Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-10-21
GENE RAL DEBENY
PUSHES GERMANS
WEST OF CANAL
After Months Of Hard Cam
paigning First French Army
Still in as Fine Fighting
Trim as Any in Service,
lay MORNING Jouss.t SPECIAL LEASED wrssl

tuf hoNNiNS JobFNAN HPhCtNL AtSseu WiNel
With the French Army in France.
Oct. 20, (by The Associated Press.)
The first French army under Gem
ewal Debeny after months OF stnt.ss
campaigning is furnishing one of the
best examples of the endurance of the
heroic French troops in the fighting
on the Disc. Continuing their press
ure on the German lines during the
night, General Debeny's troops COM
pleted the conquest of the territory
west of the canal from Hannappes to
Noyales and this morning were over
coming stout resistance on this most
difficult ground.
The Germans, disputing every inch
of ground in this region in order to
protect the retreat of their armies
pressed by the British are favored by
nature. The ground is well adapted
to the artificial flood to which they
are resorting and to ambushes that
are encountered all along the front
Wherever the enemy retired here
he is forced back against his wall of
defense these positions being essen
tial to the easy withdrawal of troops
and material further south.
Enemy Retreats Slowly.
On the front of the armies of Cen
eral Gouraud and General Pershing
the fighting also goes on fiercely, the
enemy ceding ground only in the last
extremity while completing the with
drawal of his lines westward. Gou-
raud's men gained important sue
Cesses yesterday east of the Aisne and
are advancing east of Vouzieres
The German retreat, so far as the
high command is able to control it,
is movement in verse to that of the
invasion OF 1914, when German col
umns, pivoting on the fortress of
Metz and wheeling to the left, came
around through Belgium in a move
ment like that of an opening fan. The
fan is closing this time and ii is hing
ing on a crowded pivot, while the col
umns representing the ribs of the fan,
instead of pursuing the adversary are
being pursued, pushed hustled and
harassed. Consequently the regulari-
ty with which the fan was opened at
the beginning of the war and which,
according to the crown prince was
fresh and joyous" is absent in the
inverse movement.
Marshal Foch withholds from Lud-
endorff the leisure to operate his
elastic retreat at will. The enemy is
able to select only positions where
resistance Is vital to the success of
the retiring movement These posi-
tions are for the moment on the right
wing in front of Gouraud and Persh-
ing and in the region of the Sisson
front of Debeny.
Retreat Mastery.
The most competent authorities ad
NIT that the German retreat has thus
far been accomplished in mastery
fashion The question whether the
Germans will be able to hold the vital
points along the Aisne and Disc un-
til they get out of precarious situa
tions elsewhere is becoming more and
more acute. Yet predictions Of the
immediate crumbling of the German
line anywhere are considered prema-
ture.
The Germans now occupy north Of
the Aisne and the Serre their second
line of retirement called the "Hund-
ing' position, which rests its right on
the Hoise and its left on the hilly
forest region at Grand Pre- gap, now
vigorously attacked by Gouraud and
Pershing.
Work on this line was begun In
the spring of 1917 and was continued
until November. Then it was suspend
ed until September of this year when
1T was resumed with feverish haste
with the aid of prisoners OF war. Its
length is about "a miles, four-fifths
of its behind water courses that may
easily be swelled by artificial floods
so as to constitute formidable OBJ
stacles. The enemy may be expected
to make a desperate stand here and
hold out, If possible. until his armies
in Belgium and French Flanders are
withdrawn.