Evening star., 1944-08-25
BY NEWBOLD MOVES, Jr.
Star War Correspondent

LIN MANtOAo SOON IN IN
SOUTHERN FRANCE, Aug. 81 (By
Radio DelayeO.-The binding
speed of the Allied advance north
ward in this theater is largely at
tributable to one astonishing fact:
Our troops advance, they are en-
tering territory already 80 per cent
liberated.
The principal reason why the
Germans seem to be unable to es-
tablish any semblance OF a front
here is that the Maquis have con-
troll of the entire area with the
exception of a few towns garrisoned
by Germans, who can move between
the points they hold only with the
greatest difficulty.
Control Most Roads.
All but the largest roads have
been controlled for some time by
Maquis, and they have made move
ment along even German held routes
uncomfortably dangerous.
For this reason We are able to
pick of German garrisons one by
one, and the enemy seems so far
unable to muster sufficient force at
any one point to oppose us sue
cessfully.
1t Is difncplt for those used to
thinking In terms Of traditional style
of warfare 10 picture what f1uidity
of situation and lack of front here
means in terms OF movement poss
sibility.
Today, two other correspondents
and I, guided by Maqui liaison
officer, drove for hours in perfect
safety along roads which should in
theory have been German roads to
headquarters of a Maqui group in
the hills overlooking the Rhone VAL
ley. At no time did we see anything
which would lead any one to believe
this part of France was occupied by
the enemy.
Fabulous Trip.
1t was q fabulous trip. Our jeep
wound it's way along tortuous noun
tain roads guarded at strategic
points by grim-eyed Maquis armed
with light machine guns, who looked
us over carefully before waving us
on.
A few American reconnaissance
vehicles had passed that way shortly
before; they were, therefore, not as
surprised to see us as they might
otherwise have been. The recep-
ton we received from the people
varied according to whether other
American vehicles had or had not
preceded us along that particular
section of our route.
Where they had, we were re-
ceived with cheers, flowers and
proffered glasses of wine. Where
we were the first to pass, the re-
action was one of staring unbelief.
Our guide explained that some of
the people nistook us for Germans
and could not understand why we
were being escorted by a French
officer with the Croix-de- Guerre
aS1nband.
Visit Headquarters.
We found one reconnaissance jeep
already at headquarters when we
arrived. An American ofncer was
talking with the MaQui leaders,
getting information on the location
of German troops in the area, some
of whom were few miles away.
This headquarters-the nerve CEN
ter of Maqui activity for the entire
Drome Department-was located in
a pleasant old chateau hidden in a
shadowy fir grove.
We went upstairs to a darkly
paneled banquet hall with in
tricately decorated ceiling and an
enormous carved fireplace at the
far end of the room. This place,
full of maps but otherwise not very
businesslike, was the working ONCE
of the Maqui chieftains.
We met a few of them. We
learned that there are thousands of
Frenchmen under arms in the
Drome Department., an area of
about 5000 square miles. Their
principal activity these days has
been haraSsing movement Of Ger
man troops. and supplies on the
main north-south road along the
east bank of the Rhone, sniping and
blowing bridges.
Held Mountain Range.
It is only in the last three weeks
that these men have been able to
come from hiding and carry their
war to the enemy. Many we're
members Of the famous MaQuis
group which this spring held the
Vercors mountain range-which we
skirted on the way up here-until
the Germans finally had sent two
divisions after them and dispersed
them after three-day battle. That
was in mid-July.
Today 1t is inaccurate to call
these men members Of the Maquis.
They are no longer bands of guer-