Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-10-16

| wsr Most Of them never lived much
| less spent days ard nights outdoors in
| such climate for which there H. no
| counterpart in America Rain and rain,
| nothing but rain. day after day. pcne-
| trating cold all the time. and no shell
te' except holes in the ground and pup
/ tents
October 14--There had been nothing
| like an armistice today on the front
of the First American army. Terrific
| fighting has been in progress since early
| this morning, between the Argonne for
est and the Meuse. where the German
command Is eXerting itFelf to the utmost
to hold a twenty-five klOmeter sector
against the hammer blows Of Porshing's
lighting men.
Fresh German reserves have put in
their appearance. Despite the bitter re-
si4tauce of the enemy troops. we made
progress along the entire front of our
attack
The Aire was crossed east of Grand
Pre-. Landres and ST. Georges were
reached. Hin 2Ss. west Of Banthevre.
is ours, az well as the Bois-Pulhere. and
most of the Bois Foret Romagne and
Cunel are in our hands
Just before dark aviators reported
that the Germans were pulling back their
artillery III front of our center.
Meant 10 Hold Line
The advance is all the more signif-
cant, because captured orders gave the
command TO hold that line before the
Americans at all costs.
The crossing of the Aire was per-
formed under great difficulties and with
much bravery Last night our engi-
neerS going up TO the infantry line at
tempted to throw bridge across the
hfty-foot stream, but were halted by
hand grenades thrown by Germans in
trenches not more than 100 Yards away.
This morning We put down a heavy
artillery preparation on the foe positions
cast of Grand-Pre and got two bridges
across. All day our engineers worked.
repairing these crossings as fast as
lhe German shells damaged them.
The Americans had much difficulty In
getting over and also on the river south
or Banthevlle, where the infantry was
caught in heavy machinc-gun fire
from the Bois Bantheville and Ros
Rapncs
The fighting on our sector today was
perhaps the hitterest on the whole front
in the last three days The reason of
~" German desire to hold bacl; the
American army is easily understood
the Aeuse Is the key 10 the German line
from west of Taon TO the east of the
Mcuse. This means one OF the vital
spots of the whole front from the sea
to the Mosele, because IL the Allies can
get through here much further all Ger
man communication through Mez.egcs
VIII be imperied.
Menace Main supply line
The Mezieres railroad is the center
OF the foe lines Of supply from Laun TO
the Mcuse. The main line from NamUr
branches here with important branches
TO l.aon. Rethel and Stenay each of
which feeds numerous smaller railroad
lines.
While Mezieres IL not directly north
of the American army. cur advance
means that the foe will lose his supply
lines at least on third Of the whole
salient from the sea TO the Mcsene
This. of course would force retire
ment all the way along the line. There
fore the Germans believe they must hold
back the Americans to avert a military
disaster
The fighting today took our troops in
10 a large part Of he Nriemhilde line
anG put them up against heavy wire
defenses. While cutting through they
were heavily shelled with gas, especial
ly in the region of I.andres,
German infantry was seen today haul
ing back - field pieces. This is eN-
planned. perhaps, by the fact that the
Germans are very short OF horses, our
gunners having killed a great many last
week.
Clear Out Machine Guns
There was bitter fighting leading into
the Bols Bantheville, where the Germans
had many machine guns. our infantry
was halted temporarily until the artii-