Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-28
ENEMY STRIKES ON
FORTY-MILE FRONT
SOUTH OF PICARDY
CONTINUED Prom Page one)

when their drive for the channl ports
was halted last month
The attack between scissors and
Rheims, however, is the distinctive
feature of the New German operations
The front of the German attack is
along the sector which usually is re-
ferred to as the Aisne front, owing to
the fact that for a long time the line
of battle followed the river The pres
ent battle line runs along the Ailette
river. north of the Aisne, over the lar
ger part of this sector, the French
having advanced their line. The front
of attack is about forty miles. which
is about fifteen miles shorter than
the line of the original German at
tack on March 21st.
New Sector Chosen
In turning to a new sector to strike
their blow, the Germans have taken a
course contrary to that which had
generally been predicted by military
commentators during the pause in the
operations. The view usually expressed
has been that the Germans were com
mitted so heavily to their campaign in
Picardy and Flanders and were occupy
ing such dangerously exposed positions
that they were under the necessity of
striking again at those points when they
resumed the attack The German
strategy may contemplate a surprise at
tack in sufficient strength to compel
General Foch to withdraw troops from
the north in the hope of involving the
allies sufficiently on the Aisne front
to weaken their lines in Picardy and
Flanders.
If the Germans counted on the ele-
ment of surprise to assist them in the
new attack, they probably have fallen
from the official British statement that
new dispositions of troops have been
made along the Aisne front. Before the
March offensive the British line ran
to the Disc river, south of st. Quentin.
Going to the assistance of the British,
the French took over a sector extend
ing to a point east of Amiens. There
has been no previous mention of the
presence of British troops on this part
of the line, except for last nights Ger
man official statement In this state
ment it was said that in the region of
the Aisne, northeast of La Melville,
British were taken prisoners.
Americans in Battle
American troops may be taking part
in the new battle. Early in the spring
there were several references in news
dispatches to the presence of Americans
at that part of the line. Part of these
forces consisted of artillery attachments
in training. but at one point at least
infantrymen were in the trenches.
There has been no recent reference to
Americans there, however, and they may
have been withdrawn. e
The front between scissors AMI
Rheims is a difficult one, Offering the
allies excellent facilities for the de-
tense. The country is hilly, with Sc.
ries of strong natural positions to the
rear of the allied lines. The Germans
have already sustained two severe de-
feats on this front. Last July they
undertook what is usually referred to
as the Grown princes offensive" which
met with the same fate as all the other
military venture of the heir to the Ger
man throne. He carried on the attack
for several weeks and met with a cost
ly failure. Last October the French
launched an attack and won a brilliant
success, taking $500 prisoners the first
day. The enemy was driven out of the
Aisne valley and the line was advanced
to the Ailette, the Germans losing all
the disputed ridge of the Chemin des
Danes.