Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-18
Germans Well Placed.

Ine lnVduSTS WCf0 OASCPsAS-s
placed along a series Of wooded heights
varying in height from 500 to 500 feet'
and running north along the main road
from Rheims to st. Hilair-Le Grand.
The Germans were well aware that the
attack of yesterday was coming, ana
had made full preparation Tor Il Inc
French attack. however. was delivered
with such skill and vigor that the de-
tenders, disheartened by long and
furious preliminary bombardment, broke
ground after . reasonably stih resist
ance, and the whole line fell into the
hands Of the French. South OF Moron
villierss thss 4npstus of the attackers
carried them clean through tho drst
line into the second line systsm which
centered at Mont Haut- This summit
$50 feet high. was stormed.
The French troops are busy organic
ing the captured ground won In the
first day of the battle and repulsing
fierce counter-attacks. over tnear @ nsnus ns J.
the way for another drive against the
Germans in the positions to which tney
retired yesterday
Success Is Important.
The latest French victory. while on
a smaller scale than that Of Monday.
is an equally important success. botn
Of the sections attacked had been lett
alone hitherto on account Of the ex-
ceptional natural strength Of the Ger
man positions. The French command
held that an assault could only De
undertaken when over
whelmine resources had been accumu-
lated and the general situation was
favorable. -.
armies Of the right center had been
planning the attack for severai Weeks
and had left nothing to chance.
Everything was proviaeo Ior ana q 'de nc
hnt follow instructions to the letter.
A soon as the result of the battle be-
tween scissors and Rheims was known
the order was given to ATTACK runcv
.uay awant over" we'll supported by q
n"werful mass of artillery. They swept
forward in magnificent style ana IN
two hours the first line system mao
been captured. Later news came tn1I
before them and taking prisoners py
the score.
Deemed Impregnable.
From their new positions the French
now look down upon Moronvilliers and
Maurov. This Moronvilliers chain OF
hills was regarded by all French SOL
aiers vbo had ever been in the section
"a virtually impregnable and its cap
ture caused the liveliest satisfaction to
The 75s followed up the IN
fantry rapidly and were soon in action.
Thav caught large bodies OF the enemy
ass,nr. with the object OF making
d;varsion. and decimated them Ac-
cordine to onlookers such carnage had
not been seen since the action of
Charme Gap. at the beginning oA 'he
war. ~. ..,v,.
equally to the advantage OF the French.
Auheriye, on which the left wing OF the
offensive of ,hs hsis proRe. ie.
,norLs The French made especially
GOOD progress north of 'Auberive. In
the section east OF Vaudesincourt, Hill
l12 was stormed, as well as q small
wood east of the hill, which was a
,.r,ior nest of German machine guns.
Near -Four Miles in Depth.
Ar certain points the advance was
close upon four miles In depth. The
,.,ast news reaching Paris says the
ta tile continued well lulo tAo uiSAts INC
Germans counter attacking without
snccess. and the French reconstructing
the trench system under the cover OF
our artillery.
ia HE source the double offensive OF the
British north Of Arras and of the
Erench on the Aisne disarranged the
German plans. Field Marshal Won Hin
denburg, 1t is declared. who is pre-
naring an offensive against Riga and
another against Italy. while on the
western front. was considering an at
,emnt on Calais on the one hand. and on
on the other. The allied western
offensive spoiled all this by obligtnG
him to bring back a large part OF the
effectives intended for the Russian and
Italian fronts.
Latest French Report.
The communication OF today foiIows:
/. I'm the region south Of St. Quentin
last night was characterised by great
activity on the part Of the opposing ar
tillery forces. together with numerous
encouneert between patrols. Similar