New-York tribune., 1918-10-20

FRANCE, Oct. 10 (By The Associated
fress) 2:5OD.m. 1.-The first French
army under General Debeney. after
months of severe campaigning, is fur
n:shing one of the best examples OF
the endurance Of the troops in the
nghtlng on the Disc. Continuing their
pressure on the German lines duriny
TIE night, General Debeney's troops
completed the conquest Of the territory
Wcst OF the canal from Hannappes to
Noyates and this morning were over
coming stout resistance on this most
difficult ground
lie Germans, disputing every inch
OF ground in this region in order TO
protect the retreat of their armies,
pressed by the British, are favored BY
nature. The ground is we'll adapted
10 the artificial foods to which thew
are resorting and to ambushes en-
countered all along the front.
Wherever the enemy retires in this
section he is forced back against his
wall of defence, essential to the easy
withdrawal Of troops and material fur
Their north.
Enemy Fights Every Inch
On the front of the armies of Cen
eral Gouraud and General Pershins the
bghting also goes on tiercely, the en-
envy ceding ground only in the last ex-
trem1ty while completing the with
drawal of his lines westward.
Gouraud's men gained important sue
cesses yesterday east Of the Aisne and
are advancing east of Vouziers.
lhe German retreat, SO far as the
high command is able to control it. is
an inverse movement to that of the in
Of
plvotlng on the fortress of Metz and
wheeling to the left, came around
through Belgium in a movement like
that of an opening fan. The fan is
closing this time instead of opening,
and 1t is hlnging on crowded pivot.
! Whlle the columns representing the
RIBS of the fan, instead of pursuing the
adversary, are being pursued, pushed
crowded and harassed. CONSEQUENTLY
the regularity with which the fan was
opened at the beginning of the war and
whfch, according to the Crown Prince
was fresh and joyous" is absent in
the inverse movement.
No Leisure for Ludendorff
Marshal Foch withholds from Lu.
dendor!f the leisure to operate his
elastic retreat at will The enemy is
able to elect only positions where re-
sistencc is vital to the success of the
retiring movement. These positions
are for the moment on the right wing
IN front of Gouraud and Pershing, anC
in the region of the Disc in front of
Debeny
The most competent authorities ad-
NIT that the German retreat has thus
far been accomplished in masterl,
fashion. The question whether thu
Germans will be able to hold the vital
points along the Aisne and Disc until
they get out of precarious situations
elsewhere is becoming more and more
acute. Yet predictions of the immed-
ate crumbling of the German line any
where are considered premature.
The Germans now occupy their sec
end line Of retirement, called the
"HuHding poscition, north Of the Aisne
and on the Serre. is right Nis upon
the valley Of the Disc an dts left upon
the hilly forest region at Grandprd
Gap, now vigorously attacked by Gou-
raud and Pesshing.
Work on the line was begun in the
spring 1917. Its length is about sevtn-
ty-five miles, four-hfths of it behind
watcrcources that may easily be
welled by artificial floods to constitute
formidable obstacles. The enemy may
be expected to make q desperate stand
here, until he armies in Belgian and
French Flanders are withdrawn.