The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-11
CRUCIAL BATTLE
,copt,nued from Page One,

naner comment on the battle' tiiS
Hayas agency refers to the snlali
nroeress made by the Germans yester-
dav in comparison with the price they
had to pay The Petit Journaf op-
serves that after an extremely COSBY
day for them in the way OF CASUALTIES,
the Germans realized smaller gains
than on the previous DAY. ne IN, o, !.
visions engaged melleo away Go AZ -
crucible" it says.
J'Homme Libre thinks that the re-
Suits of the second days fighting seem
as favorable as those achieved on me
opening day of the attack, II tne
question be considered from the point
that one of the principal allied aims
is to destroy the maximum numpe Oh
the enemy troops engaged. me Echo
de Paris says that Generals F'och ana
Petain know the enemys limitations
how far he can go ana peyoho
which positions he cannot advance
further, while the N1atin argues that
an offensive conducted at such price
cannot be very long continued.
Premier Clemenceau conferred with
several of the generals at the front
Yesterday and brought back with MN:
it is declared, very reassurins news OF
the situation The information Whlcn
he gathered confirmed the reports OF
the enormous losses being suffered by
the Germans.
With the French Armies in the
Field .June 1O.-The new German
drive between Montdidier and Noyon
is rapidly becoming the fiercest ana
most cruel battle of the war. INTO
it the Germans apparently are oeter-
mined to throw their last reserves, in
a supreme effort to separate the al
lied armies and reach Paris before
Americas full participation wrests
from them the last hopes OF eventual
victory.
Already the steady flow of Ameri-
can, Italian and British divisions INTO
losses inflicted on the Germans since
March 81 practically has wiped out
the numerical superiority with Whlcn
the Germans opened the offensive.
It is certain that if the allies hold
out two months longer the Americans,
at the present rate of arrival. Will give
them an incortestible and crushing SUI
periority.
As a consequence, the French are
resisting in the battle with extreme
energy, equaleo only by the prodigal-
ity with which the Germans are rush.
ing up their last resources.
No longer Is it a secret that the
French expected the present attack
and were as fully prepared as effect
ives ard material would permit. 1t is
likewise. known that the Gen mans
knew the French expected and pre-
y
heavy losses which such a situation
necessarily much entail the enemy I'M
hesitatingly attacked. They rushed
up reserves to replace their losses I'M
til more than twenty divisions (240,000
men) have been fed into the battle to
date.
On both wings. where the French
are doggedly holding out, villages like
Courcelles have changed hands every
few hours, day and night. since the
battle began. The last carrier pigeons
| from LIE Plemont, which was COM
pletely encircled. brought word that
the French there were still holding
out. altho they now possibly have been
submerged.
The Germans still are making their
greatest effort in the Matz valley for
the purpose of reaching the Disc above
Compiegne. thus forcing evacuation of
| the entire Noyon salient where. at the
extreme northern point, Carlepont
wood, on the east side of the Disc,
| and Mount Renaud, on the west side,
have to date barred the German ad-
vance into the Disc valley.
Military experts consider 1t most
proba BILE that the Germans will launch
| a second converging attack from east
of Noyon, with identical objectiyes OF
attaining the Disc from the east and
| forcing evacuation of the Noyon sa-
| lient.
] PIOIi pIlSOHeES anu OlIeI SOURCES
| it is esta blished that the boches are
| suffering a severe crisis in effectives
Many companies go into action with
only eighty or a hundred men. The
wounded are forced to return to the
| fight as soon as they are cured. The
! losses in infantry officers are so grea!
that cavalry officers are now substi-
tuted.
| Among 200 prisoners interrogated
a fourth were in the 1919 class, while
many were in the 1920 class. The
| prisoners also included miners and
| expert workmen who heretofore had
not been sent to the front. The fifth
division of the Prussian guard, which
is one of Germany's finest body oil
| troops lost so per cent of it's effectives
during the March offensive on the
Somme and lost 80 more in the
Chateau Thierry drive, it has been es
tablished.
French patrols. penetrating the re
| gton of Vouty and Maercreux, repor
heaps of German dead, often lying il