The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-21
GERMANY LOSES
 CHANGE TO FORCE
 HER PEACE TERMS
(continued From Page one)

ale of the German armies which today are on the defensive everywhere.
 Six months ago today the great German offensive began. For weeks victory seemed about to perch on the German banners. Today the Allied star is in the ascendency.
 Anxiety and encouragement de- pression and joy, have succeeded each other since at dawn on March 21, the greatest battle of history began. It has been a period of almost incessant fighting and of bewildering changes in the situations that developed from day to day and from week to week.
 The allies knew they faced Ger many's mightiest effort last March but stood unafraid. Released by the ab- solute collapse of Russia as a bellig erent power, vast numbers of Germans veterans, had been rushed to the west front and been given intensive tratn- ing for the offensive by which the Teutonic war lords dreamed that they might force peace upon the world, German peace. Germany made no se- cret of her intention. It was known great bodies of men and tremendous stores of munitions had been concen- trated at strategic points behind the German lines. It also was known where the Germans would launch their first attack, and for weeks be- fore March 21 the eyes of the Allies had been fixed on the long curving line from LaFere to Arras as the stage where the first act of the great drama would be enacted.
 Moving with @ swiftness that car- ried concern to every entente nation, the German forces swept over the British lines in Pfcardy and rolled westward like g tidal wave during the closing days of March. until at last the British reached positions where they could stand at bay and wall before the gray-clad host of the German Emperor. Then the offensive stopped.
 Hardly had it's rush been checked tran the line between Lens and Ypres was attacked by the Germans and again the British lines swayed back ward. This advance of the enemy went on until 1t reached the high ground to the southwest of Ypres, and there too encountered stubborn fighting.
 A pause followed for nearly a month and then, on May 27, the Germans suddenly broke through the French lines north of the Aisne river and smashed their way southward until they reached the Marne over a. wide front east of Chateau ThierUy
 It was here that the world had the first 1ntimation Ehat the Allied armies under the supreme command of Mar shal CFoeh, had been pursuing a def- nlte policy and had conserved their strength against the time when 1t might te used with good effect. The German attack each of Nfontdidier came to a pause after six days of ter rib1e fighting in which the Germans suffered frightful losses and the French for the first time since the German offensive began struck back at the invaders.
 American forces had taken part in the final phases of the battle along the Marne and had been instrumental in stopping the Germans at Chateau Thierry. In this battle came the first notable contribution of America to the military fortunes of the allies. Since March, however, there had been a flood tide of khaki clad passing over the Atlantic and during May, June and the first part of July they rapidly mov- ed up to the battle zone. The san guinary check of the German offensive of Montdidier gave the Allies hope that hn tide Io fo11 stemmed, and this feeling was height ened during the succeeding three or four weeks by series of local actions along the front from Soissons to Cha teau Thierry by which the Germans were driven back steadily from points of tactical value. What was not known by the lay world was the fact , that by these very actions, Marshal Foch virtually forced the Germans to an attack somewhere in the Marne region, where preparations were made for a new phase of the struggle. On July 15 the Germans made a new drive, called by them 'the offen- sive of peace" from Chateau Thierry astward far into the Champagne sec- tor. No sooner had the news of the
 
 ing came that the French, Italian and American lines subjected to assault were standing firmly in every vital part of the front and that it was only by the greatest effort that the Ger mans pounded their ahead in the re- zion southwest of Rheims and astride the Marne west of Epernay. It then was known that the Allies had solved the German system of offensive and were able to hold their ground. On July IS, Marshal Foch launched 1 an attack which has changed the i whole complexion of the situation From Fontenoy on the Aisne, west ot
 Soissons, to Chateau Thierry on the Marne, the German lines were torr | to pieces and the Marne salient | threatened to collapse. It was only
 by the most savage fighting that the l Germans succeeded in saving them
 selves and finally succeeded in re
 treataing across the Vesle river.
 On Aug. the French and British
 stormed the German lines in Picard!
 in the Ancre, north of Montdidier
 and sent the enemy reeHng back to
 ward the Somme. The next day tn,
 French crushed in the German iron
 south of Montdidier and linking thei
 lines with those of the British farthe
 north, pushed the invaders back
 Less than two weeks later the Ger
 man lines southwest of Arras were at
 tackled and these gave way and tn