Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / July 17, 1918, edition 1 / Page 1
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- -.. -'V : . :.-. : - .. , . - .... , . THrflll F;j '; ir:? HTsj Sl' Hrf" ; - .Vwv- ifen tliliMi fS'ii pi S (lt ihIi .-SgljF ' VlJ, Pmn? A ' n rSV " Complete Service V-,. .;,Vr- Showers Wednesday; Th - " p 3 5 -4 WS 'S' AftKe ' " except showers near th coast. , J 3 t jj )35lW3 fc fl ; V Ol X A 77 ' v V -. .. f VOL. CI-HO. 298. WXLMnSTGTOK, WEDKESPAX JVIOItlONG JUIiY 17, 1918 WHOliE NUltTBER 39,475; elect ire a on. rre. it IE fiumjm held, mm ; . : . rer to iflB U7r OFFENSIVE HAD IT Jains Made Are Infinitesimal Compared With Progress of Other Drives ITUATION WELL IN HAND at Germans Have Thousands Of Reserves Which Will Be Thrown In. LAM 13,000 PRISONERS rench and Americans Also Take Thousands. (By the Associated Press.) The German offensive east fed west of Rheims has had the bakes vigorously applied to it y the strong resistance of the jnerican, French and Italian rmies. Nowhere has the enemy found possible, as in days gone by, b press forward and tear his ay through opposing positions j points of vantage chosen as arly objectives. Gains Are InHniteartmwl, True, some gains have been made Jty e Germans, but they are inflnltes- al when compared with titse . of her attacks. Instead of in miles they ay be reckoned almost in yards. ii from some of the positions cap- ed the enemy has been ejected sum- larily under vicious counter.-attattear livered by the American troops fight- ? alone as a unit and Americans rhting shoulder to - shoulder with eir French comrades-in-arms. Berlin feuritly Admlte It. Tacit admission that the enemy rdes have been retarded in. their as ults, It not failed, eeemina;ly is con- ined in the latest Oerman official mmunication which, in dealing with e fighting of Tuesday asserts, that e allied troops on the Marne front feve delivered "violent counter-at- cks" and that "to the east of Rheims e situation is unchanged." . The claim made to any : success by e Germans is that there were "some cal successes to the southwest of heims." Franco-Americans Win Point. The successes of the Americans and French give back to them points strategic value on the heights dom ating the Marne valley. The Ameri ns alone re-captured Fossoy and ezaney east of Chateau Thierry and one point near Fossoy drove back enemy across the river and took a mber of prisoners. Aided by th pnch the re-capture of St. Agnan, ii 223 and La Chapelle-Monthodon Jth of Dormans, was accomplished. Pav v far flalUB. Throughout the region lying to the st of Rheims, especially south of aiame, the Germans made desper attempts on various sectors to la- ease their penetration of the allied wt, but where they were able to 11 any advantage it was only a ot at a time, the French meeting pir onslaughts with the greatest pvery and making the enenft" Day ariy for everv Innh nf eround he 3 ok. Eastward from Rheims hard fleht- S is still e-oine on almost to the ptern fringes of the Axgonne for- out apparently the enemv here " is meeting with Ul-success. At- clfs attemDted near Prunav and F'Ppes came to naught under the pnch flre, while further east, near uses and Tehiira. ftffnrta to break e French line were repulsed with y losses. UaiiIIm rl , n AAA ,, vuum ltwv. ...U.1I official communication Qeal ing with the flrhtln? nf Mon- 7 8ays the Oerman tnnb 1 9 rtftft rtrlfl- rs- The French on their part are PI"ted to have liVan tmiaon1a nt PtWes and it la Vnnnm that th pericans have made prisoners of te- Y" a.'JU'J and 1,500 Germans, In aiu0n' the Americans, French end "alls have inflUf.j ,..IM. pnon, machine gun and rifle fixe. Fir -ww iia ' v nun Hewrvet now. houh the allied troops seem- 8'y nave the citnitUn x.f-n In Von i. , w.vuwfctvil U ...... wia throw larsre numbers of re- ve8 lntn tVio t mt- il' u the battle i ii. L or Rheims. operation., Z "tT. l Wonc . A progress, dui on sectors held by the British! In BRAI CAM "1 Yon rthe "ance and Flanders the r-i in a n aibar" V L"'',D8 out- spiniea are Ker of wnlch may. be the fore- "a,,y miantry attacks. D... J .,;i ' r,. ""''Ttinker. W.. .1 I in ahini, ,i Douermakers-employ-!"lding Plnts here and at P annn a 7&B ca"ed oft todays It m trZ T a tney ould. return to kA?or5ow- but would--strike ifUI MEASURED Offe hsive On Great Scale Eau al to That of March 21 Paris, July 16. The German offen sive; was taken on a great scale equal to that launched on the 21st of March, says a dispatch filed from the Marne battle front today at noon by the cor respondent - of , the Temps. Fighting continued this morning, the dispatch says, in a violent storm of thunder and lightning. The weather was clearing at noon. An impression of confidence throughout the armies is -indicated by the latest dispatches from various parts of the battle front. Th, battle lulled throughout the night after extremely lively actions to the south of the Marne. French and American troops came back in the most vigorous manner against the Germans who- croBsed the fiver. In the course of r numerous counter-attacks' they made large captures of prisoners inj tne -.neighborhood, of Dormans, the Americans outdoing their French com rades in this respect. The. maximum German effort appears to have been thrown against the west ern portion of the battle field, where the enemy made immense endeavors to advance as .far as possible south of the Marne towards Mont Mirail. which it FRANCO-AMERICANS RETAKE POSITIONS St. Agnan, Hill 223, La Chapelle- Montbodon All . Wr;ested From the Germans. HUNS HAVE WITHDRAWN Comparatively Iarge American Forces Have Been Engaged, Especially In tme Region of Descrivec. Hotly Fighting. With, the American Army on the Marne, July 16. (By The Associated Press.) French and American forces fighting together have recaptured the village of St. Agan, Hill 223, to the northwest and La Chappelle-Montbo-don. . : ' In co-operation with the FrencTi, the Americana launched a heavy counter attack this morning between these two villages, driving the enemy steadily Dack. On the, American right the French made rapid, progress and all through the section the Germans were fiercely attacked hy the Allies, with the result that they Jrave withdrawn for a consid erable distance. Comparatively large forces of Amer icans have been engaged, especially, in the region of Descrivec, where they were brought up to support the attack ing French. Within a short period the Americans were hotly engaged in the flghtteff,. ' AMERICAN S DURING AFTERNOON -'. : . WHERE DOING VERY WELL With -the -American Army on the Marne. July; 16. (By the Associated Press.) 4:50 p. m. West of Chateau Thierry, '.between Vaux and. Hill 204, the enemy launched a small local at tack' against the American forces to day, but, was speedily beaten off with losses. This operation subsided quickly and the enemy contented himself for the remainder of the day with the laying down of the heaviest bombardments over the positions, which availed , him nothing, . . In counter-attacking operations dur ing the day .the Americans increased the, number .of their,, prisoners mate rially and at this hour it is possible to ' announce that the entire operation is going- well and that ail conditions are extremely satisfactory. Throughout the Germans fought with the utmost, stubbornness, being- loath to -giv up ground, but : they ; are de clared to have been- unable to with stand the storming of the allied troops; whose advance .was preceded by a ter rific firev- Only to the south cf the Bpis des Rophet did the enemy." succeed .in holding his ground temporarily - : - HUNS BOMB RED CROSS AND V - 1PWJJ? WOUNDING JaNINE Paris. July 16 German ai viators it eleven . o'clock v last night; dropped bombs on the American Red Cross hos pital at Jouy Two enlisted men were killed, and among , the personnel nine persons were ; wounded. Miss. Jane Jeffrey, an American Red Cross nurse, was among those wounded. j Her- Injuries,- however,,; are not considered se rious. v ' - " " 1 " '- " ' . The hospital was deliberately i bomb ed by the German aviators.. The hospital-was full Of.. wounded' at the time and ' doctors "ruerformlngv operations pursued inotwltfcstandlng - the i , explo- OF HUNS HAS ON SO QUICKL Y IN YARDS was ,his intention to reach in the course of the first day's fighting. The Franco-American resistance, however, prevented the Germans from executing this plan. The strength of their effort is shown by the fact that they engage fourteen divisions ap proximately 170,000 men in the first line in this part of the battle field. Behind these, in support, were prob ably fourteen additional divisions some of which, owing to the losses sustain ed by the men in the front line, were compelled to take part in the fighting. On the eastern side of Rheims where the Germans met such a severe check yesterday, thjy also had about four teen divisions in the front line with a similar number in reserve. In con sequence of the nature of the fighting there, the Germans suffered terribly and their troops were obliged to halt for the purpose of reorganizing. Enemy activity to the east of Rheims was quite pronounced this morning, the heavy artillery being very busy. It appeared as though the Germans were preparing io renew the battle fo Cha lons, which, according to prisoners it was their intention to capture today. Some of the finest divisions of the German army have been engaged in the battle, those identified included the Prussian and Bavarian guards, Saxons, Silesians and Wurttemburgers. LOSSES FORCE HUNS TO USE UP TROOPS Threw in Divisions Noon Mon day Not Scheduled to Come In Until FAIL EAST OF RHEIMS Allied Flyer Over Battlefield Declare Oerman Dead Are in Prodirioua Numbers French Very Confident. With the French1 Army in' France, July 16. Morning. (By The Associat ed Press). The allied resistance to the Germans in the present offensive has been so great and the German losses consequently so heavy that ene my divisions- which the German staff had not intended to utilize until to morrow had to be thrown Into the line by noon yesterday. German attack tanks which attacked north of Souain during the big battle which started yesterday suffered heavily from the allied artillery, many of them being destroyed. ' In a section of the Champagne lying east of Rheims the enemy attack was broken in its first stage. The point where the farthest advance was made was Prunay where a small pocket 2, 000 yards in depth was punched out by the enemy who, however, is still northward on' the Roman road. ' .Facing this point is a hilly region, including Moronvillers, Cormillet and other well known heights. On these were advanced positions of the French army, lightly held. The enemy prep arations had been observed and .min ute precautions weer taken by the allies to hold their main positions. When the attack began the French fell back on these, and the Germans were unable even with their best di visions to make- any Impression on the defenders, except about Prunay. This small result, considering the nature of the attack, Is regarded very favorably by the allied staffs, .while the French army holding this portion of the battle front displays the fullest confidence that any further attempt by the Germans here will meet a similar fate. Aviators flying over the German lines declare that the German losses in this sector are tremendous. PRISONERS TKL.Li AMERICANS THEY HAVE USED RESERVES With the American Army on the Marne, July 16.-MBy the Associated Press.) From prisoners taken ' by the Americans It is established that, the enemy has used up a large portion of his reserves since yesterday, morning. Yet he. has been held virtually every where in this sector. The morale of the . last1 prisoners taken Is excessively low, ln fact, low er than any captured in recent months. The fighting following the American counter-attack which drove the Ger mans back - a. long distance yesterday, has-continued fiercely. Some of the ground has been fought over several times. : .. ? BODIES OF ELITE HUN. TROOPS J ARE PILED Olf BATTLEFIELD , Paris, . July 16. (Havas r Agency). About 20 enemy divisions were "engag ed In the fighting between Rheims and Chateau Thierry, and , the same num ber between, Rheims . and, ."Massiges. Other . divisions were in ... reserve ;; and ready to center, the battle.- . s- -All the --divisions have been ' identi- DEMAND FOR STEEt FOR GOVERNMENT IS TAXINGTHE SUPPLY War Industries , Board Takes Steps to Protect the Na- ; tional Industries. PREVENT STEEL RE-SALES Private Concerns Suspected Of Hoarding and Speculating In Metals. 4 Washington, July 16. Government demand for steel has reached such proportions, it was learned today, be cause of the growth of the war pro gram that officials of the war indus tries board fear present sources of supply soon will prove inadequate. Action was taken at today's meeting of the board- to prevent "steel .from finding its way to industries not nold ing war contracts through re-selling. Manufacturers were warned that those who have obtained steel on'- priority orders for war work and later were found to be re-selling it to non-war manufacturers would have their sup ply cut off. This practice has, been in vogue, the board learned. - . All private consumers of steel and steel products, may be - required " to submit, sworn . inventories . of their stocks . on- hand.- It . was found that many manufacturers had obtained large quantities of rsteel before ( the government took control of the entire output. By meaiis of these inventories, J. Leonard Replogle, director of. steel supply of the war industries board will be able to keep a close check on all steel in the country. v- - Chairman - Hurley of the shipping board, conferred today with officials of the war industries board regarding the requirements for the shipbuilding - pro gram.' Production of-ships Js showing such .ejnarked- impr x?r a year from; each -way' in sonte yards, four ships in - other- yards and - lesser numbers elsewhere If - efforts to bol ster up the efficiency of the weaker ne wyards are successful, it is evi dent to officials that the size of steel plate mills must be" increased or the shipping program "will be delayed by lack of material. . A shortage of steel' already is being felt in some shipyards. Others have more steel than, they need., which offi cials believe is the result of the- "cost plus" system of contracts, under which the builders felt free to expend large sums on materials . not needed, . ,f or many weeks. Recently an inventory of stocks was taken -with a view t equalizing the supply" of material, but no . great help was forthcoming from the facts revealed arid Chairman Hurley- has ordered another inventory as a check on the first. - Other departments of the govern ment also' are checking up their sup plies of material. A '.'tendency to hoard" has been observed, on. the part of some government agencies, as well as the public, which it is hoped to pre vent in the future' by exact knowledge of requirements and strict allotment of output. Additions to steel mills now being made will add 750,000 tons to the an nual output in a few months, but offi cials do not believe that wil be suffi cient to take care of the increased de mand. .... ' GOVERNMENT TO BE "PROTECTED IN PROCUREMENT OF MATERIALS Washington, July 16. With -the co operation of the ' department of jus tice the war department Is putting intoj effect a system bf control designed to protect the government in the pro curement of all war materials. The new system, the war department announced tod, provides for a re view of every contract by boards of control, the centralization of purchases of each commodity In a single bureau, the standardization of contract clauses, a daily fiscal survey, and. also for pub lic information on- war department needs. '- ' One action of this r plan is, expected to remedy the conditions revealed by the recent arrest, of contingent fee agents and the raiding, of offices of manufacturing over the dountry. The agents, it was- charged received large fees; for procuring government con tarcts for manufacturers, the fees be ing added to ' the price- paid, by the government. - ; - . , The manufacturers contended, they were obliged to ileal through 'the agents because' there was such a mul tiplicity of government bureaus -and departments they did not know. where to appir tor 'rv;ifcTiisa, Okla.. July 16. Miss Juliette eral staff recently ordfcr ei - that, except f Hunt, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dan in cases oi lmmouw nv?Benj m con tracts should .be made, 1- with saep agents, but direct, with manufacturers or jobbers carrying 'the-fstooks needed. In addition to this, precaution, the de partment's announcement said, steps had been taken in ; conjunction with the Nwar industries board to 'mobilize the industries of the1 country $ behind the needs of the wa department. , JAPAN HAS COMPLETED NINE, ' FREIGHTERS FOR UNCLE SAM Seattle, July 16.-1 A vessel, from "the 'Orient1', arriving : at this port . today brought - word of the completion ; in -. J.a .pan of nine Ms freighters built for use by the United States under: the ship ping agreement recently signed. "Three of the vessela,.'Jt' was said, -.wiil'be de livered' this - month; 'three In - August POLITICAL SIDE OF ALBANIAN CAMPAIGN k Ml OF INTEREST Effect on Jugo-Slavs May Start a Revolution Within Austria-Hungary. STHt; UP THE POLES ALSO Military Opinion is Allied Ar mies May Inspire Serious Revolt in Austria. Washington, July 16. While mili tary critics both here and abroad re gard the Franco-Italian offensive along thes coast of Albania as of little mo ment ftbm a purely military viewpoint, some officials regard it as having pos sibilities from a political standpoint which ultimasly may bear heavily on the military situation. r.The important purpose of the expedi tion , has not been made elear, but in qme quarters it, is. believed to be de signed primarily for the psychological effect it may have upon the disaffected subjects of Austria-Hungary in Bos I nl an -ln Heraegovlna, toward which counjrjes me- anve is neaaea. Reports reaching Washington from official, sources indicate that the suc cesses attained by the allied troops al ready have increased , the hostility of the , Jugo-Slavs in southern Austria Who, with the Czecho-Slavoks and Poles, " have proved thorns in the side of the dual monarchy throughout the .war. :.In' the opinion of those officials, who have' made a study of the situation, a military drive that could bring the al lied armies ln Albania into contast with the Jugo-Slavs might lead not only to an open revolt there, but also by the -disaffected peoples in other parts of the dual monarchy. , An uprising of such consequence, it is claimed, would have serious effects upon the Whole military situation be cause oflhe, drain -upon. the Austrian TArmy that wfctird result frofn mtnrnln ttrviu. mo- iruiivJiuiucient lorces io" pe - At the outbreak of the war the Jugo slavs in southern Austria and Hun gary -numbered more than 6,000,000, while the Czecho-Slavoks and Poles in the northern part of the dual mon archy numbered more than 13,000,000. The 'unrest - among these people has been growing and at places has led to open revolt. The oppressed peoples are determin ed upon- freedom, is the official opin ion here. . Thousands of Jugo-Slavs who deserted from the Austrian ar mies are fighting with the Italians agaitast . their ancient enemies- While some 66,000 Czepho-Slavs who either deserted to the Russians or were cap tured, are heading through Siberia to the western front to join in the fight against the Teutons. Whether there is a serious intention of attempting to effect a juncture be tween the allied armies in Albania and the Italians on the Italian front is not known, but because of the great dis tance separating the two forces, it is not believed to be probable. In some quarters, however, It is re garded as possible that once the Franco-Italians actually reach the southern border of Austria. an effort at a junc ture might be attempted. Both the force from" Albania and that from Italy, it' tst contended, would be welcomed by people hostile to the government and army1 of the invaded country, thus in creasing the difficulties of the defense. GROOM IN FRANCE IS MARRIED BY CABLE Maryland Girl Becomes Bride of a Sol dier by TelegraphCables I Arranged for Event. Frederick City, Md July 16. A most unique ceremony was performed last evening when Miss Goldie Anita Black, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. G. Black, of Thurmont, became the bride of Buy V. Lewis, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. .Hooker Lewis, of Thurmont, who Is "somewhere in France." The ceremony in this country was performed at the home of the bride's parents by Rev. E. O. Pritchett, while Lieut. Warred,, an army chaplain of ficiated across the sea. The cere mony was' arranged after considerable preparation and cable communication and verything was carted out simul taneously in the two countries. Young Lewis -is a member of the 839th avia tion squadron TULSA GIRL APPOINTED HONOR: ' " f MAID f FOR 'VETERAN'S REUNION Hunt, of this city, today, received - the appointment of -maid of honor-lnchlef Jor 'the entire 'south for the Confed erate veterans reunion to.be held here in. rSeptember.. The three members of her staff have not yet been named. -., This is the first time In history that the .xnatd of . honor-in-chief . has been appointed from the entertaining city. FRUIT SHIPPED OVERSEAS "MUST BE THOROUGHLY DRIED - Washington, July, 16. To save ton nage and prevent waste, the quartermaster;-corps - announced today ' fruits t will be shipped, to : the American ex peditionary forces hereafter ln a thoroughly-dried instead of a semi -dried condition a they -c are usually "found in t commercial markets. ' Dried fruits are- consumed - in - large- ouan titles by CRISIS OF BA YET REACHED SJWB NOT MILITAR Y , ! 1 Nothing On American Losses Has Yet Been Received at Capital Washington, July 16. The war department tonight received Infor mation from the American mili tary attache at Paris of heavy los ses sustained by the German as saulting armies to the west and east of Rheims and of the failure of the enemy' to make substantial progress against : the allied resist ance during the past 24 hours. The war department issued this statement: "At midnight the war depart ment was not in - receipt of late cable dispatches from General Bliss or General -Pershing, but it was In communication with the military attache at . Paris. Infor mation from this source does not deal specifically with the day's point of attack and defense, but brings information of heavy loss es sustained by the, enemy's at tacking forces and of his failure to make substantial progress against the allied., resistance dur ing the past 24 hours." j General Pershing's communique for yesterday had not been re ceived at the, department late to night.' In the ordinary course it would have come this morning, but probably has been delayed by the crowded condition of the cables. So far as known tonight, no in formation as to the losses among the American troops in yesterday's fighting has yet been received. GERMANS CROSS AT HIGH COST IN MEN Five Marne Bridges Destroyed As Troops Were Passing OverRirer. T" - n; - :5 - - x"IrvTTT"" HUNDREDS ARE . KILLED Mot Desperate Fight TaJtes Place Where Freneh WlthdraWtFoot by . Foot Greatest -German pene tration Two Mile. On the French Front in France, July 16 (By; The, Associated Press). Ev ening. The Germans have crossed the Marne at various places, giving them control over twelve miles bf the south ern bank of the stream between Gland and Mareuil-Le-Port. , This operation cost them dearly, five bridges being destroyed as the troops were passing over, while hundreds of their men are believed to have met death from the machine guns and bombs of aviators. - GERMANS CLAIM CAPTURE OF 13,000 OF ALLIED SOLDIERS Berlin, July 16. (Via London). The Germans claim . the capture of 13,000 prisoners in the official communication from headquarters issued today. The army of General Von Boehra, it is add ed, crossed .the Marne between Jaul gonne and east of Dormans. BREVITY CHARACTERIZES HUN OFFICIAL REPORT OF BATTLE Berlin, via London, July 16. "On the Marne front the enemy has delivered violent counter-attacks," says the German official communication issued this evening. "There were some, local successes to the southwest of Rheims. "To the east of Rheims the situation Is unchanged." . FRENCH RETREAT TWO MILES WHICH IS GREATEST HUN GAIN London, Juiy 16.- The French this afternoon were entrenched ,at Prun way, behind the river Vesle, two miles back of the original line, the evening Standard states. . This, it adds, is the deepest penetration the enemy has ef fected in the region east of Rheims. FRENCH FORCED TO FALL BACK IN SPITE . OF GERMAN LOSSES London, July 16. A statement is sued this evening by. the Central News says : - ' "The only progress the. Germans have been able to make since yesterday has been to; the east of -Rheims,' In ; the Prunay sector, where, . in spite of ter rible losses, the-enemy has compelled the-Freneh to retire to the southward behind the river Vesle." . GROUND GIVEN i FOOT " BY? FOOT BY FRENCH SOUTH OF MARNE Paris, July 16. The .'war office an nounces the re-capture., of - St. Agnan and La Chapelje.-Monthodon otday and the; advance of -the Franco-American lines to heights -dominating' the Marne valley at various points. i y- A- Desperate fighting Is reported in sev eral sectors of the new battle front, particularly south- of the Marne where ground was gWeir only; foot by foot, when the allied line - was - obliged to bend back.- -;- ENEMY TURNING. TO- WEST AT t RHEIMS TO ASCEND. RIVER With the - French "Army," in France, July 16. -(By The " Associated ' Presa) -Having met defeat In every effort to advance : today east. Of Rheims , : the TTLEismm OFFICIALS The Germans, Checked in Their ; First Rnsh, Are Still Fight- I fx ing Bitterly. !'. i.'-.W, SITUATION SATISFACTORY Generals Pershing and Bliss Consider Outlook Good at End of First Day. 250,000 AMERICANS FIGHT German Position Across Marne Extremely Precarious. Washington, July 16. The ; crisis oi the new German offensive In France ii still to be . reached 'in the opinion of high officials here, WhiJe the first fe: rush of the enemy apparently met-with ; , a decided ' check yesterday all - along the line and. fell far short of the prob4 j able objectives marked out for 'the;:? first day, (both official and unofficial X reports from the- front tonight showed . that bitter fighting was still in prog-Vv ress with varying results. .yvv Advices from Generals Pershing; and Bliss covering yesterday's operations,! ', prompted a statement from the' war T j department today that the situation', was regarded as satisfactory by. the'; American commanders at the end ' of , 1 the first day of the. first' greatbattle of the war in which Americans have been engaged. , Enemy Driven Out. On the comparatively small section , occupied by. the Americans, between:'; Chateau-Thierry -andthe Jaultnnne r$-. gion. tonights .advices, .indicated that ihfc emydr-be jority , of .the polHts, where his ; jin.itial ( drive had made' headway- 'across the river.; The situation appears. most en-V couragf ng here. . . - , '.j . Furt'er west, however, where tha Germans appear 'to, have occupied a; considerable -amount of territory south' :; of the . Marne, the enemy was ,stlll in v force and the French - with American ; aid were gradually beating him backj toward the river. - Amerloan reinforce. ; ments were also reported as arrivipg and getting into the fighting line evert: further east, toward Rheims. --' ? Quarter Million Americana, , V'..'- . - Probably in excess of 250,000 Ameri; .. : can troops are Involved in one place b . ; another, as that would be the approxl : mate strength of Major General Hunter ' LIggett's first army corps, eeveraj ,? divisions', of which, are known .to ib& t) X . operating iwUh tire French corps. along the Marne. Nothing had reached , the War department late tonight, however, . '. ',;, to identify , the troops who made the ' . brilliant counter-attack - yesterday atv' ;,- 'J Vaux and . dn the Ju)gonne reglo rC: which helped materially; ln stemming ' ! the German. .Itide... . . r-;v:;tif!j'v:; Secretary Baker said today, he had :. no reason to -believe -that the first, corps was operating as ' a . unit,', the 5 ; Indications being rather that its diyi ; V sions were being - employed ln Frencfe . . corps. - Similarly divisions from bthef I . . -Amelrcan corps are . under French cefp .' T commanders and operating as units 'of .' the French corps, while at other points ; American brigades or even regiments form parts -of French divisional or bri-, ' gade units. ; - .vffl---,. This arrangement makes dt impossi ble to gauge - accurately the extent of , American participation. ' '3 ? Directlesi Drive 'UdeeldeV() High military officers did not' ex pect to be able to form definite; con4 elusions. as to the. whole course of the,"- ' battle or the direction ' in whlch It , would develop before another, day or ;l ; two had passed. The extentltbj which c v ( the check of. the first day . may ; have . , upset the enemy's calculations could not be gauged by the meagre .account !v -4 received today that gave, any specific Information of a mUIJarycharacter.f? K It appears that for . the. moment; the 'fivfr.') American forces along the Marne. have ,; v; held this door; to Paris against .the en-i;?.;-emy, promptly restoring; the general 'vV trend of their original lines .whereyer ? the first rush of .the enemy ytef day 'J---'-had swept them back. ' The major ao- , V tions in the' battle developed today im-;f; ; ' mediately, to theeaetof the riglrialV' f American positions, ,There the enemy; ;.;'; apparently is firmly lodged across the , river and heavy -pressure J - being e;' brought by Franco-American forces 'to; " eject thim. t '. 'f .;-J r;-'; '.;' The German position "here appears eomehat precarious. It was agreed ' v on the basis of unofficial, as well a more meagre official accounts that un-. less they were able'wHbout great de-: ; ' lay to extend their advance and widen -the dent they have; made in the French . - , lines, Gen. Fech might seise the oppdr' tunity to swiivP a flank assault, from the ': American positions .to the west, in "an ; effort to trap the army of General , Von" , -Boehm which Berlin claims crossed the . river her':Vil'' '' r ;,;-.'4:;;:r ' St. Agnan Retaken: v . n The 'dfflcial , report from Paris fo-p; night ' showed I : the ; Franco-American ; forces : bad recaptured ; St. Agnan and i the heights dominating the Marne val-. ley behind the German ! advanced posi tions.? Thie led.td the hope; among of ficers here, that s. wide flanking move- , mentwouldVbe-pdsslble -which would clear the; eeuth; bank -of the. river , of ' the enemy and probably result In lii- 3A'ji-.f.-j; (Continued . oa-'Page JPwo. '. , T and three in'September', ' -SS tJH JBowiers, -. ' ;
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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July 17, 1918, edition 1
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