The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-21
Kaiser Started Six Months
Ago To-day to Wipe
Out His Foes
is NOW HARD PRESSED
ON HIS OLD LINES
Greatest Battle in History
Is Reaching It's
Climax
iBr Associated Press

seemed about to perch on the German
banners To-day the allied star is in the
ascendancy.
Anxiety and encouragement, depres-
sion and Joy, have succeeded each other |
since at dawn on March 81 the greatest
battle OF history began. 1t has been a
period OF almost incessant fighting and
Of bewildering changes in the situations
that developed from day to day and from
week to week.
The allies knew they faced Germany
miphtiest effort last March, but they
stood unafrad. Released by the absolute
collapse Of Russia as a belligerent pow
er. vast numbers Of German veterans
had been rushed to the western front
and been given intensive training for the
offensive by which the Teutonic war
lords dreamed that they might force
upon the world German peace. Ger
MANY made no secret Of her intention.
| It was known great bodies OF men and
| tremendous stores of munitions had been
concentrated at strategic points behind
| the German lines. 1t also was known
where the Germans would launch their
first attack, and for weeks before March
| 81 the ewes Of the allies had been fixed
on the long curying line from LaFere to
Arras as the stage where the first act
Of the great drama would be enacted.
Moving with a swiftness that carried
concern to every entente nation, the
German forces swept over the British
lines in Picardy and rolled westward like
a tidal wave during the closing days OF
March, until at last the British reached
positions where they could stand at bay
and the French had come to form a NV
ing wall before the gray.clad host OF the
German emperor. Then the offensive
stopped,
Hardly had its rush been checked than
the line between Lens and Ypres was
attacked by the Germans and again the
British lines swayed backward. This ad-
vance of the enemy went on until 1t
reached the high ground to the south
west of Ypres and then il, too, was
stopped by the stubborn fighting Of the
allied armies.
A pause followed for nearly month
and then, on May q, the Germans sud
denly broke through the French lines
north of the Aisne river and smashed
their way southwark until they had
{ reached the Marine over wide front east
= of Chateau Thierry.
No sooner had the momentum of this
s drive been taken up by the yielding de
Tense of the French troops than a new
assault was made by the Germans, wht
this time tried TO break the French line
between Montdidier and Noyon and iinl
i up the Picardy and Marine sectors.
! French Struck Back
i II was here that the world had tn
e FIRST intimation that the allied armies
o which since late in March had been un
l. der the supreme command Of Marsha
Foch, had been pursuing a definite polio.
II and had conserved their strength agains
1t the time when il might be used wit
le good effect The German attack east o
le Montdidier came to pause after 81
a. DAYS OF terrible fighting in which tn
Y Germans suffered frightful losses an
the French, for the first time since tn
German offensive began, struck back a
the invaders.
American forces had taken part IN On
in final phases Of the battle along IN
Marne and had been instrumental ]
stopping the Germans at Chateau ihlei
n nv. In this battle came the first notab
Oh contribution Of America to the mihtar
re fortunes of the allies. Since Marc
u however. there had been food tide
i'll khaki-clsd men crossing the Atlantic an
during May, June and the first part
ta July they rapidly moved up to the oa
as tie zone.
IL The sanguinary check of the Germs
ms offensive east of Montdidier gave the q
co lies hone that the German tide won
he he safely stemmed, and this feeling WI
NJ heightened during the succeeding thr
DIV or fu,r weeks by series of local actiol
". along the front from scissors to Chatei
nd Thierry bv which the Germans we
driven back steadily from points OF ia
teal value. What was not known
The Law world was the fact that, by the
verv actions, Marshal Foch virtual
In forced the Germans to attack somewhe
in the Marine region, where preparatlo
we're made for new phase Of the stru
M gle.
las On July Is the Germans made a M
lys drive, called by them "the offensive
mt. peace" from Chateau Thierry eastwa
far into the Champagne sector No SOC
Ion or had the news of the attack reacn
at the world than the tidings came tn
the the French, Italian and American In
lad subjected to assault were standing fir
w In every vital part of the front a
re- that it was only by the greatest enc
in that the Germans pounded their W
led ahead in the region southwest OF Rhei
and astride the Marine west of Epern'
II then was known that the allies b
solved the German system Of otfens
and were able to hold their ground.
Her German Lines Collapse
On July IS, Marshal Foch launch
an attack which has changed the VIII
ice, complexion of the situation. From F.
T. tenov. ON the Aisne, west of Soisso
my to Chateau Thierry, on the Marine,
Al German lines were torn to pieces and
,or- Marine salient threatened to collapse.
lily was only by the most savage fight
that the Germans succeeded IN saw
the their army from disaster and finally 5
ked ceeded in retreating across the We
ler, river
On August s, the French and Brit
stormed the German lines in Plea
from the Ancre river to Moreuil, north
Montdidier, and sent the enemy reel
hack toward the Somme. The next d
lent the French crushed in the German fir
south of Montdidier and then, link
tbo their lines with those of the British,
-ars tber north, forced the invaders back
pee the eastward.
ldad Less than two weeks later the Germ
az. lines southwest of Arras were attac
lila. and these gave way and the forces ht
! Of ing them Joined their comrades fart
.s.4k - a ra4raaf xuhiph now has