The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-30
PARIS AND LONDON WHOLLY CONFIDENT
Of FINAL VICTORY BUT ADMIT THAT CRISIS
/. IS GRAVE BERLIN CLAIMS MORE PRISONERS
Allies Retire Only Under Pressure OF Overwhelrn.
ing Numbers, Taking Frightful Toll for Every
Foot of Ground Relinquished- Austrian At
tacLs in Italy Thrown Back With Losses.
Flanders Front Is Quiet.


twenty miles south of Laon fell to the Germans the third
day of Hndenburg drive which now appears clearly to
have two main objects:
The outfanking of all French armies west of Rheims
and down far Belfort.
BY the of tremendous numerical superiority which is
being augmented hourly the Germans succeeded in the last
hours in pushing ahead all along the line between
Scissors and Rheims
Their center sacrificing every other consideration speed
dashed reentlessy souhwesward from Fismes as far
Loupegne stands little than three miles north Of
Fere Tardenois railway key to Paris which only some
ffty-four miles away.
Their right overcame after the bitterest fighting and
frightfu toll of blood the resistance of the allied left protect
ing Scissors from the northwest gradually turning the city
further retention became impossible But still the
French bad for foot of ground first in the heights
dominating Scissors then the streets of the CITY, rendering
situation described ferocious by the French night
munique
The German advance the third day approximately:
In the center, ten miles.
On the right eight miles.
On the left four six miles
The attacking front is nearly thirty miles long
On the heights and southeast OF Scissors terrific bat
tie is in progress,
Meanwhile the German left with Rheims as it objective
urously against the Franco British forces northwest
of the cathedral city In savage day battle they managed
again bv sheer WEIGHT Of flesh and metal to crash their way
southwark so that by nightfu allies with
draw the Asne Marine canal frontal attack Rheims
to have begun with the French and British fighting
shoulder shoulder with almost superhuman heosm nme+
diatey to the northwest of the town.
Twentyfv thousand prisoners were reported by Berlin
in the bulletin Tonghts German Office gives de-
tails. merely saying:
I'VE further progressed between Scissors Rheims"
coming every hour Berlin asserts Fresh English and
French divisions defeated in last nights battle
Cheering again from the Picardy front The
Americans who captured Cantgny village there yesterday
maintained it against three German counter attacks
Luedendor forced to admit the in his day
official statement He did grudgingy saying Cantigny was
penetrated Nor did he specify which enemy did the pene
trang Unlike the times when couple of American prison.
taken and the Office accounts opened with the
Americans" he merely referred to the enemy
4 this time
In Italy the Ausans failed sgnallv in strong efforts
/ to retrieve yesterdays losses at capo silo
The situation the southern front in France precarous
but desperate In almost detail the initial phase Of
the present drive resembles that of the Pcar offensive last
March There the first day 10000 prisoners taken.
The figure for the first day in the present push 10000 The
totals reported in both instances alike the days
4 are Is 900.
Amens in this titanic thrust the crisis is look
ed for the fourth day In Paris and London according all
cable dispatches supreme confidence prevails to the final
Every from the front tells of the appalling
price the kaisers heir paying the attempt his
military and dynastic prestige
significant of Wednesday developments the
discontinuance of British official statements bearing the
battle between Scissors and Rheims 1t accentates the
4 tralization of the military command
Flanders German attack against the French north OF
KENNEL beaten Off Otherwise the situation quiet
the northern front