Evening star., 1918-08-04

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Prussian Guards and Jaegers. have
been reduced to humiliating impotency
by the idiotic Yankees. wholly un-
trained in the arts Of Prussian mill
tary and kultur.
Lieber alte Gott worked for the
boche last night, as their weather ex-
pert had doubtless foreseen. A clouesd
sky throughout the night and squalls
Of rain. beginning about dawn and
lasting until late this afternoon, per-
mitted them to pull out their guns and
start them rearward without the
knowledge Of the move reaching US
through our aviators. 1t was only
when our infantry, attacking this
morning at AIS o'clock. found empti-
ness in front of their bayonets instead
of the German machine gunners that
Americans Race Forward.
The Americans literally raced for
ward, and contact with the foe was re-
established within half an hour. Our
general advance had been preceded
late yesterday and during the night
by an offensive operation north of
Seringes. which carried our line and
that of the French on our right to the
northwest of Sergy. Our units on the
high ground north of the Ourcq be-
tween SerlngeS ana Sergy haQ been
sort of advance guard.
Before proceeding onward 1t was
necessary for the French forces oper-
ating north of Fere-en-Tardenois and
the Americans in the Serges sector to
move up. This was accomplished in
plenty of time for all divisions en-
gagged to pursue the fleeing Germans
The advance was under way all along
the front at this morning. The al
lies swept forward SO rapidly that the
enemy was powerless even to. set up
his machine guns. and of his 77-milli-
meter field pieces an astonishingly
small number were in action.
We used all the troops we had
available in keeping up with the re-
treating Germans. Engineers were
sent In to perform infantry actions.
While his losses. like our own. were
less than they had been during the
period OF the frantic counter attacks
that marked the last three days of
the fighting. he certainly suffered more
severely than our boys. because our
artillery bit deeply into his rear guard
and our infantry waded into him with
the bayonet whenever they overlook
his fugitive battalions.
Marve1s at Achievements.
I walked up the hill mounted by the
American hssaulting columns in the
attack on Seringes from the slopes
Of the OurcQ and gained a striking
Impression of the way the strife had
gone in this engagement. The marvel
OF WHAT our troops can achieve Is un-
ending. The rise in the ground was
SO abrupt 1 was winded long before
1 got to the top yet those youngsters
charged upward under a withering
fusillade from machine guns in the
village and cyclone of shrapnel
overhead. carrying their full packs
and accouterment. gixty pounds in
all.
The path they took from the river
was still practically blazed by bodies
of their dead-youngsters struck
down us they ran across the open
fields Of stubble without SO much as
a shell hole for protection.
In Seringes itself once it became
American" the casualties suffered
were far lighter. Beyond it came to
the refuge of the machine gun pits
that had screened enemy outposts
from our view a scant ten hours be-
fore. They had been clawed asunder
by our high explosive shells.
All about them and just beyond in
the outer fringes of Nesle forest ca
davers in gray green cloth dotted the
mire Of the meadows over which
thouands of men had escaped. In the
forest itself usual piles of ammuni-
ton and supplies of various kinds at
tested to the pell NELL. feverish hur-
rtedness Of the flight of the Germans.