The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-08-22
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The GREAT WAR
Aisne-Marne Salient Is Wiped Out
and Huns Retreat Toward
the Chemin deS Danes
YANKEES WIN new LAURELS
Defeat Best Division of the Prussian
Guard In Desperate Fighting-Ger-
mans and BoIsheviki Face Re-
volts in the Near East.
BY EDWARD w. PIckARD.

The fifth year of the great war
opened with the German forces in the
Aisne- Marne region on the defensive
after the collapse of the drive on Par.
is and the assumption of the initia-
tive by the allies under General Foch;
the British calmly awaiting the prom
ised offensive by Crown Prince Rup-
precht; the French and Italians drlv-
ing ahead in Albania; Ukraine, Rou-
mania and much of Russia rising
against the tyranny of German DOM
nation; Turkey quarreling with Bull
garia and Austria with Germany over
the spoils of war in the near East; ;
the allies putting into execution their
plans to help the anti-German ele-
ments in Siberia, and, above all, the
American troops in the thick OF the
fighting in France and winning the
plaudits of the world for their splen-
did work.
With the apparent intention of max
ing a stand, at least temporarily, on
the Vesle river line, the Germans
slowed up their retreat from the Aisne-
Marne salient last week and brought
their heavy artillery into action. De-
spite the determined and dashing at
tacks of the allies from the south,
west and east the Huns had with
drawn in most cases with elaboration,
choosing the ground for their rear
guard actions and saving probably the
greater part of their supplies. The
possibility Of cutting off and capturing
any very large number of them passed
when it was found that their power
full resistance at the ends of the arc
near scissors and Reims, prevented
any considerable advance Of the al
lies there At the south front of the
salient the Huns fought f1ercely for
days while their guns and munitions
were being transported to the north,
and then quickly moved back, the
French and Americans following with
a rush. This movement carried the
battle up to and beyond the River
Ourcu. There was evidence that the
German commander intended to halt
south of that river for time, but he
was not allowed to do this.
To the front between Fere-en-Tarde-
nois and Passy were brought the crack
divisions of the Prussian guards, to
hold back the Americans, but the lat
ter refused to be checked, and with a
rallantry that aroused the cheers of
the allied nations they met and de-
feated the best fighters Of the kaiser's
armies. These Prussians, unlike so
many of the Huns, fight to the death
when told to hold certain position,
and the Americans, also, do not know
the word surrender. Consequently the
combat was bloody in the extreme 1t
was centered in and about the villages
of Nesles, Sergy and Cierges, and they
changed hands repeatedly before the
Yankees finally got the upper hand
and established themselves firmly In
the towns and then pushed on beyond
the river, taking Seringes and max
ing a salient in the German lines that
threatened what remained Of the en-
envy in the pocket between there and
Ville-en- Tardenois.
That it was not an idle threat was
proved two days later, when the Amer
lean and French troops struck hard
at this pocket, storming the heights
between Sergy and Seringes. They
were preceded by rolling barrage
and moved forward behind smoke
cloud. It was announced that this at
tack was for the purpose of straight
ening the allied line, but its possibiii-
ties were considerable. The advance,
which was stubbornly resisted and was
made difficult by miles of barbed-wire
entanglements, was carried forward
with increasing rapidity until, by the
close of the week, the Soissons-Reims
salient had been virtually wiped out