The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-24
AMERICANS LEAD DRIVE.
ATTACK CONCENTRATED ON SOIS-
SONS SECTOR.
German Reserves Thrown in to Check
Advance With Total Disregard Of
Life Fail to Stay Victorious Ameri-
cans.

ter-drive is hammerng forward The
speed has slackened. for the Ger
mans are throwing every pound Of
available reserve flesh into it's path,
but progress on the second day was
steady, relentless. Not foot Of
gained ground has been yielded any,
where.
Again the Americans did the lions
share in the days push. So important
was their part that tonight General
Pershing issued the first American Of
iicial report to record his troops do
ings in a battle of this magnitude. IT
shows that the Americans cOncenrat-
ed today upon swinging their center
and right forward, with scissors,
where their left stands in undisputed
possession of the heights dominating
the city, as a pivot.
In the center, the Americans have
pressed forward two miles, beyond the
Vaux- Castillo Villers- Helon -Noroy-
Sur -Ourcq line, east of Villers-Cot-
terets.
On their right, they passed the vii
lage Of Torcy northwest of Chateau.
Thierry) where many a hot local COM
bat was fought before this battle be-
gan. Further northwestward they
have captured the plateau north OF
Bonnes and the heights north OF
Gourchamps.
Thus the German flank, resting pre-
oariOusly on the heights north and
east of SoissOns-the town itself has
been a flame for IL hours-is being
steadily rolled up to the northeast.
But with their main lines of commu-
nication either cut or under fire, the
Germans cannot keep up this mile
by-mile withdrawal. Within the next
IL hours they must either check the
Franco American drive definitely or
start the greatest retreat since the
Marne battle of 1914.
Where the Franco American
troops contented themselves with de-
Tending Yesterdays gains against the
fury-driven German counter-assaults.
they slashed bloody lanes through the
Teuton masses and not the slightest
breach was made in their own lines.
Again and again. especially in the
SOissons area-for that is the vital
sector for the present-the crown
princes reserves came on in dense
field-gray masses; again and again
scattered rows of Teutons streamed
back. their ranks decmated and de-
feated.
A triple object already has been
served by the great counter push. .
the German menace has been avert
ed from Paris; Rheims is virtually re-
lieved and. most important of all.
the initiative has been wrested from
Ludendorff Con this front, at least.)
AS yet the kaiser's heir has not
drawn on the Bavarian crown princes
reserves There is. consequently. still
n strong expectation of a German
drive against the British somewhere
between Montdidier and the chan
mel.
If 1T comes. the British are ready.
oil xI,r
same fate Foch has meted out in the
south. And as Bavaria's throne heir
hesitates. the British are busy snatch
ing jumping off places from his troops.
Today again they made important
gains. They captured the village of
Meteren, in Flanders, and made a con-
siderable advance to the south, giving
the Teutons the heaviest drubbing
they have received for some time In
local encounter. Nearly 400 prison.
ers were taken.
To Paris. fresh from the front, to-
day. came the happiest man in the
world as he described himself, Pre-
mier Glemenceau. His wrinkled face
wrapped In smile that made the Oc-
togenarian look like the youth he is
IN energy and enthusiasm. He told
OF the grand spectacle he saw at the
front, mile from SOissOns, yesterday.
lie was bubbling over with joy. One
Oh the first things he said was:
am tremendously pleased with
the line work of the Americans"
AS he spoke. Frances tiger" was
ihoeed the persOnilicatiOn Of triumph
German newspapers published yes
terday began to come in late tonight
Ihe soberest tone yet adopted by the
GERMAN press marks their military ar
ucies. The French official communi-
dues are reproduced without COM