New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-21
Repel Furious Counter Blow
on the Laon
Salient
10000 Germans
Taken in 5 Days
Renewal of British Drive Is
Foreshadowed by
Cunhre

the wide front from Scissors to Au-
berive, in the Champagne, the armies
of General Nivelle continued to-day to
close up the Laon salient, pressing the
Germans relentlessly up the Craonne
plateau, extending their positions in
the dip toward Rheims, and to the
thrusting out upon the hill
tops around Moronvilliers.
The continual increment of prison
ers expresses the French success as
we'll as the steady gain of territory.
More than 10000 Germans have been
captured since April 16, and more than
100 guns.
Berlin admits that Hindenburg has
given up the defence Of the north bank
Of the Aisne, from Conde, occupied
by the French yesterday, to Soupir.
However, it is intimated that this Sec
ond victorious Hindenburg retreat
began a month before the French Of
fensive commenced. The so-called Sieg-
fried positions, (which had been under
construction since March 16," were oc-
cupied to-day, says the official German
bulletin, "and the enemy follows hesi-
tatingly.
100000 French in Battle
Some idea of the masses Of men en-
gagged in the presen. struggle may be
CLEANED from the Berlin day statement,
which declares that the French have
used up on the battlefield extending
into the Champagne from scissors
more than thirty divisions, carefully
reformed after the Battle of the
Somme." This would mean more than
10000 troops.
One Of the correspondents at British
headquarters in France cables:
"The cardinal fact Of the battle in
France is that the intense concentra-
tion of German troops exceeds anything
known during the war. That concen-
tration is being intensified, now that
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg's effort
10 avoid a battle is known to have
failed.
"The German morale perhaps has
fallen since the reduction in rations.
There is great anger among the IN
fantry against the artillery, but the
enemy is fighting stifsy and working
feverishIy at his defences."
The French have by no means reached
the point of exhaustion at which re-
organization becomes necessary. This
was indicated by their consistent prog
ress to-day. The angle marked by the
villages of LaffauS, Chives and Jouy,
all of which the French had conquered,
was definitely closed with the capture
of Sancy, which lies midway along its
base. Following the capture OF Fort
de Conde. the Germans evidently exc
cuted a hasty retirement from this
dangerous salient last night. Anizy-le-
Chateau is the immediate objective OF
the French pressure in this direction.
At 6 o'clock tonight, west OF Craonne
and Allies, the Germans launched a
heavy counter-attack with what Paris
describes as "large electives. Inc
artillery preparation was as violent as
any German bombardment OF the past
but the French guns have achieved a
distinct superiority, and the attacking
masses were moved down without
being able to reach the first french
redoubts.
Nivelle's gains in this region menace
Craonne, and the duel of the big guns
here is growing in intensity as the
French drag their heavy pieces up the
heights.
German Trenches Carried
Toward Courcy, north of Rheims,
French detachments carried several
lines Of German trench in close hghtlng
with hand grenades. East OF the neign.
boring town Of Loivre a brilliant
French dash established new front
line and accounted for 250 prisoners.
The French pressure in the Cham
pagne sector has excited the Germans
TO violent reaction. Last night linden
burg again attacked against the nose OF
the wedge the French are driving
through the Moronvilliers hills and
woods. These assaults all melted under
the French barrage.
In no single instance since Nivelies
offensive started has German counter
attack, even though pressed home with
a full army corps, been able to gain or
maintain a foot of the ground recon
ouered by the French. The initiative
remains absolutely with NivelIe, and the
morale of Hindenburg's forces is un-
doubtedly shaken by their costly sac
rifices without compensation.
French Drive in Argonne
In the last few days there have been
several official reports of renewed
fighting in the Argonne, and to-day
French detachments drove through the
German lines up to the second line OF
the trench system. They found a
great number of German dead" says
Paris. Presumably this is merely ef-
fective pressure to prevent the rein
forcing Of the deeply bitten German
line further west.
A recrudescence OF activity in the
north is foreshadowed in the increas-
ing pitch of both the British and Bel.
gian artillery. During the day the
British made a little progress toward
the St. Quentin-Cambrai road. in the
neighborhood Of Villers-Guislain. Fol
two days the Berlin bulletins have
commented on the growing gunArs east
Of Arras.
Description Of Canadians' charge
at Timy; British victories in Meso-