Evening star., 1918-08-12
FRENCH KEEP CLOSE
TO ENMY's HEELS
General Staff of Pursuing
Army Eat Meal in Open Field
East of Montdidier.
oUTRUN SIGNAL CORPS

By the Associated Press.
WITH PHE FRENCH ARMY IN
FRANCE. August 1.-THE general
stan Of ths. French army that Is par-
suing the Germans east Of Montdi-
dier ste luncheon today IN an open
field. The stan members were con-
tent with frugal meal, served IN
small baskets and eaten with the AID
of their pocket knives.
The main concern Of the general
staff was not to satisfy hunger, ont
to keep the closest possible survei-
lance over the rapidly changing bat
tie front. They managed to maintain
a close study Of their military maps
Throughout the impremptu meal
Yesterdays battle-ground all about
is strewn with rides, machine guns,
ammunition. cartridge boxes and
supplies that were abandoned by the
enemy. Mounted dispatch riders, act
ing in the absence OK telephone ana
telegraph communication. were rid-
ing at a gaffop through all the DIS
order of upheaved earth. their horses
leaping over shsll holes. trepehes ana
brooks, to keep the front line IN
touch with their supports. The for
ward movement Of the French carry
outran the efforts Of the signal corps
to play It's part
Valleys Escape Ruin
The landscape today shows by a
vivid contrast the ravages of modern
warfare even where ruined dwellings,
are absent from the scene. The val
ieys are green and smiling where NO
shells fell, but the heights and ridges
on which the artillery IRE was con,
centrated have been SO pttted ana
torn that from q distance they ap-
pear almost white against the blue
horizon.
The escape of the valleys of this
beautiful countryside Ia attributed py
some observers to the supposi5hion no snar. oare
ing of their artillery fire because OF
the loss Of 1900 guns to the allies
during the last month Others believe
that the UNMARRIED helds are due 10
the fact that German soldiers We're
industrially harvesting the oountffui
wheat crop Of this region when the
French and British troops surged
down upon them.
Machine Guns Hun Reliance.
Two days before the allied forces
made their attack. the enemys artil-
lery was posted in echelon. indicating
that an attack was expected. Appre-
tensions were entertained for the
safety of the guns or else the artil-
lery reserves no longer were suffi-
cient to justify prodigality in their
use, because instead of there being
artillery at the points where the
strongest stand was made by the Ger
mans machine guns were their reli-
ance.
Quick frers. which the allies over
whelmed In Montdidier. were served
by officers and this fact 10 regarded
as showing that the Germans are be-
ginning to mistrust the resisting pow
ers of their soldiers, whose fighting
spirit has been put to severe test
during the last three days.
Division Disorganized by Fire.
One German division of reinforce
ments coming up by the road near
Hangest was caught under the fire
of French batteries and disorganized
before it could get into action. A di-
vision of reservists, according to the
statements of prisoners, was brought
into line against the French first
army with virtually no rest pc
riod. All the other divisions engaged
against this army with the exception
Of one are said to have been weak
ened and worn by recent combatS.
Although their departure was hur-
ried, the Germans found time to put
the torch to Marsuil. which still Is In
flames The devastation Of many lib
Grated villages, however. is' slight
compared with that wrought by the
during his retreat in 1917.