FRENCH HAVE TAKEN HAM

AND SURROUNDING TOWNS

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Advance Carries Them Into Some of Most Important Hun Positions

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BRITISH DRIVE FORWARD SEVEN MILES

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French Enabled to Take Tergnier, Cutting Communication Lines Between Laon and St. Quentin — Hun Hordes Are Ruthlessly Destroying All Cities From Which They Are Forced to Retreat.

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(By United Press to The Bend Bulletin.

PARIS, Sept. 7. — Following a ten kilometer advance in which they captured Ham and Chauny, the French have seized the important railway junction of Tergnier, thereby cutting the German communication between St. Quentin and Laon, it has been authoritatively learned. So far the French have advanced an average of two miles on a 20-mile front, but in many places they have gone forward more than four miles. The communique says: “We have occupied Pithon, Sommette-Eaucourt, Dury and Ollezy. We are holding Cugny and have reached the western border of Genlis wood. North of Quincy we passed out of Aulers and Basoo-les-Aulers. South of Ailette we took Nanthuil-la-Fosse, Fort-de-Conde and Conde-sur-Aisne. North of the Vesle the situation is unchanged.

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By William Philip Simms

(United Press Staff Correspondent.)

PARIS, September 7. — With boundless rage the Hun hordes are first pillaging and then burning and dynamiting all of the cities and towns in their path as they retreat. The allied troops have only two words which express their opinion of the actions of the enemy, and these are “vengeance” and “reprisals.”

Military experts are confident that the Germans will be forced to give up St. Gobin highlands as well as Chemin-des-Dames, while the concerted advance of the British is distinctly menacing St. Quentin.

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By Webb Miller

(United Press Staff Correspondent.)

WITH THE AMERICANS ON THE AISNE, Sept. 7. — The Americans on the right of the line are continuing their advance toward the Aisne river at various points. At other places there is heavy machine gun fighting. Between Glenns and Romains the Americans are methodically wiping out machine gun nests and 41 prisoners, including two officers, have been taken. There is considerable German artillery fire on the right end of the wing and against our positions on the plateau.

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By John De Gandt

(United Press Staff Correspondent.)

PARIS, Sept. 7. — Chemin-des-Dames is under cross fire from the allied troops south of the Aisne and westward. The German occupation of St. Gobin is being menaced by the advance of the French.

General Mangni’s troops are filtering through the heavily wooded country in the direction of Anisey-le-Chateau, and at another point are reported to have reached the southern extremity of the Crosat canal, which places them at the gates of St. Simon. On the Aisne the French and Americans are near Vailly, and hundreds of thousands of German shells have been captured.

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LONDON, Sept. 7. — The British, after a seven-mile drive toward St. Quentin, have taken Hancourt, Field Marshal Haig has announced. They have taken Sorrel-le-Grand and Metz-Encauture and have penetrated Havrincourt wood, taking a number of prisoners. The progress on the whole front from Havrincourt wood was continued this morning more rapidly than had been expected.

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PARIS, Sept. 7. — The French have captured the Ham and Chauny and are half way into Teringer, taking the whole of Coucy forest and the town of Barsis. At some places they advanced ten kilometers.

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LONDON, Sept. 7. — British troops have advanced south of Peronne, capturing Monthy-LaGache, Vraignes and Fincourt.

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LONDON, Sept. 7. — Haig’s drive toward Higes and Havrincourt was continued today. As the army moved forward numerous fires were observed between the canal DuNord and the lower portion of the Hindenburg line, indicating that the Germans are evacuating it. One hundred and sixteen prisoners were taken during the night, making a total of 18,816 which have been captured since the first of September.

Prisoners taken in Flanders report that the enemy have put forces of French civilians at work repairing the old German front line in the neighborhood of Armentieres, building concrete dugouts.