The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-05-07
By BENRY WOOD

tsta5 CorrespoRderf United Press D
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES
IN THE FIELD, May Germany
re,iremen, from France must come
unless Hindenburs can soon' iop
the French drive
Today's hgbtlne brought proof OF
complete realization OF the impena
ing necessity OF such a retreat o'
the German commanders IN the So
nerbuman efforts which lhe enemy
4 making 20 save the RheIlm 5
salient Germany picked troops
are being hurled into the or'SeD
made nv the French The hoN err
~ the German army which linden.
burg had saved Tor wha' ne hoaee
would be a fnal decisive offensive
Is now being sacrificed
Entirely aside from me Franco
British offensive between me Aisne
and Lens. the Germans are now rae
ing an equal menace in the IMAM
pagne They know that The French
offensive between the Aisne ana
Moronvflierf threatens 10 force
their evacuation Of the Rheims salt
ent. There Mounts Brimont ana
Berru and Torts Nogent IA Besse
and vitry Les Reims constitute the
keystone supporting the superstrnc-
lure OF the entire German front
Desperate necessity Of preventing
the cutting OF Of the salient which
would precipitate withdrawal from
France Is causing the Germans to
sacrifice the last OF their reserves
in an effort 10 hold back the French
The 5000 prisoners taken up 70
today does not indicate shat.
tered morale. On the contrary the
Germans are resisting with a degree
of desperation hitherto unknown
But the number Of prisoners does
not reflect the immense bodies OF
troops which the Germans are
throwing into the conflict
They are being put 20 the slaugh-
ter like sheep To-day standing on
a height from which | could see the
French steadily wiplng out the Hin
denburg salient. Il was possible
with glasses to make out long lines
OF motor lorries behind the German
trenches. each packed light with
German troops and speeding 70 The
charnal house Of the German front
lines.
Arriving there. these fresh TO
serves were unendingly launched
against the French And they melt
ed away unendingiy IN the French
machine gun FIRE. the deadly accu-
rate barrase OF the famous Soiante
Quinzes. the cold steel OF the French
bayonets, or the explosions Of
French grenades.
Not only has the number % the
enemy troops in the past few days
fighting been greater than that EN-.
ployed IN any previous engagements
since the early days OF the war, but
the quality OF the troops is higher
Prisoners showed there were no de-
crepit reserves. All those captured
were OF choice regiments. Saturday,
around Craonne, for instance, a com
plete division OF the picked Prus-
sian guard was called into action
by the German commanders. II was
practically annihilated in a vain at.
tempt 10 retake Craonne.
The perfect unity underlying the
Franco British offensives and the Il
tanic strategy Of the whole forward
push eliminated in It's greatest ex.
preston OF effectiveness Saturday
On that day-S6 hours after the
English had wiped out the northern
pivotal salient OF the Hindenburg
line in the regions OF Bullecourt and
Croissilles-the French wiped out
six kilometers -four miles, OF the
southern pivotal salient in the re-
gion Of Moulin Laffaux
The double success OF the Allied
armies today menaces the entire
Hindenburg retreat line from its TWO
most vital points. The victories
constitute the Hrst great objective
toward which every local French
and English action since the begin
ming OF the great offensive has STRAIT
egicslly contributed
The French advance on the Hin
denburg salient is only small por
ton OF their success in the second
great drive since April rs. This
fighting has covered front o.
nearly % miles including me en-
tire length OF Chemis des Danes
the Ladies Highway with exten-
sions to the east and northwest
Now the entire Craonne plateau
has been attained almost the on
tire summit Of the ridge dominating
the plateau and descending towards
Lson has been captured. nearly i3
miles OF Chemin Des DANES is held