The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-07-12
PETAIN GIVES
GERMANS LOTS
|. OF HIGH. LIFE
French Commander on Marne.
( Salient Allows Foe Little
E Chance to Rest
MAY PRELUDE REAL DRIVE
While Regarded Of Local I'm
portance, Significance Is
Being Recognized :.
MAY PRELUDE REAL DRIVE
(eY THE ASSOCIATED .PREss)

(6f The ASSOCIATED PRESS)
General Petain Is giving the Ger.
mans on the westerly side of the
Marne salient little rest in their posi-.
tons east Of the forest of Villers. Cot
terets. Last night his troops again
drove in on this front and made sub.
stantial progress.
The most tangible result reported
from this latest fighting is the cap
tupre of the village Of Longpont, to
the outskirts OF which the French
Mad pushed In their advance on We'd
nesday night A farm in this neigh
b0rhOod also was taken.
Driven Ahead at chaviany.
The French lines were likewise driv.
en- ahead at the Chavigny farm dis
trict north of LongpOnt A formed
push also was given tfI line in the
area south of Longpont, east Of Faver.
Olles.
The extension of the front. under at.
tack to the Faverolles region is note.
worthy as showing that the process
OF Strengthening out the line between
the Aisne and the Marne is being
carried still further south and is
threatening the local salient held by
the uermans between he LOngpOnt
district and the American sector north
west of Chateau Thierry
May Preclude Real Drive.
The series of operations carried out
by General .Petain on this front dur.
ing the preesnt week has been 'gener-
ally regarded as of merely local i'm
pOrtance, designed to straighten the
line and fortify it against the expected
renewal of the German offensive The
possibility is not overlooked, however,
that these may be a prelud more
important attacks. y y ,l Jss,;
The time has not been considered
,opoprtune to General Foch, the allied
commander in chief to. abandon his.
defensive role. and turn to the aggfes-.
sive on a large scale, but It i Is not
impossible that the feeling out opera.
tions which are in progress on both
the French and British fronts have
other than purely defensive purposes.
Scouting Operations.
Last nights action on the British
front were all in the nature of scout.
ing operations. The majority of them
were on the Flanders front where dur.
ing the day yesterday, Field Marshal
Haig's men had conducted raid In
force in the vicinity of Merris, north.
east of the Nieppe wood, on the road
to the railway junction Of Hazebrouck,
bringing in more than 100 prisoners.
Additional raids last night in the
Meteren and KENNEL sectors on this
front resulted in the taking of more
prisoners.
On the assumption that the Ger.
mans, il they decided to open up their
attack on a new front when they re.
sumo their offensive, will strike some.
where between Rheims and Lorraine,
some interest may be attached to the
report in the French official state.
ment today that the enemy artillery
is displaying rather marked activity
on the front northwest of Verdun
within this area
Germany Still Hesitates.
Germany continues to hesitate to
challenge the allies to heavy fighting
by a resumption of offensive move.
ments. Initiative in local engage.
ments and raiding operations is in the
hands OF the allied troops and they
to harrass the enemy at many
points between Ypres and Rheims.
British troops on several sectors
have raided the German lines on the
Flanders and Picardy battle fields, the
in one place bringing
back seventy prisoners. Between the
Aishe and the ,Marne, French patrols
have penetrated the enemy positions
near Bussaires,. south Of Corey, the
scene of the latest French gain which
the Germans have made no attempt to
dispute. On the Marne front Ameri-
can troops have routed a German pa
troll which attempted a raid. On this
front as we'll as on most of the Brit"
ish front from Ypres to the SOmme
the weather had been rainy.
". Air PIatoons Suffer.
Air platons have suffered from the
unfavOrable atmospheric conditions
and artillery activity has decreased.
Berlin claims that five airplanes out
of an American squadron of six which
attempted to raid Coblenz fell into
lierman hands. the crews being made
prisoner. There is not confirmation OF
this report from any other source.
British airmen have dropped bombs
on Offenburg, manufacturing town
southwest of Karlsruhe. Germany
American aviators on the Toul sector
have accounted for two enemy ma
chimes.
Austrian forces in eastern Albania
continue to retire before the pressure
If the advancing Franco-Italian de-
In the Tamorica valley
.he enemy is fleeing northward be-
'ore the French who have reached the
valley from the east and occupied sew
,ral villages. Italian troops on the
vest have occupied the commanding
peak of Glumaka. capturing 200 pris'
)ners. The height commands the dls-
riots between Berat and the Tomori-
"a
BoIsheviks Report Successes.
Bolshevik troops report having
gained successes over the Czech0,Slo'
Yak troops in eastern Russia and sSl;;ht
,eria. It is claimed the Czechs havess
1een driven from towns in Volga botn
northeast and southeast OF MOSCOW.