Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-27
DRIVING BOCHE
BACK BY INCHES
The Fighting About Craonne and
the Chemin des Danes as
Fiercely Successful as
That About Verdun
BY HENRI BAZIN

star Correspondent Of the EreniaO Ledger IN
| France
PARIS, July 81.
rTHE battles concentrated about craonne
L and the Chenin des DANES section. eX-
tending in lesser intensity all the way to
| Moronvilliers. are in reality but continual
tions in Boche attack and counter-attack
I begun in April with always Germanic dis
| advantage as far az new ground gained is
! concerned
! have talked with a score of officers
and more pous who have taken part In 1T.
Each and all say the same thing-"lts like
Verdun in June and July, 1916, like the
days of glory about Mort Homme, Fieury
and Vaux."
The Aisne conflict really began April l6
Of this year, and lasted until the middle Of
May without interruption and but llll
IN viRor until recently, when the Chemtn
des Danes stood out prominently IN the
news. In this general Aisnc night Inc
enemy has been harder pushed than In any
single phase Cf the war OH the west front
Tie was genuinely harassed by the English
east of ArraS, and upon the part or the
French throuGh formidable attack now
history that together resulted in $1,000
Boohe prisoners and the loss of over 2"o
pieces OF artillery In all calibers, as well as
reverse military condition completely
modifying and changing technical adNan-
tages north Of the Aisne River,
Before the last great French offensive
the armies of the Republic possessed upon !
the north Of the Aisne but narrow strip
exposed at all times tn danger Of squeeze |
to nothirgness by the enemy. The Ger |
mans had superb condition Of territory III !
advantage, because they controlled obscr- |
vation points dominating the Chemin des |
Danes. now 20 per cent in French hands. |
the Crown Prince could not pas |
sively accept this condition Tie saw in 1t |
not only a material danger to his armies,
but moral peril tn his fathers realm |
should deduction enter the Nerboden skulls
Of his barharans. For ii was genuine |
menace to the dynasty.
A Record of German Reverses
The Crown Princes record in this war is
as director of serious reNerses. He was
beaten in Champagne in 1919; his defeat
At Verdun rang around the globe the
hisue and Champagne campaigns OF early
1917 We're tarred with the same brush.
Thus, for the sake of prestige waning. az
Well as the technical and military reasons
have outlined. the BoChe efforts along |
he .\isne increased in volume from early ,
May In the second half of that month
he Germans attacked eleven times, in June
wenty-one times. and each attack in |
reased IN volume On July the Boche
Engaged division to every 1900 meters
II first line trench rs far south as LA
ioyere. ON July ii another division was
ngaged over the same area south of
'erny; from July 10 to - two divisions in
bout the same front one of which was |
he Fifth Prussian Guards in assaultiug |
efore California and Classmates.
Nerdun over again, in intensity, in contin-
anCe despite loss in massed formation,
cspite entering the jaws of death. The
laser's heir gained a little and lost il
gain, regained only to relose. lie left thou
ands of dead in vain eudcavor He swept
'rench lines with tremendous artillery fire.
It cerny, the guard came forward as in
august, 1914, and July, 1916, a solid mass,
ne bullet capable of hitting more than one
lan. What is German life to the German
ynasty2
The elite of the German army was thus
acrifced. the Slosstruppen, the Sturmba-
lllion, the shock troops of the Guard. The
aal difference from Nerdun is here sgniti-
ant, because showing the present condition
the German armies. Instead OF regular
visions. divisions no longer existent in
9l4 offensive power. the Guard and the |
uard only, could perhaps stand And il
idn't