The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-08
NEXT STEP
TO HIT ST. QUENTIN,
IS MARGINS VIEW
Key to Hindenburg Line
Expected to Fall
Before Attack.
PROGRESS. STEADY
Share of Americans In
Recent Operations
Cause of Much
Satisfaction.
STEADY

Washington. Sept 1.-The COM
Mnnd and sim N iaxscous thrusts OF
Br1taAh. French and American
troops IN great masses within the
hast tvpenty-four hours have re-
suited In converging drives OF the
troops of the three nations
against ST. Quentin, the key of
the Hindcnhnrg line. according To
ANNOUNCEMENTS offiCially made to-
day by General March. chtcf OF
stan.
Foremost In the actions which
80 seriously menace the Germans
strongest and most stratcgicai
position In the opinion Of Cen
eral March. is that In which our
fFrcnch and American) allied
forces crossed the NeSic- Aisue
ridge and reached the Aisnc river
IN n ten mile frunt-" This ad-
vance demonstrates that General
Mnrrh's theory. that the AIHeri-
cans could advance rapidly and
with artillery along the plateau
east OF Juyigny. has been yert-
fed, and also that the command
Ing terrain OH which the Amcrt-
cans advanced enabled them tn
sicuIoy readily. so that they and
the French are presenting front
or ten miles 10 thc enemy, having
evidently taken by storm all the
hills intervening between the last
slopes of the plateau to the south
banks OF tho Aisne. This has been
accomplished in exacuy seven
days Of the hard fglaing pointed
out here as being necessary to
producc the expected result.
Largely because OF it's military i'm
pcrsarrr,e staff officers take great prias
n the fact that II Will he thaa EreA
= assistance of the Americans, to wnicr
w5ll he inevitably due the turning O.
The south end OF the Hintenborg line
because 1t is assumed here that moth
Ing can now stop the onward rush o
ahe French and Americans IN that di
rection. incidentally. IL is understood
That there In evidently such powerfu
army of French and Americans OF
Yhe south bank and ready 10 cross th'
Arne that part OF ii may be diverted
A. the attack on st. Quentin.
IL was noted by General Marci
mat the retreat of the Germans sinc'
"Wednesday on a J00-uiie front. ha'
been brought about by two inoepeh
dent movem ents---one the pressur'
from the British front between Arral
and peronne. the other the pressure
n the Franco American sector on IN
|rtateau of scissors, He credits tn
british with a brilliant move in thei
|Ariye toward Cambria In this pusi
|ehe Rrftisl, were forced to stop for
|~hi,e at the aensee marshes north
kvr<t OF Can,hrai and the Canal d
(Nnrd. The British turned aside from
hits nAnocuvre rapidly and EVIDENT
and moved south. cross
NJ not only the canal but the Somm
Snd advanced on Thursday and Fri
6av toward the Hindenhurg line nortl
k1f ST. Quentin.
Really for Advance.
44se situation created by this al
RANCE Of the British with whom Amer
beans are lighting, is that the momen
khA Americans and French cross tn
y txne In force. and they have a ten
lille front already threatened 10
errru8nEx, the whole allied force a
She front viii proceed against s.
paeat4s-- tina american fnzcns- trnr
She Atxne to the south. the Frencl
Sod American forces from the Juvign
Errtor. and the British French Amer
lean fees from the northwest th
nrai) sector are destined to hrea
We whole German system of defens
Nv the capture or masking of ~
puentin.
II will require, it is though ten day
bov the realization of that result
khat be accomplished the whole Hind
knburg plans of defense will crumbl'
nd there Is no one informed as I
There the Germans will stop. as
as expressed by STAFF officer. o
kheir retirement home"
The round headlines OF soldiers o
General March's maps of today sho'
nd
ecrr,er advancing generally east an
[os.thAax3x have made a junction north
ast Of Noyon This was effected b