PURSUIT STILL IN PROGRESS.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14860, 6 September 1918, Page 5

PURSUIT STILL IN PROGRESS.

MASSES SHELLED AT CLOSE

RANGE,

IMMENSE CAPTURES' OF BOOTY

SOISSONS PLATEAU

TAKEN BY FRENCH AND AMERI-

CANS.

(Reuters Telegrams.)

(Received Sept. 5, 7.25 p.m.)

LoncJon, Sept. 4

Reuters correspondent at British Headquarters, writing on Wednesday morning, says:—The great pursuit of the retiring Germans continues. The German rearguards are quite .unable to check our galloping batteries, which frequently-fired at the masses moving eastward at point: blank range.

The. fleods caused by the enemy daraixing the Sensee-Scarpe Canal increased yesterday, but have not seriously retarded bur progress. The amount of enemy war material to be cleared up in the territory over which we have swept is immense. Tho enemy had no time to destroy all the canal crossings

We rounded up yesterday over 2600 prisoners and 22 field guns. The booty at Richebou.rg St. Vaast, in. addition to that already cabled, included two 4.2 inch howitzers.

Scottish troops and a naval division The capture is one of the greatest feats lof the war. It is not a matter of hustling the retreating enemy. Most of the ground was won in the fighting a week ago: No one expected to recover the Kemmel-Neuve Eglise ridge, Bailleul and Estaires without many thousand casualties.

The enemy have given them up in order' to find troops to meet Sir Douglas Haig's advance towards Douai and Cambrai. Our victories are also freeing the French coalfields. ,■■' The enemy are now on the down, grade. They have been forced to break up eight divisions and appeal to the despised Austrians for help. Germany and the Allies have now each about 196 divisions, ours having an average greater strength, but the difference is not sufficient to enable Marshal Foch to strike a coup de grace. There must be no slackening of our efforts or it will postpone victory.

CABLE NEWS.

[Pbess Association.—Copyhight.]