Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-11
new DRIVE FOUND
\ FRENCH READY
Won Hutier's A d vance
Made at Terrific Cost
in Men
GUNS CUT DOWN ENEMY
Germans Find Way to Paris
Blocked by Strongly
Resisting Forces
CUT DOWN ENEMY
BY C. H. PERKS
Special Cable to Euening Public Ledger
COPYRIGHT. 1918, by Ne,o Yors Times Co.
with the French Armies, June IL.

Copyright. 1918, bv Nc,c fors Times Co.
with the French Armies, June IL.
There has been very little movement
on the front of General Won Hutier
army for five or six weeks. and yet this
vas. by its history, pre-eminently the
army of offensive, the pioneer and model
o. the new tactics. Evidently, too. the
thrust toward Paris by the two great
corridors of the Disc and the Marine
and the intermediate valleys of the Aisne
and the Ourcq must be supported from
the north, IL only to cover the right
flank of the operations and to interfere
with the flow of Allieo reserves.
Sundays assault was, therefore, to be
expected, and was expected. Whether
IN was hurried because of the rapid ar
z rest of Won Boehm's army before the
forest of Villers-Cotterets or whether
nix weeks was sufficient time FOR
PREPARATION between Montdidier and
Noyon, we can only judge when we see
what extension is given to the attack
It's front was only twenty miles, as
compared with a front of thirty miles IN
tile attack on the Chemis-des-Dames
and fifty miles in the first phase of the
offensive on March 81. and so far 1t Is
only on the central half of this smaller
front that any considerable impression
has been made on the French lines.
In any case. whatever may have peen
the exact design, there had not been this
time the same extreme scruple to con-
ceal troop movements, and for some days
mast the exceptional traffic of conveys,
the suspicious activity of the enemy
batteries in the correction of ranges and
other signs had given warning of what
was afoot.
French Gunners Were Ready
= One consequence was that. when the
German infantry advanced Sunday morn
ing it had to meet a volume or nre
very different from that which answered
the surprises of st. Quentin the
Aisne heights. French gunners had
thoroughly studied the ground before
them and were all ready to deluge every
uath of approach directly that gray coat
waves appeared. From the beginning,
therefore, the German losses nave beeh
heavier than. on the earlier occasions,
and this must affect the development
Of the action.
In other aspects the now familiar Won
Eutier maneuver appears to have been
repeated, shock battalions carrying hght
0achine guns and machine rifles concen-
rating upon local breaches in our line
and leaving the task of leaning up
islands of resistance to the support
4roops. while they pressed on rapidly to
Sfplo6 the first success. 1t VIII prop
Sbly be found that the operation was
tegun with about fifteen divisions IN the
10e, approximately 10000 men. giving
= density of one division to a mile and
3 8 third. =,
Faced with a force superior in all
aims. long resistance of the first line Is
~ Impossible. but II is significant that at
9 o'clock Sunday morning-that is, AFTER
four hours of a terrible storm OF gas ana
explosive shells, followed by four hours
81 hand -to-hand struggle, our Allies
were still in a large part of the held
lghting within what Is called the zone
81 dvanced posts, and only the centre
had fallen back on the zone of prin-
cipal resistance. Plemont Hill, overlook
ing Lassigny. whose capture two months
ago ! described at that time, was still
holding out at that hour. although the
front had lain Immediately beneath it.
The villages of lie Fretoy and Courcelles
were lost during the morning, but were
recovered by counter-attacks in which
the French troops showed the highest
spirit.
Develops Enemy Strength
A stubborn stand at the beginning of
such a battle is of more than local mo-
mentary Importance. for by compelling
the enemy TO put forward all his
I'll ~ III. II tildbtNS ilt u COIllIldI0
70 know what that strength is and what
his Intentions are and gives valuable
" guidance in the use of reserves.
Up to late Sunday night the only re-
suit that Won Hutier could regard as
any degree justifying the effort made
And the losses suffered was the capture
" the villages of Ressons-sur-Matz and
Mareuil-la-Motte, whereas on the French
left before Ribecourt. by lie Fretoy to
Eourcelles. and on the right from Bel.
val to Cannectancourt. the advance
varied from one 10 two miles. At tho
centre it rather exceeded three.
This Is a poor gain, judged by prec-
y edent, and was bought at an exorbitant
Drice. but it has a certain tactical and
perhaps superior consequences. The
Matt valley uns southeastward to the
Disc. turning the block Of Thiescourt
hills. which have hitherto been the
bastion of the French. front on the
vest of the Disc and facing the forests
o. Carlepont and L,-Aigne on the east Of
4 the river
These two blocks now form a salient
between the two arm of the German
( advance at Fontenoy on the Aisne and
Nelson's on the Matt. If Won Hutier
xhould succeed in pushing down the rail-
ray and the high road from Reasons
- Connpiegne, a distance of ten miles,
the LAigne corner could hardly be held,
Sfhe main course of the Aisne would lie
Wholly In German hands and a pretty
Z I1vel front would have been gained for
~ wide final attempt toward Paris.
nch a design is at least possible. Com
5ieene, Villers-Cotterets and Chateau
merry are all, however. about forty
111es from the capital and there are
3 1ker grounds than that of distance
b viewing such a program with equa-
1tmity.