Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1918-08-07
HOT RACE FOR NORTH BANK AISNE.
German Retreat Continues Unabated With
Allied Troops Everywhere in Pursuit.

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elected from the Aisne-Marnt
salient have been dealt a smash
ing blow came tOulght from all
CHARTERS. Losses in men. guns
and war materials, sustained by
tne enemy, it is indicated, are SO
great that the full scope Of vic
! tory cannot yet be gained.
General Pershing's official re
port covering yesterdays opera
tions for the first time cast aside
military reserve and declared
"the full fruits of vlcto1y' had
been realized. Even as his mes
sage was being given out how
ever, new reports from France
showed that further advances
had been realized today and the
enemy's flanks again had been
turned. 1t seemed certain on the
fact of these reports that he
could not halt even at the A1sne
unless he masses many more re
s1rves to relieve pressure against
the beaten and dlsorganlzed for
ces of the German crown prince.
The German retirement south
east of Montdidier may be sig
niicant. TO some officers it ap-
peared possible that General
Foch would hurl his victorious
armies which have already
crossed the Aisne near scissors
north aud east from that point
toward the line of the Disc.
Should the German disorganiza
tion prove serious enough to
permit the allies to extend their
victories northward, a flank
attack might be projected againt
the Picardy front with hopes
that the Aisne- -Marne results be
duplicated. Standing again
along the Disc and with sufficient
forces available to continue on
offensive, the French would
threaten the Germans in this
whole great area from the south
while the British advance from
the Albert-ArraS front would
form the north jaw of the trap.
Flooded streams have again
intervened in behalf of the allied
armies, as at the Piave in the
Italian counter stroke. The
rise of the Vesle behind the
German rear guard apparently
threw the whole organization
protect ting the withdrawal of the
main armies into disorder. 1t
was not clear whether General
Pershing's message reporting
that s 400 prisoners and 1873
guns had been captured by the
AmeriC ans alone included those
taken in yesterdays swift rush
to Fismes or only those of the
preceding period Of the counter
ofensivs. 1t was regarded as
probable, however, that the cap
lures made yesterday we're still
to be reported. Other reports
indicate large captures of both
men and guns in the srush to the
Vesle.
Reports that the enemy was
hurrying new reserves from the
north to support his shattered
lines now beyond the Scissors
Rheims front, attracted particu
lar attention here. If the Ger
man reserves in Flanders
are withdrawn, it was regarded
as certain that the n i b b | e
t a C tt cs of the B r t h on
both these fronts would be ex
tended without delay to an
effort to force the enemy out of
the salient he holds at these
two points.
Whether General Foch will
seek to carry his lines back to
the Chem1n Des Danes, north
Of the Aisne, cannot be foretold.
Officers say it depends upon the
plans Of larger strategy that
have been formed. Many Of
them believe, however, that I'm
less there should be a who'll Y
unexpected collapse of the Ger