The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-05
GREA! RETIREMENT
BY FOE EXPECTED
Continued from First Page.

are no such forests there like those OF
, Fere and Nesles, while even woods like
those OF Meun!ere and Tournclle are
, lacking. 1t Is almost an open country
| where the Boche will have n hard time
making a stubborn resistance save with
very strong forces.
Tho small valleys leading into the
Vesle from the southern edge of this
plateau may afford him cover for ma
chine gun defence. but the next forty
eight hour. or 80 should tell the tale.
For tire present. at any rate. the Boche
is retreating. or as he calls Il withdraw
ing. and he Is dopg 1t with great thor
oughness. sparing TO pains to prevent
such a shock as he got when American
impetuosity helped to break his line on
the Ourcq and upset his plans,
One American unit starting near
Mareuil at dawn to-day marched all day
until late in the afternoon. meeting
practically no resistance An Alsat!an
who rad been drafted into the Fourth
Prussan Guards Division and gave him
self UP to the Americans said all tho
German infantry had retired beyond
Fismes.
from their trenches on the southern
fringe OF the forest o.. Nesles beyond
Seringes. was typical OF what happened
on most OF the front This began about
midnight August l-o. TIE Germans. un-
der the strlctest orders 20 preserve alb
solute silence. trickled away by COM
panies each by prescribed route, TO a
prearranged reg!mental place OF assem-
bly,. going mostly by by-paths. which
were marked In advance by signs, white
flags and wisps OF straw.
Trying TO Deceive Americans.
There was a considerab bic interval be-
tween the time Of the departure OF the
various companies from tho front line to
Mareuil, where the regiment assembled.
Thence they marched on the main high
way toward Fismes. Tho last company
got away about o'clock. but left be-
hind them screen OF machine guns
facing the Americans. with n few in
fantrymen instructed to fire their rifles
occasionally and send up a Jew rockets
to give the Impression 10 the Americans
that they were still there In force The
machine gunners were ordered to fire
from the ground on any airplanes that
tried to bomb them or the retreating
troops,
Tho Americans were not fOoled as
completely as the Germans wished
Movements they observed behind the
enemys line on Friday told them that
he would either counter attack or retire
and would not rest content simply to
hold on. The Americans also were rem
dered suspicious by heavy lombard
ment OF our lines Friday evening by
guns almost exclusively of one calibre,
as II the others were being moved back !:
40 our troops we're ready to go forward
as soon as possible
Their advance was begun by patrols
and continued in open formation, with
the general plan OF making no frontal
attack on such machine gun nests as
were encountered, but 10 flank them and
pass on. while IN several places our own
machine guns were used TO reduce those
OF the enemy, II was a general policy
OF inhltration through tho German ma
chine gunners. who begin to run as soon
as threatened. We are getting few
prisoners but are losing almost no men,
There Is evidence along the line OF
retreat that the Germans were in some
haste. They left behind number OF
their wounded. notably In the Nesles
Chateau, who said transportation was
too scarce to permit their removal. while
in Nesles farm machinery which had
been collected TO be sent 20 Germany
had to be left behind.
The German artillery HAD great diff
Guilty In getting through the Forest of
Sesles.