Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-06
Perform Great Exploits

N.
Perform Great Exploits.
The obstacles confronting the French
armies were in many cases natural, and,
It would seem insurmountable. and the
it would seem. insurmountable, and the
French accomplished magnificent ex-
ploits in scaling them in the face of
the enemy, who had accumulated divi-
sions and batteries. News from the
front tells of the extreme violence of
the counter attacks that the Germans
are making, In most determined eff
fort to gain an advantage which might
become decisive. but nowhere have they
made headway, according to the latest
official statement from the French war
office.
There was no diminution in the heavy
German onslaughts in the neighbor-
hood of Rheims, where the German po-
sitionS between Beine and Sapigneul
form a pronounced salient, which in
cludes Fort Brimont and Forts Witry.
Berru and Nogeant. The operations
that the French have begun in this re-
gion have for their object the reduc-
tion of this salient, and unofficial re-
ports say that some progress has been
made by the French in the vicinity of
Brimont.
The text of the official statement reads:
Our operations continued to develop
today in conjunction with those of
the British armies in the region north
east of scissors and the Chemin- -des-
Danes. Notwithstanding the desperate
resistance of the Germans, who have
thrown without number into the strug-
gle important contingents, our troops
gained very brilliant success
Lines Are Advanced.
Southeast of Bauxaillon we attacked
in he
carried German positions on a front of
about six kilometers. one part on the
line extending from the Noisy farm to
Moulin de Laffaux. and the other east
of Moulin, where we advanced our lines
as far as the immediate vicinity of the
road from scissors to Laon. north of
Nanteuil-la FoSSe and Sancy
THE enemy suffered exceptionally
heavy losses in the course of his coun-
ter attacks. which he has multiplied in
this region and which have broken
down under our artillery and machine
gun fire.
German columns observed on the
march near Chermizy and Chamouille
batteries and dispersed.
I'm the region of the Chemin-des-
Danes our infantry occupied the en-
tire plateau from east of Cerny-en-
Laonnois to east of Craonne, notwith-
standing the resistance and counter
attacks Of the enemy, and have reached
the hills which dominate the Ailette
valley. south Of Allies and the vau-
clerc forest.
"The number of prisoners counted
during the course Of the day exceeds
4.300. which may be added to the 1000
taken yesterday.
Belgian communication-The activ-
ity of the artillery was relatively fee
BILE today. In the neighborhood of
Steehstraete bomb fighting was re-
sumed."
Fridays Big Battles.
tstan Correspondent of the Associated rressD
GREAT HEADQUARTERS OF THE
FRENCH ARMIES IN FRANCE. May
4.-While the French troops, with i'm
petuous dash. were snatching from
the Germans the veritable hornets
nest, Craonne. the correspondent of
the Associated Press watched another
battle. the outcome of which was not |
French. along a three-mile front |
farther to the southeast. The French |
attack, which was preceded by an eff |
ficacious destructive artillery bonn |
borhood of Sapigneul. south of Berry |
au-Bac, almost to Loivre. northwest of |
Rheims.
The Germans put their whole avail
able strength into the effort to hold |
three heights which were the objective
of the French attack. They employed
five divisions and the reply of their
guns to the French artillery was the
most terrific the correspondent had seen
for a long time. But the obstinate re-
did not avail to prevent the
French advance. which carried every
thing 1t set out to do. The result of
the action is a menace to Brimont,
which is still in German hands and
from which they lombard Rheims.
At the end of the day moro than 800
prisoners had come in from this short
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