The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-20

Over the greater part of the line be-
tween the Aisne and the Marne, the
French and Americans are still pushing
eastward. Their most pronounced new
progress appears to have been chiefly ON
the more southerly part of the line, the
dash in the northern sector having APP
parently slowed up somewhat.
The allied forces control the plateaus
to the southwest of scissors. This inn
portant town, however, still is holding
out
Further south the allied advance has
established itself at the village of vierzy,
has passed the Mauloy wood, east of
Villers-Helon, and has driven to the
towns of Neuilly-St. Front and Licy-
Clignon. The capture of Neuilly st.
Front, one Of the most important owns
in the field of the advance south of the
Ourcq, was officially announced this
morning.
Dispatches state that the fighting to-
day was spreading southwark toward
Z Chateau Thierry. Indications were, it
was said, that great battle all along
the Aisne- Marine line seemed TO be inn
pending, the Germans having brought
up reinforcements in an effort to stop
the steady push of the allies.
South Of the Marne there has been a
tightening of the defensive arc along the
141s-mile line between Fossoy and Oeuil-
ly, where the Germans are fighting with
the river at their backs. Attacks by
the French last night caused the Ger
mans to fall back still further along the
line.
During the fighting early this week,
American troops retook Fossoy and were
mentioned as being engaged in the bat
tie along the heights to the east of that
place. They are, therefore, probably en-.
gagged in the advance officially reported
from Paris. 0euilly marks the approx
innate point where the German lines cross
the Marine and turn northeast over the
rolling hills toward Rheims
Pursuing its policy of conservatism,
the French war Office makes no extreme
claims of victory along the Aisne- Marne
front. The front, as delineated in off
cial reports, leaves the Clignon river near
Torcy, runs north through Licy -Clignon
and NeuillySt. Front, turns slightly to
the east to Mauloy wood, thence north
to Vierzy and up over the higher ground
to hills TO the southwest of scissors.
There have been reports of allied force
being far to the east of this line, but
they have not been officially confirmed.
1t seems probable that the German ten-
ure of Scissors has been greatly weak
ened and it is quite possible that some
allied forces are farther east than the
positions indicated in the official reports.
In the Aisne- Marine drive there ap-
pears to be an effort, which. is seeming
ly succeeding, to straighten the front
all the way north from the Chgnou riv-
er, about five miles northwest of Chat
eau Thierry. The movement does not
at present appear to be great encircling
operation. 1t is rather a methodical push
all along the western side of the Suis-
son-C Chateau Thierry Rheims salient.
As such, it still must be considered a
defensive action that is going on It's
character may change TO an offensive
stroke at any time, but nothing so far
officially reported would Indicate that
General Mangin's advance seeks to do
more than relieve the pressure against
Rheims
The advance of the allies south of the
Marine, from Fossoy to Oeuilly, as Off
cially reported, may be decidedly signif
cant. The German frert is here so ex-
tended that it is not improbable that the
enemy has begun retirement from the
perilous position into which he had ad
vanced on Monday and Tuesday IT has
been pointed out that the situation OF
the Germans from Chateau Thierry east
ward TO the point where the line crosses
the Marne is dangerous in the extreme
If the Germans really are retreatinp
from across the Marine, the situation is
very similar to that which ensued when
the Austrian advance across the Piave
was checked and the retrograde move.
ment was started