The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-08-09
GERMANS RETREAT
ACROSS THE VESLE
HUNS RACING FOR NORTHERN
BANK OF THE AlsNE RIVER
WITH ALLIES IN PURSUIT.
Week Of Fighting Results in Great
Gains for Allied Forces, Who Drive
Enemy Back and Take Toll Of
Men and Munitions

Paris. The German retreat con-
tinues undated, with the allies every
where in hot pursuit
Apparently the situation now has re-
solved itself into race for the north
ern bank of the Aisne river by the
Germans, who have been evicted from
strategic positions along the Vesle
river, in the center of the line and di-
rectly east of Rheims, which seemingly
renders necessary that they put the
Aisne between themselves and their
pursuers to escape further large losses
of men made prisoners
Just how large this bag of captlves is
at present cannot be reckoned, but I'M
official adyices received here assert
that when the figures are made public
they will thrill the allied world. Gen
eral Pershing in his communication
says the Americans alone have taken
$500 prisoners and, in addition, 1873
guns
The past week has been most sue
cessful one for the allied forces, great
progress having been made in driving
the Germans back toward Berlin, vast
quantities of stores and large number
of guns having been captured while
the Huns have paid dearly in killed
and wounded While the losses by the
allies has, of course, been heavier than
during the regular trench warfare, the
loss of life has not been near so great
as one would imagine
Since General Foch began his great
counter-offensive, he has been assailing
the enemy without cessation, so that
the Huns have had very little rest. He
had brought up British and Scotch
troops to aid in these attacks. On the
Rheims side the British had made sub
stantial gains, but were driven back.
On the western, or Scissors side of the
salient, the Scotch and French We're
held up at Buzancy for several days.
To the southwark the first break was
made in the enemy's line at Grand
Rozoy and Cugny.
On Thursday the American opera
lions began to tell. The enemy began
retreat at the center, near Sergy and
Cierges and eastward thereof The
French had taken Romigny, still far
Their to the eastward, but had lost it.
They recaptured it and closely invest
ed Yille-en-Tardenois
Friday evening scissors was cap
tured. The capture of Scissors earl
ter probably would have resulted in
complete disaster to the enemy, but
General Foch did not make direct
assault until he had brought up an ade-
quate force of men, guns, tanks and
ammunition. Then he launched an at
tack on a wide front from a point
northeast of scissors to Grand Rozoy,
same time there were attacks all along
the line as far as Rheims.
The result was that the German line
broke like dam suddenly struck by
a great flood The French entered
scissors, taking hundreds OF prisoners,
and to the southwark the French and
British crossed the Crise river in Il
turning movement.
The hitherto impregnable position at
Buzancy gave way and the entire Ger
man line was in flight. Then it was
that the crown prince and Ludendorff
realized that it would be impossible to
hold the lines Of the Ardre or Yesle
rivers, and general retreat was or
dered, presumably to the line of the
Aisne. Even the Aisne line is threat
ened by the advance of the allies be-
yond scissors, for the river runs
through that town. Being north of the
river ON the line of Fontenoy- Pommers,
the French may delve inuo the Ger
man right flank stin deeper. In that
event the Aisne line may become UNI
tenable and the Germans may decide
that discretion dictates further re-
treat, probably to the old line along
the Chemin-des-Dames.