The Colorado statesman., 1918-08-03
YANKEES CLEAR
SERIGES OF HUNS
FRENCH ADVANCE EAST OF SER
GY AND NORTHEAST OF FERE
-ITALiANs REPEL ATTACKS.
OURCQ POSITIONS HELD
ALLIED GUNS RAKE WOODS AT
NESLES-GERM WIN
AT EUPHRAISE.

Paris, July 31.-American troops
fighting north of the Ourcq river on
the scissors. Rheims salient have en-
larged their brilliant victory of Mon
day at Sergy, where they cut 10 pieces
divisions of Germany's picked troops
and took and held the village against
counter attacks.
Notwithstanding continued heavy
opposition by guns, machine guns and
large numbers of the enemy, soldiers
from the middle western and eastern
states drove their line northward
from Sergy Tuesday for a distance of
about two miles and were resting at
night oil the slopes approaching the
woods beyond the town of Nesles.
Where they stood at the last accounts
the Americans formed the apex of the
long line running across the salient.
While the bitter fighting was in
progress between the Americans and
Germans, the French on both SIDES OF
the fighting front also moved forward
for goodly gains northeast of Fere-en-
Tardenois and east of Sergy.
In the Nesles forest the Germans
are holding strong positions from
which they are shelling, but thus far
ineffectively. the menacing allied line
before them.
| Prussian guards and Bavarians were
in the thick OF the fighting through
out Tuesday, but again they were out
Unanswered and outfought by the
Americans and again suffered heavy
casualties.
The Germans apparently are on the
eve of attempting to end their retreat
from the Scissors Rheims salient and
turning and offering frontal battle in
force to the entente allied armies.
The day of rear guard actions seems
drawing to close Violent counter
offensive measures against their an
tagonists already are in progress by
the Germans over most of the battle
| front.
Further gains have been made by
the allies only after the bitterest fight
ing Standing firmly and giving
ground only under absolute necessity,
the allied troops everywhere have ex-
acted huge toll.
In the center of the pocket, north
fof the Ourcq river, the Germans in a
counter attack drove the Americans
out of Cierges, but this slight gain was
more than overcome later by the pene-
tration of the Americans northward
from Sergy Beugneux, lying on the
west side of the pocket northwest of
-Tardenois also was taken by
the Germans, but later the French and
Americans recaptured it, and, with
Grand Rosy in their possession, they
still hold vantage points for a small
turning movement toward Fere.
Southwest of Rheims the Germans
delivered a violent attack against the
French from both sides of st. Euph-
raise. Their effort to capture the vii
lage, however, was futile, altho they
pushed their line slightly forward on
the west side of 1t.
| The Rome report says: ION the
whole of the front there has been re-
ciprocal artillery fighting. In the Giudi-
caria and Val Arsa hostile parties We're
repulsed Along the Piaye our recon-
noitering patrols brought back enemy
arms and material. Thirteen hostile
aircraft have been brought down.
Shanghai, July 30.-The Czecho-Slo-
vaks have occupied the town of Selma
kova. according to dispatch from
Vladivostok. They captured consider
able in munitions.
London. July 30.-"The relations be-
tween Germany and Turkey have been
severed, according to direct informa-
ton from Constantinople" This an
nouncement is made by the Copenha-
gen correspondent of the Exchange
Telegraph Company.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Germans have powerfully strengthened
their battle line running across the
scissors Rh eims salient with addition
al fresh reserves and have stubbornly
disputed further passage northward to
the entente allied troops, the enemy
front has been compelled to bend back
appreciably on all side of the salient,
except at the anchor points resting
Immediately on scissors and Rheims.
The battle line shifted back and
forth and Sergy changed hands four
times, but the Americans proved to
be the masters of the picked enemy
troops and finally drove them out and
retained the village. Heavy casual
ties were inflicted on the Germans.
British Draft Pact Ratified.