Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-06

were operating north of the Nesle River
Yesterday. Not much German infantry
has been cited.
As the Americans pressed forward it
was a different sight than that which
had greeted them in their advance from
the Marine to the Nesle. From the Nesle
northward over the plateau the Germans
had cleaned up virtually everything,
taking with them all of value or of use,
and were burning that which they could
not move northward or which might be
Of use to the French and Americans.
Between the Marine and the Nesle the
Germans had left great stores of sup
plies and ammunition because of their
hasty withdrawal.
The. plateau for every. few miles was
cans say the German raiders who
bombed Paris evidently operated. The
American officers believe that this pla-
teau must have been the principal Ger
Paris and the districts in between.
Before the advancing Americans in
the desolate valley of the Nesle between
Bazoches and Fismette the Germans
roads. and the twisted skeletons of the
cars are standing on the tracks. Tho
trees along the roadway between Ba-
zoches and Fismette had been cut down
by German saws ard German shells.
BY the Associated Press
With the American Army on the
Aisne, Sept. 6.
With the exception Of a few ma
chine.gun detachments. left to sacri
fee themselves in an effort to cover
the retreat, the Germans are on the
north side of the Aisne.
The American and French troops
who have followed closely on the
heels Of the enemy since the evacua
tion Of the Vesle villages began, are
in contact with the Germans, harass
ing the rear guard and fastening the
movement of the whole force.
Long before nightfall yesterday th'
Americans worked their way down int
the lowlands toward the Aisne off tn,
plateau from which they had beer
able to see the cathedral towers il
Laon, not fifteen miles away.
It is at that point where the hear
Of the present German operations il
located. Laon is a great communi
cation center and must naturally b,
defended with the utmost determine
ton If the Allied. forces are to D,
prevented from driving back to Ii th'
German lines from west and south
The retirement Of the Germans t,
positions north of the Aisne is regard
ed as only preliminary to their re
occupation of their old lines of defens'
along the Chemin- -des-Dames.
In the first phase of the conflic
the Germans We're driven back mile
by mile and desperate fighting mark
ed almost every bit of the territory
yielded. 1t was entirely different II
this case. 1t was, in fact, a strategic
retreat and has cost comparatively
little in men and amunitions.
So steadily and rapidly was the with
drawal of the Germans carried ou
that French cavalry was employed
to maintain contact at one or twt
places, the cavalry also contributing
to the location of machine gun nests
The Americans were subjected a
times to a rather heavy artillery fire
especially while going over the pla
teau. For about two miles II was nee
essary for them to advance in tn
open over high ground plainly visibl
to the German observers. There wa
little cover, and both heavy and ligh
artillery swept the zone, but wit
slight effect and without checking t
any degree the forward movement.
The French and American artillery
meanwhile, delivered a punitive fir
directed against the villages and road
beyond the Aisne and shelled tn
points where machine-gun nests wer
located. The clearing out of thes
nests was accomplished more by tn
artillery in this engagement than !
previous battles. These machine gun
had been left by the Germans alon
a line admirably constructed. Th
usual overwhelming number of aut'
mates were substituted for men. an
these were so placed that never wer
| they so far apart that from som
angle a crossfire could not be effe
| lively used.