New-York tribune., 1918-07-21
,s,,<-,I Ccble to Tks Tribune)

w1TE THE FREN ARMIES
,r-rwEEN THE AISNE AND THE
vARNg, July Outstanding upon
.;uA observation point late yesterday,
:, the presence of a French general
10 in recent interview with The
tribune praised the fighting qualities
- the American troops and compared
.hem with his own poilus. I saw the
,;-,orious Allied advance.
dozen villages, many hills and
wooded valleys and fields were spread
ort before US, and, with a powerful
telescope, | was able to see major
;tv Of these villages. which the big
.tafF map at the generals side showed
n be already in Franco-American
hands. Beyond these villages col
umns of smoke were rising in the still
atmosphere. 1t was the smoke of
bursting shells blasting fcldgrauen
from their strongholds before the AL
lied line.
We moved forward again. Immedi-
stely before us was the village of
Hsutevesnes. On the right lay Bel
leau, Bussiares, Torcy and Licy farm,
all OF which had been captured by
the Americans at 9 a. m. Beyond
Hauteyesnes, family seen. was Cour-
champs, where the French. who took
Hautevesnes in conjunction with the
American line, encountered an obsti-
nate enemy heavily armed with ma
chine guns.
Swept Beyond Objectives
Despite Germanc obstinacy the
poilus swept through Courchamps,
again encountered the enemy beyond
the village, fell back slightly, fight
ing off two counter attacks. and then
swept forward once more to far beyond
their objectives.
magnificent panorama, dotted here
and there with green patches of trees,
red rooted villages and yellow wheat
fields. was the battlefield of the morn
ing. But now the battlefield was be-
yond vision, and those smoke smudgcs
Oh the horizon with the rumble of the
guns, told graphic story of the brill
liant Franco American drive south Of
the River Ourcq. Sight could reach no
further north. but the telegraph wires
linking the general with his still ad-
yancing troops, brought to our obser-
yation post the most heartening in
formation.
Our advance. however, encountered
toward evening sitter resistance, as
the enemy's reserve came into play.
While we watched the smoke Of shells
bursting over a village miles away the
telephone operator announced that the
poilus had just passed through it and
prisoners were coming back.
Telephones linked with the head
quarters of the French army fighting
northward toward the River Aisne also
brought occasional bits of news of it's
victorious advance paralleling the sue
cess Of the army to the southwark,
whose general chatted with The Tribune
correspondent while his own troops
continued their forward thrust.
Passed Village After Village
This general, who entered the OBJ
servation post at daylight, saw his
battle gradually leave the range of
even the specially constructed tele-
scopes through which he had watched
Its progress. He saw the poilus and
doughboys leave their positions be-
hlnd barrages, work their way into
Village after village and pass beyond.
We've had good success" he said,
ealing attention to special points in
me panorama of the battle and upon
MS map. 1t was easy to see that he
vas extremely fatigued by the long
vigil, and his words were extremely
modest In his head new plans Of
neavy battles yet TO come probably
Nsre mixed with events of the day.
l'e rapid advance of the Allied
1foops was shown by the almost intact
condition of the villages within our
immediate view. Allied soldiers could
oe oe seen moving about in the streets,
"hie the roads were dotted with auto
mobile trucks taking forward food for
ootn the men and the guns.
,b we learned through the telephone
Ina. eighteen guns had been captured
IN the vicinity Of Courchamps and were
peing sent to the rear.
at many points on the forty lilo
metre line of attack the infantry
passed beyond the German artillery
poit,ons @ Of Thursday. Many of the
s. small tanks accompanying the troops
a,oPped 10 round up German gunners
sna she assure immediate possession of
sne enemy cannon. When the entire
.oo.y had been counted, the total
'eaehed three figures.
ir. besides the tank fleet, airplanes, fly
ing extremely low, accompanied the
troops, and began wirelessing back re-
M sUSls OF victory from the start. This
ss'enlng the aeroplanes sent back word
w radio that they had discovered Ger
tsa tsa" r reserves hurrying up to stitfen
~ ~ usrman lines against the dash of
'he Allied troops.
q, while the poius we're advancing
I. s"eii lines six kilometres north and
T sSuth OF the town of Neuilly. the
o,.Ia. .Ingh cavalry were reported at 2
'G5ock p to have entered the village.
.ha oe."een the Ourcq and the Aisne
sns ne polius advanced deep enough into
sis,Iy sihunIy territory by noon to allow cav
tS,yiaen tS,s In small squads to pass
s"nu.g s"auugn and filter down the valley to
of 49, land and dash into villages. Squadrons
inn n0fsemen ealloping through the
mnss es IN pursuit of the enemy was a
tross toSs inspiring spectacle for the
=. The cavalry engaged the Germans
a. a. many points. the horsemen usinr r
nlsm; snort carbines to advantage and
Say'ng role such as they have not
tho tho c sne opportunity to enjoy since
in Moan Maerman retreat from the Somme
=" March, 1917
ys,oaS ,,usSh OF the Ourcq. the French ad-
ona a'ea their lines so rapidly that in
loss small sector they deemed it q
wood. VI TINE to stop and clean out
DAYS DAVIS where it was known that many
unit tss - OF Germans were hiding. 4
pno, v oi American reserves was called I
rtoH TO Scour thir vood ,.Lu 81