The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-31
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUMMARY OF The WAR

SUMMARY Of The WAR
Keeping the tide of their advance
in the center flowing strongly, to-
ward the Marine, the Germans have
extend ed the battle line westward
and virtually linked up the present
battlefield with that of the Somnre.
The attaek~Was delivered along the
AiIette river, northwest Of Sois-
sons The Germans drove the allied
line back go that il now runs north
westward from the vicinity of Sois-
sons, through Epaany and BIeran-
court to the Disc river, apparently
at its point of junction with the Disc
canal about eight miles east of Noy-
on.
The advance in the center has now
brought the Germans within two
miles Of the Marine at one point,
Paris dispatches report. The wedge
here appears increasingly narrow,
however, and on it's TANKS below
Scissors and Rheims the enemy is
reported firmly held.
The French war office announces
the breaking down of enemy attacks
in the Soissons area and to the
south, while on the allied right the
line extending northeaetward toward
Rheims from the neighborF1ood of
Vezllly,. the Germans failed in all
their efforts to win ground.
RIeHT Wing HOLDS FIRM.
The energetic defense on the right
wing is exemplified by the fighting
at ThilIols, three miles east Of
Rheims, where the Germans entered
the town, only TO be driven out by
a French counter attack. ..s-
BY, such resistance the safety OF
Rheims is n1onaentariIy safeauaFdsd.
but observers of the operations view
it's ultimate fall as apparently in"
evitabIe. sH
The probability of German pene-
trationto the banks of the Marne is
likewise indicated in the news dis
patches, which mention the near ap-
proach Of the Germans to Chateau
LhIerry and pornans, both on the
Marine. The civilian population has
left Chateau ThieFry and some of the
refugees from it have already passed
through Paris for the interior.
On the British front the Germans
are active with their artillery esat
Of fAsneimainnTd etaoi Bqbawin. P
of An1ens and in the Albert region
to the north, as we'll as on portions
OF the Flanders front, but no infan.
try movements of note are reported.
In the Toul sector on the French
front the Americans have carried out
a euccessful raid.
Baffled in their efforts to strike
eastward and westward from the new
salient in the allied lines the Ger.
mans are attempting to reach the
Marine with their heavy forces before
the allied resistance becomes strong
enough to halt them entirely. In the
center, however, the enemy progress
is slaekening as the allied reserves
are being thrown into the battle.
Heavy fighting continues all alona
the arch shaped salient from Sois-
sons to Rheims. Struggle as they
will against the French defense on
the west around Soissons the Ger
mans are unable to gain. In the
region of Rheims the same story is
true as the British and French divi.
sions there stand firm.
BY penetrating to the Marne or
southward from Fere-en- r Tardenois,
seven miles north of the river, which
they now hold, the Germans apparent
Iy hope TO spread out eastward and
as they failed to do furths
er north, and thus outfIank the strong
allied positions at Scissors and at
Rheims. French resistance in the
centery, however, is growing and the
Germans are getting farther and
farther away from their original base
along the AiIette.
Paris and London view the situa-
tion more faVorably and in neither
case is there fear that the German
offensive will become as serious q
menace TO the allied defense as the
onslaught in March.
PARIS NOT MUCH NEARER.
Although the German salient is
about 1S miles deep in the center,
Paris is not much nearer nor has the
enemy advance yet affected the al.
lied lines eastward from Montdidiers
In fact, the Germans would be in q
dangerous position should General
Foch strike eastward along the Aisne
from Scissors.
The aerial activity over the terri
tory of the German advance is most
intense and French airReH have
many tons Of bombs on
enemy targets in addition TO bringing
down a number of German machines
= Berlin claims the capture Of much
war material, including number of
large French guns. The number OF
prisoners 10 now said TO be more Eaan
$4,000.
Elsewhere on the western front
thers has been little activity. The
artillery fire has Increased in Pieardy
but infantry actions there and in
Flanders have been limited to raids.
West Of Monsdidier, the American
troops still maintain their hold on.
despite German counter
attacks. The Americans III their
successful advance captured 242 pris-
oners, latest reports say. Fighting
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