Evening star., 1918-06-30
Belief Is Germans Have
Nearly Completed West
Front Preparations.
FOCH'S ARMIES BUSY
DURING PAST WEEK
Great Fleets of Allied Fliers Max
ing Life Miserable for
Kaiser's Forces.
BY re Associated Press.

llere is reason 1OI DelleNlllS
that preparations are now near
ly completed for a resumption of
the German drive somewhere on
the western front.
lust where the blow will fall
is not known, although the allied
command seems by its confident
attitude to have some clue as to
the intentions of the foe. The
blow, when it comes, is expected
to eclipse the ferocity of the at
tack before Cambria on March
II or along the Aisne on May 27.
An epidemic of influenza in the
German army is reported, and
this, together with the preva-
1ence of typhoid, dysentery and
other diseases, may delay the
onset for time.
Allies Local Actions.
The entente allies have shown the
greatest activity during this period
and in several parts of the battle
zone have carried the fight to the
enemy.
These actions have been local in
character. but have been fought for
important immediate objectives which
strengthened the allied line where it
needed bolstering before the break
ing of the storm Of shot and shell .ex-
pected at any time. At various points
the allies have placed in jeopardy
the enemy's tenure of certain parts
of the line and have extended their
control over wide sectors of the front
This was the notable result of the
attack near Belleau wood. on the
Marine front, by the Americans ON
Wednesday. They did not seek to
break through the German line. but
wanted to reach high ground which
would command the villages of Torcy
and Bouresches. This ground is now
securely in their possession.
Success Of French.
of Soissons, on the Aisne front, had
the same object in view. They hurled
themselves at the German line with
such gallantry that in little more
than an hour they penetrated to
depth of more than a mile over
front of almost three miles and cap
tured more than 1000 prisoners. Ger
man counter attacks against the new
French positions have been repulsed
with heavy losses to the enemy.
s-I Io r%,-or not
ern tip Of the Lys salient on the
Flanders front. cut deeply into the
German lines on Thursday. and sue
ceeded in showing the enemy from
his positions on several little ridges
of land to lower levels from which
he will find it more difficult to at
tack.
Quiet on British Front.
LONDON. June 2s.-ouiet prevails
on the British front in northern
France, according to the official re-
port from Field Marshal Haig to-
night. The text of the statement fol-
lows:
Beyond the usual artillery activity
on both sides there is nothing to re-
port"
PARIS. June 2s.-The war Office
announcement tonight says:
There is nothing to report except
quite marked artillery activity be-
tween the Ourcq and the Marne and
the region east of Rheims.
Great Fleets of Aeros Active.
BY the Associated Press.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
FRANCE, June 29.-Late last night
and again early today the Germans
put down vigorous barrages along
the sector north of Merville. but no
further infantry action has been re-
ported. Great fleets of airplanes are
constantly wheeling over hostile ter
ritory today and conducting bitter
warfare against the Germans.
Heavy artillery duels have been
twenty-four hours in the Merville
residn, where the British yesterday
morning rushed the Germans back by
a successful surprise attack Pris-
oners secured in this operation now
total nine officers and 3s2 of other
machine guns and one trench mortar
also were taken by the British. The
German losses in killed and wounded
were very severe.
Intense activity has been marking
the work of the royal air force. Pris-
been very heavy as the result of the
aerial raids.
Garry Misery to Germans.
What the German soldier thinks of
the British aviator may be indicat-
ed by two letters taken from prison.
ers. One letter written in May by
a man in the Bapaume region said:
ENEMY aviators have caused us a
great deal of misery. They are inces-
SAINT night and day. They bombed