Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-05
VALLEY OF OURCQ
ENEMY OBJECTIVE
Special Gable to Euening Public Ledger


COPYRIGHT. 1918 BY Ncw York Times Co.
Paris. June 5.
The German. program in the terrific
struggle which is proceeding is
furious effort to secure the two Fertes-
Ferte-Milon and Ferte-sous- -Jouarre.
Ferte- -Milon covers the road from, the
while Jouarre bars the valley of the
Marne. At Faverolcs the Germans are
near Ferte-Milon, while they have to
may be. expected that they will direct
their chief efforts against the former
Happily the French have extremely
strong positions in the forest of Nillers-
the best possible use of their advantage
One other great advantage held by
the French is that fine country between
Chateau Thierry and Milon. through
which the enemy must advance in this
region. If the Germans attempt to
push their attacking mass OF 10000
men through this narrow corridor he
fore they succeeded in enlareing the pas
sage either TO the right or the left they
will take a risk which Foch would not
be SLOW to turn to enormous ADVANTAGE,
now. that SO many of his reserves are
on the spot
Meanwhile. it is satisfactory to note
that in their desperate effort to obtain
the longsought decisive victory. the
regardless of cost in human material
This and the steady inflow of French
reserves are already tending to comnen-
safe for the numerical superiority from
which the enemy benefited at the begin
ming of his drive southwark
Allied Reserves Felt
While the Germans Monday gained
some ground. the maximum depth Of
their advance was much less than on
the day before, which. in turn. was
smaller than on the previous day. The
entry of our reserves is making itself
felt more and more every hour Allied
artillery is being brought up in greater
and greater weight. and opinion here
is fully confident that in a very short
time the enemy will again be brought
to standstill, as after his tremendous
attack in the end of March in Picardy.
1t was between the forest of Villers-
Cotterets and the Marne that the Ger
mans made their princ!pal effort Mon
day. with the object of forcing a pas
which is of the greatest strategic i'm
portance. the fighting swayed backward
and forward. At first the Allied line.
Of the enemy troops, was bent, toward
the eastern fringes of Nillers- -Cotterets
forest, and the enemy was able to get
footing in four small villages. q,
But counter alta cks of our soldiers"
says the Matin. made with extraor,,,
binary. dash and go, gave us back all
four OF these places. The Germans. how:
ever, refused to accept this check. and
once more made furious assault on
the villages, throwing in all their
strength and enduring enormous sacri-
iices of life. Only at Faverolles had he
any success, for in the other three vii
lagos our troops held firm against the
most desperate onslaughts.
Chased With Bayonets
In the district west of the Neuilly-
Saint Front, where the enemy had sue
ceeded in making some progress. French
troops drove the Germans back in dis
l .,l,z hn AZ
to Passy-en-Valois. Following up their
advantage the French seized Hill 1853,
which dominates the district to the
west"
little progress toward the west of Cha
teau-Thierry, of which he occupies a
part. on the northern bank of the Marine.
On our right wing, however, further
east toward the Rheims-Dormans road.
the French counter-attacked and reccv-
cred the villages CT Champlat and some
ground toward Vile e-en-Tardenois, while
powerful attacks against Carlepont
Touvent were broken and the latter
place retaken by French troops.
This is not bad days balance sheet
for armies Cutnumbered by three 10 one.
with their backs against the wall, and
French fury in fighting never was bet
| ter displayed.
The favorable facts are that, broadly
speaking, the enemy's rush appears to
have been largely stayed, and that be-
tween the banks of the Aisne and the
forest of Villers-Cotterets, which Is the
center of our resistance, the ground is
distinctly in our favor. The forest
named, together with that of Compeigne,
| is admirably adapted, thanks to abun-
dant foliage at the present moment to
enable the Allied troops to concentrate
| out of sight of the enemy airmen and to
make their way well into the field of
| action.