The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-08-15
DECLARES GEN. MARCH IN TALK
TO NEWSPAPER MEN AT
WASHINGTON.
KEEP FOE ON THE RUN
HIGH TRIBUTE TO AMERICANS
WHO WON GLORY WITH BRITISH
AND FRENCH IN PIcARpY,
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington.-While expressing the
greatest satisfaction over the allied
successes and the part American
troops have taken in these victories,
Gen. March sounded warning against
overoptimism in his talk with news
paper correspondents. 1T is no time
to talk about the war being over"
Gen. Marsh exclaimed. "It is the time
to hit the enemy hard" Gen. March
paid high tribute to the Rainbow divi-
sion. crediting 1t with decimating
three German divisions, including the
crack Prussian guards.
Marshal Fochs driving tactics
against the hard-pressed Germans was
based" General March said, ION the
perfectly sound principle that when
you get an enemy going. keep him 60
ing: never give him a chance to re-
cuperate or think 1t over, keep on hit
ting him."
This Is the time for the greatest
effort; keep the enemy running. That
is the reason the United States is be-
ing called upon for increased man
power; that Is the reason we want the
age limits of the draft both lowered
and raised to get more men. 1t In no
time now to talk about the war being
over. 1t is the time to hit him hard.
THE greatest advantage of this
whole thing has been the change Of
the allies from the defensive to the
offensive. which il = great military A.
set. We have the enemy guessing
now instead OF guessing ourselves"
General March pointed out that the
Picardy drive follows the same gem
eral line Of strategy as the Foch pin
Ger movement In the Aisne-Marns Sec
tor, promising the same successful re-
suit
Later reports showing that the al
lies have trapped the Germans in the
Montdidier pocket, at the apex of the
salient, Just as the Germans were
trapped at Chateau Thierry and along
the Marne. give even greater promise
Of closing the trap than in the July
18 drive.
Over q curving front of moro than
twenty miles the British and French
troops are continuing to sweep back
the Germans eastward across the
plains of Picardy from the region
north of the Somme. east of Morlan-
court, to the eastern bank of the Avre.
northwest of Montdidior.
As on the first day Of the offensive.
material progress was made Friday
over the entire battle front. Many vii
lsges were captured: the bag of pris-
oners was largely increased: numer-
GUS guns and great quantities Of war
stores were taken and heavy casualties
were inflicted. The losses of the An
glo-French forces are relatively small.
To the north Of the Picardy theater
the Germans also have given ground
on two important sectors-on the Lys
salient. northwest of La Bassee. and In
Of KENNEL.
On the Lys sector territory over a
front OF more than seven miles was
evacuated by the enemy. while to the
north of KENNEL the British advanced
their line over q front exceeding 1000
yards.
On the north the British captured
Morlancourt and pressed on eastward.
while to the south, northwest OF Mont
didier, Pierrepont, Contoire and Ar
villers were taken by the French. who
drove in their wedge to distance Of
more than eight and q half miles.
| The Americans have made another
crossing OF the Vesle and captured the
village OF Fismette. northwest OF
Fismes.