Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-19

Hastily organized counter-at-
tacks against the Americans de-
veloped here and there, but all
were broken up and our troops
continued to advance.
In one town alone on the
southern part of the front under
attack, the Franco-Americans
forces captured eighteen guns.
General Foch, the allied comman-
der-in-chief, has taken the aggres-
slVe on an important scale, attack
ing this morning on a twenty-five
mile front between the Aisne and
the Marne-the westerly side of the
Germans Marine salient.
The attack appears to be a signifi-
! cant counterattack to the German
drive along the Marne- Rheims
! Champagne front. From various
sources come reports that the battle
is progressing favorably to the al
lied forces, which presumably in
clude American troops.
Gain Miles
The front of the attack runs from
Fontenoy, six miles west of scissors,
to the town of Belleau, on the Gig
non river. Few details of the battle
are yet available, the main fact Off
cially stated being that at various
points along this front progress of
from mile and a half to two miles
has been made and that prisoners
have been taken.
The situation on this front pre-
sents interesting possibilities. The
battle line, when the German Often
sive paused at the Marne early in
June, closely resembled the letter V,
with the acute angle blunted Since
their attack on Monday morning the
Germans have made progress which
has changed the form of the line to
that of the letter U, the right leg
OF which is shorter than the left.
Serious Threat at Huns
From Fontenoy, at the tip of the
left leg, TO Rheims, on the end of the
right, is about thirty-seven miles.
The distance from the Aisne to the
present battle front south to the
Marine is about twenty-five miles.
1t is along the left leg of the u
that the allied onslaught began this
morning. Behind the allied lines is
the forest of Villers-Cotterets with
network of strategic wagon roads
and three railway lines. In front of
them there is an important railroad
line running southwark from Sois-
sons to Chateau Thierry, presumably
used as a supply artery for q large
proportion OF the enemy troops
along the Marne river. This railway
was about four miles from the allied
front when the attack was started
to-day.
If the attack of the allies is what
1t appears to be, it is serious threat
to the whole German position south
OF the Aisne. Rapid progress by the
allies to the eastward would compel
the abandonment of the German Of
fensive. which is now apparently di-
rected toward Epernay, to the south
OF Rheims mountain. 1t might, il
successful, even bring about a Ger
man retirement from the whole Sois-
sons-Marne-R Rheims salient, with po-
tential disastrous results to the en-
emy in the loss of men, guns and
material.
Il American Factor Unknown
During the past three weeks the
| French have carried out Il mum Der
of local operations southwest of Sois-
sons, along the line where the pres
ent allied effort is being made. BY
these operations, the French line
from the region of Ambleny, south
of Fontenoy, to Longpont, nearly
eight miles further south, was adj
vanced and Strengthened. Before to-
days attack began the French held
positions along a series of ridges on
a five-mile line from Ambleny to st.
Pierre Aigle. and were in strong en-
trenchments further south.
The part American troops are talk
ing in the allied counter blow is as
yet unknown. The line mentioned
in the official statement from Paris,
however, includes a section of the
positions held by the Americans in
the neighborhood of Chateau Thi-
erry. General Pershing's men are
known to be at Belleau and they
have been mentioned as being as
far north as Torcy, on the south side
of the Clignon river, above Belleau
wood.
Battle Line los Miles
Measuring from the Aisne river
around the Chateau Thierry salient
and thence to Massiges in the Cham
payne, the eastern limits of the pres
ent struggle, the length of the bat
tie line is about 100 miles, which Is
the widest front that has been ir
active battle on the western front
since the early days of the war.
Official reports appeared to show
/ the German stroke against the
Marne- Rheims Champagne line has