The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-27

Gto OilS Ol WlNlC ol0Sl1 POD9IOIl
 It was not until General Persh-
 inG's official statement arrived
 late tonight that n dehnite idea
 was gwen Of the extent and sue
 cess of the initial rush. The Amer
 jeans advanced a front of 20
 miles to average depth of-seven
 miles, taking more than 5000 pris-
 oners aud IF towns. The French war office previously had reported
 that the French troops further
 west had advanced four miles at
 certain points.
 The point of attack selected by Mar shal Foch caused no great surprise here As far back as 1915 the French strategists saw that the Champagne front offered the greatest possibilities ill repelling the invaders with the least expenditure of men. There was fierce fighting that year on this sec tor, but the Frensh lacked the reserve power to press forward in accordance with their. strategic designs and were forced to settle back to tactical opera tions and defensive measures.
 Since the line between Rheims and Nerdun has been relatively unchanged, the last offensive effort of the enemy against Rheims in July having failed to break it. On that occasion Ameri- can troops aided in repelling the east ern Jaw Ol the enemy plilCeI dlidIh OlL the Cathedral City, the Forty second (Rainbow) division having been pri- gaded with French troops on this front, where it won high commenda- tion from the French leaders.
 WOULD DIVIDE GERMANS
 As the French plan of 1g15 has been discussed, it contemplated the driving of a great wedge through to the. lins of the Mouse, where it sH-TIs fne' for Oa1e der. Resting on d wide base and sup ported by the fortress of Verdun on the east. such a wedge would, in ef- feet divide the German army and in addition menace the whole communica- ton system of the enemy forces i'll northern France and Belgium It would have threatened the Belgian gateway into France and it seems cer- tain that nasty retirement by the enemy to the Mouse line must have re- suited.
 The battle lines today are relative ly as they were in 1915 and the same strategic factors hold good. For this reason alone. many officers have be- lieved that Marshal Foeh, sooner or later would strike at he enemy from the Champagne front and when word of the new attack today was received their first impression was that the , hour for the great allied effort had come,
 Later advices, however. indicated that the new battle zone was eas; of the more level region around RheimT, where it had been anticipated the road to the Belgian border would more probably be sought Apparently Mar shal Foch has struck first in the re- zion immediately west of Verdun and until the scope and direction of his attack develops, officials withhold Judgment as to the grand objectives at which the new drive may be aimed.
 INTERESTING FACTORS
 Several factors of utmost sig
 nificnnce and of peculiar interest
 to the people of the United States
 are sharply disclosed by the new
 offensive. For one thing, the pow CT and will of the allied forces tO
 continue bammering at the enemy
 without rest is apparent. With the
 smoke of the battle in the St.
 MihieI salient hardly cleared away
 and with n JO-niile stretch of the
 line to the north aDd south of St.
 MihieI in a continual flame of att
 tack, it waS possible to organize
 and deliver new blow 4O-
 mile front and drive forward many
 miles with it's initial thrust. MOre- over, the indicated German with
 drawal is added proof of the en-
 emy's waning man power.
 THERE IS No DOUBT THAT
 HE WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO
 REST A MOMENT AND THAT
 THE FIGHTING WILL BE CAR- REED INTO THE WINTER, AS
 HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN
 POSSIBLE.
 Of direct national Interest here is the evident fact that the clearing up of the St Mihiel sector by General porSbipcr'c EirSf ifs first h. dependent venture, was the necessary torerunner of this new blow.
 Not only did that swift blow free
 all the French armies around
 verdun from the menace of the
 salient in their rear, but it 1ib-
 erated rail lines to supply the new
 battle front and set free thousands
 of soldiers of both armies for att
 tack purposes by shortening the
 lines.
 Again, it Is American aid that makes possible the new attack. The an- nouncement of this drive is the first indication that American troops were on the front immediately west of the Mouse, with the possible exception of a unit of negro troops known to have been recently somewhere in the cen- ter of the front between Rheims and yerdun Whether that unit is engaged in the present fighting is not known. but it is evident that very large force of Americans has been shifted vest ward along the line~to take part in the