Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-01
FIGHTING DIES
Continued from Pare One)

began Saturday and centered on the
American positions along the north
bank OF the Ourcq. Here the Amer
lean third division and the now ia
nous 4end division OF the Rainbow
Division composed Of former Nation
al Guardsmen OF many states. have
made good their positions against the
enemy's best fighting units. They
have met. ont-fought and forced
backward by their fierce ardor pick
ed Prussian and Bavarian divisions
brought fresh to the weld with orders
to hold the line Of the Ourcq at al!
costs.
That line has been broken. The
American spearhead. driven forward
again and again, finally broke the
fighting edge Of the enemy defense.
When supporting columns surged
forward across the OurcG to consol-
idate the ground SO valiantly won
and held by the first rush. enemy
hopes Of clinging to the present line
dwindled
Holding the apex Of the allied line at
the center the Americans had paved the
way for the dashing capture Of Chal-
mont Butte, to the westward, by the
Franco British forces. Allied guns now
dominate tho enemy's lines from this
height, foretelling new inroads into his
positions and the strong probability
that he will be compelled to fall back
to the Vesle line. The victory was given
new significance today by Gen. March,
chief Of staff. Putting aside the re-
eny xryix -. - :,
ed on the wider aspects of the battle,
Gen. March told the newspaper men
at his midweek conference that each
army was now bent on the destruction
of the other. all lesser strategic objec-
tives having swept away on both sides.
The mission Of each is to kill, to de-
stroy the fighting power Of the other.
lit is the ultimate objective that both
are now seeking and there will be no
hating short of the goal.
The chief of staff had prefaced this
new conception Of the great struggle
with a careful outline Of the battle DO.
sitions, showing that since last Saturday
another 10 miles had been cut out Of the
length Of the battle line by Allied sue
cess. II Is now barely As miles around
the salient In which the enemy has
against "A miles when the counter
struggle was set in motion. From Cha
teau Thierry the Americans have made
the maximum advance, covering IA
miles to reach the positions where they
rested today. preparing for new ad-
vances.
The chief Of stafr made II plain
that it is monthly program Of in
crease upon which the war depart
ment has embarked. The cycle ap-
pears now to be an army corps a
month to be shipped abroad, it's place
to be taken at once by new corps
to be created here. The men and
equipment are available to keep that
up for the rest of the year and long
er IL necessary.
Present cantonments will have at
least 10000 men. Gen. March an
nounced also that he had decided up
on abandonment Of every designation
for the troops except that of United
States Army. All other marks than
the plain U. S. OF the regulars will
be abolished. For war department
purposes the national army and the
national guard are wiped out utterly
and the officers reserve corps goes
with them into the discard.
The unification plan means more
than changing collar ornaments,
Gen. March said for in seeking new
general officers, promotion by selec-
ton from the entire army" will be
employed.