Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-08
Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
Copuviobt 1913 H., Ne,, York Times Co.

Special Cable to Evening Public Ledger
Copyright. 1918, bv New York Times Co.
With the American Army, Aug. 8.
The situation on the American front
along the Vesle has for more than
twenty-four hours been largely one Of
planning rather than of acting. This
Is speaking in broad sense and
does not mean that there have not
been a number of sharp skirmishes.
The Germans have been making a
strong stand on the ridge between the
Vesle and the Aisne with rear.guard
contact parties ranging down to the
northern bank of the Vesle. We have
maintained small groups on the north
ern bank which are in constant con.
tact with the Germans.
During the lull in infantry activity
both the Germans and the Americans
and French have been hourly increas-
ing their volume Of artillery fire.
The final allied action may depend
In detail largely on what the enemy
does between the Vesle and the Aisne.
1t is known that orders have been
issued by the German high command,
looking forward to having to go back
across the Aisne. On the other hand.
the violent artillery work Of the past
forty-eight hours might indicate a
change in these plans.
Foe Not Using Biggest Guns
Yet another way of looking at the
situation is that the bombardment of
our positions has been done by IT'S
and loss. meaning that these are the
largest guns on this side of the Aisne
or they would certainly be in use
Wherever the enemy makes his final
stand he will have big guns where
they can reach we'll into his oppo.
nent's territory.
It must be borne in mind in scon-
sidering the situation that the chief
aim for which Foch launched his of
fensive on July 1S has been accom-
| plished, in that the Rheims -Soissons
salient has been wiped out. and the
peril to Paris ended.
In the present location Of the west
ern front it is worth certain price
to get the Germans back to the
| Chemin.des-Dames. 1t Is not worth
more than a certain price in view OF
situations existing elsewhere on the
| western front. 1t is also to be remem
bered that the greater the effort the
boche makes on this salient the more
he weakens himself somewhere else
making 1t easier to achieve greater
military results with the same expen
diture of military effort, Therefore, Il
is best to say that today the situation
is in the making.
1t is entirely possible that the next
two weeks may see one of the creates
artillery duels of the war, with the
Germans working to make impossible
for the French and Americans tt
maintain positions from which to ad
vance toward the Aisne and th'
French and American gunners work
ing to make the Germans get bacl
to the Aisne without the expenditure
on our side Of a great deal of infantr!
effort Because OF the shortening o
the line between the vicinities o
Rheims and Scissors both sides hav'
an unusually large supply of guns OF
this front.
AS for an artillery duel on larg
scale, so long as the enemy keeps hi
big guns so far back he cannot reacl
our present Vesle lines. The Ameri
cans and French have the best o
the situation because our big guns ar
already raking from the Vesle clea
back to the Aisne. The continuing
rain of the last week has put tn
roads used by the Germans in ba
shape.