The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-10
That Is Why q. s. Must Rush
Troops, Says March.
The Time Has Come for the
Greatest Effort.
SAYS WARS END is FAR OFF
But Allies Must Keep Initiative
All the Time.
Quiet on Vesle Followed Quick
Iy by New Blow.

Washington. Aug. 10.-The Franco
British drive in Picardy has put the
enemy again in a bad position similar
to the pocket which closed up on him
on the Aisne-Marne front, General
March said today in his weekly confer
ence with newspaper correspondents.
The whole battle line from Rheims
to Flanders is being straightened out
and the time has come for the great
est effort, General March said. Mar
shal Foch is following the sound mill
itary principles of hitting without re-
Taxation said the general. when you
get the enemy going keep him going"
That Is Why We Rush Troops.
Laying emphasis on the necessity of
pressing on vigorously and giving the
enemy no chance to rest or readjust
himself, General March said, this was
the object of the war department in
seeking to raise the age limits of the
draft and to hurry to France ever in
creasing American forces.
End Not at Hand.
ANY suggestion that the end of the.
war is at hand should be discouraged.
the chief of staff said, but the time
has cane to keep the enemy running
ard to hit him hard The greatest ad-
vantage to the allies is that they have
taken the offensive and can keep the
enemy guessing instead of guessing
| themselves.
Altho the British war office has an
! nounced 1t, General March had no Of
| ficial information that American
troops are participating in the drive
IT. III
| the allied forces to bring the enemy's
main line of communication under gun
| fire.
| Captured a General and Staff.
l The chief of staff read a confiden-
tial report showing that the British
had taken in the first days of the
drive more prisoners than they could
handle and also captured all enemy
! artillery in their immediate front. The
report added that a German general
and his staff had been captured.
Only NibbIing on Vesie.
! Turning to. the situation on the
Vesle, General March said French and
American troops had been 'nibbling''
along that line but had. made no at
| tempt as yet to advance up the slopes
| north of the river. where the German
lines of chief resistance are supposed
J to stand.
| Picardy Blew Follows, Quickly.
The temporary stabilization of the
| fighting on the Vesie front had been
promptly met by General Foch, he
| added, by the blow in Picardy where
events of the Marne battle seem likely
to be, duplicated.
The Importance of the allied ad-
vance on Chaulnes. a junction on the
/ only railway line the enemy has over
which to- Withdraw from the depths of
his PicardY position was pointed out.
Pressure against this point is placing
the Germans in a difficult situation
| Ground Favorable.
| The Germans. General March told
i the newspaper men, were taken COM
| pletely by surprise and offered no
| strong resistance in the center of the
( lice at which the forces under Field
Marshal Haig struck. Their greatest
! resistance was on the north, where
they recaptured a portion of the
| ground by a vigorous counter attack.
! The terrain over which this fighting
Is proceeding. the general pointed out.
4 lends itself to an advance particular
| iy because all the river valleys stand
J perpendicular to the allies line and
do lot parallel it, offering chance OF
resistance. AS 1t is the allies advanced
/ directly up these valleys thru a coun-
try that is almost wholly flat and in
which even the small patches of
woods have been leveled by artillery