Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-13
Great Effort Made by
Foe to Check Advance

NEW YORK, Aug. 12.-Summary of
Cables to Associated Press mighty
efforts are being made by the German
high command to check the allies adj
vance through Picardy toward Peronne,
Roye and Noyon. On the northern end
of the battle line the British have not
been able to progress rapidly during the
past night, although London reports
unofficially that the village of Bray has
Deen entered.
In the center strong German counter
attacks seem to have held up the ad
vance against vital points along the
line. There is an unconhrmed report
however that Roye has been abandoned
by the enemy.
On the right the French are still
gaining ground steadily. They have
reached the crest of hills west Of the
Disc and have virtually cleared the
Matz valley of the enemy.
The battle is still confined within the
limits fixed when the French extended
the fighting area to the Disc. 1t has
been expected that the combat might
spread along the line, especially north
ward, but this development has not yet
been reported.
Interest in the Picardy battle now
centers upon the German efforts to
stabilize the front along the line from
Albert south to Chaulnes and to check
the French efforts to envelop the enc
my's positions at Lassigny.
There has been an enemy effort which
has met with a measure of success, to
hold the northern flank of the line
firmly while the allies have pushed
eastward in the direction of Peronne
and Ham, On the southern end of the
front the Germans have been unable
so far to do more than slow down the
progress of the French.
In this sector an important advance
is reported in the fact that the French
have reached Antoval, on the rect of
the hills west of Ribecourt- In the
German drive early in June the fall of
Antoval proved fatal to French hopes
to hold the valley of the Disc, as well az
the forest of Carlepont, on the east
bank. If Antoval is 7rmly held by the
French the German lines along the Disc,
it seems, are in danger, and if the
French continue to gain the enemy's re:
tirement from territory held along the
eastern bank of the river may be forced.
Reports would appear to indicate that
the line where the present heavy tight
ing is going on is not the one upon
which the Germans have decided to
stand definitely on the defensive. On
the contrary, the present fight appears
three weeks ago when the Germans
made a stand along the Ourcq river and
the heights of Fere-en-T ardenois. This
stand it developed, was for the purpose
of permitting the enemy to get his ar
tiIlery out of danger and remove stores
from the threatened region as far as
possible.
The coming day or two probably will
be marked by savage fighting, especial
ly on the south, where the continued
progress of the French would weaken
the whole German position, if it does
not turn the flank of the Noyon-Nesle
line, which it appears may be the first
defensive front upon which the enemy
may elect to stand.
The front, as it stands today, runs
in a generally straight line from the
Somme southwark to Tilloly, where it
begins to curve eastward until 1t reaches
the Ooise. The high ground on the north
is proving difficult of capture by the
allies, while to the south heavy forces
of German reserves are reported COM
ing into the fight.
Paris reports unofficially that 10000
prisoners have been taken since Thurs
day morning This brings the total
number of Germans captured in Marshal
Foch's two great drives to $4,000. The
number of guns so far taken by the
allies in the two offensives totals al
most 1000.
Berlin reports the fighting as growing
more bitter and says that Sunday all al
lied efforts failed. One German newspa-
per calls the present battle the first
serious defeat of the war;
Between scissors and Rheims the Ger
mans are apparently prepared to hold
fast, and the French and Americans are
making no attacks in force. The Ger
man artillery fire has been much heav-
Ter. Enemy preparations for an attack
Sunday were stopped by American ar
tillery fire
The first American field army has
been organized with five corps under the
command of General Pershing.