The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-09-19
AIR DREADNAUGHTS |OF AMERICANS NOW OPERATING AS FAR |AS THE RHINE VALLEY Enormous Planes Making Regular Pilgrimages Into Germany With Bombs COMPLETE VICTORY
 DRAWING NEARER Boche Now Running in Cir cle, Unable to Tell Where Next Blow Falls, But
 Sure It Is Coming
 Soon
COMPLETE VICTORY
 DRAWING NEARER
By DON MARTIN.

Fly DON MARTINI
 Special correspondent of the New York
 Herald md the Birmin gham Age-
 Herald. Copyright. 1918, by the New
 York Herald company, all rights re-
 served.
 With the American Army in France, September IS. Towns and villages east of the Moselle and those west of that river held by the German armies are receiving their full share of bombs from American and British aerial squadrons. American and British flyers are operating as far as tie Rhine valley and are giving the Germans no rest day or night.
 When one squadron returns Ito It's base another ore goes out. Many direct hits have lbeen scored and we have posiA tive evidence that several large German factories have heen destroyed.
 Enormous Handley-Page airplanes, whose wings have a spread of 15o feet, are making regular pilgrimages and are bombing with deadly effect the enemy lines of communication and towns. These airplanes are veritable dreadnaughts of the air. which the ordinary fighting air planes are totally unable to cope with,
 Today we received information through Switzerland that five American fliers who failed to return to their hangars after a bombing expedition a few weeks ago are prisoners in Germany. They made a long flight into enemy territory and dropped many tons of bombs. When re- turning to the American lines. however. they encountered a heavy head wind and their gasoline gave out. They were forced to descend.
 ENEMY GUNS ACTIVE
 Scores of German guns were active to- day throwing projectles eastward from their positions along the Moselle. Aside from this enemy shelling and patrol clashes. it was quiet along this front. Indications are that the Germans are settling down on line built up of inforced concrete in what is a deviiish wilderness From all visible indica- tions they now are determined to make n stand al Uai itlg f1lrfher Apari- can advance in the direction of Metz.
 However, there is no doubt but that the German morale has lowered to point where it is causing profound suneasness to the enemys high command. That is the inevitable inference from captured documents and the statements of prison- CTS The Germans previous to General Pershing,s thrust felt that the British and French were powerless to launch an- other immediate successful offensive and they discounted the ability of the Ameri- cans to do it. But now that the Ameri- cans have turned the trick successfully and General Pershing's troops are swarm ing over territory that the Germans were confident of being able to hold, the Hun high command is puzzled regarding which way to turn.
 The confusion that existed in the enemy ranks and among his officers in the re treat from the St. Mihiel salient shows better than anything else how the mili- tary. machine that was built to crush all Europe beneath it's iron wheels has been. wrenched and broken in spots.
 While it is unwise to assume
 that war will end soon. It is time
 to concede that complete victory
 Is in sight for the allies If they
 insist on pushing on with the war
 vigorously despite -se insidioun
 peace proposals which t.eFMany k
 certain to continue to make.
 VICTORY CERTAIN
 The changes of the situation in or, favor is conclusive and we are sure of victory if we press on energetically. go to make up the rca- sons for this change that insures all entente victory. They are found in that Marshal Foch first showed what a single- handed management. coupled with great genius. can do: in our ever growing supremacy in the air; in ailisd artillery efficiency, and in the valor and the very ferocity of the American fighting man. who, when told to reach an objective, gets there regardless of obstacles.
 Ono of the foremost military experts in our army here, speaking to me of the situation in the German arnsles, reflected the view of many competent observers here when he declared that sthe boche is temporarily running around in circles, not knowing where the next blow will come but at least certain that he will get one blow after another until he is finished"
 It is hard to describe AeequateIy the new spirit of all the allied armies here. America's brave youth have set new pace for fighting and high morale. and every man In every allied army IS