Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-15
AMERICAN BLOW
REPLY TO KAISER
Answers Hintze Criticism
That U. S. Troops Had
No Military Value
VICTORY PLEASES PARIS
Encircling of Metz Would
End War. Is General
Belief
Special Cable to Erening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918, by Neto York Times Co.
Paris Sept is.

Special Cable to Erening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918, by Ne,o York Times Go.
Paris. Sept. Is.
The American triumph at st. Mihel is
hailed here as an incontestab'e victory
However much the Germans may try to
minimize it by asserting that they mere
ly carried out a retreat which had
long been in their plans in order to
shorten their front. the fact remains
that they were forced to leave in the
hands of the victorious Americans the
equivalent OF two full divisions OF
troops, which the enemy never needed
SO badly as at present, in addition to
leaving an enormous amount of ma
terials behind for the Allies to use
against them and being compelled to
4 destroy probably as much more to pre-
vent similarly annoying use being mad"
of it. Such factors dn not enter into
any kind of voluntary retreat.
What especially delighted Paris is the
fact that on the very day the German
Foreign Minister. Won Hintze, oracu-
larly announced in Vienna that the
American troops had as vet m mill
cary value General Pershing officially
reported that the first day of the
American offensive in the 81. Mihiel
salient resulted in the capture Of 5000
German prisoners The absurd con-
junction of the two facts has greatly
tickled Paris.
"Pershing.' cries one eminent French
military critic, has made of his first
battle magnificent victory "
I'm its first trial effort as an autono-
nous force the First American Army"
states another expert, has achieved a
masterpiece"
Different PershinE
splendid victory" is the phrase used
BY nearly every Paris newspaper in
summing up the results Of American
prowess in our first real battle. Cen
eral Pershing's portrait adOrns the
front page of many Paris papers, and
1t is notable that the picture is not
that of the pleasantly smiling. typi-
cally American-featured soldier Of
twelve months ago. but of the grim war
rior of today with lined brows and
hard-set jaw, which speaks eloquently
of the awful burden Of responsibility
and grinding work which the Ameri-
can commander has had II assume in
order to bring about the brilliant sue
cess his army has achieved.
Sooner or later. now that the great
hook in the line south Of Nerdun. which
SO long irrtated every Allied sympa-
thizer, has been dissolved, the enCircle-
ment of Metz will come within the range
of the practical Tie loss of Metz
would be the end of the war. so far as
operations in France are concerned. and
probably for the rest of Europe also
The st. Mih!el victory. it is believed
a'itere, will have an incalculably favor
able influence in the whole of the French
front, from the North Sea to the Swiss
frontier. One of the strongest and
most menacing of the enemys central
towers has been blown up. The blow
ito the eastward" which l forecast a
fortnight ago. has been struck.
u. S. Reply to Kaiser's Speech
The Americans. it Is felt here, have
given the only possible reply to the
hypocritical speech of the Kaiser which
can carry any weight-that Of force
against force and might against might.
The first blow struck by the Amer
leans, it is universally recognized. is a
heavy stroke, AMI especially so in view
of the fact that it was fully expected by
Ludendorff and fully bears cut FoCh $
confident assertion to the Paris Munich
pal Council that the pursuit of the enemy
would be "impaCable."
The objective of the American army
obviously was t. cXtinguish the famous
st Mihiel salient but it is recognized
: here that this can only be a part of the
general plan of the great battle which
Foch began on July 19.
Military critics agree that the fact
that the Americans have struck at one
J OF the strongest Garts of the enemy lin,
Is full of significance Of the future ant
Aof the confidence # the Allies in the ia
vorable character of the present situa
ton. During the last year simulta
neously with the organization of tn
Hindenburg line proper further west an,
north. the interior of the st. Mihiel sail
yent was simply crowded with fortife
works. While hey were organizing tn
Wotan, Siegfried and other lines, tn
Z Germans constructed in this region
series of powerful positions which the
believed were lmpregnabIe Their oh
ject was twofOld. First. they aimed a
encircling NerdLn from the east a
s closely as possible and, secondly. to cu
off all possible direct railway CommunI
cation between Nerdun and Nancy