Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-05-07
Teutons May Soon Be
Forced to Retire to the
Belgian Frontier as Result
of the Tremendous Allied
Assaults.
BY HENRY WOOD.
United Press Staff Correspo ndsnt.

United Press Staff Correspondent.
With the French Armies in the Field
May 7.-Germany's retirement from
France must come unless Hindebure
can stop the French drive.
| Today's fighting brought proof OF
| complete realization Of the necessity
Of such a retreat by the German COM
| manders In the super human efforts
which the enemy IL making to save the
Reims salient
Germany's picked troops are being
hurled into the breach made by the
French. The flower of the German
army, which Hindenburg had saved
for what he had hoped would be q
| final offensive, IL now being sacri-
feed.
SITUATION IN CHAMPAGNE.
Entirely aside from the Franco
British offensive between the Aisne
and Lens the Germans are now fac
ing an equal menace in the Champagne.
They know that the French offensive
between the Aisne and Moronvillers
threatens to force their evacuation of
the Reims salient. There Monts Bri-
mont and Berru and Forts Nogent La
Besse and Vitry les Reims constitute
the keystone supporting the super
structure of the entire German front.
Desperate necessity of preventing
the cutting off of the salient which
would precipitate withdrawal from
France, Is causing the Germans to sac
rifice the last Of their reserves in an
effort to hold back the French.
The 5000 prisoners taken up today
does not indicate a shattered German
morale. On the contrary, the Germans
are resisting with degree of des-
peration hitherto unknown. But the
number of prisoners does reflect the
immense bodies Of troops which the
Germans are throwing into the con-
flict.
SLAUGHTERED LIKE SHEEP.
They are being put to the slaughter
like sheep. Today, standing on
height from which I could see the
French steadily wiping out the Hin
denburg salient. It was possible with
glasses to make out long lines Of motor
lorries behind the German trenches
each packed tight with German troops
and speeding to the charnel house Of
the German front lines.
Arriving there, these fresh reserves
were unendingly launched against the
French. And they melted away I'M
endingly In the French machine gun
fire, the deadly accurate barrage of
the famous Soixante Quinzes. the cold
steel of the French bayonets, or the
explosions of French grenades.
REGIMENTS ANNiHILATED.
Not only has the number of the enc
my troops In the past few days fight
ing been greater than that employed
In any previous engagements since the
early days of the war, but the quality
of the troops Is higher. Prisoners
showed there were no decrepit re-
serves. All those captured were of
choice regiments. Saturday around
Craonne, for instance, complete d.
vision of the picked Prussian guard
was called into action by the German
1t was practically ami
hilated in a vain attempt to retake
Craonne.
The perfect unity underlying the |
Franco British offensives, and the IT,
tanic strategy of the whole forward |
push eliminated in its greatest ex-
preston Of effectiveness Saturday. On |
that day-36 hours after the English |
had wiped out the northern pivotal |
salient of the Hindenburg line in the
regions OF Bullecourt and Croissilles-l
the French wiped out six kilometers
-four miles) Of the southern pivotal
salient in the region OF Moulin I.af
faux.
RETREAT MENAoED. |
The double success Of the allied
denburg retreat line from its two most
vital points. The Victories constitute
the first great objective toward which
very local French and English action
since the beginning of the great Of
lensive has contributed.
The French advance on the Hinden-
burg salient is only small portion of
-helr success in the second great drive
since April 16. This fighting has COW
cred front of nearly 22 miles-in-
Guiding the entire length of Chemin des
DANES the Ladies' highway with ex.
ensions to the east and northwest
WHOLE PLATEAU ATTAINED,
Now the entire Craonne plateau has
'een attained; almost the entire sum-
NIT or the ridge dominating the pla-
eau and descending toward Laon has
'een captured: nearly 10 miles of
Chemin des Danes is held-all of the
Dad but small portion in the vicinity
u Fort Malmaison. The new French
positions formerly constituted the
;reatest obstacle. when they were In
ierman hands. to General Nivelle's ad-
'ance to Laon. They dominate the val
ey OF the Ailette, down which the
'rench Kept up Saturdays and Sum
lays operations.
But in addition to this great success |
mother epochal victory has been reg
stored by the French on the Reims ,
ront. There, on Friday, General Nj
ellie initiated an offensive northwest {
nd east Of Reims, which carried the
rench over several heights. The vic ,
Dry may soon liberate Reims "a the !
ierman hate target !
FRENCH HAVE TAKEN .
$4,000 PRISONERS IN s
- |