The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-18

The American First Army has car
ried out the initial task assigned to
1.-THE leVeling of the famous st.
Mihiel salient in Lorraine.
In little more than "a hours not
only has the work been accomplished
but General Pershings men had all
the s3nportant towns, villages and
strategic positions in the sector with
IN rsieir hands and we're standing on
theI banks Of the Moselle River at
{ Pagny, looking across the stream into
German territory. And the southern
outer fortifcation of Metz, the great
German stronghold in Lorraine, were
only four miles distant
Large numbers of Germans had
been taken prisoner-more than H.
600 had been counted and were on
their way back to the prisoner cages
and many guns, machine guns and
great quantities of ammunition anG
other wa stores were in American
From Hattonville on the north
across the salient eastward to PagnS.
the Americans have closed the mouth
of the big sack that extended south
, ward to ST Mihiel. trapping within
1T by their fast advance all the enc
my forces who failed to take refuge
in fight when the great lombard
nent of Thursday morning herald
ed the approach of the offensive.
In addition, along the eastern side
of the heights north Of Rattonville
t,o,,a from
the hill region and are astride the
railroad running from Commercy to
verdun. Likewise the Thiaucourt-
Metz and Nancy-Metz Railroads are
in American hands.
Beginning in the northwest and
j crossing the salient eastward, Fres-
nes-les- Eparges, Hattonvilie, Preny
and Pagny and all the ground lying
between them are in American hands.
The towns OF Vigneuiles, Thiaucourt,
Pont a -Mousson and st. Mihiel are
far in the rear Of the present line,
:. Mentse, the dominating height IN
the center of the salient and from
which much trouble has; been ex-
pected, fell without fighting. Among
-theSnunaasouss prisanarss taken Fwere
+ men from Austro- Hungarian armies.
Although the operation OF the
Americans has been described as
having ..Iimited objectives,' it can
not but have a most important bear
ing on the future of the war. From
the Strengthened line growing out OF
the obliteration of the St. Nihiel sal
lent the Americans now are in q
splendid position to act with their
brothers in arms on sectors east
ward when the time is ripe for a
strike into Germany direct. Also
they now are aligned on territory
from which it is possible to get be-
hind both the Meuse and Moselle
Rivers and thus make null the re-
ported plans of the Germans to sta
blize their front along the Meuse
should they be unable to hold the al
lies in the west in check.
Already allied airmen are heavily
bombarding the Mosel1e region
around Metz and its outlying forti-
fications. having dropped many tons
of bombs on the strategic railways
leading from the great fortress, and
to expect that with apparent su-
premacy in the air Metz and the sur
rounding country henceforth is to
be sadly harassed by the allied flying
squadrons.
Meanwhile the maneuvering on
the west front around Cambria and
st. Quentin should not be lost sight
of by reason Of the present Ameri-
can offensive. Here the British and
French daily are enlarging their
gains in the process of outfanking
and capturing these two important
towns which are all but within their
grasp Farther to the north in
Flanders the British also are keep
ing up their encroachments in the
region Of La Bassee and Armentieres.
both of which places are imperiled.