The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-04
FRENCH SWEEP ON
THROUGH BARRAGE
Veterans at Juvigny Defy Hail
of Shrapnel and Gain
Steadily.
ENTHUsED BY VICTORIES
Germans Squeezed Out Of
Bend Of Aisne as Attack
ers Extend Line.
~ GERALD CAMPBELL.
Special Cable Despatch to The sus from ths
London Tiues Service.

| CpcCtut SQOfe DedpNtCH 10 lHH DUN JFOWb tNe
| London Times Serrice.
Copyright. 1918; all rights reserved
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY, Sept. a.
I went to French divisional headquarters
| this afternoon just in time to meet the
| General who commanded the division
which had the all important sector with
| Terny- Sorny as its m&in point lie In
vited me to go with him to the plateau
behind Juvingy. The artillery prepare
| ton after hammering the German po-
| sition four hours changed to barrage
| behind which the infantry and tanks ad-
vanced.
Beyond Juvingy Ia a straight double
| line of trees and in the middle distance
| slope leading UP to the Bethune road
| The soldiers were marching slowly and
| steadily forward in splendid order They
| moved in littfs squads Of about ten men
| each But there was something besides
men on the slope. as very severe Ger
man barrage was falling. with shrapnel
bursting overhead while the smoke from
| toxic shells rolled at their feet
Everywhere on the plain great black
clouds OF smoke shot UP. marking the
landing place of shells. Sometimes these
fell in front f\the men. sometimes be-
hind them and sometimes they were en-
! tirely hidden by the smoke from the
! shells. But always when the smoke
cleared we could see the men marching
forward. Only seasoned troops. the Gen.
eral said, could move through that bar
| rage. 1T would be too much for men
| who were either tired or t!mid." he said.
But my men will do it,
Barrage Fails to stop French.
Gradually the enemy's fire. which
came from behind Ailette, slackened as
the French advance continued beyond
the road. We then returned TO headquar-
tiers and learned, when we got there.
that the French had pressed a mile be-
yond the road. 1t was almost noon
when we reached the plateau and walk
ing wounded already were trooping back
| along the roads, meeting fresh trans
ports. which went forward over the pla-
tesu in the same battle order. French
fiers constantly sent back word that the
whole advance was continuing
The plateau on which these engage
ments were fought presents an extraor-
binary scene of desolation. The whole
country as far as we could see consists
of uncultivated land of a dirty. yellowish
gray. covered with a rank growth OF wild
vegetation. Over this ugly country the
battle rolled backward and forward,
and almost blotting out all traces of life
everywhere. Over the roads pass troop
trains. transports and guns. raising a
constant cloud Of dust You see dust
eyerywhere-eat II and breathe II. 1t is
like a pail over the whole dreary land
scapc.
Soldiers Are Undaunted.
But the temper OF the Frenchmen l
saw to-day Is so magnificent you are
convinced nothing can stop them. They
feel that the end OF all this uglines3 Is
near and that feeling gives them fresh
spirit to attack the Job before then,
with the utmost vigor.
The French advance beyond Terny-
Sorny IL of great importance. Four
miles to the east the French are now
at the canal north OF Bethancourt.
where the line almost touches the ALI
ette. From there the line runs due
south past Leuilly to Crovy. | heard
to-day that the enemy had evacuated
the loop Of the Aisnc Immediately east
OF Scissors. but that he still had some
units at the distillery on Bethune road
between scissors and Cufries. The line
| at this point is rather complicated, but
the margin OF retreat Is so narrow that
1t is hardly possible to believe the Ger
mans can remain there.
The most important French advance
Is in the centre at Terny-Sorny The
road to Neuville- sur-Mar and Gival is
two miles further on and runs along
the high plateau, with Immediately on
! the right succession of deep ravines
at the bottom of which runs the Sois-
sons-Laon railway.
1t Is interesting to speculate on what
might happen II the French got TO Neu'
Vile