Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-10
ALLIED STAND SLOWS DOWN
NEW OFFENSIVE OF GERMANS
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
in Sundays battle and are now In the
big action. American troops were sta
toned round Montdidier during the
stages of the Picardy battle and captured
Cantigny, a battle-wrecked village Just
north of Montdidier, in a recent daring
rush. Previously it lac been reported
that Americans were holding part of the
line to the south Of Montdidier and west
of LassignV which zone was covered by
the German assault on Sunday.
Americans shelled
Americans in the Cantigny sector were
violently bombarded with gas shells. high
explosives and shrapnel. The enemy
used trench mortars extensively as usual,
but the Americans escaped the fierce
hahd-to-hand fighting that was expert
enced farther eastward on the line.
1t appears from the developments of
the last thirty-six hours that the chief
local objective of the Germans is COM
piegne. which is now less than ten miles
from the zone of battle.
Compiegne is a town of high strategic
value on account of the lines Of COM
munication (railway and highways)
which converge there. The city lies at
the confluence of the Disc and Aisne
slNeiS anu 10 loTty-HNe miles from
Paris.
Foes Forces Enormous
The German Crown Prince has en-
ployed enormous forces since he opened
this latest drive on Sunday morning. II
was estimated that more than seventeen
divisions Approximately 205,0 00) have
been thrown into the battle.
Without using any of his reserves.
General Foch's brave troops have been
able to stem the German rush and last
night 1t was held particularly at a stand
still.
In the initial stages of the new battle
the Germans were able to extend their
lines from two to four miles, but as the
Germans continued their pressure they
found Allied resistance getting sitter and
sitter.
Foes New Detectives
The strategy which prompted German
attacks in a new theatre, n their efforts
to break through toward Paris, evidently
arose from a desire to widen the base of
the German salient to f1atten the bulge
in the French front between the Picardy
and Aisne-Marne fighting n and to
shorten the German line between Mont
didier and Chateau-Thierry.
The Americans were on the alert,
awaiting the possible development Of a
frontal attack in the Cantigny sector.
The enemy employed the same intense
bombardment with trench mortars as
marked the preceding three drives, to
make more effective their infantry at
tacks, but at the same time they en-
ployed countless m~achine-gun squads
for infiltrating the Allied positions in
an effort to enflade the TANKS.
Preliminary Smelling has been carried
out chiefly with gas shells. the deadly
fumes drenching the forefield' positions
and rendering them difficult to defend.
London June 10.
"a hostile attack in the A,veluy wood
last evening, was repulsed." Field Mar.
shall Haig reported today.
I'VE conducted a successful raid
northwest of Bethune yesterday"
Compiegne, toward which the Germans
are trying to advance down the Disc
River, is one Of the most historic towns
in France, but is badly marked by the
scars of battle. It was overrun by the
Germans in 1914. but after the retreat
from the Marine the French made 1t
into a base. 1t contains an ancient
abbey, the burial place Of the early
kings of France. The French court
often sat there in the olden days. II
was in Compiegne that Joan of Arc was
captured.
The initial momentum of h new Ger
man drive on a t~wenty-nile front be-