Evening star., 1918-04-15
TURNING POINT m FRANCE NEAR !.
IS WAR DEPARTMENTS BELIEF
Asserts Germans Have Failed to Achieve
Victory on West Front Field-Activity
of United States Units.

and thus facilitate the German ad-
vance.
power he will in all probability con-
tinue his assaults, hoping that by an
| "enveloping attack on an obIique 'front.'"
to use the classic Prussian dennftton,
he may score complete annthilating
Victory.
! There has been less activity along tho
southern flank Of the Picardy salient.
Here the line taken over by the French
is now fully consolidated. After the
bloody battles which have been raging In
the area between Montdidier and Noyon.
the enemy, fearing q counter attack
along this flank Of their new deeply
curved salient. struck repeated blows to
give themselves elbow room south OF the
Oise.
Stubborn and Costly Thrusts."
1.-THE Germans. by stubborn and costly
| driven thrusts. were able to force the
! French out of the triangular area formed
by the Disc, the Ailette and the old line
stretching from the La Fere to Anizy-le-
Chateau
ION an approximate twelve-mile front
the enemy advanced to depth ranging
! from three to six miles. The French con-
tested every foot Of the ground. were
| able to check the enemy's onslaught and
carry out their carefully arranged plan
for the occupation of the line which they
now hold south Of the Alette.
THE German higher command also
| made desperate attempts to enlarge its
gains in the area stretching from Mont
dider to Moyon and improve the position
In this vicinity. but they were everywhere
repulsed by the French. who hold firm
along this important sector.
"North Of the Somme the British. re-
established their line In, the Aveluy
woods and took a number Of prisoners.
bardments developed in the region east
of Noyon and north Of Montdidier.
Activity Of o. s. Units.
'In the sectors where our own forces
are hghting considerable activity pre-
walled After protracted artillery prep
aration the Germans launched an attack
against our positions northwest OF
Toul. Our artillery was able to disperse
the assaulting columns and checked the
attack before our lines were reached.
Our own infantry counter attacked and
drove Off the remnants of the enemy
units. A number OF prisoners were
slight.
The enemy also executed a minor raid
against one of our outposts in the
Woevre. Hostile artillery has been &C.
tive throughout the week both in the
Woevre and along our positions in the
Meuse hills and in the Vosges.
"Our counter battery work was very
efticient and. we replied vigorously to
tthe hostile shelitng. Lively shelling
front and the allies executed a number
of minor arids in the Astago region.
Regrouping Of Forces Noted.
.The regrouping of forces has been
going on and the continuation Of con-
centration of hostile units Is reported.
The probability Of an enemy offensive
in this area taking place as soon a. the
weather becomes more favorable. is in
creasing.
while no events bearing directly on
/ the general military situation took
place in the east. 1t 10 to. be noted that
German and Finnish forces have occu-
pied and passed beyond Tammerfers
and hostile units are moving nortnward
railroad through Finland to Sweden.
"In Siberia, the situation remains OBJ
scure, the japanese landing at Vladi-
yostok has been followed by the land
IN - E2rjtiah fOrrab