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Show HUNS LOSE SECOND BATTLEOF HUE INDICATIONS ARE THAT ENEMY WILL RETREAT TO THE AISNE AS HE DID IN 1914. Franco-American Army Driving Germans Ger-mans Steadily Back, Inflicting Heavy Losses and Taking Toll of Prisoners and Ammunition. Paris. The Germans have lost the second battle of the Marne. All the latest dispatches from the front indicate in-dicate that the Genua u high command has ordered a retreat. Whether the enemy will retreat to the Aisne river, as" he did when defeated" de-feated" 'on the Marne in 1914, depends upon the strength of the allies in following fol-lowing up their victory. In crucial ways the circumstances are different. The first hattle of the Marne was open warfare with trench systems no nearer the Germans than the river Aisne. When the Teutons fell hack they did not stop until they had reached the system of scientilic trenches they had wisely constructed in their rear, trenches which were the wonder and the envy of the French and British. In the present mode of warfare trench systems are much closer together to-gether and retreats do not cover so much territory as in 1014, unless the defeat has been as disasterous as that which befeil the British and French in Pioardy or the defeat which was inflicted in-flicted upon the French and British, beginning May 27, in the very region which is now witnessing a German reverse. re-verse. How badly the Germans have been defeated we can only guess. The developments de-velopments of Sunday pointed to a severe reverse. The Franco-American army, which moved out of "the Paris zone and attacked the right flank of the enemy Thursday morning, made rapid progress in a few hours in a thunderstorm which had driven the Germans to shelter. The progress during the first day was somewhat exaggerated in the reports of correspondents, corres-pondents, hut, on the whole, it was sufficient to overrun the strongest enemy positions and to sweep up nearly 15,000 prisoners and more than 300 guns. At the end of the second day the French and Americans' had captured 17,000 prisoners and nearly ' 400 guns. On the third day nearly 20,000 prisoners had been taken. Inasmuch In-asmuch as the Germans had filled the towns near this front with food and military supplies, they lost nn amount of material . which cannot speedily be replaced. In this way they were progressively pro-gressively weakened as the Americans jmd French advanced, and although they threw in thousands of reserves they were not able to prevent an allied gain all along the line from Fontenoy on the north almost to Chateau Thierry on the south. Soldiers of France and Americans' on Sunday ripped a gash into the huge Aisne-Marne triangle at its apex. In doing this they won the southern pivot of crown prince's armies within the triangle, the city of Chateau Thierry, on the north bank of the Marne. The German- evacuated it at 8.30 o'clock Sunday morning. An hour later the Star-Spangled Banner and the tricolor were hoisted on its buildings -and 200 half-starved civilians, herded in the cathedral by the invaders, wept tears of .ioy and cried "Vive l'Ainerinue !" During the week the British made several local attacks of note. Chief among these was one in the Flanders sector against, the village of Meteren. An advance was made on a front of two miles, the village was captured and some ground beyond. Slimy prisoners pris-oners were captured. |