Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-07
BRITISH ADVANCE LINE
IN WYTSCHAE1E REGION
Germans Repulsed Near Aeheville.
New Evidence Of Low leu.
tonic Morale.

nounces that the British line was ad'
vanced slightly. The announcement fol
lows: = 80 r.
East of wytschaete our line has
again been slightly advanced.
1.-THE enemy attempted to raid ou1
trenches in the vicinity Of Acheville
but was repulsed. Elsewhere there
were no events Of special Importance"
Pit Head Disappears.
CANADIAN HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, via London, July 7.-Fosse
the pit head, which overlooked oul
outposts in Avion, disappeared Thurs.
day in a cloud of dust and fire. 1t hac
been for some time a mark for oul
heavy artillery. but whether the de-
struction was caused by our shells OF
by the Germans themselves Is moi
known. If they anticipated further
Immediate advance OF our men, they
may have blown up the mining works
themselves, for it is their policy te
leave behind them nothing that would
aid in speedy resumption Of mining
operations in this important coal area.
German Morale Lower.
Much evidence of the lowering OF
German morale continues to be d1scov-
cred in captured trenches sand ra1ded
houses. remarkable letter was found
recently which had been written to
Bavarian at the front. three weeks ago
The letter said in part:
Zone can we'll understand that you
are sick of this horrible business. ]
believe that the climax has been reach
ed, for now one hears nothing but
complaints. The German social demo-
shot is fired in August revolution Will
follow. The situation is no longer
good. They are on the track OF the
German kaiser, too, and II 1t lasts
much longer it will be the end OF
Prussia, for the Prussians and the Eng
lish are the masters. These two alone
are carrying on the war. The others
are merely in their hands"
Canadian casualties have been very
light during the past two weeks. and
exceptionally SO in the killed and miss
ing classes.
French Guns Active.
PARIS, July Heavy artillery fight
ing occurred last night near La Boyere
and Pantheon. on the Aisne front, ana
nm the region south of Moronvilliers'
in the Champagne. according to to-
days official announcement
German Surprise Party Fails.
BY the Associated Press,
FRENCH FRONT IN FRANCE. July
Personal initiative. combined with
bravery and tenacity, won for the
French a splendid victory when the
Germans attempted last Tuesday nlgnt
to -etake Chemin -des-Dames by fur1-
Gus attack. The commanding genera,
after inspecting the entire eleven-mile
line where the battle occurred, de-
clared to the Associated Press: The
German crown prince had arranged
surprise party for US. in order to onset
the Russian victory in Galicia, but he
knocked at the wrong door ana re-
ceived a disagreeable reception.
Before the enemy's attack began an
uncanny silence reigned along this
famous road, where the hostile armies
are facing each other at close quarters.
Suddenly the German bombardment
opened and it's intensity impressed the
French general as being greater than
he ever before experienced on the
Somme, at Verdun or in the Cham
payne, where he had taken part In all
tilities.
Observations Impossible.
. The shell smoke was so thick and the
fumes from poisonous and lacrimosal
shells so heavy 1t was impossible to
take observations. The French general
attempted to communicate with his bat
talon and artillery commanders. but
the wires had been broken by pro5ec-
tiles. Then. to his establishment. he
saw his own artillery, without await
ing orders, open a barrage fire. He
learned later that his artillery colonel,
suspecting something was about to &C.
cur, had gone to a much-exposed listen
ing post between the opposing trenches
and from this vantage point observed
an unusual activity in the German
lines. The colonel, therefore, ordered a
curtain fire directed in front of the
Germans.
Unable to Leave Trenches.
Meanwhile the French infantry in
the front line swept the German front
lines with rifle fire and hand grenades.
while the French trench mortars
worked as never before. The German
infantrymen. who could be seen wait
ing with bayonets fixed, now found it
impossible to leave their trenches and
go over the top. At this stage of the
battle, on the line from California pla-
teau above Craonne to the classmates
on the plateau, 1000 yards westward.
the greater part OF two German diyi-
lery, owing to the close proximity of
the French and German lines. was un-
able to play on the French front line
for fear of hitting their own men. The
French gunners, more accurate in
German trenches
Take German Trenches.
Several strong detachments of Ger
man infantrymen, Notwithstanding the
severity Of the French cannonading.
succeeded in crossing the intervening
space and obtained a footing in the
French trenches at a few points The
defenders, composed Of regiments from
southern France, who had originally
captured the position, were determined
to maintain their hold. They tmmedi-
ately counter-attacked. and everywhere
elected the Germans. Then they fmpet-
uously advanced and captured several
German trenches, which they still hold.
The whole action here. as at other
points in this battle on the eleven-mile
front. was not mere trench raid. but
"a carefully planned attempt by the
Germans to reconquer Chemin des-
Danes, to whose loss they cannot rec.
onciIe themselves. The nature Of the
attack is proved by the fact that the
their whole equipment and severa
days rations, and they evidently were
confident Of success. az
French Commanders Happy.
Hundreds of their dead. many O,
whom were youths of the 1918 class
lie with packs still strapped on theil
in the shell craters. The French COM
manding officers are enthusiastic about
the undiminished dash and vigor OF
! their men. which they regard as large.
| ly attributable to the moral aid pro.
vided by the arrival of American
troops in France and the Russian for.
ward movement in Galicia-
The commanding general declared tc
| the Associated Press that the presenc.
Of American fighting men not only en-