The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-14
'PERSHING REPORTS
COMPLETE VICTORY
1890 Prisoners, Including
Entire Division, Captured
in st. Mihicl Drive.
RAILROAD LINE INTACT
American Attack Completely
Surprises Enemy-Grcatcr
Drive Expected.
RAILROAD LINE INTACT
Spec,ai Despatch 10 THr suS.


/ WASHINGTON. Sept. 13.--Gen. Per-
shng has cut through the st. Mihicl
salient on line twelve miles back Of
the apex. has bagged 1890 prisoners.
including q whole German division. and
is rapidly narrowing the distance be-
! tween the American forces and the Ger
man frontier.
Tho Americans. Gen Pcrshings re-
| port Tonight shows, attacking from
/ both sides OF the salient, have forced
their way through nearly OH a straight
! line n feat which will stand out in the
| history Of tho war. Tho famous pincer
system. ms shown by to-nieht's report,
has this time been applied with COM
| plete success, resulting in the absolute
demolition of the st. Mihiel salient and
the surrounding territory and the cap
ture Of many Of the enemy forces con-
| tanned therein.
The battle line runs from east to
west, taking In the villages OF Melville.
Thiaucourt, Xammes, st. Benoit, Hatton-
; vile, Thillot and Herbeuville.
| whole salient Captured.
| Gen. Pershing was able to report to
the War Department tonight the cap
ture of the whole salient, fact which
! caused citation TO pervade all circles OF
! the General staff. inasmuch as il marked
n complete success for the American Of
fensive, begun yesterday morning under
the eyes Of Secretary Baker himself and
! under the direct command of Gen.
| Pershing.
| Early reports this afternoon that the
| Americans had actually reached the
town of Pagny on the Moselle River.
| which is on the German frontier, were
| not borne out by the Pershing report.
| However. the advance OF Gen. Pershing' g
forces on the eastern flank already pre-
sents the possibility Of the American
offensive assuming the character of a
general thinking movement. such as has
been anticipated. with Metz as its OBJ
jectivo.
The point now which interests General
STAFF officers particularly is whether
the Americans will press on in their
drive and attempt to invade German
territory and try to strike at Metz or
whether Gen. Pershing will rest on his
laurels for the time being and permit
the effect of the American onslaught to
he exploited elsewhere on the battle
front. The advantage which the allied
and American forces will now seek tt
capitalize from the American drive will
depend Of course on the Judgment OF
Marshal Foch.
The prevailing opinion in military
circles here is that the attack on the
st. Mihiel salient was primarily de.
signed TO reduce this menacing salien,
in pursuance OF the general plan OF
battle whicl, the French British and
Americans are conducting under the di.
rectng genius OF Marshal Foch. The
converging American attacks and the
French attack on the salient are still
regarded hero by some as more in the
nature of local operation. but il Is now
pointed out the results OF this so-called
local operation may have paved the
way for a drive OF far greater scope.
Not All Forces Used.
il support of this belief. II is EN-
phasized here that Gen. . Pershing's
marked and speedy success has un-
doubtedly been achieved by a relatively
small portion of the American field
army The attack on twelve mile
front which brought the collapse OF
the German defences before the Amer.
lean onslaught on the eastern flank OF
the salient could not have involved more
than few Of Pershing's divisions.
Az the field army contains from
twenty to thirty divisions this shows
that the huge bulk OF PershinR's force
was held in reserve. and did not need
to he called upon to make the de.
cision certain and complete But this
great reserve striking force Is under.
stood TO he ready to drive forward
whenever the time IL considered op.
perfume. so the question naturally
/ arises as to whether conditions re.
vealed by the local operation in the st
| Mihiel salient make the time appear
ripe.