Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-03
AMI RICAkS RUSH FORWARD WITH
 lI71LE EFFORT Little Rear Guard Action in New Retreat of the
 Enemy. GERMAN DEFENSE
 POWER BROKEN Yankees Capture Ground Where Lieut.. Quentin Roosevelt Was Buried After Being Shot
 Down.

Aisne Marne Front Aug. 2.-(7 D. m., By the Associated Press jump forward was made today by the French and Americans on the Aisne- Marne front. From one to two miles were gained and with almost no fighting.
 Plans had been made to strike hard blows against the resisting German rear but the German war council evidently had decided that the time was in opportune to fight, for when the allies moved forward it was only ing enemy.
 At few places there were sharp encounters but they were nothing as compared with the terrible engage ments that previously had been fought or what was expected.
 The French cavalry operated near Dravegny, about 2 1-2 miles north of Coulonges with the American infan- try close behind, while another de- tachment of mounted French troops opened the way a short distance to the west with French infantry and American foot troops close up.
 Eight Miles From Fisme.
 The penetration 'by the French and Americans to the region of Drav- egny would place them only scant eight miles southeast of Fismes on the railroad line midway Soissons and Rheims.
 Occasionally bursts of machine gun fire challenged the advancing line but it was apparent early in the move- ment that the Germans had gone.
 The stiffest fighting encountered by the Americans was in little piece of ground east of Chamery where according to the German news papers the body of Lieut.. Quentin Roosevelt was buried after his air plane had been brought down early in the present operations.
 Through wheat field and over wood- ed trails soaked with the rain that fell almost all day, the Americans moved slowly and cautiously but al- most constantly over farms and past villages among them Coulonges and Coban.
 To the westward another force of Americans also was moving steadily through and around the Nesles woods and the. rolling country east of the woods.
 That they had been started by the Germans seemed obvious as no allied shells had reached these places dur ing the day.
 The Americans expected to find the enemy prepared for a bitter fight, but when swung northward from their positions in the line after brief ar- tillery preparation, to which there was no reply, all as silence in front of them.
 The skirmish line even was aban- doned and the men were enabled to proceed in single file through such wheat fields and clumps of woods as they had known at home.
 During the rarest of intervals there was a spattering of rifle or machine gun fire, which served to check the line for the few minutes that was re-
 Hun Artillery Withdrawn.
 Both to the east and west of that part of the line held by the Ameri- cans and French were meeting with similar success.
 Few prisoners were taken during the day but one of them, captain, duIulILcu tIl0t tAO 0VA AAe~A ~A SAA-S~J had been withdrawn.
 His story tended to confirm the stories of other men captured that the Germans were determined to- make their next big stand on the Vesle, and not the Ardre and thatA their movements under way indicated the fortifying of Fismes as the center o fthe next fixed line of battle.
 It is not anticipated that the Ger men will withdraw to the Vesle with out renewing their rear guard resis- tance and it is expected the present virtually unopposed advance will end quickly, perhaps with the stiff fight ing on the higher ground just south of the Ardre in order to give the Ger mans more time for getting theid artillery and stores across the river.
 Fishes Within Range.
 With only slight advance in addi- ton to that ftoday, the heavy guns of the allies easily will be in position to shell Fishes and any part of the
 Continued on page 3. co. 4