Evening star., 1917-10-26
Decentralization Shown
in German Command;
French See Laon Towers

frenCn see ld0n lowers
BY the Associated Press.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
FRANCE. October 2e.--The French
have reached the Aisne canal and
Laon. eight miles away. is in sight.
Following UP the victory of Tuesday,
the French today took Monkey noun
tain. east of Eauxaillon, the village of
Pfnon and the forest of the same rame.
as well as the village of Pargny-Fi-
lain. Certain Generalization IN the
German command is shown by con-
Trajectory orders found on prisoners.
The question IS asked whether an
other retreat is intended.
Crossing the battlefield in the vicin-
fly OF vaurains and Saint Buillain
farms. the correspondent obtained am
pie evidence of the extent of the
splendid French victory. Hundreds of
prisoners in large groups were maxi
ing their way to the rear. marching
without escort. Damaged German
machine guns lay everywhere while
scattered around were heaps of am
munition, cannons and immense guam
titles of military material.
Captured in Cavern.
Many Germans were captured In the
enormous cavern of Fruty. The ap-
proaches were battered severely and
large holes had been torn in the roof,
demonstrating the power and ac-
curacy OF the French artillery. Not an
inch of ground hereabouts had been
LETT unchanged. The cavern has gal
leries about one kiiometer in length,
with many exits, most of which had
been damaged greatly by the French
guns. When the French infantry dash
ed forward in the darkness they ap-
preached the entrances warily and
found them full of Germans waiting
for the moment of attack. Hand gre
nades and smoke bombs soon brought
them out with their hands raised in
token of surrender.
Captures Whole Group.
Meanwhile the tanks had advanced
with the infantrymen until the second
German position was reached. destroy
ing on the way sny nest of machine
guns opposing the progress of the
French troops. The tanks advanced
several kilometers. during which they
met4pd demolished many machtne gun
nesf1. One tank was opposed by d de-
terr1ined German oflcer with a large
body of men who poured bullets upon
the armored sides of the machine with
r
in command descended from the tank
and, with his revolver, forced the whole
group to surrender.
Another tank found battery of field
guns facing It. As soon as the tank
opened fire half Of the artillerymen
threw up their hands. while the re-
! maipder boited, only to fall beneath a
han OF machine bullets from the mon
otez.
Many Cannon Abandoned.
YHsterday the French advance pro-
eeeded rapidly and the units reached
the.various objectives with regularity
After taking the village Of Pinon. the
patrols went forward and entered the
forest Of the same name, They found
many German cannon aba ndoned, but
: with the breech blocks gone. Dead
horses. killed by the German gunners,
lay besids the cannon. The Germans
had found It impossible to get the
weapon away over the marshes ad-
Joining the Aisne canal. over which
most Of the bridges had been destroyed,
tfcable >
/; tured by the French and many of them
were turned on the fleeing Germans
who had left plenty of ammunition be-
hind 1t Is reported that $50 cannon
have fallen into French hands. but the
number Is uncertain owing to the con-
dition OF the battlefield and its width.
The same uncertainty applies to the
number Of prisoners, hundreds of Ger
mans being encountered on all parts of
the field marching wearily back to the
: French lines.
! Spurred to Great Effort.
The sight of the towers Of the cathe-
dral of Laon on the horizon q few
miles away spurred the French sol
dlers to wonderful efforts Of endur-
ance and swiftness of movement. They
went on determfnedly in pursuit of the
Germans. leaving parties behind Ia
clear out cellars and caverns which
disgorged hundreds of demoralized
prisoners who seemed astounded at the
vastness of their defeat
With all this severe fighting on q
battlefield where the Germans held
etrong positions and. where they ac-
cepted the challenge Of the French
army to stand-up combat. the French
casualties were remarkably low
! French Are Jubilant.
The French troops of all branche.
are 1ubi1ant over the victory. The ar.
eillery. infantry and airmen mutual,
praise each others work. One colone
commanding regiment which partfci.
pated in the battle at the hardest point
declared that the fighting had turned
into war OF movements
Where the Germans will mako .
stand cannot yet be foreseen. What I!
known now is that the line OF their re
treat IS over difficult and boggy ter
rain. where the movement of guns 1.
possible only with great precaution.
The correspondent spoke to severa
prisoners. none of whom quite realized
fhe extent of the disaster to the arm
or the German crown prince, who hat
made such elaborate preparations [,
rieet the French attack All tn,
wounded Germans seemed delighted
with the swiftness and skill with whicl
they were treated by the French sur
Heons.
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