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Show PARIS, Aug. 3 Friday's splendid success is but a link in the chain of victories since General Foch launched his counteroffonsive on July IS. Rarely Rare-ly invwar has a plan been followed out with such clockwork regularity and military opinion here is lost in admiration admi-ration of the splendid genius which conceived it and of the masterly way In which it is being carried out. What the consequences of yesterday's yester-day's victory will be cannot yet be gauged, but that it will be far-reaching appears certain. Tho enemy cannot can-not hold tho Vesle line, it Is believed, but must recross the Aisne since, by the recapturo of Soissons, tho Allies are ablo to debouch on both sides of the river and Like him In the rear. Tho enemy Bcems to bo perfectly aware of this. Ho already has set flro to bases at Fismes and Braisnes and a dozen other villages. Friday's Big Retreat The German retreat began Friday morning after tho fall of the Tardc-nois Tardc-nois lines. The Americans in tho center cen-ter marched toward the Voslo down the Orielono valley while from Har-tonnes Har-tonnes the French debouched into tho Crise valley, taking in the rear tho previously impregnable redoubt of Buzancy. Littlo by little the movement quickened. quick-ened. Tho Dormans-Rheims road was i left threo miles behind and Gueux, Poilly. Vezilly, Goussancourt and Coul-onges Coul-onges were passed at a bound. Forests Cleaned Out The forest of Nesles was cleaned out and Dole wood entered. Arcy wood was but a mouthful. On tho west the troops carried on to Maast-et-Ario-1 laino, Chalriso and Septmonts. By mid -afternoon the Allies wcro established estab-lished solidly on tho heights on both sides of the Crise. The fall of Soissons Irrevocably decided de-cided tho fato of tho battle. , It was the pivot of the wholo Ger-, man line. Even admitting that tho : German left could cling to the narrow plain between the Vesle and the Aisne, the right wing could not have remained remain-ed in the air as its only supports are the Soissons plateau and the nearest spurs of tho famous Chemln des Dames. j Thus tho situation will revert to where it was at the end of September, 1 1914. nn |