Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-09-14
Army Officials Interpret the
Thrust to Be Only Entering
Wedge of Operations on a
Far Large Scope,
FULL EXTENT OF YANKEE
VICTORY STILL UNKNOWN
Strategic Importance of Per-
shing'S Victory Can Hardly
Be 0vereStimated; Menace
to Verdun Released.
undated War Lead by the Associated
Press

Press
The American army has carried
out the initial task assigned to it
the levelling of the famous st. Mihiel
salient in Lorraine.
In a little more than twenty four
hours not only had the work been
accomplished but General Pershings
men had all the important towns, viii
lages and strategic positions in the
sector within their hands and were
standing on the banks of the Moselle
river at Pagny, looking across the
stream into German territory. And
the southern outer Notifications of
Metz, the great German stronghold in
Lorraine, were only four miles dis
tant
Large numbers of Germans had
been taken prisoner--more than H.
600 had been counted and others
We're still on their way back to the
prisoners cages-and many guns and
machine guns and great quantities of
ammunition and other war stores
were in American hands.
Close Mouth of Sack.
From Hattonville. on the north,
across the salient eastward to Pagny,
the American have closed the mouth
of the big sack that extended south
to st. Mihiel, trapping within it by
their fast advance all the enemy forces
who failed to take refuge in flight
when the great bombardment of
Thursday morning heralded the ap-
pgoaeh ~ the offensive.
sn ad,huon. etl0ng the eastern siae
of the heights north of Hattonville.
the Americans have debouched from
the hill region and are astride the
railroad running from Commercy to
Verdun Likewise the Thaucourt-
Metz and Nancy-Metz railroads are
in American hands.
Beginning in the northwest and
crossig the salient eastward, Fresnes,
LIE Presnes, Hattonville. Preny and
Pagny and all the ground lying be-
tween them are in American hands.
The towns of Vigneulles, Thiaucourt,
Pont- Mousson and st. Mihiel are
far in the rear of the present line.
Mont Sec, the dominating height in
the center of the salient and from
which much trouble had been expect
ed, fell without fighting Among the
numerous prisoners taken were men
from Austro- Hungarion armies.
Importance of Thrust
Although the operation of the
Americans has been described as hav-
ing "limited objectives," it neverthe-
less cannot but have a most impor-
tant bearing on the future of the war.
From the Strengthened line growing
out of the oblteration of the ST. Mi
hiel salient the Americans now are in
n splendid position to act with their
brothers in arms on sectors eastward
when the time is dipe for strike into
Germany direct. Also they know
are aligned on territory from which
it is possible to get behind both the
Meuse and the Moselle rivers and thus
make null the reported plans of the
Germans to stabilize their front along
the Meuse should they be unable to
hold the allies in the west in check.
Already allied airmen are heavily
bombing the Moselle region around
Metz and its outlying Notifications,
having dropped many tons of bombs
on the strategic railways leading from
the great fortress and 1t seemingly is
not without reason to expect that with
apparent supremacy in the air Metz
and the surrounding country hence
forth is to be sadly harassed by the
allied flying squadrons.
Franco British Gains.
MeanWnlle Ine maHeuVerlng on the
west front around Cambria and ST.
Quentin should, not be lost sight of
by reason of the present American Of
fensive. Here the British and French
daily are enlarging their gains in the
process of outflanking and capturing
these two important towns which are
all but within their grasp. Farther to
the north in Flanders the British also
are keeping up their encroachments
in the region of La Bassee and Ar
mentieres, both of which places are
imperiled.