Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-13
French Resistance
Balks Foes Plans


tween the Disc and Aisne and gaining
possession of Compiegne
The situation on Monday night was
certainly an anxious one and justified
the enemys claims. On Tuesday, how
ever, our French allies. aided by a
British counter-attack. materially alter
ed the situation. Advancing against the
right flank of the enemy's attack. they
recovered a great part of the ground
which had been lost in this portion of
the battlefield. recaptured the villages
of Merry and Belloy and, still more in
portant, the ridge on which these viii
lagos stand and drove the Germans out
Of the Aronde Valley.
\ successful Counter-attaCk on this
scale (apparently it was made on A
front OF about ten miles) must mean
that the losses inflicted were severe
and that the enemy's arrangements for
extending his first success are materially
affected
The Germans still remain in posses
sion of the valuable Thiescourt Plateau.
They have apparently established them
selves there since our allies thought il
wise to fall back from the salient in
which they were left on the other bank
OF the Disc and evacuate the Carlepont
woods.
So long, however. as the French main
tain their hold on BellCy ridge and on
the high ground on the southern bank
of the Matz near its junction with the
Oise. as from the latest reports they
appear to be doing, they should still be
able to hold the foress of Laigne and
the plateau between the Disc and the
Aisne and to cover Compiegne.
II has been necessary to re-enforce
Won Hutier heavily to enable him to get
as far as he has. and some Al least OF
these re-enforcements must have come
from the north.
EBemy's Reserves Diminishing
With his steadily diminishing re.
serves, both in the form of fresh divi'
sions to feed the battleline and of mer
to replace the losses. Hindenburg must
be anXiously calculating whether he is
strong enough to carry out two grea,
offensives one on the main British from,
and the other directed against Paris
Prince Rupprecht in the north has not
! moved and IL is too early yet to say he
will not do so. but 1t seems reasonably
certain that the Germans have reached
a position in which they find themselve:
| unable to continue the pressure on Pari.
/ to the same extent as heretofore ant
/ at the same time carry out an attack OF
/ the British front on scale which the,
appeared 10 contemplate d SHorl tihi'
age.
| | do not imagine the drain on Prince
| Rupprechts reserves has yet been 5eri
| Gus and that he is not still capable oi
| putting in a very heavy attack, but the
/ pool of drafts to replace losses must be
I dwindling, and with II the power to
| keep up attacks on a grand scale.
| One of the two German offensivet
must not be weakened for the beneft
OF the other II is not yet possible tc
say what solution Hindenburg will fnt
to this problem, but faced as he is will
the urgent necessity of obtaining reall,
decisive results curing the present cam
paigning season. he can hardly be con
tent with the return OF Won Hutier hal
given him for the force employed ant
the losses incurred
The enemy has now started an attacl
on the salient in which lies Compiegne
This attack must have been intendet
10 be in combination with the Won Hu
tier effort. and appears not to be a
well timed as is usual with German
attacks, Its object is probably TO opel
an the line of the Aisne, and II was Yer!
probably arranged by the enemy as
consequence of their success on Mon
day.
II is too early yet 10 speculate on tn
result OF this last effort. but the checl
TO Won Hutier has much diminished IL
danger The days of anxiety for tn
Allies are far from over. hut the imIne
diafe situation has improved In the las
twenty-four hours. thsnks to the etou
resistance Of cur French allies ard Z
y tha fe@oFacteristic Dash y ~ 49,
F@1<11tEE. ! u ~ +. ~ IS 7: