Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-03

Gigantic Fish Hook
AS the line stands to-day, its shape
resembles a gigantic fish hook. The
shank of the hook" runs straight
west from Rheims to Serzy- y-et-Prin,
then bends slightly to the southwark
and then curves northward to the
hills south of the Aisne, where it
sweeps to the east as far as south of
| Braine.
Reports from the front say the ad-
vance eastward from Braine is con-
tinuing. If this movement succeeds,
the Germans caught by Foch's fish
hook" will be compelled to fight at a
great disadvantage, while their only
route of retreat will be over the high
| hills between the Vesle and the
/ Aisne.
VesIe Line Unsafe
There now seems to be no possibil-
J ity of the Germans holding their line
of the Vesle. The Aisne presents the
! first safe refuge for the defeated
armies of the German crown prince.
German forces holding the line
north of Albert, in the Picardy Sec
| tor east of Amiens, have retired
across the Ancre river, according to
London. The retirement was over a
front of between three and four
miles. The British official statement
says British patrols have pushed for
ward and occupied portions" of the
enemy's trenches.
Fear British Blow
This movement, which does not
seem to have been made under pres
sure, was the probable result of the
fear of the Germans that the British
were about to attack there in great
! force. The enemy has withdrawn to
positions that are much stronger
than were those on the west side of
the stream. There have been intima-
tions that the British have completed
their organization for an attack
somewhere along the northern bat
tie front, and it is probable that the
| Germans sought to forestall it by a
strategic retirement" In any event,
the retrograde movement is held to
indicate the Germans have abandon
ed any intention they may have had
of starting an offensive on this front
in the near future.
World Attention Ccntcrcd
The attention of the allied world
| will, for the time being at least, the
fixed, however, on the development
! of the success south of the Aisne. As
the situation stands to-day the allies
have taken from the Germans nearly
/ all the ground won after the second
day of the German offensive of May
81. 1t was during the night of May
! 81 that the Germans reached the
Aisne and the next day they crossed
the Vesle. scissors fell on May 81.
| AS yet the efforts of the allies seem
to be concentrated on the task of
smashing the German armies south
of the Vesle and the Aisne but it is
not generally believed General Foch
will abandon the initiative at the
Aisne. Some new stroke may be in
preparation to continue the discom-
future of the German high command.
Allied hammer blows have had
their effect and the Germans are
retiring precipitately toward the
ish troops are moving forward rap
idly and continue their pressure
strongly at all points.
Americans Gain Five Miles
On a front of thirty-hve miles
from northwest of scissors to
Rheims. the allied advance already
averages over three miles on the
entire distance. American troops in
the center gained more than five
miles. Cavalry again is being used
/ for the first time since the opening
Gay of General Foch's offensive on
July IS, which already has crushed
German hopes of a successful of
fensive and is turning into a disas-
trous defeat for the enemy.
While the German crown prince
made strong efforts to maintain a
front between ere-en-Tardenois
Ville- en-Tardenois, his position was
made untenable by the allied sue
cesses of earlier in the week in
which the Americans played no
small part. His center was smashed
at vital point and the southern end
of the western flank was turned by
French and British capture of the
Chalmont spur northeast of Fere.
Get War Booty
Retreat was inevitable with allied
pressure giving no sign of letting
up. So the allies are moving north
ward along the whole front, captur-
ing guns and material and probably
many prisoners cut off in the valleys