The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-21
BIGGEST BATTLE.
THE WORLD EVER.
WITNESSED NOW
SIX MONTHS old.
Fighting in France Has
Been Continuous Since
49, 49,. March 81 as
GERMANS BEGAN
GREAT STRUGGLE
Allies Took the Initiative
From Them After.
.. Four Months @
.(By Assoeiated, Pregs.l

.(By Associated Press.)
Six months ago today the great
German offensive began. For weeks
victory seemed about to. perch on the
| German banners. Today the allied
! star is in the ascendancy.
Anxiety and encouragement de-
preston and joy have succeeded each
other since March 81 where the great
| est battle of history began.
1t has been a period Of almost in
! cessant fighting and of bewildering
changes in the situations that devel-
oped from day to day and from week
to week. The allies knew they faced
Germany's mightiest efforts last
March. ~
Released by the absolute collapse of
Russia as belligerent power, vast
numbers OF German veterans had been
rushed to the western front, and been
given intensive training for the Of
fensiYe by which the Teuton war
| lords dreamed that they might force
upon the world a German peace Ger
many made no secret of her inten-
tions. 1t was known that great bod
les Of men and tremendous stores of
munitions had been concentrated at
| strategic points behind the German
lines. It was even known where the
Germans would launch their first, at
tack and for weeks before March 81,
the allies had been fixed on the long
curving line from LeFere to Arras as
the stage where the first act Of the
great drama would be eEacted.
Moved Swiftly
Moving with swiftness that car
rleds concern to: every entente nation
the German forces. twept over the
British lines in Picardy and rolled
west like a tidal wave. during the
closing days Of March, until at last
the British reached positions where
they stood at bay and the French had
come to form a living wall before the
gray clad hosts of the German en-
per or. Then the offensive stopped.
Hardly had it's rush been checked
than the line between Lens and Ypres
was attacked by the Germans, and
again the British lines swayed back
ward. This advance of the enemy
went on until 1T reached the high
high ground to the south west OF
f pres and then it, too, was stopped
by the stubborn fighting of the allied
armies.
"a pause followed for nearly a
month and then, on May 81, the Ger
mans suddenly broke through the
French lines north Of the Aisne river
and smashed their way southwark
until they had reached the Marine,
over q wide front east Of Chateau
Thterry. No sooner had the momen-
tum of this drive been taken up by
the defense Of the French troops
than a new assault was made by the
tGermans, who this, time tried to
| break the French lines between Mont
didier and Noyon and link up the Pt-
cardy and Marne sectors.
! It was here that the world had the
| first intimation that the allied armies,
which since late in March had been
under the supreme command Of Mar
shall Foch, had been pursuing a def
| mite policy and had conserved their
strength against the time when it
might be used with good effect. The
German attack east of Montdidier
came to pause after six da~s OF ter
rible fighting in whicn the Germans
suffered frightful losses and the
French, for the first time since the
German offensive began struck back
at the invaders.
Americans Used.
American forces had taken part in
the final phase of the battle along
bIhe Marne and had been instrumental
| in stopping the Germans at Chateau
Thierry. In this battle came the first
notable contribution of. America to
the military fortunes Of the allies.
Since March, however, there had been
| a. flood tide of khaki clad men cross
ling the Atlantic and during May,
| June and the first part of July they
rapidly moved up to the battle zone.
The sanguinary nature Of the check
of the German offensive of Montdidier
gave the allies hope that the Ger
| man tide would be safely stemn1ed,
| and this feeling was heightened dur
/ ing the succeeding three or four
weeks by a series Of local actions
along the front from Scissors to
Chateau Thierry, by which the Ger
mans were driven back steadily from
points of tactical value. What was
not known by, the lay Of the world
/ was the fact that, by these. very ac-
tions, Marshal Foch virtually forced
the Germans to attack somewhere In
| the Marine region, where preparati
were made for a new phase OF the
struggle.
new drive, called by them the of
fensive Of peace" from Chateau
Thierry eastward far into the Cham
pagne sector. No sooner had the
news of the attack reached the world
than the tfdings came that the
French. Italian and American lines
subject to assault were standing firm
/ III, in every vital part of the front and
THAT it was only by the greatest eff
fort that the Germans pounded their
way ahead in the region southwest OF
Rheims and astride the Marine west o.
FSpernay. 1t was them known that
lthe, allies had solved the &c. nan
/ system of offense and were able TO
lhold their ground.
FocEl Launches Blow.
On July 18. Marshal Foch launched
i an attack which has changed the
whole complexion Of the situation,
From Fontenoy on the Aisne, west Of
Soissons, to Chateau Thierry, on the
| Marine. the German lines were torn
to pieces and the Marine salient
threatened, to collapse. It was only
by the most savage lighting that the
/ Germans succeeded in saving their
/ army from disaster and finally sue
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