The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-07-26
GREAT COUNTER OFFENSIVE

During the past week Generai
Foch, head OF the allied armies, has
launched a great counter offensive,
and up to last reports the allied
forces were steadily pushing the Ger
mans back from the Marine.
The German staff, realizing that if
Germany was 10 win the war at all
it was necessary to batter a war to
peace during 1918, German peace,
by crushing the French and English
before the full force OF the American
arms could be felt, started terrific
offensive March 21st. Throwing in
hundreds of thousands of men re-
CARELESS of the sacrifice of lives the
Germans slowly bent back the allied
lines, taking many French towns,
prisoners and material at a dreadful
cost in blood. But the chief object,
that OF breaking through the lines,
was not gained. The waves of Ger
mans dashed impotently against the
French and British, and while ground
was gained the allied armies held in
tact The losses were so great that
the Germans had to halt in the ad
vance to recuperate Again and again
the offensive was resumed with the
same result.
The last great offensive, after driv-
ing deep wedge in the allied lines
as far south as the Marine, and near
~ reaching the high water mark OF
the invasion of 1914, was An effort to
advance on TO Paris, commenced early
in July. But by this time a sufficient
number OF American troops, fresh,
eager and determined. had reached the
front TO take part in the fighting
The presence of the Americans SEEM
ed 10 add spirit TO the French and
British, and the German offensive
broke down without making any
gains. Then as the German offensive
weakened and wavered General Foch
made his strike along Is mile front
from Scissors to the east to Chateau
Thierry, the apex of the salient occu-
pied by the Germans on the Marine,
and the nearest point TO Paris that
the enemy had been able to reach.
The success of that drive so far is
beyond all expectations, and may be
the beginning of the end of the great
war. While the French and Ameri-
cans are hamemring away on the right
OF the German salient. British, French
and Italian troops are bending in the
the German army, or that part Of 1t
that has been operating on the Marine,
is in a very dangerous predicament
II the allies are able to bottle up
that portion OF the German army at
the south end of the salient, vast
number of the Germans must surren-
der or be annihilatcd. All but one
OF the German lines of communication
have been cut, or are dominated by
the allied artillery, and only the most
consummate generalship on the part
OF the German commanders can pre-
vent a great disaster.
The allies have taken an immense
number of prisoners, inflicted enorm-
Gus losses and captured a vast guam
tity OF guns and munitions.
In this drive the Americans have
taken an important part How many
American troops are in the line is
not known, but will amount to sew
eral hundred thousand. The citizen
soldiery are fighting like veterans
and winning the praise Of the French
and British commanders in the field.
They show themselves to be a factor
that is going to very materially aid
in bringing the war to a successful
issue. and before that happy end ar
rives the Germans will have reason
to respect the American soldier whom
they have so long derided
-.79lglulEI RzEz1R
Under the latest ruling of Food
Commissioner Hebberd families are
restricted to % pounds OF sugar for
canning purposes, and a second %
pounds cannot be procured. This step
is necessary on account of the short
age OF the sugar. supply.
There are now over half a million
men in the American navy.