The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-08-01
GERMANS HALTED
IN MARINE DRIVE
Americans, French and Italians
Apply the Brakes to New
Hun Offensive.
FIERCE FIGHTING CONTINUES
Heights Along Marine Reeaptured by
Yanks and PoiIus-Lines Hold
Like Stone Wall.

offensive east and west of Rheims has
had the brakes vigorously applied to
it by the strong resistance Of the
American, French and Italian armies
Nowhere has the enemy found it
forward and tear his way through OPP
posing positions to points of vantage
chosen as early detectives.
True, some gains have been made
by the Germans, but they are inf
Intestinal when compared with those
OF other attacks.
Instead of in miles they may be
reckoned almost in yards. And from
some of the positions captured the en-
envy has been elected summary IN
der vicious counter attacks delivered
by the American troops fighting alone
as unit and Americans fighting
alone as a unit and Americans fight
ing shoulder to shoulder with their
French comrades in arms.
Huns Admit Defeat.
Tacit admission that the enemy
hordes have been retarded in their as
saults, if not halted, seemingly is con-
tanned in the latest German official
communication, which, in dealing with
the fighting of Tuesday, asserts that
the Allied troops on the Marine front
have delivered violent counter at
tacks,' and that to the east of Rheims
the situation is unchanged" The
only claim made to any success by the
Germans is that there were some
local successes to the southwest of
Rheims"
The successes of the Americans and
the French give back to them points
of strategic value on the heights
dominating the Marine valley. The
Americans alone recaptureds FossOy
and Crezancy, five and six miles east
of Chateau aThierry, and at one point
near Fossoy drove back the enemy
across the river and took a number
of prisoners. Aided by the French,
the recapture of st. Agnan, hill 223
and La Chapelle- Monthodon, in a ra-
dius Of five miles south of Dormans,
was accomplished.
With the French Army in France,
July 17.-Having met defeat in every
effort to advance today east of Rheims
the Germans turned their attention
toward pushing the advantage they
had gained west of that city. Strong
columns which crossed the Marine
tried throughout the day to ascend
the river on both banks toward Eper-
nay. Their powerful dashes were met
steadily by the French, who contest
ed every foot of ground.
Battles proceeded simultaneously
river The German line of advance
appears to be Venteuil on the north
err bank and OeuiIly on the south
ern- The position is somewhat con-
fused tonight and it is difficult to
tell where the opposing columns are.
First Day Favorable to Allies.
Paris, July 16-The first day of the
In net analysis, favorable to the AL
lies, says a semi-official statement is
sued late last night. The French de-
fensive system has been in no way af-
fected and is still intact.
London, July 16-The great German
attack was definitely held up on the
whole front east of Rheims five hours
after it was launched, according to
the latest advices reaching London,
and the only German gains worth
mentioning were in the neighborhOod
of the Souain road and Prunay, where
they succeeded in penetrating for
about one and one-haf miles on
narrow front At both these points
the French began strong counter at
tacks late in the morning
On the front west of Rheims the
Germans had more success, but the
only important gain to their credit for
the mornings work was the crossing
Of the Marine and a zone a little more
than a mile beyond on front Of about
ten miles.
The battle began with a wholesale
bombardment, inaugurated about mid
night along the whole front from Cha
teau Thierry to Massiges, except for
a narrow sector around Rheims.
This intensified bombardment OF
the French lines, with the usual &C
compartment of trench mortars by the
thousands, also was reinforced by a
long range bombardment of the back
areas on a scale greater than ever
heretofore attempted by the Germans
Sail 600 Miles for Help.