The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-09-13
PUSHING THE HUNS
ACROSS THE A|SNE.
Germans Continuing Their Hasty
Retreat.
MANY VILLAGES CAPTURED
indications That The Teutons intend
To Go Behind The Hindenburg
Line-Strone German Rein
forcements Arrive.

AOnQOn.-Ine trencn anu Americans
are fast driving the Germans out of
their positions in Southern Picardy
and in the sector between the Vesle
and Aisne Rivers. So rapid has been
the progress of the Allies-the French
In Picardy and the Americans and
French from Scissors eastward toward
Rheims-that the retirement of the
enemy has the appearance of the be-
ginning of rout.
Meanwhile Field Marshal Haig, in
been almost as busily engaged with his
troops in carrying out successful ma
neuvers which are only in slightly
less degree of rapidity forcing the Ger
mans everywhere to give ground. Haig's
men again have made the Germans
tors, and the end of the punishment
for them seems not yet in sight.
In the latest fighting in the region
extending from the old Noyon sector
20 scissors the French have reclaimed
30 villages from the Germans; have
points and are standing only a short
distance from the important junction
Of Ham, with It's roads leading to ST.
Quentin and La Fere.
On the south they have made fur
ther crossings of the Ailette River and
are fast skirting the great wooded
region which acts as barrier to di-
.ect attack on Laon, the Chemin DIES
DANES and the western Aisne defenses
IT the enemy. Seemingly at the pres
ent rate of progress this barrier short
y will have been overcome and, in
Iced, the entire salient northwest of
scissors obliterated. Already the
French south of Fresnes, on the fringe
Of the high Forest of Coucy, have pene-
rated the old Hindenburg line.
All behind the lines northeast of
Noyon great CONGREGATIONS are to be
seen, particularly around Jussy and La
Fere, which apparently indicates that
the Germans intend to fall back as fast
as they can to the old German lines
running souti1eastward from st. Quen-
tin.
The French and Americans are hard
after the Germans between the Vesle
River, and the Aisne and for more
than eight miles, extending from Condo
to Veil-Arcy, they have driven the
enemy across the Aisne and are stand
ing en- the southern bank Of the river.
Eastward toward Rheims, almost up
~ h fnc Of ha nh he
German line is falling back northward.
At the anchor point of the line in the
vicinity of Rheims, however, the Ger
mans seem to be holding, evidently
realizing that a retrograde movement
here would necessitate a Strengthening
of their line perhaps as far eastward
as Verdun.
In the initial maneuver to the re-
treat along the Vesle front the Amer
leans and French captured both Ba-
goches and Fismette. From BaZoches
they moved six miles northward to
viel-Arcy, while from Fismette they
have penetrated more than three miles
northward to Barbonval, which is only
little more than a mile south of the
Aisne.
In Flanders the British have taken
the town of Ploegsteert and positions
southwest of Messines and northeast
of Wolverghem, and repulsed strong
counter-attacks launched against them.
Southeast of Arras, all the way down
the line to the south of the Somme,
below Peronne, the British have dug
more deeply into the -enemy's front
on various sectors, especially toward
Cambria and Immediately north and
south of Peronne, in the latter region
having driven in the enemy's rear
guards for considerable distances.
The Germans have been violently
bombarding the Americans at Frapelle,
on the eastern end of the battlefront
In Lorraine, but have attempted no
infantry attacks. More than 5000
shells. many of them gas projectiles,
have been sent into the American line
by the, enemy.