The sun., 1918-09-13
SUDDEN CRASH IN
NIGHT BEGINS DRIVE


salient is involved, the early hours saw
at least one strong thrust made on the
southern front of the salient near Seiche-
prey, OF historic memory. So the Ameri-
cans are lighting on old. familiar ground.
with the towering Montseo looming over
them. Near Les Eparses also q strong
attack was made. while the operations on
the remainder OF the salient all At into
ths general scheme.
Ground Strongly Fortified.
1t should be emphasized strongly tina,
this ia exceedingly hard ground on which
to operate: the Germans hero hold .
position that naturally Is. hard to take
and that has been fortified for four years
with every device known to trench war
fare. II may be said on good authority
that the st. Mihiel salient is as strong
as any German position on the western
front. II abounds in woods which are
natural machine gun nests the whole
country IL rough and hiliy In many
places and 10 intersected by numerous
streams, OF which the Rupt de Mad. run
ming by seicheprey. is one Of the most
| important.
But important beyond even this is the
fact that this Is an attack with limited
detectives. What those detectives are
cannot now be stated, but they are we'll
| worth fighting for. There Is not the
slightest intention to play the German
game by hurting American troops into
| death traps.
| In short, this attack in methodical
preparation and planning resembles the
! T..I. lraA lttt-
| tiplied. Any advance on the st. Mihiel
salient. however, cannot but again i'm
portant results. For nearly four years
this salient has been thorn IN the side
of France. projecting into the Mouse
Valley at a little city that gives 1t its
name. Tho salient always threatened
the rear Of Verdun and also Nancy and
Toul and the Paris-Nancy Railroad. be-
cause from the salient the Germans held
Commercy under their guns. Restora-
ton of thisN line would be OF great
strategic benefit.
| Germans Have Been Anxious.
Realizing all this. the Germans have
been uneasy about their salient. II has
been reported that Field Marshal Hin
denburz was in Metz few days ago
eonferrIng with another General. That
the field commanders were much per-
turbed is shown by the many nights in
which they have sent out raiding troops
TO ascertain whether We would make an
/ attack.
Tho number OF German divisions in
this line is not large, and with one ex-
ception they are not composed OF first
class troops. This exception is tho Tenth
Division. which crossed the Marine July
Is and met the Americans near Chateau
Thierry. The next day the Germans
were sadder but wiser. The gaps in the
Tenth Division have been filed. and It
sidered as first rate notwithst standing its
reverse at the Marine.
Some Austrian troops are holding the
line In the region OF the salient but prob
ably will escape attack.
Troops Moved Carefully.
the Germans will or will not be sur
prised. We have assembled in Lor-
raine by far the largest American force
got together since the civil war--cer-
tainly bigger tn l., anything We had on
| the Marne.r.
American divisions have been shifted
about with neatness and despatch, and
while some inkling OF what was going
forward has permeated military circles.
| the eHhfl'es are tnht many OF Ine troops
| which attacked at o'clock this morning
did not enter the line until the latest
pos -'hle moment
gaey moved for tho most part in COM
plete silence without showing a light even
when they were many miles behind the
front Luckily Lorraine Ia wooded
country and the men could be kept In
/ hiding in the daytime.
| Perhaps it is unnecessary to say that
their spirits and morale are high and
splendid, for that's always so with our
mon. But its one OF those things that
| always should be said because the men
| deserve it--and much more