The Mena weekly star., 1918-07-25

London, July 23.-The French at tack near Montdidier today was a very well executed and successful minor operation, according to dis patches received this afternoon from the battle front and was presum- ably designed as a diversion aiming at keeping the enemy's mind occu- pied and preventing him from send ing large endorsements to the south.
 At the same time it also effected an imporant local position in the line at sector where every advance means better protection for Amiens and Paris. The French attacked on a four mile front after an hours lombard ment of the German lines and cap turcd all three villages of Sauvillcrs, Aubvillers and Mailly- -Raineval with in fifteen minutes.
 Too Busy to Count Prisoners. About a thousand more prisoners have been counted by the entente al- lies in the past 24 hours. Of this number about half have been credit el to the Americans and British, but the Allies just now are far too busy to devote much time to the counting of prisoners. Fighting of the fiercest character continues and the present to and fro struggling all around the
 Soissons-Rheims loop is very close, strenuous work and probably not so nany prisoners are being taken as would be the case in a direct advance sr retreat action.
 There has been little change in the past "A hours in the appearance of tbe Soissons-Rhonss pocket as it ap- pears on the map What changes have been made there are all to the ad- | vantage of the allies. The French 1 and Americans have gained further ground in the bottom of the pocket. The French are also pressing had on the long line south of Soissons and the map shows advances of thous- and yards or so at several points.
 Germans Haven't Given Up.
 The expectations of those who 1 thought that the Germans were pre- pairing to give up immediately the en- { tire Soissons- -Chateau- Thierry Rheims salient and retire to the Vesle river or the Aisne have not yet been ful- filled.
 According to today's dispatches the German is fighting hardest to hang on to every foot of ground he has and is constantly counter-attacking with surprising momentum, both on the Marne and along the west side of the salient.
 It is true, of course, that this is ex- actly what the German would be like | ly to do if he were actually in the process of retreat, but the aiiis5 90 far have had no definite indication i that the German has made up his 1 mind that general retirement will i b. necessary
 The Germans are burning villages and some small dumps, but presum- ably further prodding will be need cd to push him back to the river vesle. Praise for Americans.
 Meanwhile the entente allies, not only the infantry, but also the astil- lery bomb-dropping aviators, are working without rest at the business of either making stand or with drawal difficult for the Germans
 The news received in London con 1 tinues to praise the work of the l Americans and the accounts Of the capture of Jeulgonne and Buzancy iE- dicafe that thsy were clean cut pieces of offensise sactics ueh IS th ,ifi- i cers of the British zen ral staff hage come to expect from the American fighters One British officer told the Associated Press:
 don't see how tine work of the Americans during the past weeks hshting could possibly have been done better Hindsight frequently finds many faults with military operations. out the work of the Americans stands such scrutiny we'll"