Show CRUCIAL TEST t OR RETREAT IS J j f FACING ENEMY 5 i 1 Lack of Effectives Held Reason for German Retirement Re Re- 4 Washington Sept 11 Behind Behind the tho lull lull In the tho battle batto In France events e are re for operations ol or crucial Importance in the opinion ol or officials Tile They believe a woks weeks time p will see either tho the greatest battle of or 4 4 ho war In progress resl along alon the tho old oM lino lIne or the tho enemy In lull full retreat toward to-ard tho the Belgian Bellan frontier Thero Is now nw little doubt douht that It wan R Rt t lack jack of ot rl fighting effectives that forced f V hn enemy to abandon don ail he hc ha hah had h 4 gained In hI his drive of or this year car and narrow narro his front Un Unofficial estimates estimates esti caLl mates from Franco France say sa the Germans have left leCt behind them during the withdrawal withdrawal withdrawal with with- more mor than prime fightIng fightIng fight fight- In Ing m men n killed badly wounded or prisoners This Is In to the heavy losses In th tit thA frontal attacks by which tho the enemy early carl In the summer sum- sum summer summer mer drove hl hiM wa way toward Paris and th ch channel ports With nth such losses and md American troops troop pouring Into France at the rate H of or a month it would not i a surprise officers say sa ca if IC the tho Gerl German Ger- Ger jl l man man n n leaders havo laa compelled to 1 fIc upon a much shorter front than l. l the old line Civil Population Unofficial reports from Dunkirk in- in I r that the preparations to evacuate acu J nt ate northern cOIner cornerstone tone of oC the J arch In France are tHO well 4 advanced td The rhe allied airmen also are sal said to have hn seen teen tho the enemy enem airdromes 4 aviation stations fifteen miles beyond Douai being hastily e evacuated of or of heavy material From other sources source y come reports that thC he he civilian i lations of oC the towns tor-ns In German hands J I t I 1 In this region are being driven out t 1 a step which always precedes a with with- with with-I b by tho the enemy 4 Ther j Is little doubt In iii the minds I bj o of f officers here that Douai could be beheld I b held only at great COt cost It If tl the e British bare arc aro sent forward to take talce 11 n If It Douai St St. Quentin and ILa La Ln Fere fall the Hindenburg line tine goes oes with them probably along alons- tho the whole t b length it is said V Foot b by foot oat the French have ha forced I their wa way say around the northern side of or La Fore Fare while to the south French I ruid American troops have ha clung clun to 0 their hold on m the hel heights ht above Vaux- Vaux against agli repeated counterattacks counter-at- counter I tacks lacks Another mile of oC advance here fl I. I and just to the south will wilt put Cen- Cen I eral Margins Margin's men r. actually on the theo o northern j.-northern northern ent end or the Chemin ICS des Dames the tho ridge e that guards Laon from the Franco American forces along tho Mane Aisne 31 Inu nil lien As to the straits In which the German German Ger Ocr man leaders find lint themselves for men further information reached Washington Washing Yc ton toda today Official dispatches from France Franco said orders have been issued b by the German command to get wounded men back Int Into the ranks ranIs even be before Core complete cures have been effected to employ at once German prisoners released re- re released leased b by the Russians even e though I the they had llad not Cull fully recovered leco their strength and health and to turn cavalry cay cay- cavI I aIr airy alry into infantry to fill tilt gaps Saps in the I ranks Other or orders rs the tho dispa he sal said di direct dl- dl that at certain Intervals in quiet sectors an Austro Ian division he be placed between two German di divisions divisions dl- dl visions or that Austrian soldiers be he distributed in German Gelman re regiments In a r proportion of or sixty to a n. company to tomake tomake tomake make up the full company compan strength of or about men These Jc ad s also state that the reduction reduction re- re of or the tIe battalion strength to three companies instead of oC four Cour- put I Into effect in at least eight enemy j I divisions dl was largely large for foT th the purpose c I of ot making good Sool losses In company compan and noncommissioned officers 1 |