, The arresting feature of to-day's news from the Western battlefield is the thrilling story from Reuter's • correspondent with the French Army of the magnificent bravery of General Mangin's engineers at the crossing of the Ailette Oanal. The bridge was actually constructed under a shower of 'gronades and a murderous fire from a multitude of machine-guns, which lined the opposite bank and infested the adjoining wood, firing from every, tree. This appalling ordeal lasted for five days, and on tho sixth the oanal was crossed. The importance,of all these victories along the line, states one com- • "mentator, will be more apparent a s the operations further develop, which means to say that eaoli operation is shaping the courso of events on the Western front in the direction of a terrific climax. . Meanwhile fresh progress has been made in the latest operations, and on both the British and French fronts moro territory has been wrested from the grasp of'the ustirpers. The British have taken 19,000 prisoners during the first week of Septembor. The effect of all ' these stunning reverses upon tho public in Germany is a general' tightening of the strain, whioh, it is expected will assuredly break the ■German moral. There are, it is stated, 70,000 deserters in Berlin alone. The Czech victory in Siberia has relieved tension at Vladivostok; linked up Eastern and Western Siberia, and paved tho way for a considerable advance. : Thirty British residents are stated to have been arrested, and will be held as hostages for the recovery of Lenin. "If he dies," states the message, "they will die."