The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-07-15
FRENCH GUNS HALT
RUSH Of GERMANS
Paris Report Says the TeutOn
Counter Attacks We're Re-
pulsed With Big Loss.
WHOLE COMP ANIES WIPED OUT
Artillery of Allies Dominates Field
Along the Somme-New Line is
Strengthened Out.

Paris, July Violent counter at
tacks by the Germans on the French
lines on both banks of the Somme
were repulsed with heavy losses to
the attackers, according to the Off
cia1 statement issued by the French
war office tonight
The statement reads:
North of the Somme series of
counter attacks directed against our
new lines north of the village of Hem
were successfully scattered by our ar
tillery. We took some prisoners.
Companies Wiped Out.
South of the river counter attacks
were stopped by our fire and the enc
my was unable to debOuch from his
trenches. In this region the Germans
suffered great losses. Two companies
caught in trench northwest of Ber-
ny by the enfllading fire of our nit
railleuses were annihilated.
ION the left bank of the Meuse the
activity of the artillery on both sides
continues in the sector of Chattan-
court North of LamorvilIe a salvo
from our batteries exploded a Ger
man munitions depot
number of shells last night on the rail
road from Hem to Nesle. Fires broke
out in the railroad stations at Hem
and Voyennes. The railroad was dam
aged at several places"
French Present Solid Front
Paris, July THE French offensive
along the Somme has made steady
progress, so that the left of the ad-
vance now rests on Hardecourt and
the right on Estrees, while the entire
intervening front has been transform
ed within the last four days from one
of irregular lines that exposed some
positions to a thanking fire into hon-
ogeneous line, without assures or dan
gerous wedges.
The solidity of this front is in
marked contrast with the fronts in
the battles of the Champagne and
| the Artois, the irregularity of which
permitted a heavy cross fire being
brought to bear upon the mere ad-
vanced points. That part of the pres
ent front facing Peronne has the
classic form of two echelons on two
sides of Peronne, which is said to be
the only one of the well known dis
positions laid down in ancient tactics
that has survived the revolutionizing
developments of the present war.
Praise Foch's Strategy.
The right of this formation is pro-
| tected by defensive curve that
unites the new front with the old line
Tacticians declare the maneuvers that
! accomplished this formation consti-
| tuted one of the most notable strate-
! gic phases of the war
Heavy Teuton Loss.
! Petrograd, July 7.-Nearly a half
million Austrians and Germans have
| been put out of commission since
General Brussiloff began his great ad-
vance of a month ago today. The
| grand total of prisoners to date is in
round numbers 235, 900, of which $500
are officers. Without the actual fig
ures regarding the dead and wounded,
careful estimates by military experts,
based on the best information, places
the latter at 100000 to 100000.
French Making Progress.
Paris, July 6.-The French have
carried by assault the second German
lines on a front of two kilometers
from the CIery-Maricourt road to the
River Somme. They have also cap
tured the village of Hem, in the same
district, according to the official state
ment issued by the French war office.
The French have captured all the
German second positions south of the
Somme on a front OF about ten kilo-
meters. They also have completed
the occupation of the village of Els
trees, where eco Germans surrend-
cred.
In this direction the French are
now in the outskirts of Peronne, the
great railway center, which is their
first objective in their effort to cut
the German communications. Sor-
mont, taken by the French, is only
two miles from Peronne and adjoins
its suburban houses.
British Move Slowly.
London, July 6.-The French con-
tinue to make more progress than
the British on the western front, ow-
ing partly to the more difficult ground
facing the British and also to the fact
that strong forces are opposing them
because of the belief among the Ger
mans that the main attack in the pres
ent operations viii be on the British
front.