Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-09
KAISER FORMS LAST S7,AND'ARNlY

| warfare. Our machine gunners were
ready and caught the Germans under
! the same sort of withering fire which
| our soldiers faced so many times in
the fighting in the Marne salient. The
| difference was that the Germans did
not rush our machine.gun nests, but
were forced to fall back with heavy
| losses.
Germans Badly Confused
We then pushed ahead, while the
| Germans were confused, and placed
our front line on the east and west of
the highway. About o'clock We'd
nesday morning the Germans
| launched another attack, which with
cred under our machine gunfire.
Later in the day we pushed more sol
diers across, and east Of the scene OF
this attack moved the line up along
the roadway in the vicinity of Fismes.
Several smaller counter-attacks of the
Germans were held off easily. Now
we are holding our lines north of the
river despite a harassing artillery fire,
which every now and then becomes
violent.
Washington has told of large
numbers of machine guns being
shipped to our army, and 1t is giving
away no secret to say that the Ameri'
some new tricks in the use of that
spiteful splitting little weapon.
The Americans and the French are
keeping up a constant pressure on the
Germans between the Nesle and the
Aisne. with more artillery than infan.
try in action. The Germans are hold
ing a line along the ridge running
some thirty kilometers between the
two streams, with many small guns
and considerable infantry strength,
and we carried outpoSts of machine
gunners and sniperS in the WOODED
places down toward the Nesle. The
enemy's big guns have have not yet
begun to work in force, which Is taken
to indicate that they are back of the
Aisne. All the evidence points to the
analysis that the Germans are holding
their positions between the Nesle and
the Aisne until they can prepare a
stronger line in the north.
It is not an essential part of the
Allies plan to push Immediately be-
yOnd the Aisne at any cost The enemy
can stand on the present line II he
chooses to pay the price. The Allies
will make it expensive. We have a
preponderanCe of artillery as the situ-
alton now stands, and our guns are
giving the Germans no rest night or
day anywhere between the Nesle ana
the Aisne. Our infantry activity has
lessened to a degree because there Is
no disposition on the part of the Allied
command to eXpend man power for
what perhaps may be gained by cXpen-
diture of ammunition.
We have not yet made any serious
effort to take the territory between the
Vesle and the Aisne. The troops sent
over have been infiltration parties.
sent more to test the German posi-
tions than to drive him back in a gen
eral sweep. 1t must be understood
that south Of the Nesle tNere is n ridge
of hills on which our main line now
stands.
In front IS the narrow valley of the
Vesle, beyond are the hills on which
the Germans now rest and beyond
that ridge is the ridge of the Cremin-
des-Dames.
When the Allies do move forward, If
the situation justifies 1t, it will be to
reach the heights south Of the Aisne
and not any line this side. To move
too quickly might well mean to move
into a German trap. The Allied oper-
alton has not yet come to an end. The
situation still awaits developments.