The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-08-01
(Ry Associated P-esy)

/ begun turning movement that, il
successful, will compel a German re-
tirement over a wide sector east of
Fere-en-Tardenois at the center of the
Soissons-Rheims salient
They have attacked over a front of
| over three miles on each side OF the
village OF Nesles, the apex of the al
lied wedge north of the Ourcq. Their
greatest advance was toward the east
where the Americans pushed on some
distance from the town of Sergy and
! approached Chamery.
Although the announced purpose of
the attack was the Strengthening out
of the line between Seringes and Cier-
ges, this is really secondary to the
outfianking of the Germans to the
southwark. The enemy is holding
very strong positions at Roncheres
and st. Genme, where this line Is
still less than miles from the Marne,
and continued advance between
Nesles and Ciergles would force him
to fall back to escape being cut off
from the rear.
Artillery Fire Heavy.
This seems to be the only sector
where the allies are attacking with
their infantry. Reports from the
front tell OF heavy artillery fire along
most of the line between Soissoas
and Rheims
The Germans attacked the allied
lines on the heights of Bligny south
west Of Rheims Tuesday night, but
were repulsed.
The methods adopted by the Ger
mans since their retirement from the
Marne began, are being followed by
the enemy along the line of the hard
est fighting. Machine gunners for the
most part, man these lines. This may
indicate further retirement of the
Germans, for machine gunners have
borne the brunt OF the rear guard
fighting during the last two weeks.
Along the British front the German
artillery has been active. The enc
my's heavy guns have carried out es-
pecially heavy bombardment at Villers
Brettoneux, east of Amiens near Buc-
quoy, on the northern bank of the
Picardy salient, and in the neighbor-
hood Of Meteren and Merris. on the
western side of the Lys sector.
A new phase in the bitter fighting
in the Aisne-Marne salient Is immi-
nent On both sides the infantry rests
while the respective commands pre-
grea: struggle In which there has been
no letup since July Is.
Allied gunners are hurting shell OF
all calibres into the German positions
and in the communication area north
ward to the Vesle to blast a path for
the infantry when they move again.
The enemy is retaliating with high OK
plosive and gas shell.
Many Possibilities
What the lull portends is not clear.
The possibilities are many. But the
fact stands out that the Germans are
not anxious to meet the hard hitting
allies oftener than is necessary for
they have not taken the opportunity
to counter attack and attempt to re-
take important positions on the cen
ter. held By the Americans and On the
west flank in the hands of the French
and British.
This may bear out the opinion IN
some allied quarters that the Germans
fully intend to retire to the Eesle, or
beyond, as soon as their plans have
been perfected and that the enemy
efforts of the past three or four DAYS
have been wholly for the purpose Of
covering important movements
AS long as they remain south OF a
line running generally between Rheims
and scissors, the Germans are subject
to violent bombardments from the al
lied guns which can demoraliZe their
communication system more or less
However, the bulge in the salient has
been lessened ana the Germans are on
higher ground than formerly But at
two vital points-Seringes and north
of Grand Rczoy-there are deep in-
dentations in the German lines These
points offer good jumping OF" places
for the Americans and the French
when they again are ready to move
forward
A brief calm in the infantry flght-
ing last week was broken by General
Foch, launching an attack across the
Marne east of Dormans and this had
good effect on the situation to the
west, where the Germans subsequent
" were forced out of the region OF
-Tardenois. There are no indi-
cations, either official or unofficial
however. that any such plan 10 now
under way.
On the whole, the most significant
straw seems to be the failure of the
Germans to attack the allies whea
they relaxed momentarily.
Eerlin Admits Loss.
Berlin, while reporting the repulse