Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-07
ny Associated Press.)

Paris, May 5.-French troops have
captured al! the plateau in the neigh
borhood of ,Ccrny and Craonne and
the hills dominating the valley of the
Ailette river,
The number Of prisoners captured
to-day was 1900, in addition to the
1000 taken yesterday, total Of $500
in two days.
The brilliant success for the French
arms is recorded in the official COM
munication tonight. An important
French advance has been made against
powerful opposition along the road
from scissors to Laon, over an ex-
tent Of nearly four miles.
German Losses High.
The battle continues with fury and
the German losses are officially char
acterizcd as exceptionally high"
The German crown prince did not
hesitate to sacrifice his reserves and
he repeated his desperate counter at
tacks in an extended endeavor to neu-
tralize the French gain, but all efforts
to retake the ground were in vain.
The assaulting waves Of the Ger
man forces we're everywhere broken
and the principal line of the enemy
defense was thrown back.
The obstacles confronting the
French armies were in many cases
natural and it would seem insur-
mountable, and the French accom-
plished magnificent exploits in seal
ing them in the face Of the enemy,
who had accumulated divisions and
batteries. T
Counter Attacks Violent.
News from the front tells of the
extreme violence of the counter at
tacks that the Germans are making in
a most determined effort to gain an
advantage which might become de-
cisive, but nowhere have they made
Roadway, according to the French
war office.
There was no lessening in the heavy
German onslaughts in the neighbor-
hood of Rheims, where the German
positions between Beine and Sapig-
neul form pronounced salient which
includes Fort Brimont and Forts
Witty, Berru and Nogeant.
The operations that the French
have begun in this region have for
their object the reduction Of this sa-
lient and the unofficial reports say
that some progress has been made
in the vicinity of Brimont.
French Carry Salient.
In the operations the French car
ried salient in the Hindenburg line,
of which Laon, twelve miles to the
northeast, is the strongest point in
this territory From Cerny to the
Ailette river, is three miles, and Laon
lies about six miles directly north Of
the Ailette.
The French offensive, north o. the
Aisne, began. April 10, and after days
of desperate fighting and an advance
Of from two to five miles against
strong German resistance, the French
reached the line of the Chemin-Des-
Danes, and captured more than 23,-
900 prisoners.
The German losses in the FIRST week
Of the French offensive on the Aisne
and Champagne were estimated at
10000 killed, wounded and prisoners
The advances Friday and Saturday
continue the work begun in mid
April and give the French grip on
the Siegfried position of the linden
burg line in the Laon region.
In northern France, near Arras, in.
tensive fighting has occurred around
Bullecourt, but for the most part the
British, and Germans have been en-.
gagged in artillery duek.
Premier Ribot of France told the
international allied congress that the
! Germans are becoming exhausted. He
said more than 10000 prisoners ant
500 cannon had been taken by the
allies in the last few weeks. y
| He said the entry of the United
States in the war assures final victory
for the allies.
A complete accord was reached BY
all the representatives at the con
ference.
Fighting on the Aisne.
Berlin (Via London), May S.
French troops penetrated German pc
sitions east Of Melville yesterday
but were subsequently driven out, tn
war Office announces. The German
captured 500 French. The numbs
Of British prisoners, the statemen
, says, has been increased to l,22S.
On the Aisne front the artiller,
: fighting continues with a tremendou