New-York tribune., 1918-06-02
Allied Reserves
Entering the Battle;
French Confident

fAhlS, June 1.-The military situa-
ton shows progress for the Allies. saws
the Temps Because the enemy failed
TO make gains last night, although he
redoubled the violence of his attack.
The mass of our reserves it con-
tinues, "has begun to take part in the
action. Just south of, scissors our
counter attacks have driven the enemy
back to the Crse River, which flows
into the Aisne. and we have retaken
the villages of Chaudun and Vicrzy.
Further south the enemy many times
made futile efforts to advance through
the valley of the Ourcq."
The military critics. says a Havas
Agency review to-day, still view the
situation as serious. but consider the
signs increasingly reassuring. The
most important development is re-
garded as the enemy's attempt to ad-
vance westward and push toward Paris,
thus, it is considered, revealing his
strategic intentions Enthusiastically.
In the first shock of this new rush,
it is pointed out, the Allies were
obliged to give ground in some places,
but they held their own on the Aisne
and the Ourcq, and their vigorous
counter attacks are considered a pre-
lude to the stoppage of the enemy ad
vance.
At present, the most important part
of the battlefield is that with Noyon,
or the region to the south of it, on the
one end, and the district north of
Chateau Thierry, on the Marine, on the
&c l. hat !,
toward Paris demands undivided atten-
ton.
The newspaper "L'Homme Libre."
Premier Clemencezu's organ, is opti-
mistic to-day over the situation. 1t
points out that the enemy plan to draw
the Allies toward the south and to
push on westward only met with sue
cess as far as the first part of it was
concerned The remainder of the plan
is being completely defeated, it de-
clares, and everything gives reason to
believe the enemy will be totally
blocked.
,. There was much satisfaction evinced
yesterday in the lobby of the Chamber
of Deputies over the information
given the members by the army control
delegates. The particulars cannot be
published, as they have to do with the
movements Of troops. but. the delegates
emphasized the excellent impression
that had been made upon them by the
confident spirit among the poilus of
the reserve divisions which are dcs-
tined to fall upon the invaders.
In greeting delegation of Socialist
deputies, Premier Clemenceau voiced
his absolute confidence in the issue Of
the present operations. He gave the
deputies details which made an excel
lent impression.
Premier Clomenceau, in his capacity
of War Minister, has issued an order
suspending until further notice all fur
loughs and leaves of absence in the
army.
Against the western wing of the
battlefield from the Disc to Chateau
Thierry the strongest German efforts
were directed Friday. Between the
Disc and Sorssons the French hold a
broad salient between the two pockets
made by the German ofensives of
March, 21 and May 27. The plateaus
forming this salient offer excellent op-
portunities for massing troops.
The salient held by the French con-
stitutes a grave danger to the German
flank, and the enemy lis striving to re-
move it, but with indifferent success
The ground won in earlier offensive
operations serves as the point of de-
-arture for the present movement,
:Shich is operated from two bases, the
Noyon Montdidier line on the right and
the Scissors Chateau Therry line on
the left.