Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-16
CRUSHING OF FRENCH,
OBJECT OF OFFENSIVE
Paris Military Men View Drive
as Cermany's Supreme
Effort
Bv the United Press

London, July l6.
The fifth phase Of the German often
srve. which began cary yesterday in an
attack on siXty-five-mile front eX-
tending from Chateau-Thierry eastward
beyond Rheims. appears to be su-
prcmc effort TO break through and de-
feat as large a portion of the French
army as possible. without any definite
geographical objective.
This was the majority opinion OF en-
pert military men today. although some
authorities maintained that tho drive
was an effort to use up French reserves
from, The north. preparatory to renewal
of the. attack on Amens. still other crit
les saw in the drive an effort to widen
the base fer future attacks on Paris.
with reduction of the Rheims salient and
! capture of that city as a part of this
! plan.
All are agreed that General Foch has
his plans completely laid out for meet
ing any move the Germans may make
No British In Action
The morning papers are decidedly opti-
n.istlc and express satisfaction with TIE
result 90 far. They are puzzled, how
ever. as to whether Yesterdays battle
was the main attack. SO far as ma: been
learned no British have yet participated
1t is estimated that between fifty and
sixty German divisions tbetween 100000
and 10000 mem took part in the as
sault.
The Germans, it was learned from
an authoritative source. advanced three
/ miles on a four-mile front between Bel
vail and Pourcy.
Between Fossoy and Jaulgonne the
enemy advanced mile beyond the
Marne (Ths is where the Americans
drove them back acruss the river Fos'
soy is four miles due east of Chateau
Thierry and JaulEonre is the same dis
tance northeast of Fossoy) Between
Rligny and Troissy the enemy pene
trated slightly more than mile
(Troissy Is on the south bank OF the
Marine two miles northeast OF Dormans
while Bligny is twelve miles northeas
of Troissy. in the direction of Rheims
Gained on 16-NiIe Front
This would indcatae that the Ger
mans succeeded in progressing on
sixteen-mile front petween Chateau
Thierry and Rheims, separated into tw'
sectors by fve-mile strip along tn
Marne between Jaulgonne and Dormans
The greatest penetration, obviously, wa
, about midway between Dormans an
Rheims.
, 1t is believed the Germans penetrate,
the village Of Prunay (seven mile
! southeast of Rheims) and also advance
I a mile and a half in the direction o
} Prosnes and Souain, but were drive
back by counter-att acks Prosnes
!, twelve miles east and south of Rhein1:
? Souain Is eleven miles directly east o
r ProsnesI The latter village Is believe
TO be on the left flank of the America
unit fighting east OF Rheims.
Compared with their initial successe
in previous efforts, the Germans preser
achievements are relatively inconsIdeI
able" the Daily News declared.
IF this is the main attack it
I reasonable 10 believe it is parried."
Push on Paris Expected
The Times believes the drive is prt
5 paratory TO an advance on Paris and
confident Rheims will be amle TO hol
| out
The most encouraging feature
today's fighting was the America
counter-attack," the sketch declared
Andrew Bonar Law, Chancellor of II
= Exchenquer, speaking in the House {
e Commons last night, said:
+ South of the Marne the American
n in a brilliant counter-attack took
!, thousand prisoners.
n East of Rheims the enemy has bee
:, completely checked with severe losse
y West of Rheims the Germans on
front of 35 kilometers (nearly twent,
s two miles) penetrated an average dept
of four to five kilometers( from two ar
t a half to three miles)."