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Show AMERICANS KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH HUNS Allied Forces May Effect Boche Retirement From Ridge Between the Vesle' and the Aisne; Artillery Fire Is Increasing. By EDWIN L. JAMES. (New York Times-Chicago Tribune Cable, Copyright.) WltH THE AMERICAN ARMY, Aug. 7, 9 a. m. The situation awaits developments. The Germans are making mak-ing a strong stand on the ridge between be-tween the Vesle and the Aisne with rear guard contact parties ranging down to the northern bank of the Vesle. We are maintaining small I groups on the north bank which are in constant contact with trffe Ger- 1 mans. During a temporary lull of ! infantry activity both sides, both the Germans, Americans and French, are hourly increasing their volume of artillery ar-tillery fire. The allied forces may effect ef-fect a retirement of the Boche from the ridge position by the use of artillery, ar-tillery, for under such pressure he quit the northern bank of the Ourcq after we had penetrated certain positions posi-tions there. -For the past twenty-four hours the situation on the American front along the Vesle has been one of planning rather than action. This is speaking in a broad sense and does not mean we have not been in a number of sharp skirmishes. Jt may be said frankly that perhaps the allied action may depend in detail largely on what the Boche does between the Vesle and the Aisne. Will Have Big Guns. It is known that orders have been issued 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. Yet another way of looking at the situation is that the bombardment of our positions has been done by 77's and 105's, meaning the largest guns on this side of the Aisne, or they would be in use. Wherever the Iioche makes a final stand he will have big guns where he can reach well into the opponent's territory. It must be borne in mind in considering consid-ering the situation that the chief aim for which General Foch launched the offensive on July IS has been achieved the Soissons salient has "been wiped out and the peril to Paris ended. In the present location on the western front it is worth a certain price to pet the Germans back to Chemin-des- Dames. It is not worth more than a certain price in view of the situations elsewhere in the western front. Situation in the Making. ; It is also to be remembered that the greater effort the Boche makes on this salient the more it weakens him somewhere else, making it easier to purchase greater military results with the same expenditure of military i effort. Therefore it is best to say that today the situation is in the making. It is entirely possible that the next two weeks may see one of the greatest artillery duels of the war, with the Germans working to make it impossible for the French and Americans Ameri-cans to maintain their position from which to advance towards the Aisne ; t and the allied gunners working to make the Boche get back to the Aisne without the expenditure of a great deal of infantry effort. Because of the shortening of the line between vicinities vi-cinities of Rhetms and Soissons both sides have unusually large supplies sup-plies of guns on this front. As or an artillery duel on a large 1 scale, so long as ,the Boche keeps big ' guns so far back he cannot reach our 1 present Vesle lines. The Americans and French have the best situation, because our big guns are raking from the Vesle back to the Aisne. Continuing Con-tinuing rain this past week had put the roads used by the Germans in bad shape. Boche Loot Complete. In Ills withdrawal from the towns south of the Vesle, the Boche put up one of the most complete jobs of looting that the world has ever seen. It appears the soldiers were given permission per-mission to do personal looting, being nfct only allowed to send loot back to their families, but also provided with military transport for that purpose. Every store was stripped. Of food, not one can or pound .was left behind. Shelves of stores were swept clean. Clothing and shoes were also taken. The Americans have captured many packages of loot addressed to German soldiers' families which they left behind be-hind in their flight. A very interesting interest-ing angle furnished by the German civilian situation is the fact that the wheat harvested south of the Vesle i was shipped back to soldiers' families Iin little cotton sacks holding a bout (Continued on Pase The.) YANKEES l CONTACT WITH DOCKE FOES (Continued from Page One.) four and a half pounds. Larfje numbers num-bers of these sacks, all addressed, were found by our soldiers. The German depredation is taking queer turns. Near Fismes is a large French graveyard. Where there had bee n a line of Pre nch graves, there stands a line of graves of German soldiers. sol-diers. The tombstones of the French dead arc missing. It is not yet known whether or not the Germans dug up the French graves to bury their soldiers, sol-diers, bvit it is, probable that they simply sim-ply buried them on a line and bid the French tombstones. This saprilege of French graves probably will be removed re-moved in the future. It is stunts like this that have made the American soldiers give up in despair trying lo discover what sort of human beings t hey are fighting. |