The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-15
AMERICANS HOLD
APEX OF The Line
Pershing's Men Push Forward
Nearly I've Miles in Bril-
liant Operation.
OUR BOYS DEFEAT PRUSSIAES
Advance Through Barrase Fire and
Fight Hand to Hand With the
Hun Shock Troops.

With the American Army on the
Aisne-Marne Front, July 31.-Through
barrage as deadly as any the Ger
mans have laid down on any sector
for months, the American soldiers,
comprising men from the Middle West
and Eastern states, pushed their line
forward a little more today and to-
night it forms the apex of the long
Allied front
Their progress was considerable,
though less than two miles, but it is
regarded as a brilliant operation in
view of the determined countering by
the Germans.
On either side the French also
moved forward. while steady pressure
was maintained against the east and
west flanks.
Information early in the day indi-
Gated the withdrawal of the Fourth
Guards, but it developed that that re-
nowned organization and the Bavar-
ians were still on the front and the
strong opposition they offered testi-
fled to their reputation. But their
sacrifice was in vain.
Americans Attack at Daylight
The Americans withstood two
heavy attacks during the night and at
daylight began their operations, which
left them tonight well to the north
of Sergy on the long slopes approach
ing the heavy woods beyond Nesles,
a little town directly east of Serignes-
et-Nesles, whose retention the Ger
mans bitterly opposed.
The east end of the line swings
northeasterly opposite this position
and then drops off sharply in the di-
rection of Cierges and Roncheres.
The OurcQ river has been left far be-
hind, the line being pushed forward
across the zone to the northwest.
Huns Hold NesIes Forest.
The Germans are holding positions
in NesIes forest, from which their
guns are Smelling ineffectively.
1t was late in the day before Serin-
ges was wholly cleared. The Ger
mans chung to the northern part Of
the town tenaciously and used their
machine guns murderously.
Neither side used artillery in this
particular battle. There was hand-to-
hand fighting in the streets in which
the Americans proved the masters,
driving the enemy before them.
Driving in New Wedges
Washington, July 0-Notwithstand-
| ing the fact that the Germans have
/ powerfully strengthened their battle
line running across the Scissors
Rheims salient with additional fresh
reserves, and have stubbornIy dis
| puted further passage northWard to
| the Entente Allied troops, the enemy
front has been compelled to bend back
| appreciably on all sides of the salient,
| except at the anchor points resting
| Immediately on scissors and Rheims.
| South Of scissors further wedges
have been driven eastward into the
enemy front down to the OurcQ river.
Eastward along the Ourcq French and
American troops have crossed the
/ stream at various points and advanced
/ their line well to the northward, while
southwest of Rheims the Allies have
| debouched from the wooded sectors
and gained the plains, notwithstand-
ing the violence of the enemy's coun-
/ ter maneuvers. At some points the
| Germans succeeded somewhat in
| checking the forward movement, but
nowhere were they able to bring it to
a standstill.
Allies Gained 500 Square Miles.
The gains Of the Allies since the
counter offensive was started approx
mate six hundred square miles Of ter
| ritory.
The retirement of the Germans still
remains orderly, but everywhere the
Allied troops and especially the Amer
leans near observation-disclosures are
pressing them hard. Particularly bit
ter fighting has taken place around
Fere-En-Tardenois, and at Sergy, both
of which towns are now well in the
hands of the French and Americans.
At Sergy the Germans paid the Ameri-
cans the compliment of reinforcing
their battle line with two divisions of
we1-tried Bavarian troops, men whose
| courage previously has been tested
when the tide of battle was going
against the Germans. It was an eff
fort either to destroy the Americans
or to herd them back across the
Ourcq. The effort resulted in failure.
Yanks Nip Big offensiVe7
With the American Army on the
| Aisne-Marne Front, July 30.-The ire