Arizona republican., 1918-07-24
ATTACK WELL EXECUTED
 AND |MP PORTANT I
Designed to Keep Enemy's s Mind Occupied and Pre-
 vent Him from Sending
 Achievements to South
TRepubIican A. p. Leased Wire1

LONDON, July 23.-The French at tack near Montdidier today was a very well executed and successful minor operation and, according to dispatches received this afternoon from the battle front was presumably designed as a diversion, aiming at keeping the enemy's mind occupied and preventing him from sending large reinforce ments to the southward.
 At the same time it also effected an important local improvement in the line at a sector where every advance means better protection for Amiens and Paris. The French attacked on a four mile front after an hours bom- bardment of the German lines and captured all three villages of Sauvil- lers, Aubvillers and Mailly- -Raineval within 15 minutes.
 Too Busy to Count Prisoners
 About a thousand more prisoners have been counted by the entente al lies in the last "A hours. Of this num- Der about half have been credited to the Americans and British, but, as a matter of fact, 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 along the Soissons- -Reims loop is very close. strenuous work and probably not so many prisoners are being taken as would be the case in a direct ad- vance or a retreat action.
 There has been little change in the last "A hours in the appearance of the l Sossons- Reims pocket as it appears or the map. What changes have been made there are all to the advantage of | the allies. The French and Americans | have gained further ground in the bot | tom of the pocket. The French also | are pressing hard on the long line south of Soissons and the map shows | advances of a thousand yards or so al several points.
 Germans Fighting Their Hardest
 The expectations of those who | thought that the Germans were pre- pairing to give up immediately the en- tire Soissons- Chateau Thierry -Reim! salient and retire to the Vesle river ol the Aisne have not yet been fulfilled.
 According to today's dispatches thu German is fighting his hardest tt hang on to every foot of ground ht has and is constantly counter attack ing with surprising momentum, botf on the Marne and along the west sid, 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 pro cess of retreat.
 The Germans are burning village and some small dumps but presum ably a further prodding will be needed to push him back of the river Nesle
 Making Things Difficult for Enemy Meanwhile the entente allies no only the infantry, but also the artiller, and bomb dropping aviators, are work ing without rest at the business 0 making either a stand or withdrawa difficult for the Germans.
 The news received in London con tinues to praise the work of the Amer jeans and the accounts of the captur of Jaulgonne and BuZancy indicat that they were cleancut series of of fensive tactics such as the officers o the British general staff have come l. expect from the American fighters. On British officer told the Associate, Press:
 q don't see how the work the Amer jeans have done in the past week fighting could have been done better Hindsight frequently finds many fault with military operations but the wor of the Americans stands such scrutin we'll"