Republican farmer., 1918-07-19
From Different Sources Re ports Come Telling of Pro
 gress Made By Allies. DETAILS OF BATTLE NOT YET RECEIVED Attack Appears to Be Ser ious Menace to Germans
 Below Aisne.
By the Associated Press.

bcll. IUCll, lIl6 Allleu COlll- mander in chief, has taken the 1 aggressive on an important scale, attacking this morning on a 25-mile front between the Aisne and the Marne-the westerly side of the Germans Marne salient.
 The attack appears to be a significant counter stroke to the German drive along the Marne Rheims Champagne front.
 From various sources come reports that the battle is progressing favor ably to the Allied forces, which pre- sunlably include American troops.
 The front of the attack runs from | Fonteny, six miles west of Soissons, to the town of Belleau. on the Clig- non river. Few details of the battle are yet available, the main fact off cial1y stated being that at various points along this front progress of from a mile and half to two miles has been made and that prisoners have been taken. =
 The situation on this front presents interesting possibilities. The battle line, when the German offensive paus- ed at the Marne early June, closely resembled the letter V, with the acut. angle blunted. Since their attack on Monday morning the Germans have made progress which has changed the form of tn line to that of the letter II, the right leg, of which is shorter than the left.
 From Fontency, at the tip of the left leg to Rheims, on the end of the right, is about 37 miles. The distance from the Aisne to the present battle front south of the Marne is about 25 miles.
 It is along the left leg of the U that the Allied onslaught began this morning. Behind the Allied lines is . the forest of Villers Cotterets, with a
 network of strategic wagon roads and , three railroad lines. In front of them ! there is an important railroad line
 running southward from Soissons to 7 Chateau Thierry. presuma bly, used as a supply artery for a large proportion of the enemy troops along the [ Marne river. This railroad was about four miles from the Allied front wher , the attack was started today. If the attack of the Allies is wha : it appears to be, it is a serious threa r to the whole German position soutt } of the Aisne. Rapid progress b! , the Allies to the eastward would compel the abandonment of the Ger 5 man offensive which is now appar ently directed toward Epernay, to thu
 south of Rheims mountain. It migh l if successful even bring about a Ger ] man retirement from the who'll Scissons- Marne- Rheims salient, witt i potential disastrous results to tn enemy in the loss of men, guns anC
 material.
 During the last three weeks tn
 French have carried out several loca
 operations southwest of Soissons 7 along the line where the present Al lied effort is made. By these opera
 tions the French line from the regiol : of Ambleny, south of Fontency, t = Lengport, nearly eight miles farthe : south, was advanced and straightened t Before today's attack began tn t French held positions along a serie l, of ridges on a five mile line from Am d bleny to St. Pierre Aigle, and wer : in strong entrenchments farthe Y south.
 l. The part American troops are talk
 ing in the Allied counter blow is a 6 vet unknown. The line mentioned :l V the official statement from Paris n however, indicates a section of tn I the neigh borhood of Chateau Thier
 ". Gen. Pershing's men are know
 to be at Belleau and they have bee ! mentioned as being as far north a
 Torcy, on the south side of the Gig '- non river, above Belleau wood. l. Measuring from the Aisne river n around the Chateau Thierry salien t, and thence to Massiges, in the Cham 2 pagne the eastern limits of the pres ,- ent struggle, the length of the battl II line is about 105 miles, which is tn O widest front that has been in activ
 battle on the western front since tn
 early days of the war.
 Official reports appeared to sho,
 the German stroke against the Marne $ Rheims Champagne line has nc r gained further ground over night. A 2. Nanteuil la Posse, the region south e west of Rheims, a heavy German al D. tack was crushed; while an assault b -- guard regiments north of Prosne n east of Rheims, was broken by tn
 AIkes.