Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-31
Teutons, Driving Into a
Pocket, Face Peril of
Being Bottled Up.

Paris, May 31.-The allied
left flank on the Aisne front
has been forced back by YiO-
lent German attacks in the re-
giOn of the Ailette river. it Is
announced officially. Near SOis-
sons and further sOuth Ger
man attacks broke down. The
French are maintaining their
positions.
In the center the Germans r
made a slight advance north Of
the Marine. Further east and
also northwest and north of
Reims all the German efforts
were vain. The French by n
cOunter-attack won back the
town of ThillOis, west of
ReimS.
Withdrawing before the Ger
man onslaught in the region
OF the Ailette the French fell
BlerancOurt % miles southeast
of NOyOn). and Epagny q
miles northwest of SOiSsOns).
The French are holding their
positions along the road be-
tween SOissOns and Chateau
Thierry as well as In the west
ern outskirts of scissors.
London, May 31-Activity by the
German artillery in the Villers-
BretonneuX sector east of Amiens
and in the Albert region to the
north, is reported today by the
War Office. There has also been
lively gun fire from the enemy la
es on the Flanders front between
Festubert and the Clarence river.
40 Divisions Engaged.
Forty German divisions are en-
gagged in the Aisne battle and forty
more divisions are in reserve, says
dispatch from Reuters corre-
spondent at French headquarters.
1t is possible, the dispatch adds,
that the enemy may strike another
blow for Amiens or Dunkirk but
for the moment he appears TO be
throwing his entire strength into
the conflict on the Aisne.
Fierce street fighting, 1t is ad-
ded, attended the capture of Sois-
sons by the Germans. The city is
reported to have been in flames
Wednesday evening.
(By Associated Press)
Keeping the tide OF their sd-
vance in the center flowing strong
ly, although seemingly less swiftly,
toward the Marine. the Germans
simultaneously have executed a
stroke on the allied left flank that
has extended the battleline west
ward and virtually linked up the
present battlefield with that Of the
Somme.
Line Driven Back.
The attack was delivered along
the Ailette river, northwest Of
scissors. Sweeping forward in
the salient, that projected between
the Somme and the Aisne battle
fields, the Germans drove the al
lied line back so that it now runs
northwestward from the vicinity
OF Scissors through Epagny and
Blerancourt to the Disc river. ap-
parently at its point of junction
with the Disc canal about eight
miles east of Noyon.
Heavy fighting continues all
along the arch-shaped salient from
Scissors to Reims. Struggle as
they will against the French de-
fensc on the west around Scissors,
the Germans are unable TO gain.
In the region of Reims, the same
story is true as the British and
French divisions there stand firm.
By penetrating to the Marne OF
southwark from Fere -Tarden-
ois, seven miles north of the river.
which they now hold, the Germans
apparently hope to spread out east
ward and westward and thus out
flank the strong allied positions at
scissors and at Reims.
Paris and London view the situ-
alton more favorably and in neith-
er capital is there fear that the
German offensive will become as
serious a menace to the allied de-
fense as the original onslaught n
March.
German Drive in Peril.
Although the German salient Is
about IS miles deep In the CEN
ter, Paris is not much nearer nor
has the enemy advance yet affect
ed the allied lines eastward from
Montdidier. In fact. the Germans
would be in a dangerous position
should General Foch strike east
ward along the Aisne from Sois-
sons. This may be the purpose OF
the allied strategy in holding
strongly on the fianks as the Ger
mans get deeper and deeper into
the pocket toward the Marne.
The aerial activity over the ter
ritory of the German advance is
most intense and French airmeu
have dropped many tons OF bombs
on enemy targets in addition to
bringing down 10 German ma
chimes.
Berlin claims the capture OF
much war material. including 4
number OF the larger French guns.
Tho nnmher of nrIsnners h NOW