New-York tribune., 1918-09-07
Germans in Retreat Burn
Everything Between
Aisne and Vesle
By Wilbur Forrest
{ Special Gable TO The Tr,buue)

Especial Gable to The Tribune)
Copyright. 1918. by The Tribune Association
New York TTibunc)
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES IN
FRANCE, Sept. 5 (delayed) From
high tree overlooking the Vesle in the
vicinity OF Bazoches to-day I saw the
German withdrawal from the big pla-
teau between the tisue and the Vesla
and looked on thf towers of the Laon
Cathedral pekine their noses hazny
over the Chemin des Danes in the dis
tance. More properly speaking, it was
an Allied advance toward the Aisne,
because from this particular vantage
point only six Germans could be seen
during the day, and they were rear
guards who had remained behind with
a machine gan or two to put up bluff.
The main German forces, after burn
ing everything between the two rivers,
iguratively folded their tents and
crept away in the night. On the Amer
began to feel their way forward before
noon and within two hours had mounted
the high plateau looking down the
Aisne Valley. BY nightfall they were
on the downward slopes making their
way slowly in the general direction Of
the Aisnc heights and the Chemin des
Danes, which skirts the ridges Of these
heights.
Had an Uncanny Effcc.
The entire area Of retreat during the
afternoon had an uncanny effect. TX
and the fire Recks of the shells cxplod-
ing on the slopes north of the Alsne.
where enemy transport wagons could
occasionally be seen through glasses,
creeping up the hill like ants, it was
absolutely quiet.
Directly ahead, walking calmly along
the crest OF the plateau. saw more OF
our advance patrols, and closer on the
por7 lines tramped along, the men walk
ing we'll spread out in Indian file as a
precauton against enemy shclltire,
which didn't exist.
Following the support lines came the
artillery and machine guns drawn by
mules and horses. which could be seen
through the glass creeping along slow
~ and reaching down occasionally to
MUNICH the grass on the roadside.
Bazochcs was hidden in a grove on
the Vcslc slopes, It's houses battered and
torn About 4 O'Clock | saw the first
evidence that Germans were still on
this side of the Aisne A Boche sau-
sage balloon poked its head audacious-
ly above the vicinity which the map
marked out as the village Of Dhusiel,
about mile and half south of the
Aisne. 1t ascended slowly to a low
altitude. remained aloft about five min
utes and then descended The Franco
American line at this hour is so far
advanced that Dhusiel is becoming dam
gerous for the Boches
later learned that the German bal
loon crew packed up their gas bag and
fed on motor truck just ahead of u
French column which entered the town
about o'clock.
Saw Evidence Of Retreat
Toward evening great dust clouds
were plainly visible on the big Rouen-
Rheims highway across tn. A,sne.
showing that the enemy was losing no
time in putting his heavy vehicles and
heavy guns behind the comparative
security of the Chemin des Danes The
most audible evidence of war this af-
ternoon was the constant rumble of
guns on our left toward Solssons, where
the Allied troops were slowly pressing
forward between Ailette and the Aisne.
1t was that advance north OF the Sois-
sons in which American troops bril-
iiantly cooperated that caused the
enemy to abandon the strip between
the Ais1e and the Vesle, and he will
probably go furCner nortn over the
Continued on ne&t page