The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-07-17
Good News From Great Battlefront.

Paris, JULY 1I.-AS the second uaE
of the new German drive drew to a
close it become more and more mani
fest that the mAgn tic"n Franco
American defense has made Il r@pst =
ton Of even the map victories OF
the four previous offensives this year
extremely improbable.
EVERYWHERE along the sixty-m1le
front the Germans are held and har't
pressed by vigorous counter lacks.
The dash and tenacity of the AI9eri-
can troops. which won admiration Oil
the first day, are even intenS fed.
Limited German forces are still on
the south bank OF the Marine. hut they
are in an exceedingly precar oNS posi-
ton. Americans and French have won
fresh victories there.
1t is believed in Paris that the of
fensive has been definitely checked.
The only progress the Germans have
been able to make since Monday was
to the east of Rheims. Then the
French are entrenched at Pruna, be-
hind the river Nesle. two miles back
of the original line.
This is the deepest penetration the
enemy has effected in the region east
of Rheims.
Elite German armies are engaged
along the sixty miles Of fighting fr"nt
the correspondent adds. They include
three divisions of the imperial corps
guards with picked regiments from
Bavaria, Wurttemburg, SaXony and
Silesian Prussia.
The battle has been baptized
"frindene sturm" or "storm Of peace
A%-- correspondent reports.
The greatest enemy penetration
north of the Marine, west of Rheims,
remains between DormanS and
Rheims, but there the defenders stand
on the excellent defense lin that runs
through Chatillin-sur Marine. Neither
here nor to the east of the cathedral
city have the Teutons been able to
reach the French battle pos items"
At this moment additional rcaSsur-
ing news comes from the front south
of the Marine. The French have tax
en- bag of 1000 prisoners and are
holding the foe on the line st. Agnon-
LachapelIe- MontbOdon-Lisieres.
In no previous offensive this year
have the Germans gained so little
ground on their first day or los. $"
many prisoners. The result is mark
cd depression of their morale; Somg
Dispatches go so far as 10 say iha'
the cnemy's spirit serts brnken hv
punishment.
The Germans apparen ~ have from
sixty TO seventy divisions in l'o-ft %.
for the offensive. of winch Some far y
have already been engaged. 9Th :
would mean potential force of ap-
proximately 100000 with 100000 en-
gaged)
The first day of the German often
sive clearly was favorable to the al
lies, says semi official statement.
The French defensive system was in
no way affected.
"While in previous attacks" the
statement says, "the enemy, thanks
to surprise, carried important posi-
lions like the Chemin des Danes and
advanced several miles, this time the
battle has entailed only fluctuations
Of few hundred yards.
1.-THE failure of the enemy appears
all the more striking if the inflnitesi
NAL results he obtained be compared
with the important advantage which
he thought he was going to attain
| Orders found on prisoners show that
the troops Of the crown prince were
| TO have camped at Epernay on the
night of July Is, at Chalons on the
| 10th and at Sezanne (twenty-six miles
south of the Marne) on the 18th.
"The enemy's losses were consider
able. One shock division which. &C
cording to plan. was TO have been re
| lieved the evening Of the 10th, had to
be sent to the rear to be patched VI
on the morning of the 18th. East OF
Rheims hundreds Of German dead
hang on the French Wire Beside then
are many smashed tanks which the
enemy used to support The infantry