The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-09-06
HUNS RETREAT
FROM PICAROY
NEARLY A ROUT.
French Win Thirty Towns in
Ailette Advance.
AMERICANS PUSH AHEAD
French Troops Are Advancing OIL
Line Equains That of Americans
on Left.

With the Army Sept. 5.-The
French and Americans are fast driy-
ing the Germans out of their positions
in southern Picardy and in the sector
between the Nesle and Aisne rivers.
So rapid has been the progress OF the
allies the French in picardy and the
Americans and French from Soissons
eastward toward Rheims-that the re-
tlrement Of the enemy has the appear
ance at present Of the beginning al
most OF rout.
Meanwhile Field Marshal llaig IN
the north, from PerOnne to kpres, has
been almost as busily engaged with
his troops in carrying out successful
maneuyers which are only in slight
ly less degree Of rapidity forcing the
Germans everywhere to give ground
Haigs men again have made tho Ger.
mans taste bitter defeat on numerous
sectors, and the end Of the punish
mcnt for them seems not yet in sight.
In The latest Fighting in the region
extending from the old N0yon sector
to Soissons the French have reclaim
ed thirty villages from the Germans,
have crossed the S0mme canal at sew
era points and are standing only a
short distance from the important
junction of Ham with its roads lead
ing to 81. Quentin and La Fere
On tho south they have made fur
ther crossings Of the Ailetie river,
and are fast skirting the great wooded
region which acts as barrier TO di-
rect attack on Laon, the Chemin des
/ Danes and the western Aisne de
lenses of the enemy. Seemingly al
/ the present rate of progress this bar
( rier shortly will have been overcome
and, indeed, The entire salient north
west OF SCISSORS obliterated Al
ready The French south Of Fresnes, on
The fringe Of the high forest Of Coucy
have penetrated the old llindeubure
Line.
4 with The American Forces North
{ OF the Vesle, Sept (Associated
/ PressD The American forces follow
ing up the German retreat from the
Nesle moved steadily over the plateau
between the Vesle and tho Aisne to
day. and by noon their advanced elc
ments had filtered into the slopes Oh
the northern side of the plateau.
Virtually no opposition was encour
tered Aerial and other observers re
ported that there was every indication
that the main body OF Germans had
retired across the Aisne.
It Is expected that machine gun
and perhaps artillery resistance viii
be encountered in the lowands near
err the Aisne Last night and this
forenoon passed, however with moth
ing more serious than longrang'
bombardment OF the American rear
line,
Violent explosions were hear,
along the line this morning. Obsery
ers reported that they believed thu
Germans were destroying their am
munitiOn dumps.
Bazoches and Fismette were occu
pied by the Americans during tn
night These towns had been evacu
ated by The Germans, only two o
three wounded men who had bee
abandoned being found in them
French troops are advancing on
lie eQualing that of the American
on the left. but to the east of IN
Americans the front still runs dow
toward Rheims. This leaves to tn
Americans on the right the hardes
task, and there greater German r,
sieiance Is expected I'm this rogiO
the Germans have strong. position
and are capable of making a better d
fpugr