The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-05-31

The Novon area was included within
the field of the German offensive OF
March, when the French established new
lines along the Oise and the Oise canal to
the east and southwest of that town, aft
er being driven back below st. Quentin.
The German drive down the Disc valley
toward Paris was then checked. The
present offensive movement here suggests
the possibility of its resumption.
The advance in the center has now
brought the Germans within two miles
of the Marine at one point, Paris de-
spatches report. The wedge here appears
increasingly narrower, however, and on
its fianks between Scissors and Amiens,
the enemy is being firmly held.
The French war Office announces the
breaking down of enemy attacks in the
scissors area and to the south, while the
enemy line extending northeastward
towards Rheims in the neighborhood of
Vezilly appears virtually unchanged, the
Germans failing in their efforts to win
ground.
The energetic defense on the right
wing is exemplifed by the fighting at
Thillois, three miles east of Rheims,
where the Germans entered the town,
only to be driven out by French coun-
ter attack By such resistance, the safe
ty of Rheims is momentarily safeguard
ed, but observers of the operations view
its ultimate fall as apparently inevitable.
The probability of German penetration
right up to the banks of the Marne in |
Al L. 4 t. s,.Lt
Gated in the news dispatches, which men |
ton the near approach OF the Germans |
to Chateau Thierry and Dormans, both of |
which towns are on the Marine river.
The civilian population has left Chateau
Thierry and some of the refugees from it |
have already passed through Paris for
the interior.
On the British front the Germans are
active with their artillery east of Amiens
and in the Albert region to the north, as
well as on portions of the Flanders front,
but no infantry movements of note are
reported.
Paris, May 3l.--The allied left flank
on the Aisne front has been forced back
by violent German attacks in the region
of the Ailette river it is announced off /:
cially. Near scissors, and further south, Z
German attacks broke down, the French {
their positions. la
In the center the Germans made a 7
slight advance north of the Marne. Fur
ther east and also northwest and north $
Of Rheims, all the German efforts were i
vain. The French by counter attack v
won back the town of Thiellos, west of t
Rheims. n
Withdrawing before the German on r
slaught in the region of the Ailette, the
French fell back on positions north of I
Blerancourt (nine miles southeast of
Sayonl and Epagny (seven miles north 3
vest of Soissonsl The French are hold
ng their positions along the road be-
ween Scissors and Chateau Thierry, as
veil as in the western outskirts of Sois- i
ons. I
The statement follows: Ia
"The Germans extended their ef- q
forts on their right by violent at I
tacks in the region OF the Ailette. 81
The French fell back fighting, on po- ol
sitions to the north of the line Bile dl
rancourt -Epagny. In
in the region of Scissors and
further south the German attempt u
broke down before the heroic resist
ance of the French, who maintained
skirts of the town and along the
road to Chateau Thierry. Ii
'1n the center, the Germans sue
ceeded In making a slight advance in
the regions north Of the Msrne. Fur
ther east as well as northwest and
north Of Rheims, all German efforts
TO make progress was vain. An en-
ergetic counter attack delivered by Br
French troops won hack Villois.' Of
los
London, May Activity by the Ger
an artillery in the Nillers -Bretonneux 81
'ctor, east Of Aniens. and in the Albert of
gicn TO the north, Is reported to-day by
e war Office. There has also been live
e1nfre from the enemy lines on the We
anders front. between Festubert and tn
r. Clarence river. The text Of the state IN,
.ut reads: fg
"A party Of our troops rushed a Of
German post southeast Of Arras dur tot
ing the night and captured a few 50.
prisoners. A few prisoners and a giu
machine glIn were captured BY Us alt
also IN patrol encounters northeast thr
Of NPres. The enemy raided one of the