New-York tribune., 1918-10-02
"Pinching Out" Methods of
British Is Kept Up
Along the Line
Enemy Is Making
Bitterest Resistance
Last German Is Driven
From Western Side of
the St. Quentin Canal
By Caspar Whitney
Spocio1 Cable to The Tr,ouao)


PARIS, Oct. Unsupported by the
French on both fianks the American
army, driving north on front extend
;ng from the Meuse to the Argonne
and leading up TO It's most important
battle, has entered upon campaign
which threatens Germany's position in
France. Overwhelmed by Franco
American artillery, the Germans are
retiring upon strong positions before
me Lille-Metz line, making, at-special-
y prepared points, desperate attempts
20 stem the American soldier wave
which, assisted by increasingly SER
viceable tanks, active ard daring air
service and artillery ever going for
ward at an astonishing speed, rolls
closely after them despite machine
guns in concrete emplacements, church
steeples, haystacks and rearguard op-
ponents which include many of the
kaser's elite troops.
The Americans are taking we'll
clothed and fed prisoners, who are of
the same type as those opposing the
British, and who suggest no lowering
Of the German soldier morale. The
German withdrawal on the first day
was almost beyond our reach. Camps
We're swept clean, leaving compara-
lively little material except that nee
essary for rear-guard fighting. The
Germans made great sacrifices to pro-
tect the retirement of their army, but
he Americans are now through the
area of evacuation IN which the Boche
offered no resistance and are meeting
stiffened outposts of the main body
where heavy fighting is certain.
We must not expect another ST.
Mihiel. where a skilfully planned gen.
eral staff manoeuvre pinched the Boche
out of the salient before the Ameri-
cans could come in touch with the
main German force or meet with seri-
Gus resistance.
Decisive Battle in Sight
In the present campaign, equally
foresighted, masterfully planned and
S~Ah4y eAeSutcu, lueIc Is Il QiHeFent
geographical situation. The action
thus far is but the opening episode
n fight destined to develop into a
battle of the first magnitude and de-
cisive in nature.
Whether the Americans are able to
come to grips with tho German army
IN the immediate future depends large
ly on the weather, which thus far has
not been propitious, and somewhat on
how much the Boche draws on his
'wenty-three divisins facing us on this
frcnt 10 reinforce the outpost ap-
7roaches 10 his main line Should
severe rains set in the American
challenge to this force is sure 10 be
delayed.
1t is a naturally difficult country
and the Boche has left nothing undone
N the way of artificial barriers to
make it more SO. We are now just
nearing the heaviest guns sectors In
their entire area. The Americans are
having about the same character Of
lighting as is Mangin on the west Of the
Chemin des Danes and the British on
,he Somme. Americans at home may
rest assured that their armies, their
boys, in this greatest struggle and
one certain to make history before
IT is finished, are in able, provident
hands
Efficiency Shows Again
he scheme of the present offensive,
which may not be gone into in detail,
the launching Of the attack, the work
ing of plans for the American ad-
vance, the liaison> with the French
west of the Argonne, all attest anew
the administrative and executive eff
cency of the American general staff
and reatrm the confidence given and
'he Impression made by the St Mihiel
drlve, where the limited objective of
hattening the salient was so speedily
attained
Some impressive bits of evidence that
nave come under my view which show
'ne forethought and practical prcpar-
ation Of the staff were columns of
~~o>hc AOo0Cu Will CLuSucu IOCk
and engineers following directly after
su7aneing troops and artillery, ready
20 estore shelI-torn roads and repair
bridges, while behind these were other
ooiumns Of ration trucks in long,
sooroughly-equippcd lines, which moved
forward on the second day of the
4.'ack. persisting eagerly in the wake
VI the retrcating Boche.
and yet most compelling was the
thought that these American boys,
.a"pplng up machine gun nests. storm
us concrete fortresses under shrapnel,
"w'ng the Boche before them, were
s'a the exception Of two or three
VISIONS on the attacking line all hav-
s 'heir first actual fighting. They
States.