The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-19
new OFFENSIVE
ROLLS EASTWARD
CRUSHING ENEMY
General FOch Strikes South OF
Rheims Also.
Assumes the Initiative Every
where Along Whole Front.
TAKE TOTAL OF 100 CANNON
Have Penetrated Six Miles at
One Point.
More Than 10000 Prisoners
Have Been Captured.

More Than 10000 Prisoners
Have Been Captured.
Washington, July 19.-
Thirty thousand Germans
have been captured in the
Franco-American drive, ac-
cording to official announce
ment here today.
Washington, July 19.-WhiIe no an
nouncement of the capture of the city
of scissors had reached the war de-
partment, Secretary Baker said today
that the fall of that city seems to be
indicated by dispatches.
Paris, July 19.-More than
one hundred guns have been cap
tured in the allied attack on the
.Aisne-Marne front, according to
the Herald today.
Germans on 1cnsive Everywhere.
Paris, July 19 q p. m. ).-The allies
haze taken the initiative and. the Ger
mans are on the defensive everywhere,
an official statement issued Spy the al
lied high command declared this after
noon.
I'VE are taking the initiative and
the enemy is the defensive every
where" the statement said. Franco
American forces are exerting great
pressure on the enemy salient between
Montdidier and Rheims West of the
latter the most interesting movement
is happening.
South of the ourcq American
troops, occupying Courchamps and
Priez, see mable to envelope Neuilly-
st. Front.
THE number of prisoners and guns
surpasses our fondest hopes
Premier Clemenceau watched the
battle near scissors"
(By the Associated Pressl
American and French troops are
still advancing along the line from the
Aisne to the Marne, where on Thurs
day morning they launched a counter
offensive of large proportions. Ger
man reserves hurried up to meet the
threat against the enemy's right flank
in the Soissons- Chateau Thierry-
Rheims salient, are engaged in the
struggle, which is raging with great
violence along the whole front
Strike South of Rheims.
The reaction of the allies is not re-
stricted to the line from the Aisne to
the Marne. South of the Marne, at the
point who the Germans had made
their greatest advance during the first
three days of their offensive. they
have retaken Montvoisin and elected
the enem' from the outskirts of
tN1-n n a
North of the Marine and between the
river and Rheims. the French and
italians have struck back at the Ger
man forces. forced their lines west
ward in the Roi and Courton woods,
retaken Moulin d. Ardre and improved
the line at Bouilly. The capture of
four cannon, machine guns and 400
prisoners n these operations is re-
ported.
Greatest Advance Six Miles.
There is no mention in the official
reports of fighting along the Marine
east of Chateau Thierry or east of
Rheims. in the Champagne sectors.
The allied plunge against the Ger
man line south of the Aisne, so far as
definitely known. has advanced to an
extreme depth of nearly six miles, the
deepest penetration being at BuZancy.
on the western bank of the Crise riv-
er, southeast of Scissors. The rail-
road leading south from scissors to
Chateau Thierry is thus under the di-
rect fire of the allied artillery while
the railroad leading from CourInelles
to Longpont has been cut. Further
south the allies have reached Chouy.
which is within seven miles of Nam
teuil Notre Dame on the only other
line of railroad en- which the Germans
can rely for supplies for their forces
along the Marne from Chateau
Thierry to Dormans.
Compared With German Drive.
The Germans, with 1926, 900 troops
engaged. broke thru the allied line
north of the Aisne on May 27 and
on the first day advanced a little more
than three miles to the Aisne. They
captured $4,000 prisoners. according
to their own figures. Berlin did not
report the capture of cannon in its
statement on the first days fighting.
There is a note of conservatism in
the language of the French official
statement and in the comment of the
Partisan press on the newest phase Of
the struggle. 1t is evident that the
results of General Mangin's mighty ef-
fort are awaited before anything more
than mere counter stroke against
the enemy is chronicled.
Next Couple of Days Will Tell.
The next couple of days will deter
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