The sun., 1918-07-16
tailed only fluctuations Of few
hundred yards.
Renarf Head In Cammans

leans had captured thousand or more
prisoners south OF the Marine after
having driven back the enemy. Mr..
Bonar Law read the following COM
munication:
The enemy attacked early this
morning on a front OF 80 kilometers
60 miles), pretty evenly divided east
and west of Rheims. The city itself
was not attacked.
West Of Rheims the Germans pen
etrated on a front OF S6 kilometers
(22.37 miles) to an average depth Of
from 4 to 5 kilometers.
South Of the Marine by a brilliant
counter attack the American troops
drove the enemy back and took q
thousand or more prisoners.
East of Rheims the enemy has
been heavily repulsed and has suf-
fered a complete check.
Foch Well Satisfied.
Before reading the Communication
Mr.. Bonar Law said it had reached
him from the front shortly before II
O'Clock.
II may add" he said, ''in addition to
what / am going to read, that the
Prime Minister has been in telephone
communication with Headquarters, and
the report given to him as coming
from Gen. Foch is that he is we'll sat
isfled with the results Of to-day's fight
Ing"
Sir Walter 'Runc;man said that the
House would wish to offer congratula-
tions not only TO the French but to the
American troops, who had justified
themselves not for the first time on
critical occasion.
While the battle has not developed
sufficiently to permit an intelligent an
alysis OF motive 1t seems. merely from
the location of the attack. that the Ger
mans hope 20 extend their lines south
ward on both sides of Rheims. thus en-
veloping that city and forcing its surren-
der. Apparently also they hope to &C.
cupy the territory south OF the Marne
and then to straighten their entire line
from newly won positions south OF the
river eastward toward Verdun.
This accomplished, it would appear
that the next logical step would be the
capture of the French cities Of Epernay
and Chalons. both Of which are i'm
portant railroad supply centres for the
French and American ARMIES.
The only German gains worth men
uoning to-day were in the neighbor hood
of the Souaim road and Prunay. where
there was a maximum penetration Of al
lied positions OF about a mile and one
half. This, however, was on a very
narrow front: totally different from the
sweeping. broads!de advances in the first
= days of the earlier offensives.
In connection with the crossing OF the
Marne II should be remembered. allied
military experts point out. that this
river is only a narrow stream. and that
crossing II involves no particular diff
Guilty.
The general view Of the men who
watched the progress OF the battle from
afar was that the Germans have lost
some Of their punch since their last big
attempt, for nowhere did the present
attack gain the sweeping success which
their previous efforts yielded them.
BY midafternoon the Entente military
experts were actually feeling optimistic,
although the danger was not yet over.
But it was evident that the first big
rush had failed to yield the Germans
anything like the results which might
have been expected. One reason prob
ably Is that the attack this time had
40 element Of surprise. for Gen. Foch
knew OF the German intention days in
Advance. and the French made their
plans for It last week.
Even in the Marine region. where the
Germans made their most important
gain. they have not reached the high
Ground south OF the Marine. which is
Strategically very important.
In their previous attacks the Germans
used one division to each mile of front.
hence 1t is estimated that they are using
St least sixty divisions in the present
operations. which would mean between
100000 and 800, 900 men.
While the French and Americans were
Resisting the new large scale German
Offensive the British continued their
snibblfng" tactics in the neighborhood OF
Villers Bretonneux. A slight advance
was made by the British troops there.
In the fighting at Ridge wood Sunday
the British captured S2S prisoners.
Naval Guns Employed.
The attack to-day Is the most ambl-
1ous effort yet loosed by the Germans
Doth in extent OF territory involved and
In number Of high powered gums en-
Ployed. The battle front In the offensive
Of March extended over ffty-fve
miles. ten fewer than the present battle
Hne.
The German higher command adhered
70 recent tactics in the matter OF artil-
Dry bombardment except that for this
attack Dig naval guns were used FOR
the first time. The fact that the Ger
mans have these guns in position offers
nn part an explanation OF the long delay
IN renewing the offensive. since II would
take some time to transport these big
guns and emplace them.
With the naval rifles the Germans
dropped hundreds OF big shells far back
Of the allied front line. While these
guns did effective execution in spots.
cheir destruct!venees was limited. The
were to be used. and had taken the pre-
daution to move the civilian population
further back than usual.
While German strategy is not clear
IN the latest aatack as yet II Is apparent
That the Kaiser's Generals now look
Upon Paris as more vulnerable-or more
yaluable-than the Channel ports Ow-
ing to the political and economic diff
duties with which the German higher
Command is known to be confronted at
home 1t Is not regarded as unlikely
chat Gen. Ludendorff shrewdly calcu-
ntes that the capture of Paris, or an
effective bombardment of the city,
would have a greater revivifying effect
at home than the capture OF Calais or
punkirk. The fall Of the Channel ports
doubtless would be of greater advan-
tage to the Germans In a military way,
nut that victory would be less spectacu-
lar than the capture OF Paris
Mador-Gen. Liggett. commander of
the first American army corps has ap-
firoximntely 100000 men on the Marne,
from Chateau Thierry to the village
OF Jaulgonne.
~