The Wilmington Dispatch pis? 2
WEATHER
North and South Caro-
r-.: in warm
j; ran -
nd-ay an Monday.
VOL. XXIV. NO. 1 44
WILMINGTON; NORTH CAROLINA. SUfAY MORNING, JUNE 2, 1918.
FIVE CENTS
R CONGRESS
E GAS BLAZED
SECOND BATTLE OF
SLAUGHTER OF HUN
MANHOOD ON FRONT
HAS GAINED LITTLE
IN -THIRD DISTi
TO MARNE
E
CLAIMED BY BOTH
-If.
French Hold Center on 1 3
Mile Sector Along River
f H :
i
UCEFO
BOCH
WILD UPHEAVAL OF :
RICT
PATHWAY
NOW RAGING
Abernethy Says He Has All
But Wayne and Sampson
SEES 1,500 MARJORITY
Dortch Disputes New Bern
Claims and Sees Own
Nomination
FIGHT HAS BEEN BITTER
Calvert Ran Strong Against
Field and Will Enter Sec
ond Primary With
An Opponent
( Special to The Dispatch.)
New Bern, June 1. "I hare carried
every county in the district with the
exception of Sampson and Wayne and
an nominated beyond a doubt unless
they steal it from me," is the state
ment given out by Hon. Charles L.
Abernethy just before midnight to
night, folio-wing one of the hardest
fought primaries the third congres
sional district has ever seen between
Mr. Abernethy and Hon. William T.
Dortch. of Goldsboro.
The Abernethy headquarters are
absolutely confident that? lie has won
over his ayne county opponent by
from 1.200 to 1.500-majority and will
be the next congressman from this
district.
Practically complete returns re
ceived in New Bern up until 10:30
o'clock tonight show conclusively that
Ciarles L. Abernethy has been nomi
nated as congressman from the third
congressional district.
Craven county came to the aid of
Sr. Abernethy" and gave him about
KiO majority. In Carteret county there
has been a fight made against him
ki he carried that county by a ma
jmty of 30 per cent. The exact vote
in Carteret is not known. In Wayne
cmnty Mr. Abernethy secured about
Jfper cent Of the votes. Pamlico coun
t) gave Abernethy 460 votes and
Dortch 126. Onslow ; county gave
Abernethy 362 votes and Dortch 143.
Jones county gave Abernethy about
per cent of its votes. Duplin and
Pender counties gave Abernethy a
majority, while Sampson is in doubt.
Careful estimates made here by polit
ical observers give Abernethy a ma
jority of between 900 and 1,100 over
8 opponent.
In the solicitor's race in the fifth
judicial district, yet undecided, it ap
pears as though there will be a second
primary between J. K. Warren, of
Trenton, and Z. V. Rawls, of Pamlico
county. Indications are that R. B.
Lane has been nominated as sheriff
of Crave county.
Dortch Claims Victory.
(Special to The Dispatch.)
Goldsboro. June 1. Hon. W. T.
tortch has been nominated for con
fess over Hon. Charles L. Abernethy,
of Xev Bern, by from 1,000 to . 1,400
matoity, is the announcement made
We tuijit by the friends of Mr.
Dortch aftsr a careful study of the
reams of toJy's primaries.
Mr. Abernethy will find out differ
ent when he wakVg up in the morn
ki." ttm the 6tatJnent made when
toll that tke New Bern candidate
claimed Li nomination. "Not only has
S not carried every county in the dis
trict except Wayne and Sampson, but
he has carried very few outside of his
on county."
Jne return a wptb vp.rv alow nomine
to. and It was unable to give a list of
couatiMi wltith their votes, but it
stfe to tay that Dortch has won
something around 1,000 rotes.
Calvert Runs Strong.
(Special by The Dispatch.)
nB from Wake and Franklin coun-
indicate that Judge Thomas H.
JMjert has run so well against the
DI(1 that hi -rtvh to run In fhA BAC
pwiaidates iolely because they knev.-
culd not win-seems to have ov
all of them, though at midnight
i impossible to forecast Calvert's
'went in the elimination contest.
m vln county's dilatory report does
N hov Senator Person ran, but
TOm Fran VI i n J
jgwar. Culvert took more than the
Priml7ert 8 stndilig up In the second
ry i8 universallv conceded the
relent of
nomination as he is non-
er P90n.1 and the strongest get-to'geth-
cr candidate.
EGtD LYNCHERS
FOUND NOT GUILTY
wardsviiie, 111., June l.-The 11
-f.rused Qf lynchinsr RnhArt PraA.
toe Tii u Pro-German at Collins
acqujtji1; t5e n'S-t of. April 5, were.
atMfiLea after the jury had deliber-
Wiid nutfts today.
uichV in6 greeted the verdict,
l ban lcturnea at 4 o'clock. Only
rePom f wcre taken, according to
n from the jury room.
ENURE HUN DIVISION
WAS POT OUT OF
wo
Regime, -Were Anni
hilated by ericans
at Ca y
With the Americt.
June 1. An entire
n Picardy,
n division
of action
the battle
oday.
(12,000 men) was pu
for at least a month, d
for Cantigny, it was lea
Two regiments were practically an
nihilated .in the American assault on
the village. The remainder of the di
vision, which was in reserve, was cut
up either in counter attacks or by ar
tillery fire.
The division, therefore, Is useless
until it is reorganized. The boches
are now under the necessity of hold
ing this division here, when it might
otherwise be diverted to the new
Champagne battle area.
A German carrier pigeon, killed by
shrapnel, fell in. front of our lines to
day. The message was recovered and
handed over to the French intelligence
officers. It was a message from a
regimental commander near Soissons
to the divisional commander in the
Montdidier region. ' The knowledge
thus obtained was used to advantage.
Further information resulted from
the shooting down of an enemy air
plane, qf which the pilot was killed
and the observer wounded.
There is great aerial . activity and
continuous heavy cannonading on this
front. The American artillery keeps
the enemy rear areas under a constant
pounding.
A German lieutenant and three pri
vates, taken from a cellar in Cantigny,
today brought the total of prisoners
to 251. v ;
GERMANS' FOUGHT TO
5
OF
Enemy Thrown Out of Strong
Positions, Says Berlin
Report
Berlin, via London, June 1. German
forces have fought their way five miles
westward of Soissons, along the north
bank of the Aisne, advancing as far as
NouvTon and Fontenoy, the German
war office announced tonight.
Between Crateau-Thierry and a
point east of Dormans, the Germans
have, reached the Marne. (This was
officially admitted by the French war
office in its day report.)
, "South of the Oise and southwest
of Chauny, we threw the enemy out of
strong positions near Cuts (five miles
southeast of Noyon)," the statement
said.
"South of Blerancourt, along the
north bank of the Aisne, we advanced
as far as Fontenoy (five miles west of
Soissons) and Nouvon (two miles
north of Fontenoy).
"Astride the Ourcq river we crossed
the road from Soissons to Chateau
Thierry, reaching the heights of Neu
villy (Neuvilly-St. Front) and north
of Chateau-Thierry.
"Between Chateau-Thierry and a
point east of Dormans we reached the
Marne. . 3 1
"From the Marne westward to
Rheims we fought our way toward the
Verneuil (13 miles east of Chateau
Theirry' (on the north bank of the
Marne), Oeuily, Sarcy, Champigny
line. (Oeuily is seven miles east of
Dormans, on the south bank of the
Marne; Sarcy is 12 miles southwest of
Rheims and Champigy is two miles
northwest of Rheims).
"'e took several thousand prison
ers." TEN NEGROES SHOT
RESULT OF TROUBLE
Huntsville, Tex., June 1 Six ne
groes were shot at Dodge, a small set
tlement 10 miles north of HuntsvUe,
todayas the result of trouble between
whites and negroes, growing out of
the killing of a negro draft evader,
Thursday. Reports here did not Radi
cate whether the negroes were killed
by officers or by a mob.
Two of those killed were women
the mother and sister of George Cab
iness, who was ' killed by officers
Thursday when he resisted arrest for
evading the draft.
Later reports here declared negroes
of Dodge had planned to kill members
of the family of Sheriff T. E. King,
who led the posse v ich killed Cabi
ness to avenge the latter's death.
Vesuvius in Eruption.
Rome, June 1. Mount Vesuvius Is
in .violent eruption, according to ad
vices received here late today.
ACTION
MLB
1SS0N
Fields and Woods Sprayed 8
or 9 Miles Behind Lines
MOST INTENSE YET SEEN
Peyton March Tells Senators
the Huns Will Halt at
.the River
AMERICANS IN BATTLES
Foch Has Not Played Cards
Yet Confidence in Su
preme Leader Strong
in Every Quarter
Washington, June 1. German gas
played almost a major part in gouging
a path for the boche to the Marne:
Developing its use to a higher point
than ever before, the boche plastered
the back areas with mustard oil
shells. Fields, woods, ammunition
dumps were well sprayed to a dis
tance of eight or nine miles behind
the lines. This oil volatilizing, gave
forth fumes which compelled retire
ment. This use of gas was more intense,
senators were told by the war coun
cil today, than anything to date.
General March, chief of staff, in
formed the senators that the staff
view here is the Germans will halt at
the Marne. There they will seek to
consolidate their positions. Afterward
an effort to spread out westward may
be expected.
American troops will beyond a
doubt have a part in the big battle
within the next few days. Their brig
ading has been going on rapidly and
it is likely that brigaded Americans,
or perhaps individual American units,
will have a share In the critical
strife.
The struggle on the allied left may
last a considerable time. The German
effort now is considered part of the
Picardy battle and Amiens is regard
ed as the chief objective, with Paris
or the channel ports or both still the
grand prize for which the boche is
aiming. . ' ;
Thus ""far he has had things almost
his own way.. From now on the tide
is likely to turn. There is some pros
pect of allied counter-attacks along
the western front of the Teuton
wedge.
Foch has not played his cards "St.
Confidence in him is strong in
very quarter. Highest military au
thorities say the ultimate outcome
cannot be doubted. It will be an
anxious summer, but with the ap
proach of fail and winter the doom
of Germany will be written.
For then American reinforcements
will be at hand In numbers sufficient
to turn the scales.
The senators at the war council
were informed that American ship
ment of troops in May broke all rec
ords; that aviation work is showing
a decided spurt; and that ordnance is
on the upward turn.
Secretary of War Baker will make
announcements of troop shipments
soon.
And these figures will surprise
America.
They furnish one of the very bright
spots in a picture of gray lights.
MISS FUSSELL AND
RALPH POWELL WED
(Special to The Dispatch)
Wallace, June 1. At the home of
her father, B. F. Fussell, near Teachey,
Miss Zula Fusll was married to
Ralph Powell, of Wallace, Wednesday
afternoon at 6:30 o'clock, in the pres
ence of both families and friends. The
marriage took place on the front
porch, which was beautifully decorat
ed for the occasion, the vows being
presented by their pastor, Rev. C. V.
Brooks, of the Wallace Baptist church.
Miss Mattie Wells 'rendered the wed
ding march. Little Annie Catherine
Forlaw, ring-bearer, brought the ring
in a lily. During the ceremony the
organ was softly played. P. O. Powell,
brother of the groom, was best man;
Miss Nellie Fussell, sister of the
bride, was the only bridesmaid.
At the home of Mr. Powell's sister
in Wallace there was an elegant sup
per served at 8:30 o'clock in honor
of the bride and groom, members of
both families being present, and in
addition were Rev, and Mrs. Brooks.
Mr. and Mrs. Powell will be at
home after June 1 on Cliff street,
Wallace.
inr.luda Hack Drivers.
Columbia, S. C, June 1. Governor
Manning today wrote Provost Marshal
General Crowder suggesting that auto
mnhiip hark drivers be included inte
"work or fight" plan. The governor
said tht there were 4UU or tnem in
one town in this state, many of thein
able-bodied men.
She Reaches Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead Bay, N. Y., June 1.
KathftHriA Stlnaon arrived here at 5:30
p. m. today, completing her Chicago-
New York airplane nignt. one ien
Binghamton, N. Y., at 2:45 this after
noon, having been delayed there sev
eral days. At the start of her flight
she carried mail.
.. .. :y.TS--
Burning, Wrecking; Crops to
Keep From Germans
NOW REAPS WHIRLWIND
L y '
Russians Plan to Blast Black
Sea Fleet, Check Boches'
of Booty.
TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER
Protest Made Against Massl
Murder of Defenseless Ar
menian Men, Women
and Children
WashTif?ton. June 1. fJpTTnonv i,ae
t r - - v4uuutj JU. v
sown the wind and is now reaping the
wmnwmu ui Jtsvuiunou in tn6
Ukraine.
This was evidenced today by state
department messages telling of a wild
upheaval among the peasnts, as, a re
sult nf frP.rmanv'a atiewnt trt 'drain
- w -wfv bV UiUlU
the Ukraine of its products. Armed
peasants were Durmng tne woods,
wrprbinsr r.rnna rather t-hnn lot tha
Germans garner them. And the Ger
mans, ruthlessly, wero seeking to put
down this disobedience of Teuton or
ders, sfen using artillery-to quell the
men.
This cross section of the results of
German f rightfulness had counter
parts in later telegrams showing:
First, That the Russian sailors were
planning to blast the Black seas fleet
of two battleships, nine destroyers
and ten other vessels at Novo Rossick
to cheat the Germans of this booty.
Second, That Turkey, backed by her
imperial master. Germany, was inflict
ing mass murder in the Caucasus,
slaying Armenian men, women and
children, in an systematic eort of ex
termination. This massacre of the defenseless
was by the thousands, and it brought
from Foreign Minister Tchitcherin an
impassioned protest to Germany
against her outlaw ally.
"The advance of the Turkish army
on the Caucasus front is accompanied
hv TtmsR murder esid -it- tjaraphrase
of the m's&:..jerHepni'T
- - The population was .Kiuea Dy -inou-i
sands, including women ana cnuaren.
Tchiterchin's protest pointed out
that the Brest-Utovsk treaty, provid
ing self determination for Kars, Arda-
1 a -Dnm.m Viol Vmati trnrrrrvleri bv
UtXH dliU UfkLUUUA m M
the Turks and that the persistent pol-H
iov of Armenian massacres naa con
tinued. Tchiterchin laid directly at Ger
many's door the responsibility for the
fact that Russia had been obliged to
yield Kars, Ardahan and Batoum to
the Taiks.
"The responsibility for cruelties
against the Armenian population and
for victims In the regions now inter
rupted by Turkish troops thus falls
also on the German government," he
said The people's commissiarte en
ergetically protests against the use
made of the rights of the population
of Kars, Ardahan and Batoum to de
cide their own fate."
The Ukraine-Svoiet peace negotia
tions apparently have reached an
impasse, for the Ukrainians would not
barken to Russian proposals for ces
sation of hostilities before an armis
tice was igned.
Autria and Finland have signed a
peace treaty.
HUNSlwnSRAWN
Checked at Marne, Boches Try
to Break Down Wings
of the Allies
With the French Armies on the
Marne, June 1. The French are hold
ing the Marne. Every bridgehead and
passage across this famous river is
solidly in allied hands as tms is
cabled.
The Germans, in the face of this de
termined resistance, apparently have
withdrawn from the water's edge back
on to the plateau above the river "Gal
ley, where they are now seeking to
push westward. Completely checked
at the Marne, the boches are trying
to break down, the allied resistance
on the wings of the new Champaign
front, at Rheims and in the region ot
Soissons.
Oh the east flank the British are
checking all progress, despite the fact
that Rheims is almost completely sur
rounded. The Germans heaviest ef
forts as a result are to the west of
Soissons, where they arc trying to
link' up the recent advance with the
original drive toward Amiens.
Suffrage Is Defeated.
Amsterdam, " June 1. Dispatches
received here from Budapest today say
that woman suffrage has been defeat
ed in the Hungarian parliament fran
chise committee 12 to 9. Count Tiszza
was among those opposing the measure.
THE IMS EDGE
FROM
WITH VARYING FORTUNE
By Brilliant Strokes Germans
Hurled Back Toward
the Crise River
2 TOWNS RECAPTURED
Huns Have Consolidated New
Southern Front and That
of the Original Drive
Toward Amiens
London, June 1. The second battle
of the Marne was being fought today
over a front of nearly 100 miles, ex
tending along a rough triangle from
Noyon to Chateau Thierry, to Rheims.
The French were holding in the
sector along a 13-mile sector on the
north bank of the Marne, from Cha
teau Thierry to Verneuil.
On the left flank between Noyon
and Soissons the battle was raging
with varying fortune. Between Sois
sons and Chateau-Thierry, the French
by a series of brilliant counter at
tacks had thrust the Germans back to
ward the Crise river, re-capturing
Chaudun and Vierzy.
On the right flank the opposing
armies were struggling along the full
stretch of the highway which runs
from Verneuil northeasward to
Rheims. The latter city was still de
fended by the British.
The Marne front not only includes
part of the old Aisne and Champaigne
fronts, but a portion of the southern
edge of the Picardy front. The con
solidation of the new southern battle
front and that Qf the original drive
toward Amiens ' was effected by the
German thrust toward Gse from be
tween Soissons and Noyon.
The battle line now rdhs from S em
pi gny two miles south ot Noyon'
southeastward through f Blerancout to
Spglnyf .southward :tv&B$fam
ana yienjy xoeuiiy-ei. iTom,rsouin
ward Cheatau-Theirry; eastward along
the Marne; northeastward through
Ville-En-Tardenois to Thillers; thence
in a semi-circle around Rheims at an
averrge distance of two miles from
the city.
The remainder of the Picardy front
and the Flanders front remain com
paratively quiet, only local fighting
and artillery firing being reported to
day. Dispatches from Rome emphasize
that the Austrians are continuing
preparation for offensive on the Ital
ian front. Reinforcements are con
stantly arriving from Rumania and
Ukraine, while Turkish contingents
are expected soon.
In Mesotopamia British troops have
cleared the Turks entirely from the
Kurkuk area, 150 miles north of Bag
dad. The Turks have retreated across
the lesser Zab, a branch of the Tigris
river, 25 miles northwest of Kurkuk
city. The British are now within 100
miles of Moaeuel.'
The Germans continued their long
range bombardment of Paris today.
Two air raid alarms were sounded
last night but aerial barrages prevent
ed any enemy planes from reaching
the city.
20 HUN PLANES
ARE BROUGHT DOWN
London, June 1. British aviators
destroyed 20 hostile airplanes yester
day and drove six down and shot an
other down, with the loss of only one
plane. Field Marshal Haig announced
tonight.
Thirty-two tons of bombs were
dropped on enemy positions during
the day and 20 tons last night.
The Karlsruhue station and work
shops were bombed with one ton of
explosives.
100 SACKS MAIL
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Washington, June 1. Approximate
ly 100 sacks of mail originating from
the southern states and destined 'for
the 16th and 18th infantry, fifth, sixth
and seventh field artillery, "were de
stroyed by fire in France on April 25,
ffhe postofflce department announced
tonight. The mail consisted mostly of
parcel post packages and printed mat-
Lter. The postofflce had been on the
move for several dayB ana was but
temporarily located. The fire was
caused by a cigarette stump.
Mail Pail and Sun Start a Fire
Tonawanda, Pa., June 1. An over
turned milk pail and the sun's rays
caused a fire which destroyed the
home of Henry Corner at Overton. The
rays were deflected by the pail to the
side of the building and the boards
were ignited.
Harvard Defeats Yale.
Derby, Conn., June 1. Harvard's
varsit ydefeated Yale in the annual
boat race on the Hoosa Tonic river
this afternoon by two lengths. Har
vard's time was 15.58. The distance
was two miles.
AMERICAN
TROOPS
NOW
VITAL FACJORJT FRONT
May Hold Balance Between
Defeat and Victory in
France
Washington, June 1. American
troops are now a "vital factor" on the
bloody fields of France and "may
hold the balance between defeat and
virtforv."
With clear frankness General W. A.
Bridges, at the headquarters of the
British military mission here tonight,
declared the battle is likely to con
tinue for weeks "and will become a
long drawn out struggle of man
power."
To get the greatest and quickest re
sults from America's strength the
brigading of Yankees with the British
and French forces is going forward
rapidly now, he said.
GERMANS PLAN TO
COLONIZE THE ALSACE
With the French Armies, May 15.
(By Mail.) German papers have just
reached the French front by way of
Switzerland, containing notices of the
first official steps toward colonization
of Alsace-Lorraine by German emi
grants, and especially by German vet
erans of the present war.
Under the auspices of a newly creat
ed organization known as the Rural
Society, Limited, of the Western
Frontiers, it is proposed to replace the
native population of Alsace-Lorraine,
which has been systematically dis-
' swftfcB tginning:5t the -warp
with -a-Germah- population, much as
Polish inhabitants of eastern Prussia
and Posen who remained faithful to
the ' Polish national aspirations were
supplanted by Germans, v.
Application for e charter that would
permit tne colonization of Alsace-Lorraine"
by Germans was made last Au
gust to the German government by
the Society for Internal Colonization
and the Association for Agrarian re
form. The project has just been real
ized as indicated by the following an
nouncement in a recent copy of the
Straesburger Post:
All of these who have refused to re
turn have been denafionized by Ger
many and their property has been
confiscated. Those who remained
fared little better, for practically
everyone suspected of having French
sympathies has been evacuated Into
the interior of Germany, while others
whose sympathies for France were
outspoken have been Imprisoned. In
hundreds of these cases the property
has been confiscated by the German
government
As a result of these and similar
measures, Alsaoe-Lorraine today con
stitutes practically virgin territory for
German colonization. As a matter of
fact this supplamtimg of the local pop
ulation by German migrants, and es
pecially by veterans of . the wa, is
one of the means long advocated in
Gemany for definitely wiping out the
question of Alsace-Lorraine.
"Today there was inscribed an. the
register of commerce the 'Rural So
ciety Limited, of the Western Fron
tiers.' "The society is destined:
"First: To purchase and sell farms
especially in the Lorraine country bor
dering on the frontier.
"Second: To colonize these farms
with men especially chosen from
amongst those who have participated
in the war.
"Third: While working purely with
in economic ends, the society never
theless must not lose sight of the pub
lic utility of' its character.
"Fourth: The original capital of the
society is 7,500,000, marks. The. admin
istration will be directed by Hans Me
denhauer, of Berlin, superior secret
councilor of finances."
Since the beginning of the war the
aatve population of Alsace-Lorraine
has been dispersed in an astounding
manner. First of all, there were
thousands who fled across the fron
tier in order to take up arms with
France when war broke out. Still
other thousands fled to Switzerland
and other neutral countries.
French Troopc Withdraw
Paris, June 1. A withdrawal of
French forces between the Oise and
Aisne rivers north of the Carleponc
wood heights, west of Audigncourt,
Fars and Fontenoy, was reported to
night in the official statement Issued
by the French war office.
Ten Daughters Without a Son
V t-n Pa., June 1. Mr. and Mrs.
Rocco George are the parents of their
tenth daughter, but have no sons. The
brother of the father, Frank George,
also of this city, has five girls, but no
boys.
Hindenburg Must Find 150,
000 Men to Guard Front
PEACE ONLY VICTORY
War Shall Continue Until
American Armies Are
Fully Ready
? ?
FOCH'S SUPREME DUTY
Germany Will Find Reserves
Slaughtered When Per
shing's Men Start For
Metz and Rhine
New York, June 1. Flogged by the
German people's demand for more
spectacular successes to justify the
slaughter of German manhood in Pi
cardy and Flanders, von Hlndenourg
made a pyramidof his Aisne front this
week, and has penetrated to the
Marne with all the reckless blood let
ting of the opportunities of his gener.
aiship.
The German people have thus .been
diverted from asking for vital results
in Picardy and Flanders. In exchange
they must find 150,000 additional
troops to guard the new frontage add
ed byt the Aisne-Marne drive. Only
by permitting the Germans to end the
war now with a peace conference can
von Hindenburg be conceded a vic
tory. The German general staff Is'
playing for this. Since, however, the
war shall continue until America Is
fully ready the German return to the'
Marne will eventually prove futile' and
disillusion the German people. ,
Under normal circumstances of waiy
fare this week's withdrawal .of Anglo
French forces alone the Alan ..front
tanjf&tv'- cause criticism- cCefcsarw
,Foch. , But the present circumstaacei.
In Picardy and Flanders are highly:
unusual.' General Foch has one su
preme duty before him. That Is to
safeguard the channel ports. If
Boulgona and Calais were to fall
France would be partly isolated front
America and. Great Britain. There
would be utmost difficulty in organiz
ing new places of entry Into France
for British and American troops and
supplies. Every mile the Germany
may advance along .the Picary and
Flanders fronts is of increasingly
grave importance, too, because as the
distance to the channel is shortened
General Foch becomes cramped for
room to maneuver large bodies of
troops.
Hence the Flanders and Picardy
lines have been abnormally strength
ened. To accomplish this absolutely
necessary result, General Foch was
compelled to weaken the Aisne front.
That fact explains why von Hinden
burg's assault this week succeeded,
von Hindenburg had reserves equidis
tant from the Flanders-Picardy and.
the Aisne fronts. He could launch,
the mwhere he wishes.' As between
reaching the channel or penetrating to
the Marne, there was no more choice
for Hindenburg than between gold
and copper. But the road to the chan
nel is too heavily held by Foch, so,
von Hindenburg was forced to accept
copper, which he Is now Jingling like
gold to the German people's cries for
rich value -for their blood.
Only by remembering the part
America is destined to play next au
tumn or next spring in eastern France
can a true prospective of this week's
fighting be secured. By extending his
front to the Marne, von Hindenburg
has tied up 150,000 fresh troops so
they cannot be used to defend Ger
many against America's millions while
the Marne front remains as it is.
There is every reason to believe that
when America's full power is felt In
France the minimum weight of Gen
eral Pershing's blows will be at least
as powerful as was Russia's strength!
early In the war.
Yet, It is only because of Russia's
present collapse that von Hinden
burg has secured enough German
troops to permit him to enlarge hla
lines in Flanders and Picardy and to
reach the Marne.
When America's armies start for
Metz and the Rhine, the German gen
eral staff will find its reserves large
ly slaughtered in western France and
with the Flanders-Picardy-Marne line
impossible to hold if German territory
Is to receive the maximum defense
possible. A shortening of the line
will then become as yiperative as It
was when Russia was an active bel
ligerent. When that time arrives dis
may at the misjudgment of Prussian
military leadership must profoundly
affect the morale of . the German peo
ple. There will be dreadful need on
home soil for the vast German forces
von Hindenburg has sent to a futile
death. .
The American exploit at Cantigny
during the past week is the writing
on the wall for the kaiser. The sig
nificance of the brilliant capture of
the strongly fortified town with such
slight casualties need not be under
estimated for fear of too prideful
speaking.
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