Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-08-09
Huns Falling Back Toward the
VeSIe River Line in the Aisne-
Marne Region.
YANKEES WIN new LAURELS
Defeat Best Division of the Prusslan
Guard In Desperate Fighting-Ger-
mans and BoIsheviki Face Re-
volts In the Near East.
BY EDWARD W. PIcKARD.

BY EDWARD W. PIcKARD.
The fifth year of the great wal
opened with the German forces in the
Aisne-Marne region on the defensive
after the collapse of the drive on Par
Us and the assumption of the initla-
tive by the allies under General Foch;
the British calmly awaiting the prom
Used offensive by Crown Prince Rup-
precht the French and Italians driv-
ing ahead in Albania Ukraine, Rou-
mania and much of Russia rising
against the tyranny of German DOM
ination; Turkey quarreling with Bull
garia and Austria with Germany over
the spells of war in the near East;
the allies putting into execution their
plans to help the anti German ele-
tments in Siberia, and, above all, the
american troops In the thick Of the
fighting in France and winning the
plaudits of the world for their splen-
did work.
With the apparent intention Of max
ing a stand, at least temporarily, on
the Vesle river line, the Germans
SLOWED up their retreat from the Aisne-
Marine salient last week and brought
their heavy artillery into action. De-
spite the determined and dashing at
ltacks of the allies from the south,
west and east, the Huns had with
drawn in most cases with elaboration,
choosing the ground for their rear
guard actions and saving probably the
greater part of their supplies. The
possibility of cutting off and capturing
any very large number of them passed
when it was found that their power
full resistance at the ends of the arc,
near Scissors and Reims, prevented
any considerable advance of the al
lies there. At the south front of the
salient the Huns fought iercely for
days while their guns and munitions
were being transported to the north,
and then quickly moved back, the
French and Americans following with
a rush. This movement carried the
battle up to and beyond the River
lOurcq. There was evidence that the
German commander intended to halt
south of that river for a time, but he
was not allowed to do this.
To the front between Fere-en-Tarde-
'nois and Passy were brought the crack
divisions of the Prussian guards. to
hold back the Americans. but the lat
tier refused to be checked, and with q
Igallantry that aroused the cheers OF
the allied nations they met and de-
lfeated the best fighters of the kaiser's
armies. These Prussians, unlike so
many of the Huns, fight to the death
when tofd to hold a certain position,
and the Americans, also, do not know
the word surrender. Consequently the
combat was bloody in the extreme. 1t
was conferred in and about the villages
of Nesles, Sergy and Cierges, and they
Ichanged hands repeatedly before the
yankees finally got the upper hand
land established themselves firmly In
the towns and then pushed ON beyond
the river, taking Seringes and max
fng a salient in the German lines that
threatened what remained of the en-
Iemy in the pocket between there and
lvfIle-en-Tardenois.
That 1t was not al idle threat was
tproved two days later, when the Amer
bean and French troops struck hard
.at this pocket, storming the heights
between Sergy and Seringes. They
were preceded by a rolling barrage
and moved forward behind a smoke
cloud. It was announced that this at
tack was for the purpose of straight
,ening the allied line, but its posslbili-
ties were considerable. The advance,
which was %stubbornly resisted and was
made difficult by miles of ~barbed-wire
acknowledgements, carried the allies close