The Hartford republican., 1918-03-29
AMERICANS AID
IN HUGE BATTLE
Germans Report Capture OF
Territory-With Sew
eral Towns.
HUNS WEARING DOWN
Kaiser's Immense Army
Stopped, Declares
London.
HUNS WEARING DOWN

After six days of terrific fighting,
the German offensive in France Is be-
ginning to show signs of losing its
momentum. The progress OF the en-
emy has merely slackened and the
form OF the dent made In the allied
line west of Cambria has begun to
resemble the familiar wedge-like sal
lent. instead of the broad, straight
forward movement of on offensive
which carries all before 1t.
At its apex. this wedge has gone be-
yond Albert to the south Of that place
and is to the westward OF the old
allied line as IL stood year ago when
Won Hindenburg began his "strate-
gic retreat" From this point the
line runs of to the northeast at a
gentle angle. with the line to the
south running back until 1t reaches
the Oise River.
In spite of the tremendous exer-
tions and terrible losses, the German
efforts to widen the tip of this salient
were defeated on Tuesday. The
British lines have stood firm to the
north and have forced the Germans
to turn southwark toward the point
of'least resistance.
American Forces Are Engaged.
Official statements issued at Lon
don confirm the report from Berlin
that American forces are engaged In
I'D struggle. They are reported as
fighting shoulder to shoulder" with
the French and British in the region
of Rye. on the southern side of the
salient driven into the allied front.
There has been no official report sent
to Washington as to the identity of
these troops who are taking part in
this greatest battle in history.
With the slackening of the German
pace there came indications that the
Allies are ready to strike back some
where along the front. just where
this blow will be launched will not be
known until IL is struck, but II may
be expected that its impact will be
terrific. II is known the Allied War
Council at Versailles created a great
strategic reserve of men to be used in
lust the contingency which confronts
the armies which have borne the
brunt of the fighting since last Thurs
day morning. This force probably
will be launched when and where 1t
is believed It will break the force of
tMe German onslaught and send the
enemy reeling back over the desert
from which the British have slowly
withdrawn.
S4O, 900 German Troops Engaged.
Each succeeding day reveals the
plan of the Germans absolutely to
crush the allied lines west of Cam
brai, a terrain which could not be
defended by Won Hindenburg a year
ago. Each official report shows that
this sector is valueless from a mill
tary standpoint and that the Germans
have paid a terrible price for their
advance to the lines established by
the Allies during the first two years OF
warfare. 1t is officially reported that
seventy German divisions, or $4,000
men, have taken part in the fighting
and that troops have been moved
from every part of the western bat
tle-front to re-enforce the armies
which have been forcing the British
TO fall back Observers at the front
say that the German losses have been
frightful, and that the enemy has lost
from 10 to 20 per cent Of his men,
by the most conservative estimates
The situation as 1t stands seems
to be a repetition of the dash OF Gen
Won Kluck on Paris in 1914, when the
German artillery and transport could
not keep up with the infantry and
the French were able to turn back
the invaders at the Marne. Reports
Nom various sectors in the last TWO
days have indicated that the German
infantry, relying on its mass attacks
has fought without the customary as
sistance of artillery. To bring up
heavy guns requires time, and the