Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1918 — ALLIES CHECK HUN ADVANCE; REIMS HOLDING [ARTICLE]

ALLIES CHECK HUN ADVANCE; REIMS HOLDING

Foch’s Reserves Arrive on Battlefield and Line is Stiffening. ™ ■* SIX MILES FROM THE MARNE Berlin Says Number of Prisoners Taken to Pate Total 115,000—Claims Large Amount of Loot—' Fierce Fight in Soissons. \ ■ ,atmm Paris. May 31.—“ We have preventea enemy progress in the west outskirts of Soissons,” says the official report from the French headquarters. * “To the south we solidly hold the left hank of the Crise river. The Germans are multiplying their efforts in the direction of Vilie en Tardenois. “The battle continued during the day with undiminished violence along the whole eitent of the front. “On our right and to the northwest of Reims we are holding our posl* tions.” Reserves Hold Advance. French reserve troops, fighting from the heights on the north side of the Marne river, have perceptibly ed the advance of the enemy In the last 24 hours. The net gain in depth, as revealed In war office reports as against the line of Wednesday, 18 hardly more than three miles. While giving away slowly in the center the allies are maintaining their west and east flunks by heroic resistance. Reims Is still holding out, and the Germans, It is said, have been unable to push out from the steels drenched city of Soissons. Fifty-Five Miles From Paris. The troops of the German crowd prince were reported six or seveii| miles north of the Marne, or what to the south of Fere en TarS denols. From the center of Paris enemy is about ninety kilometers, <nj "55 miles away, at the point of closest approach. This is along the Crlsd river between Soissons and Hurteuuesi From the edge of Paris the hordes are approximately 51 rnllea from their goal. In this connection it is pointed out that In the first rush of the invaders in September. 1914, the Germans swept to a point 30 miles south of the Mama before they were compelled to fall back. They made a stand on heights of the Marne, were defeated, and retreated to the Aisne. Battle Fury Unabated. Jill day the battle has been waged as furiously as ever. General Foch has thrown forward reserves in numbers toward Soissons and Reims, and in the center. While the enemy has advanced, it has been much more slowly. It Is believed here now that the French will make a decisive stand on the high broken country along the north of the Marne. Even higher ground, however, lies on the south olj the river is possible this will be cbosen for the great defense. The Berlin report, however, now claims their prisoners total 35,000 men, while the booty in war material Is “tremendous.” Penned in Soissons. The war office report declares thatl the Germans have tried again and again to debouch from the rains oC Soissons, but each time have been driven back. A desperate engagement Is In progress In the center of the battle front, but it is here, reports indicate, that the weight of the reserves General Foch has brought up Is being felt by the invaders. On the allies’ right, to the east, French and British divisions are reported holding their ground at every point. They are fighting from the lower and northerly slopes of heights which make fine defensive positions.

Halt Assault After Assault

About Reims apparently the struggle is continuing with the greatest violence. According to the war office communique, the Reims defenders have broken assault after assault. , The Berlin report announces that German troops have fought their way to the northern outskirts of La Neuvillette and Betheny, which lie about three or four miles north and west of the cathedral city. Their progress here has been so slow, however, that there is a growing hope in Paris that the invaders may be kept out. Capture of St. Thierry. The mention in the German report of the capture of the forts northwest of Reims evidently refers to the fortified places about St. Thierry which, it was announced, the allies evacuated Tuesday.

As to booty, Berlin declares that immense military stores have been taken at Soissons. Flsmes and along the line northwest of Reims. These stores, it is claimed, consist of ammunition, small arms and cannon and supplies. They even declare that French heavy artillery mounted on railway cars has fallen into their hands. Foe May Swing West. With the French Army in France, May 31. —The Germans in the Ghalmpazne pushed farther toward the Riv. er Marne. The intention ,of the Teutons probably is to secure a position enabling them to turn to the westward with tine bulk ot' their attacking armies. Although ;!»e Germans entered Soissons it was only after some of the most severe infantry fighting in the present battle. The struggle for the city begun early in the morning whert large numbers of German troops obtained a footing in the eastern suburbs of the town. Shortly afterward they were ejected and the allied troops hung on in the outskirts tor some time, confronting with cold steel the desperate enemy efforts to drive in. The valor of tin- defenders, however, wus greater tlutu their strength, and when fresh German troops launched a new assault the line of combat receded into the town and there was fighting in the streets from house to housb. The sutali body of French troops holding the place finally gave way, but only after dozens of individual duels with bayonets, revolvers and rifle butts. A hail of heavy, German incendiary shells had fallen on the town throughout the night, firing numbers of houses and filling the air with smoke. Poison gas shells had impregnated the atmosphere with dangerous fumes. The French, under the fierce onslaught, gradually retired to the western outskirts of the city, where there is cover. Fresn enemy divisions were brought forward hastily to take the places of those exhausted by the advance of the last three days and continue the pressure on the allies. The territory south of the Vesie river is more difficult for the attack.